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Home » Recipes

How to Make and Freeze Homemade "Uncrustables" (plus 3 uses for the crust!)

These homemade versions of Uncrustables only contain 3 real food ingredients, unlike the store-bought ones that include almost 40 ingredients. These are perfect to have in the freezer and pull out for lunches or snacks.
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Let's face it, even if your kids don't mind the "crust" of the bread, eating a sandwich without the crust is sometimes just a little more fun. My kids do currently eat the crust at our house so homemade "Uncrustables" are not something I plan on doing every day, but will I do it on occasion just to switch things up? Absolutely.

One complaint from blog readers about making these sandwiches without the crust though is that they hate to waste food. So in addition to showing you how to make [and freeze] your own homemade "Uncrustables" I've got some solutions for those bread ends as well.

Table of Contents
  1. Why make your own "Uncrustables?"
  2. What I look for in "real" bread, peanut butter, and jelly
  3. How to Freeze & Defrost Homemade "Uncrustables"-
  4. 3 Uses For the Crust (no need to waste!)
  5. Other Freezer-Friendly Lunch Ideas
  6. Homemade "Uncrustables"

Why make your own "Uncrustables?"

  1. You can control the ingredients (see "Exhibit A" below).
  2. It (can be) cheaper.
  3. I am not going to lie...they are NICE to have on hand on those nights (or mornings) when you have no clue what to pack for school lunch! Or for when you just don't have any fresh bread in the house. It happens to the best of us.
Ingredient list of store-bought Smucker's Uncrustables sandwiches.
"Exhibit A"

What I look for in "real" bread, peanut butter, and jelly

  • Bread: I prefer 100% whole-wheat bread made with only 5 or 6 ingredients. This can be hard to find at a supermarket so instead look into your local bakeries or making your own (in the oven or in a bread machine).
  • Peanut Butter: It only takes one ingredient to make peanut butter...peanuts. Anything else (salt, sugar, oil, etc.) is to be considered an "additive."
  • Jelly: I suppose I technically buy "jam" not jelly. I look for varieties that are organic, have the fruit listed as the first ingredient (as opposed to the sweetener), and that are sweetened with fruit juice as opposed to refined sugar. I either make my own or by Crofter's brand.
Wonder brand sandwich seal'r n decruster tool.

So yes, I do recommend a special little "tool" for making these at home (as it turns out Wonder Bread is good for something), but you can certainly make them without this thing by cutting with a knife and then pinching the edges together with your fingers. It isn't quite as easy or "pretty" because I tried it myself—but it will certainly work if you don't want to spring the $4+ for yet another kitchen gadget.

Once you have that figured out it is time to get started.

Sandwich Options:

  • Go with the classic PB&J.
  • Use sunflower seed butter or cream cheese if you want/need to go nut-free.
  • Use a different nut butter like almond butter if you prefer.
  • Skip the jelly and make a peanut butter and honey sandwich instead...something my daughters really enjoy.

-

How to Freeze & Defrost Homemade "Uncrustables"-

There are two different ways that you can freeze your homemade "uncrustables" to easily store them in the freezer.

To Freeze:

  1. Wrap the finished sandwiches in foil (or small baggies) and transfer them to a labeled, freezer-safe container or bag. Put the crusts in their own labeled container/bag as well.
  2. You could also freeze the sandwiches in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet for a few hours before transferring them to a bag/container—if you prefer to skip the foil.)

To Defrost:

I personally pull out any frozen lunch or snack items the night before (whether it’s a sandwich, soup, muffin, waffles, or biscuit) and let it defrost slowly in the fridge overnight.

Homemade Uncrustable sandwiches on a table along with a bag of bread ends in a ziplock bag.

3 Uses For the Crust (no need to waste!)

I personally think it's easiest to just freeze the crusts right away. Then there is no pressure to do something creative with them immediately! So as mentioned above, right after making the sandwiches just throw them all together in a big Ziplock bag or other freezer-safe container and save them for a rainy day.

Then when you have time to do something with those crusts just pull them out, defrost them at room temperature for a few hours, and make one of the following:

  1. Breadcrumbs.
    Grind up the bread ends in a food processor until crumbly. Spread in one even layer on a baking sheet and bake for at 300 degrees F for 20 – 22 minutes or until golden brown. It is recommended to stir the bread crumbs once or twice while baking to ensure even doneness.
    -
  2. Homemade Croutons.
    Chop the bread crusts into little cubes. Mix them together with just enough olive oil to coat and some spices to taste (we like Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and salt). Transfer to a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F until golden brown, about 15 – 18 minutes.
    -
  3. Stuffing or Bread Pudding.
    Use your bread ends in your favorite holiday stuffing dish or bread pudding dessert recipe - yum!
    -

Other Freezer-Friendly Lunch Ideas

Here are some more freezer-friendly recipes that are perfect to to have for lunches, whether the kids are in school or at home.

  • How to Freeze Sandwiches for School Lunch
  • Mini Lunchbox Meatloaves
  • Easy Breakfast Burritos
Young girl making homemade uncrustables.

