Peanut Butter and Pickle Sandwich

By Dwight Garner

Updated April 4, 2023

  • Tony Cenicola/The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
90 seconds
Rating
4(1,333)
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.

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Ingredients

Yield:1 sandwich

  • 2 slices 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
1,333 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

Becky F.

This was a staple of mine as a kid. And I still absolutely love it. I’m a fan of either bread and butter pickles or sweet pickles. Heck, who am I kidding, I love dill pickles too. They all work.

Ruth

My husband has been having these sandwich his entire life. His other favorites - Peanut butter and jam on tortilla. Peanut butter and sliced tomatoes. Peanut butter and sliced cucumber.

JG

Introduced by my big brother's friend's in the 60s, this became one of my childhood lunch box regulars. My mom used sweet gherkins sliced lengthwise instead of bread and butter pickles. Never expected to see a recipe for PB & pickles in the NYT. Bravo!

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