Healthy Banana Peanut Butter Sandwich
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.A grilled healthy banana peanut butter sandwich takes me right back to childhood lunches, but his version has a few upgrades that make it even better. Creamy peanut butter, ripe banana, and crunchy walnuts melt together between slices of hearty bread for a sandwich that is warm, crisp, and packed with flavor. The best thing is that it takes just 15 minutes to make!
Nut butter sandwiches have always been popular in my house, but I wanted something a bit more special than your typical peanut butter and jelly combination. This gourmet banana peanut butter sandwich is great for lunch and even breakfast, especially when I have not had the chance to prepare meals like my peanut butter banana overnight oats. If breakfast is one of your main motivations for getting up in the morning, try this sandwich.
I love taking everyday sandwiches and turning them into something unique, as I did with my goat cheese grilled cheese with pear and arugula. Whenever my kids have play dates, I make these gourmet banana peanut butter sandwiches, and every time I get messages from the parents asking exactly how to make them, since their kids do nothing but rave about the sandwiches.
👩🏽🍳 Why I Love This Recipe
Some recipes prove that simple ingredients can still be exciting, and even fancy, like this gourmet banana peanut butter sandwich. As a nutritionist and a mom, I love that it is quick and easy to make, but still contains healthy fat and protein from the nut butters, fiber from the bread, and bananas. The bananas and honey also act as natural sweeteners, without requiring added refined sugar.
The process is simple, but each step contributes something important. I start by spreading the peanut butter mixture onto the bread, layer sliced bananas on top, add the walnuts, cinnamon, and a drizzle of honey. Then I close the sandwich and grill it until golden brown. As the sandwich warms, the bananas soften, the nut butter becomes silky, and the bread develops a crisp exterior.
Most people are familiar with the standard peanut butter and banana sandwich, but not everyone has had the pleasure of this gourmet spin on a classic. I hardly ever make it the old school way and always opt for this grilled version instead. So many years ago, when my husband said he was in the mood for a peanut butter and banana sandwich, it even occurred to me to make it any other way. When I served it to him, he was immediately obsessed. Now this recipe is the only way we eat this sandwich. If you have never tried a grilled peanut butter sandwich before, this is the recipe that will change things for you.
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🥘 Ingredients
The ingredients for this gourmet banana peanut butter sandwich go beyond the standard ingredients, but are still fairly simple. This is everything I use:
Peanut butter: I use natural peanut butter made with just peanuts and salt for a rich flavor and creamy texture.
Almond butter: Mixing almond butter with peanut butter adds extra nuttiness and a more complex flavor.
Bananas: Ripe bananas provide natural sweetness and become soft and creamy when warmed.
Sprouted wheat bread: I use this for its hearty texture, fiber, and slightly nutty flavor.
Ground cinnamon: A sprinkle of cinnamon adds warmth and pairs well with the banana.
Walnuts: I include chopped walnuts for crunch and healthy fats.
Honey or maple syrup: I use a small drizzle of either to enhance the fruit’s natural sweetness. You could also use vegan honey if you prefer.
🔪 How To Make
It takes me just a few minutes to make this banana peanut butter sandwich. This is how I do it:
Spread the nut butter: I start by mixing the peanut butter and almond butter, then spread the mixture onto both slices of bread.
Add the bananas and toppings: Next, I arrange sliced bananas over one piece of bread in an even layer and sprinkle over the chopped walnuts, cinnamon, and honey.
Assemble the sandwich: Then, I place the second slice of bread on top with the nut butter side facing down.
Grill until golden: I put the sandwich in a panini press or hot skillet, and grill until the bread becomes golden and lightly crisp.
Cool slightly: I let the sandwich cool slightly, then cut it diagonally and serve it warm.
💭 Expert Tips
My #1 Secret Tip for this gourmet banana peanut butter sandwich recipe is to use ripe bananas with plenty of brown flecks on the peel. Less ripe bananas stay firmer and have a milder flavor, while the ripe ones become softer and sweeter with a caramel flavor once grilled. That extra natural sweetness means I can use less added sweetener.
Other Tips To Keep In Mind:
- Chop nuts fine: I chop the walnuts into small pieces so they stay inside the sandwich instead of falling out while eating.
- Spread to edges: Covering the bread from edge to edge helps keep every bite moist and flavorful.
- Choose sturdy bread: I use bread with enough structure to support the warm filling without becoming too soft.
