The other week, I made spring rolls for dinner. Nothing fancy – just rice paper rolled around rice noodles, carrot and cucumber sticks, and some peanut sauce for dipping. Oh, and basil. This was key.
If there’s one thing you should know about my husband and me, it’s that we have different tastes. I, for instance, can pick up a handful of basil and eat it raw – joyfully. My husband, on the other hand, gets skeptical if there’s any more than 2 sprigs in one dish. Men and women, so different sometimes.
And so, while eating his spring rolls stuffed plentifully with fresh basil, he began to pick all of the leaves out and set them on his plate. And in a moment of fury and confusion, I asked, “Are you gonna eat that?” To which he replied, “No, it’s just too much.” And so I did what any logical foodie would do. I swiped them up in one hand, dipped them in my peanut sauce, and devoured them in one intense and purely satisfying bite. And in that moment, I knew peanut butter and basil would do great things together.
Peanut Butter and Basil Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 small baguette (or two slices of wheat bread*)
- 1-2 Tbsp natural peanut butter (just peanuts and salt)
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- 1 Tbsp honey or agave (optional)
Instructions
- Toast the baguette or bread lightly (optional) and then layer it with peanut butter, basil, and a drizzle of honey (optional). Devour immediately. Best when fresh.
Notes
*Honey is optional but recommended.
*Eat immediately or make the morning of for lunch.
*Questions about substitutions, equipment, or troubleshooting? Check out our Recipe FAQ page.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Nutrition (1 of 1 servings)
This sandwich blew my mind. More good things to come with this perfect flavor combination.
Enjoy,
Dana
Coby says
Such a unique combination, and I absolutely loved it! That little drizzle of honey sealed the deal. Perfect for using up the basil in my garden!
We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Coby! Thank you for the lovely review! Love that you have lots of fresh basil around :)
Beryl says
Yum! I used toasted whole grain bread and omitted the honey. It’s an easy, fun change from the typical peanut butter sandwiches. I’m going to take it to the office for lunch and add the basil at lunchtime so it stays perky.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Beryl! Thanks so much for sharing. xo
Gary says
Use Miracle Whip instead of Honey!
Ellie says
This (with some tofu and a little maple syrup) is my new favorite sandwich. Awesome idea. Thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Ellie! Thank you for the lovely review!
Heather Houston says
Strange combo. Really interesting
We hope you love it, Heather :D
T M says
I knew I was going to love this before I even tried it (wasn’t hare to imagine the taste)– I have been experimenting with add on ingredients since trying it straight. So far, haven’t found one that doesn’t work, it’s a great pairing to build on. It is now going to be a staple sandwich in my kitchen. My favorite addition to adding my own home-made harissa for a spicy kick! (I know that harissa is middle eastern, not thai, but it fit in with these flavors very well nonetheless)! I’m also not vegetarian, so I add spicy turkey to my sandwiches for protein– but I have also added tofu (which I lightly coat with harissa instead of spreading it with the peanut butter). This is one of my favorite sandwich combos. I’m always on the look out for off the beaten path sandwich flavors. Thanks Dana :)
Roselyne Tiampati says
Thanks for the great recipe. I love the peanut butter and basil sandwich
April says
Great way to use up leftover basil before it wilts. I always end up with leftover fresh basil that wilts before I use it, so this is a perfect quick snack.
Danielle says
I love basil, but my boyfriend doesn’t. I bought a bunch to make your Spicy Red Lentil Pasta (which was phenomenal) yesterday, and wanted to use some of the basil up. This helped, and was so delicious with the honey.
Thanks for another great recipe, Dana!
Mavis Jones says
Can you use dried basil to make this if you don’t have fresh?
Emma says
I just made this sandwich for lunch and it is delicious!!! Thank you for having such awesome recipes!!!
Michael says
Corrections: “The other week I made my husband and MYSELF spring rolls for dinner.” and “If there’s one thing you should know about my husband and ME…”
I personally know that it is hard to be pretentious with poor grammar.
Thanks for letting us know!
