Peanut Butter and Pickle Sandwich

By Dwight Garner

Updated April 5, 2023

Peanut Butter and Pickle Sandwich
Tony Cenicola/The New York Times
Total Time
90 seconds
Rating
4(1,300)
Comments
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This sandwich does not necessarily need a recipe, given its simplicity. But it’s an unlikely pairing, is peanut butter and pickle, and sometimes that is what a recipe is for -- to prod you in a direction that you never considered. Dwight Garner, a book critic for The Times, makes a strong case for this, his favorite sandwich, calling it “a thrifty and unacknowledged American classic.” The vinegary snap of the pickles tempers the unctuousness of the peanut butter, and it’s an unusual pantry sandwich for when luncheon meats leave you cold.

Featured in: Peanut Butter Takes On an Unlikely Best Friend

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Ingredients

Yield:1 sandwich
  • 2slices of your favorite bread
  • Unsalted butter, if desired
  • Peanut butter
  • Bread-and-butter pickles
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    (To bump up the decadence level, you can toast the bread and spread butter on it before proceeding.) Spread peanut butter on both slices of bread.

  2. Step 2

    Place an overlapping row of pickles on one slice.

  3. Step 3

    Cover with the other slice. Consume.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,300 user ratings
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Comments

Wm Taggart

The accompanying article discusses attempts with other sorts of pickles, kosher dills for instance, but the article poo-poos this, indicating the bread-and-butter is the only way to go. Not so!
I grew up with a version of this, handed down by my grandmother. If you can locate Heinz Genuine Dills, try this sandwich (sans butter) with them. The sourness of the pickles offsets the peanut butter perfectly. Kosher dills, Polish dills, etc. don't cut it -- only the Heinz.

Ginny

Dills are my favorite. PB and P are a favorite of Kinsey Millhone, a gumshoe from Sue Grafton mysteries.

Sean Flannery

My variation on this dish is even simpler - gluten and pickle free too ;) Take one jar of crunchy peanut butter and a spoon somewhere private and eat as much peanut butter as you'd like. Uniterrupted. You're done when you're done. Dont over do it ;) Bon apetit x

Dotty

In our next episode, enjoy the tangy tastiness of a Miracle Whip and sliced onion sandwich.

ed

From the moment I heard about this I was curious, but resisted. I tasted the pickles and the peanut butter first to get a sense of things. I used to have grilled pb&j as a kid so I made it that way. Maldon salt on the finished product. Surprisingly good. Nothing wrong with the parts, but ultimately the sum is greater than the parts. It's delicious.

Labbott

This was my dad’s all time favorite! Dill pickles and PB on toasted rice bread (he was GF) was the best! Shared this post with my brother and giggled about our silly dad ❤️

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