Some childhood foods stick with you for life, and the classic PB&J is one of them for good reason. It’s an irresistible blend of sweet and salty, with just the right amount of chew as your teeth sink into the bread and get to the sticky, creamy, and juicy peanut butter and jelly combo within. Deep-frying elevates that experience and turns it into a multi-layered indulgence that’ll have you feeling like a kid again, making it one of the best ways to improve a PB&J.
It starts with the crunchy, golden-brown exterior, which now has notes of caramel and nuts thanks to the Maillard reaction on the surface of the bread. Fats from the frying oil add richness without making your sandwich too soggy. The inner part of the bread itself will stay relatively dry since the high temperatures needed for deep-frying essentially locks in the moisture.
The real magic happens with the peanut butter and jelly inside. When you deep-fry a food, some of the moisture contained within evaporates and steams the inner layers. In the case of peanut butter and jelly, the heat both softens them and causes their sugars to develop deeper, more complex flavors — it’s why grilled or baked fruits are often sweeter than fresh ones. If you fry a PB&J just right, you’ll get this wonderful transition from crunchy to chewy to sinfully gooey in a single bite.
Tips for making the best deep-fried PB&J
The foundation of every good deep-fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich is the frying oil. Oils contribute a surprising amount of flavor and can make or break the mouthfeel of your sandwich as well. When deep-frying a PB&J, it’s best to use neutral-flavored oil so the fillings really shine through. King Arthur Baking recommends canola, sunflower, or vegetable oil for frying sweets.
You’ll also want to seal the sides of your PB&J before frying. This prevents the peanut butter and jelly from leaking into the oil, which burns the sugars and brings bitterness to the sandwich. It’ll also make sure that the oil doesn’t seep into the center of the sandwich and make it too greasy to enjoy. You can try using an empanada press, an edge-sealing sandwich cutter, or even a glass to firmly press the sides together. Whichever method you use, make sure to use white bread, which is the ideal bread for a PB&J.
When it comes to the filling itself, stick with smooth peanut butter rather than crunchy. The crust of your deep-fried PB&J has plenty of crunch as it is, so you’ll want a filling that creates contrast. If you want to experiment with texture, play with the difference between jelly, jam, and preserves instead. The fruit chunks in jams and preserves will become a lot more tender because of the internal steaming process, making the filling thicker and gooier.