Sarah says
Ha! This makes me happy :) I love eating sweet potatoes with PB as an alternative to a peanut butter sandwich (trying to reduce grains, right?) People think I’m crazy, but I think the two are fab together. Must try this combo!
Jules says
Hi I just wanna ask will basil and butter go together?
I don’t think so.
Ellen says
Mmm… I love asian/asian inspired meals so I think I’ll try this at lunch with my coconut peanut butter! The sweetness from the coconut is phenomenal.
Liz says
Peanut Butter and Basil Sandwich!–I told my family just now…”What will these foodie bloggers come up with next?” Even though it’s late at night, I just HAD to try it! So I just went out to my garden and picked some basil…and wahhlah! We just tried this with a whole wheat Tortilla Land tortilla from Costco–so it’s yeast free…….and this combo is surprisingly good! Been looking for a way to use the organic basil from my garden AND a different PB combo that’s healthy to give to my sons. Hope my 2 year old likes it tomorrow! Thanks so much for posting this! I’m new to your blog and FB page…and so excited to try all your recipes! We have food intolorences that have us eating dairy-free, yeast-free, whole-foods, organic only stuff…so I appreciate your recipes!
Julie says
Thanks for the delish idea!
I’ve also made it w/carrots, cucumbers, Thai basil & franks red hot- yum
Lara says
Hi Dana and John :)
Even though I have been on your blog countless times (FindingVegan brought me here), I never really took the time to read through your About-site and look through all the recipes. Yesterday I did and now I’m officially addicted – wonderful photos, delicious recipes and your “philosophy” that underlies the whole blog inspires me to clear out my whole life.
Thank you so much and please, never stop doing what you do!
Bestestest wishes, Lara :)
YOu are such a sweetheart! Thanks so much for taking the time to read our about page and leave such a sweet comment. We do have reason behind our minimalist ways, so we’re glad when readers can connect with that, too. Hugs!
Kristen says
I LOVE this idea. I always find that I have too much basil left over after making tomato sauce. This definitely solves that problem!
Heather says
My old Dutch teacher used to make me a treat during my lessons: Black-bread toast smeared with Marmite, peanut butter, and sambal. I’ve made it into closed sandwiches (so un-Dutch) and now I think I need to try adding basil. It already tastes like Thai food — the inclusion of basil will take it right over the top. In fact, I think I’m going to make a Thai peanut butter sandwich this week for dinner…
Lindsay says
I must try this…. I never thought peanut butter could be successfully paired with anything green until I discovered peanut butter and lentil sprout sandwiches (which I also highly recommend). Thanks for the idea :)
Genevieve says
I was intrigued by this idea when I first saw it, and I finally got around to trying this last week. I made it on regular sandwich bread and I loved it – it was definitely a welcome change from the old peanut butter and jam! I love peanut sauce and Asian flavours, and the combination of peanut butter and basil reminded me of that. I also added some finely chopped peanuts for the crunch and the drizzle of honey that you recommended. Thanks for the new idea!
Lauren says
We just made this because we were totally skeptical. It was delicious!!
Who knew you could make a peanut butter sandwich taste fresh?!
Yay! So glad you liked it! It’s my new fave PB sandwich :D
Caitlin says
i couldn’t help smiling while i read this post. you and your husband sound so much like me and my husband! ahh men..there is NEVER too much basil. NEVER. and peanut butter and basil? genius! definitely trying this combo out soon ;)
Sara @my less serious life says
i just found your website and realize that there are only a few posts so you are new! i LOVE all the ones on here (have pinned two of the already!). i really hope to see more from you!!
Kelli H (Made in Sonoma) says
Super interesting & so easy! I could see that combo being delicious. :)
Katie says
Lovely! I adore basil. Meeker hates it. I’m going to eat this for dinner next time he’s away. ;-)
Mimi says
Just out of curiosity, what camera do you use for your photos? Those are some gorgeous shots.
Thanks! It’s a NikonD90.
Kay says
As you know, I have tons of basil, so, since I just brought in a Wal-Mart bag of basil, I will have to have this for lunch. I don’t have such cool bread, but I’ll make do.
Amanda says
MMMM….sounds perfect—will be trying this for lunch!