Air Fryer Peanut Butter Sandwiches 3 Ways

Elevate that PB&J to toasty buttery perfection with your air fryer! These delicious Air Fryer Peanut Butter Sandwiches are a hot, golden brown spin on the classic. Try the variations: PB banana or PB pickle if you’re brave!

You’ve probably made a peanut butter and jelly before. Maybe you’ve made hundreds over the years. But have you ever had one toasted? Better yet, have you ever had one air fried?!

Toasting was originally Sean’s idea. I was skeptical, but he made me a toasted PB&J, which I ate completely, while my mind was quickly changing in favor of toasting with every bite I took.

Okay, so toasting = brilliant. But how about making it in an air fryer like I would with a grilled cheese? Answer: Yes. Definitely yes!

It gets the peanut butter and jelly perfectly gooey and warmed, while achieving that buttery browned toasted outside at the same time. I’m pretty sure you’re gonna want all your PB&Js air fried from now on!

Air Fryer Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich

The classic PB&J. You know how it goes. Pretty sure as a kid, I’d slather peanut butter on both pieces of bread and then gently set way too much jelly on one of the sides, only to have a lot of it spill out later as I ate.

Of course it was delicious, but for the air fryer version, we want to make sure there are no explosions of hot jelly or peanut butter, and I also don’t really want it dripping all over in my air fryer.

The ingredients for this sandwich are just like the classic, except with the addition of butter. I used two slices of white bread, natural creamy peanut butter, Bonne Maman strawberry preserves, and some unsalted butter.

To make this sandwich, start with your classic peanut butter and jelly. Once that’s assembled (more detailed instructions in the recipe card if you need them), spread the butter on the outside of the sandwich, on both sides!

It might get a little buttery on your fingers when you flip the sandwich, but it’s worth it! Next, put it into the air fryer basket and then air fry at 400F for 5-6 minutes total. After 3 minutes, use a spatula to flip the sandwich and then continue for cook for the additional 2-3 more minutes.

Air Fryer Peanut Butter & Banana Sandwich

This combo is one I’ve loved since I was a kid. And honestly, out of the three sandwiches in this post, this one is my favorite. The banana heats up and takes on a slightly lighter texture, not to mention the warm gooey peanut butter.

The ingredients for this sandwich of course include two slices of white bread and natural creamy peanut butter. It also features a banana and a drizzle of honey. Again, I used butter to spread on the outside of the sandwich for toasting.

To make this sandwich, you’ll need to peel and cut a banana into 4 spears. Do this by first slicing the banana in half (the easy way), then cutting each half in half again, lengthwise.

Assemble and cook the sandwich much like the original version, except layer the banana on the peanut butter and drizzle with honey. Find more detailed instructions in the recipe card below if needed.

Air Fryer Peanut Butter & Pickle Sandwich

This is one of those weird combos that comes from childhood. If you like pickles and peanut butter, you might like it! But be warned, it’s pretty weird.

The ingredients for this sandwich include two slices of white bread, natural creamy peanut butter, a dill pickle, a little bit of hot sauce, and some butter for the outside.

To make this sandwich, you’ll need to slice your pickle into 4-5 slices. Assemble and cook the sandwich much like the original version, except layer the pickle on the peanut butter and then add some drops of hot sauce over the pickle. Find more detailed instructions in the recipe card below if needed.

What kind of peanut butter do you use?

For this and most of my recipes involving peanut butter, I use the Natural Creamy Peanut Butter from Costco (Kirkland Signature brand).

Yes, it’s the kind you have to stir, but I love that it has only peanuts and salt as the ingredients. And I feel like lately, it’s been a much better consistency and easier to stir than it was just a year or so ago.

You can use any kind of peanut butter you have – everyone likes their PB&J a certain way!

But remember, brands of peanut butter like Skippy or Jif are already sweetened, so if my recipes call for sweetener too (like adding honey to the PB & banana sandwich here), you may need to add less sweetener than I’ve called for, or it could end up sweeter than intended.

Can I use a different nut butter instead of peanut butter?

Yes! If you prefer a different type of nut butter in your PB&Js, feel free to make the same swap here.

Testing notes for these Air Fryer Peanut Butter Sandwiches:

While testing this recipe, there were some things I noticed that don’t exactly belong in the recipe card, but I still want to share with you:

• I found that 1 tablespoon of peanut butter (or jelly) is the perfect amount to fit on one side of bread without any spillage into the air fryer. BUT if you’re like gimme more PB then go for it. But you may be in for a small mess.
• Normally for grilled (read: air fried) sandwiches like grilled cheese or tuna melts, I’ll use mayonnaise to coat the outside because it’s a lot faster. Since these are more sweet and we want to actually taste the butter, we’re going back to the classic butter coating. Even though you have to let the butter soften first, it’s worth it.
• If you like a crisper, more deeper golden brown sandwich, air fry for 6 minutes. If you want it perfectly kissed golden brown, go with 5 minutes.

What should you serve with these Air Fryer Peanut Butter Sandwiches?

Anything you’d serve with a classic peanut butter and jelly can be served with this air fryer version! Chips, carrots, crackers, that kind of thing.

Alternative customization ideas:

Peanut butter & jelly variations:

• change up the jelly
• add some fruit that matches your jelly (sliced strawberries for example)
• add some potato chips!

Peanut butter & banana variations:

• Honestly I think this one is perfect how it is 🤷🏻‍♀️

Peanut butter & pickle variations:

• This one I want you to mess around with, if you’re brave enough to try it.
• Use your favorite pickles (you can even try sweet pickles if you want).
• Use your favorite hot sauce! Depending on your chosen PB and type of pickle, it could definitely change up the sandwich.
• Add some honey for a sweet hot flavor.
• Add some potato chips for an extra salty crunch (like this recipe).

What kind of air fryer do you use?

The air fryer I have currently, and the one that is pictured in this post is the Cosori XL 5.8 qt Air Fryer (affiliate link!).

If you’re going to invest in an air fryer to cook things for two or more people, you should opt for a larger size like this one, in my opinion!

I previously had a slightly smaller Philips Air Fryer with a metal grate basket which I liked, but I prefer the larger Cosori model with the nonstick coated basket instead.

Is this recipe meal prep friendly?

No, this is generally not a meal prep friendly recipe, however you could prep the sandwiches ahead of time if needed.

This is more of a quick lunch recipe that’s perfect when nothing is prepared or you don’t feel like doing too much work (or both!).

It’s also great because you only have to make as many as you need, and you shouldn’t have any leftovers to worry about.

Is this recipe freezer-friendly?

No, this recipe is not intended to be freezer-friendly.

This recipe is best enjoyed when it’s prepared right before eating. I would recommend only making as many sandwiches as are going to be eaten.

If you do end up having leftovers or half a sandwich remaining for example, you can store it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Reheat leftover sandwiches in the air fryer at 350F, checking at 5 minutes.

Did you make this? I want to see how it turned out! Tag me in your social media post @projectmealplan and use #projectmealplan when you share!

Print