- Stir the nut butter: Natural nut butters separate as they sit, so I always give mine a good stir before spreading it on the bread. This ensures that I am not using nut butter that is too dry or too oily.
📖 Variations
These are 3 variations of this banana peanut butter sandwich that my family asks for the most:
Caramelized banana: I replace the ripe banana with a few slices of caramelized banana for a much more decadent alternative. Sometimes I swap out some of the nut butter for a thin spread of white chocolate hazelnut spread. My kids love this version as a breakfast sweet treat.
Chocolate banana: I sprinkle 1 tablespoon dairy-free chocolate chips or sprinkles over the bananas before grilling. This also works really well with some vegan Nutella mixed into the nut butters.
Apple cinnamon: I replace the banana with 1/2 of a thinly sliced apple and add an extra pinch of cinnamon. I love this version of untoasted bread and let the crispness of the apple shine through.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
Whenever I serve this banana peanut butter sandwich, I like adding a few simple sides to turn it into a complete meal. The next time you make it for lunch, try it with some Parmesan kale chips and a grape and avocado salad.
At home, my kids usually do not like any other food with this sandwich unless it is air fryer banana chips. Instead, they enjoy their sandwiches with a carefully selected drink. My daughter loves her sandwich with a side of vegan homemade chocolate milk, whereas my son goes all in and has his with a vegan peanut butter cup milkshake.
🧊 Storing And ♨️ Reheating
Refrigeration: I do not recommend storing this sandwich as the bread softens as it sits.
Freezing: This recipe is not suitable for freezing.
Reheating: If I have leftovers, I warm them briefly in a skillet or toaster oven. I prefer making a fresh sandwich.
❓Recipe FAQs
What can I use instead of walnuts?
I have swapped out walnuts for pecans, almond cashew, and sunflower seeds in this recipe, and they all work extremely well. They provide a different texture and flavor while still complementing the rest of the ingredients.
What other spices pair well with bananas and peanut butter?
Cinnamon is my favorite, but nutmeg, cardamom, pumpkin pie spice, and allspice all work really well. When I want a slightly more grown-up flavor, I add a tiny pinch of ground cardamom, which complements all the components.
What is the best way to slice bananas for this sandwich?
I like cutting the banana into thin rounds, about 1/4 inch thick. Thinner slices warm through more evenly and stay inside the sandwich better, while very thick slices can make the filling shift around when you bite into it.
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🎥 Watch How to Make It
Healthy Banana Peanut Butter Sandwich
A grilled healthy banana peanut butter sandwich takes me right back to childhood lunches, but his version has a few upgrades that make it even better. Creamy peanut butter, ripe banana, and crunchy walnuts melt together between slices of hearty bread for a sandwich that is warm, crisp, and packed with flavor. The best thing is that it takes just 15 minutes to make!
Servings: 1 serving
Calories: 419.4kcal
Ingredients
- 2 Slices Sprouted Wheat Bread (like Ezekiel)
- 1 tsp chopped walnuts
- ½ banana sliced
- sprinkle of cinnamon
- 1 tbsp almond butter
- 1 tbsp peanut butter
- ½ tsp maple syrup or honey
Instructions
- Spread the peanut & almond butter mixture on both slices of bread, and top one half with sliced bananas
- Add chopped walnuts on top of the banana slices along with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a drizzle of honey.
- Top with the other slice of bread (that already has peanut/almond butter spread on it), and put into the panini press (or grill in a griddle pan if you don't have a panini press)
- Once the top has browned and is slightly crispy, remove from panini press and let cool for 1-2 min.
- Cut sandwich in half and enjoy!
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for this gourmet banana peanut butter sandwich recipe is to use ripe bananas with plenty of brown flecks on the peel. Less ripe bananas stay firmer and have a milder flavor, while the ripe ones become softer and sweeter with a caramel flavor once grilled. That extra natural sweetness means I can use less added sweetener.
- Chop nuts fine: I chop the walnuts into small pieces so they stay inside the sandwich instead of falling out while eating.
- Spread to edges: Covering the bread from edge to edge helps keep every bite moist and flavorful.
- Choose sturdy bread: I use bread with enough structure to support the warm filling without becoming too soft.