Homemade "Uncrustables"

These homemade versions of Uncrustables only contain 3 real food ingredients, unlike the store-bought ones that include almost 40 ingredients. These are perfect to have in the freezer and pull out for lunches or snacks.
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Cook Time: 10 minutes mins
Total Time: 15 minutes mins
Course: Lunch
Cuisine: American
Method: Freezer Friendly
Diet: Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Peanut/Tree Nut-Free
Print Recipe
Servings: 13 sandwiches
Save Recipe Saved!

Ingredients
  

  • 1 loaf whole-wheat bread (can sub gluten-free bread)
  • peanut butter (can sub nut butter if nut-free)
  • jam (we prefer either homemade jam or an all-fruit spread that’s sweetened with fruit juice concentrate as opposed to sugar or high-fructose corn syrup)

Instructions
 

  • Spread the peanut butter on one piece of bread and then the jam. Make sure to not spread the filling all the way to the edges. Place a second piece of bread on top to make the sandwich.
  • Place the Wonder tool on top of the sandwich to seal the edges and take a knife to cut off all the crust around the edges (see notes on how to complete the sandwiches if you don't have the tool).

Notes

  • How to seal the sandwiches without the Wonder tool: Simply cut off the crust on all sides and press the edges down firmly with your fingers to seal the sandwich. 
  • Can be nut-free if you sub peanut butter for sunflower butter. 
  • Can be gluten-free if you sub whole-wheat bread for gluten-free. 
  • We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
Homemade "Uncrustables"
Amount Per Serving
Calories 129 Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Fat 2g3%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 209mg9%
Potassium 130mg4%
Carbohydrates 22g7%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 2IU0%
Calcium 56mg6%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Please feel free to share your ideas for bread ends/crusts in the comments below. I hope your little ones enjoy these in their lunch. I know you will feel good about sending them :)

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About Lisa Leake

Lisa is a wife, mother, foodie, blogger, and #1 New York Times Best-selling author who is on a mission to cut out processed food.

Comments

  1. Jen says

    July 27, 2018 at 2:12 am

    What kind of bread do you suggest to make these uncrustables? I find it difficult to use a healthy bread. I have tried multiple types and they all fall apart. The healthy breads just aren’t soft enough and it breaks and makes holes in the top. None of them turn out. Also, the weird shape of the bread means I can only use the middle half of the loaf. The healthy bread loaves are not a square and are not evenly sized across the loaf. Some pieces are too small or too much of a rectangle and I can’t for the cutter on it. Thanks for any tips!!!

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

      August 02, 2018 at 5:08 pm

      Hello. Lisa often uses her own recipe or buys bread from Great Harvest.

      Reply
  2. Jessica Barash says

    September 10, 2016 at 12:05 pm

    I found I sandwich cutter mold on wish.com ($1 item and $1 shipping). Once I tried making the pb&j's, I ordered a heart shape and a bear face mold from the same place. My chickens love the trimmings. I have to be careful not to get pecked to death though. I do use Lucerne 100% whole wheat, sticks together well.

    Reply
    • kim says

      August 15, 2019 at 10:59 am

      Thanks so much! I went to Amazon and the wonder ones were $24.99; got one on wish for $2!
      Delivery is Sept 2-27th...oh well!

      Reply
  3. Gabriela says

    September 09, 2016 at 10:33 pm

    Just made these Savory Strata Muffins by Tip Hero. Had to buy bread but could have used those left over bread crusts instead...
    http://tiphero.com/make-ahead-breakfasts/?utm_campaign=9jGw&llid=3KAV&utm_source=LS

    Reply
    • Heather says

      September 22, 2016 at 3:35 pm

      How much bread do you need? It doesn't say.

      Reply
      • Gabriela de Pompignan says

        October 01, 2016 at 2:04 pm

        Hi Heather, I haven't measured it either, just sliced a loaf of bread into little cubes and distributed among the cups. How much bread you put in is a personal preference.

  4. Nikki says

    August 14, 2016 at 3:07 pm

    Can you do other ingredients ? Like ham and cheese and freeze like you do the PB&J?

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

      August 25, 2016 at 3:35 pm

      Hi. I would experiment with samples of others to know for sure what will and will not thaw well.

      Reply
  5. Katie says

    July 30, 2016 at 4:15 pm

    Do you warm them up or just eat them cool? This may be a silly question but want to give these a try...

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

      August 06, 2016 at 9:41 am

      Hi there. No, we do not warm them. :)

      Reply
  6. Shannon says

    March 03, 2016 at 12:27 am

    What jelly do you use?

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

      March 04, 2016 at 2:19 pm

      Hello. Look for an organic pure fruit spread.

      Reply
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Meet Lisa! Lisa is a best-selling cookbook author, wife, mother, and passionate home cook. Lisa began blogging in 2010 and has created a community of millions of people who share her love of healthy living, real food ingredients, and family recipes.

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