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Whoever came up with the idea of the uncrustable seriously needs a raise.
A crustless sandwich that parents don’t have to make and is made for on the go? Freaking brilliant.
While I definitely have convenient premade products that I use to feed my family in my pantry, fridge, and freezer, every once and a while I’ll make them myself and add a nutritional boost – as long as they still taste good and don’t take forever to make.
These DIY uncrustables are easy to make in bulk and have a boost of protein, extra fiber, and are half the cost compared to store bought uncrustables.
Next time you find yourself making your kids a pb and j and you have a few extra minutes, make up the whole loaf – crust or no crust – freeze, and save for later.
Table of Contents
Are Uncrustables Healthy?
I have a hate, love relationship with the word healthy. As a dietitian and mom, I’ve learned over the years that the term “healthy” is relative to the person using it.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) defines healthy as:
“an implied nutrient content claim that characterizes a food as having “healthy” levels of total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, as defined in the regulation authorizing use of the claim.”
So are uncrustables healthy? They sure can be! What’s more important than one single food, nutrient, or ingredient, is ensuring a wide variety of foods, as well as understanding that different foods work in different situations.
Store bought or even DIY uncrustables work great in a pinch, on the go, or when all your mental energy has been sucked out of you and you don’t feel like cooking, but your kid will gladly eat an uncrustable.
While there’s nothing wrong with leaning on a store bought uncrustable every once and a while, DIY uncrustable do allow you to customize the ingredients and add more nutritional value like the ones I’m sharing here.
Uncrustables Nutrition
Whipping up a batch of DIY uncrustables allows you to use the bread, nut or seed butter, and jelly your family enjoys.
Want less added sugar than a premade uncrustable, add less jelly or use a reduced sugar jelly.
Want more protein? Add more nut butter or sprinkle in some ground flaxseed.
Want more fiber? Use whole grain bread.
Again, there’s nothing wrong with utilizing pre-made, store bought products that make your life easier, but sometimes making them at home can add more value and flavor without taking too much time or costing extra.
I compared the DIY uncrustables I made from home to the store bought Smuckers brand and while there wasn’t a huge difference, the homemade uncrustables I made were slightly higher in protein (2 grams) and fiber (2.75 g) while being half the cost ($0.57 versus $1.05)
However, you do have to consider the time and energy it takes to make them, even if they are relatively easy.
You’re also purchasing all the ingredients with a total of $26.66, but keeping in mind yo won’t use all the ingredients.
The cost of the sandwich cutter is also an additional cost at roughly $6.00 and you can continue to use it.
Just remember that the nutritional values and the cost will vary depending on the ingredients you use.
To shop the products I used from Target, click here.
| Per 1 Sandwich | DIY Uncrustable | Store Bought Uncrustable |
| Cost | $0.57 | $1.05 |
| Calories | 219 | 210 |
| Fat | 10 g | 9 g |
| Sodium | 265 mg | 220 mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 27 g | 28 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4.75 g | 2 g |
| Total Sugars | 10 g | 10 g |
| Includes Added Sugar | 9 g | 9 g |
| Protein | 8 g | 6 g |
| Iron | 1.75 mg | 1.2 mg |
*Cost and nutrients will vary based on brand and products used.
Ingredients for Homemade Uncrustables
As I mentioned, these DIY uncrustables are easily customizable to the ingredients your family enjoys.
And no, I’m not here to tell you to only use the natural peanut butters with minimal ingredients or the most expensive bread possible. No. Choose what your family enjoys, has access to, and can afford.
Bread
I don’t LOVE super hearty, whole grain breads so I don’t buy them for our family. However, I do try to find a bread that’s whole grain.
Every grocery store will carry different varieties of breads, so choose one your family enjoys!
Nut or Seed Butter
Some families like the more “natural” varieties with no added sugar, while others opt for a peanut butter spread that has more added ingredients.
Regardless of the ingredients or minimal added sugar you might find in different varieties of nut butters, they all have something to offer, and you should enjoy the flavor.
If someone in your family has a peanut or tree nut allergy, you can make these DIY uncrustables with a seed butter like sunbutter.
Jam or Jelly
Sometimes we use jam we get from our local farmers market, other times it’s Smuckers natural, and occasionally it’s whatever was on sale.
Ground Flaxseed
This is where as a Dietitian, I take my DIY uncrustable up a notch. Ground flaxseed helps provide a little extra protein, iron, fiber, and omega-3 heart healthy fats.
I love using Tinysprouts milled flaxseed because it has added vitamin D and probiotics.
Just make sure to use a ground or milled flaxseed, as whole flaxseed is really hard for your body to digest and will end up just going straight through, if you know what I mean.