- Stir the nut butter: Natural nut butters separate as they sit, so I always give mine a good stir before spreading it on the bread. This ensures that I am not using nut butter that is too dry or too oily.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sandwich | Calories: 419.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 51.1g | Protein: 16.9g | Fat: 18.9g | Saturated Fat: 3.6g | Sodium: 307.9mg | Potassium: 561.2mg | Fiber: 9.4g | Sugar: 14.5g
Gourmet indeed! I love the addition of almond butter in this. So good!
Thanks so much Jamie! 🙂
Oh my what a comfort food type of sandwich! It was delicious. Might try adding in a drizzle of jam or Nutella next time 🙂
Thanks so much Heather!! Those additions would be delicious!!
Are you kidding me?! I love peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Why have I never thought to make it this way before?! Life-changing!
Thanks so much Jess! So glad you liked this recipe!!
Awesome. Simple and healthy recipe.
Thanks!!
My first sandwich was not good – too sweet) but I grew to like it. This one seems to be taking the first place in my list of delicious things I treat myself with.
Hi Olya! I’m glad you have grown to love this recipe as an occasional treat! 🙂 But in the future, if you want to make this recipe less sweet just omit the honey, or use a different fruit instead of banana! It’ll still taste great!
This recipe is so tasty. We loved it. So yummy!
Thanks so much!!
Can you add any other fruit instead of banana?
Absolutely! You can add pear, apple, berries (cut up) – those would all work well!
This looks like a great sandwich! You should try making a recipe for a PB&J that uses fruits based on its season. I’ve been using apples or blueberries depending on when they are growing in my backyard.
Love that idea Zev!! We definitely do add fresh / seasonal fruit into our PB sandwiches from time to time!
I dip the outside of the bread in egg to make a wonderful peanut butter/banana grilled french toast. It’s awesome.
Oh cool idea, thanks for sharing Nelta!
Great looking option to the regular PB and banana. If you want something with a bit more crunch try PB with lots of crisp lettuce. The PB can be quite thick as the crunchy lettuce cuts the sticky feel. My favorite! It is also good with slices of red or another sweet pepper. the possibilities are endless.
That’s really interesting!! Crunchy peanut butter with lettuce and peppers? That is definitely a daring combination! 🙂
Sounds absolutely wonderful can’t wait to try the pb&b sammich
Thanks so much Linda! I’m sure you’ll love this recipe! 🙂
I make this with jam and on a frying pan – my Son just loves it! I don’t like bananna but do like my jam. My Daughter-in law said she was brought up on grilled PBJ, and I love it!
That’s so great Angel! You can definitely make this with jam – that makes it a classic PB&J!
Hi Anjali! I had a question about whether the grilled peanut butter sandwich with bananas would keep for lunch if you made it in the morning. Thanks!
Nikki
Hi Nikki! You know – I don’t think it would taste that great because I think it would get cold (and the best part of this sandwich is the warm peanut butter, crispy hot bread, and melted bananas). But – if you wanted to make this for lunch, I’d toast the bread lightly, make it with the pb and other ingredients, and keep the sliced banana in a separate container on the side. Then, when you have lunch, you can take bites of the banana along with your sandwich and it’ll taste pretty close to the grilled version! Hope that helps!
My husband and I really love a sandwich we found at a local gastropub… they call it a CB&J. It’s made with cashew butter, fig preserves, and Morbier cheese and it’s grilled. It may not sound like it works, but OMG, it is SOOO good! I’ve recreated it at home with the same ingredients.
omgggg that sounds AMAZING actually!! fig + nuts + cheese always work well together 🙂 I’m totally going to try this soon!
This sandwich looks wonderful! I am always looking for healthier options for lunch. This definitly could be a weekend lunch for my husband and me. I love almond butter, sunbutter and other alternatives to peanut butter.
Thanks so much! I’ve definitely made this for lunch for my husband as well 🙂 I’m totally with you – alternatives to peanut butter are delicious! Right now I’m on an almond and sunflower butter kick, but I’ve heard Nutzo is pretty good too. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Hey Anjali! I told my sister who was visiting my cousin in Portland to go eat at the PB&J place, since I read it from this post, and they LOVED it! Even my bro-in-law, who has very desi, traditional tastes was raving about it, so thanks for the recommendation! I passed on your post about the new Indian restaurant to my friends as well … am looking forward to checking it out … Sakoon is currently my favorite Indian restaurant in the Bay Area as well!
Yay!! I’m so glad they liked it!! 🙂