Peanut Butter and Jelly Spider Sandwiches are great and while you may not always find yourself looking up spider sandwich recipes, you're going to love this PB&J spider! It's simple, easy, and adorable!
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Spider Sandwiches are a fun, kid friendly treat that my kids love any time of year. Turning a classic PB&J into a cute spider makes it less scary and a lot more fun to eat.
I started making these easy spider sandwiches when my daughter was 3, and they've been a family tradition ever since. While they're perfect as homemade Halloween snacks, they also show up in lunch boxes throughout the year.
They only take an extra minute or two compared to a regular PB&J, but the fun presentation makes them totally worth it.
If you love peanut butter and jelly, be sure to check out our Frozen Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches, Peanut Butter and Jelly Bread Pudding, and Air Fryer Peanut Butter and Jelly.
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💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick. These Spider Sandwiches comes together fast, making it perfect for busy days or when you need food quickly.
- Simple. It uses just a few basic ingredients like peanut butter, jelly, and bread, with easy steps that kids and adults can handle.
- Delicious. A classic PB&J never disappoints, and giving it a seasonal twist makes it even more fun to enjoy.
🛒 Ingredients
Sandwich bread- You will need slices of your favorite sandwich bread.
Pretzel sticks- To make the spider legs, you'll need some straight pretzel sticks.
Chocolate chips- You won't need much, but a few chocolate chips will make fun spider eyes. Raisins or sprinkles could be used if you don't have chocolate chips handy.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
Fruit filling swap. Use mashed banana in place of jelly for a naturally sweet option.
Jelly options. Change up the flavor with different jellies or homemade jams like Sugar Free Strawberry Jam or Sugar Free Blueberry Jam.
Nut butter choices. Peanut butter isn't required. Use another nut butter or a lighter peanut butter blend if you prefer.
Chocolate alternatives. Skip chocolate chips and use candy eyes, M&Ms, raisins, jelly beans, or fresh blueberries instead.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Use store brands: Generic bread, peanut butter, jelly, and pretzels are usually much cheaper.
No waste: Save the bread cutouts for toast, breadcrumbs, or mini PB&J bites.
Swap the eyes: Use raisins or a dab of jelly instead of chocolate chips to cut costs.
Bulk snacks: Buying pretzels and chocolate chips in larger bags lowers the per-recipe cost.
🥄 Instructions for Spider Sandwiches
Step 1: Use your wide-mouthed glass or sound biscuit cutter to press a circle out of your bread. You may need to run a knife around the crimped edge to get it to pop out of the crust.
Step 2: Spread peanut butter on one slice of sandwich bread as usual.
Step 3: Spread jelly on another round-cut piece of bread.
Step 4: Place 4 of the pretzels neatly on each side of the sandwich to resemble spider legs.
Step 5: Top the sandwiches with the jellied bread round. Add two chocolate chips on top of the bread for the eyes.
Step 6: Repeat to complete all spider sandwiches.
Serve and enjoy!
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Piping helps. Use a piping bag or a zip top bag with the corner snipped to add peanut butter or jelly without squishing the spider shapes.
- Cut first, then assemble. Cutting the bread before adding the filling makes it much easier to place the spider legs neatly between the slices.
❄️ Storage and Make Ahead
Storage: These Spider Sandwiches are best enjoyed fresh, but can be stored assembled in an airtight container for up to 24 hours.
Make Ahead: Prep the bread rounds and toppings in advance, then assemble just before serving to keep bread soft.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
Turn your Halloween spider sandwiches into a fun plate by pairing them with sliced grapes or Sour Patch Grapes, apple slices or No Bake Apple Donuts, baby carrots, celery sticks with hummus, juicy orange slices, Instant Pot applesauce, or a scoop of orange fluff salad for something sweet and festive.
- Sour Patch GrapesRecipe $7.85 / Serving $1.31
- No Bake Apple DonutsRecipe $2.66 / Serving $1.33
- Instant Pot ApplesauceRecipe $4.17 / Serving $0.69
- Orange Creamsicle FluffRecipe $4.39 / Serving $0.44
❓ Spider Sandwiches FAQs
By opting for a reduced sugar jelly, or protein packed peanut butter option, you've already got a pretty healthy treat. But, for a veggie sandwich, you could do a spread of hummus, thinly sliced tomato, and matchstick cut carrots for the legs. The eyeballs could be made of raisins too.
You can use any variety of chocolate chips! We like to use semi-sweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips, depending on what we already have on hand. The kids LOVE it!
Absolutely! Just use a gluten free bread and gluten free pretzels! I recommend warming the gluten free bread just a little in the microwave prior to cutting it because it's often stored in the freezer and is a slightly denser bread. By getting it to room temperature or slightly warmer, you can make it easier.
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🐝 If you tried these Spider Sandwiches, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Spider Sandwiches
Equipment
- Biscuit cutter or a wide mouthed drinking glass or mason jar
- Ziploc bags (if you want to pipe the filling on for a prettier look)
Ingredients
- 4 slices sandwich bread - ($0.24)
- 4 tablespoons creamy peanut butter - ($0.20)
- 4 tablespoons jelly of choice - ($0.40)
- 8 pretzel sticks - ($0.08)
- 4 chocolate chips - ($0.02)
Instructions
- Cut the Bread: Use a wide mouthed glass or round biscuit cutter to press circles from each slice of bread. If needed, run a knife around the edge to release the bread from the cutter.
- Add the Filling: Spread peanut butter onto one bread round. Spread jelly onto another bread round. For a neater look, you may pipe the peanut butter and jelly instead of spreading.
- Add the Legs: Place four pretzel sticks on each side of the peanut butter bread round to resemble spider legs.
- Assemble: Top with the jelly bread round, pressing gently to secure the pretzels.
- Add the Eyes: Place two chocolate chips on top of each sandwich for eyes.
- Serve: Serve immediately and enjoy.
Notes
- Assembly Tip: Cutting the bread before adding the filling makes it easier to insert the pretzel legs.
- Neat Filling: Piping the peanut butter and jelly with a pastry bag or plastic bag with the corner snipped off keeps the sandwiches tidy.
- Variations: Substitute mashed banana for jelly, try different nut butters, or use candy eyes, raisins, jelly beans, M&Ms, or blueberries for the eyes.
- Gluten Free Option: Use gluten free bread and pretzels. Slightly warming gluten free bread before cutting can make shaping easier.
Nutritional Information
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