Equipment for DIY Uncrustables
This is pretty self explanatory, but in case you’re a list person like me, here are all the items you would need to make and these DIY uncrustables.
- Sandwich Cutter
- Knife or rubber spatula for spreading
- Bowl
- Whisk
- Cutting Board
- Freezer bag
- Baking sheet
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
If you don’t want to get yourself a sandwich cutter, you can always use a glass to cut your sandwich into a circle, and push down the edges with a fork to crease the edges of the bread together.
How to Make Homemade Uncrustables
Whisk Jelly and Flaxseed
Whisking your ground flaxseed into the jelly helps to make sure the added flaxseed is undetectable – not that you should sneak ingredients into your kids food, but sometimes it helps create consistent textures.
This works great even if you’re not using ground flaxseed. Whisking your jelly or jam helps break up the clumps that make it difficult to spread. I learned this trick during my school food service days where I made thousands of sunbbutter and jelly sandwiches.
Make Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches
Lay out the slices from half the loaf of bread on a clean surface or cutting board and spread your nut butter and jelly on one slice. Top each sandwich with another slice to make a traditional pb and j.
Cut DIY Uncrustables
Take your sandwich cutter, or glass, and cut a circle in the center of the sandwich, saving the crusts if you’d like.
If you’re using the sandwich cutter, you’ll add the second piece of the cutter to help press and pinch the two crusts together.
If you don’t have a sandwich cutter, use a fork to pinch down the edges of the bread to stick to the bottom piece of bread. This will almost look like a crinkle in the edge of pie crust.
Freeze Homemade Uncrustables
Once you have your cute little DIY uncrustables made, set them on baking sheet and put them in the freezer for a few hours or until completely frozen. This helps to make sure they don’t stick together or get smashed when you store them in the freezer.
Once they’re individually frozen, you can add them to a freezer bag, label, and store for roughly one month for the best quality.
Variations of Uncrustables
- Gluten free uncrustables
- Sunbutter uncrustables
- Ham and cheese uncrustables
- Nutella uncrustables
What do You do with the Leftover Crusts?
Making DIY uncrustables might feel a little wasteful at first because what do you do with all the leftover crusts? But you can use those crusts to make super delicious peanut butter and jelly french toast bites!
All you need to do is cut up your crusts into roughly one inch chunks, toss in your preferred french toast batter (here’s a recipe if you need one), and fry them up in some butter.
They will make for a tasty meal or snack throughout the week.
As for store bought, Smuckers uncrustables, they send their crusts to companies who transform them into animal feed to help minimize waste.
Can You Freeze Uncrustables?
Absolutely. In fact, I recommend making DIY uncrustables in bulk and freezing them to pull out as needed.
Homemade uncrustables are great for when you’re in a pinch and it’s something easy your kids can grab themselves.
Can You Eat Uncrustables Frozen?
Yes, you can eat frozen uncrustables if you’d like. There is minimal food safety risk compared to other frozen foods that are intended to be cooked to a safe internal temperature.
My daughter actually enjoys eating them straight out of the freezer so it will likely come down to personal preference.
How to Store DIY Uncrustables
If you’re making homemade uncrustables in bulk to use for later, you can store them in an airtight bag or container in the fridge for up to three days or in the freezer for one month for best quality.
How to Thaw Uncrustables
Take homemade uncrustables out of the freezer and thaw in the fridge, not at room temperature where bacteria thrives, for 30 to 60 minutes, or even over night.
Other Recipes You’ll Love
The Best English Muffin Pizza Recipe
Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal
Easy DIY Uncrustables
Equipment
- Sandwich cutter or round glass and fork
- Cutting board
- Butter knife or rubber spatula
- Baking sheet
- Freezer bags
- Small bowl
- Whisk
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
Ingredients
- 1 loaf Bread or 24 slices of bread
- 3/4 cups Nut butter
- 6 tbsp Jelly
- 2 tbsp Ground flax
Instructions
- Whisk together jelly and ground flaxseed.
- Lay out 12 slices of bread on a clean surface or cutting board. Spread roughly 1 tbsp of nut butter on one slice of bread, then 1/2 tbsp of jelly on top of the nut butter, and top with another slice of bread. Repeat each step with all 12 sandwiches.
- Using the sandwich cutter, press down with the outside circle turning the cutter to make sure you have a clean cut in the sandwich. Next take the inside piece of the sandwich cutter and press down, forcing the top and bottom of the sandwich bread to press together, closing the sandwich.
- If freezing uncrustables, add sandwiches in a single layer to a baking sheet and place in the freezer for several hours or until frozen. Add to a freezer bag, label, and store for roughly one month.
