Which Frozen PB&J Is Worth Buying? I Compared Welch's And Uncrustables

Attention, PB&J lovers: There's a new pre-made sandwich on the block, and it comes straight from the makers of your favorite jar of jelly. That's right — Welch's has finally entered the frozen crustless sandwich scene with its "Real PB&Js," which feature peanut butter and mixed fruit spread all lovingly enveloped by square-shaped, crimp-edged bread.

Of course, this begs the question: How does Welch's stack up to competitors? The obvious competitor here is Smucker's line of frozen Uncrustables, which come in a variety of flavors and have long dominated the crust-free, pre-made sandwich market. Welch's has a few things going for it right off the bat. Its sandwiches are 50% bigger than Uncrustables and boast twice the amount of protein. This does mean Welch's sandwiches are slightly more expensive; at my local Walmart, this works out to about $1.48 per Welch's sandwich, compared to $.98 per Uncrustable. But to make the ultimate determination about which sandwich is better, a taste test is in order.

Though the two sandwiches may seem fairly similar on the surface, actually unwrapping them yields a new perspective. Not only are they different shapes (perhaps because of that one time when Smucker's sued Trader Joe's over its look-alike), but Welch's is noticeably larger than Uncrustables. Still, I chose to make size a secondary factor when comparing the sandwiches. My primary concern was their flavor and texture. 

I removed each sandwich from the freezer and put it in the refrigerator 24 hours prior to tasting the sandwiches. I took a bite from the middle of each and evaluated them based on the ratio of peanut butter, jelly, and bread present in each, as well as the overall texture of the sandwich. 

The first sandwich I tried was Uncrustables' Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jam Sandwich, which held no surprises — this is the OG, and you're probably already familiar with its structure. The famous circular sandwich holds a fine amount of peanut butter and jelly, and on the whole, I thought it was perfectly satisfying.

The ratios here were spot-on. I was able to taste everything equally in one bite, and the bread didn't overwhelm the filling (or vice versa). None of the textures were off, either. Despite sitting in the fridge for 24 hours, the bread wasn't soggy in the slightest, nor had any of the fillings leaked out in the process. In short, the sandwich was exactly as I had remembered it: a tasty, satisfying, no-frills lunchbox stuffer that almost made me nostalgic for grade-school days. They even rival everyone's favorite Lunchables. 

Welch's dared to go big with its Real PB&Js. The sandwich is noticeably larger than its competitor, and you don't even need to put the two side-by-side to tell the difference. Welch's is packed with peanut butter and jelly (or a "mixed fruit spread," as the company calls it), and if I'm being honest, it looks pretty darn mouthwatering.

I was worried that the ratios would be a little off, but I was wrong. While there's slightly less bread compared to the peanut butter and jelly in this sandwich than the previous, I hardly minded. What I got was an explosion of flavor. I loved the variety offered by the mixed fruit, and I didn't think there was too much peanut butter, even though it looks like it could be overwhelming. This might be too big for a young child, but I'd say it could be counted on to fill up most other school-aged kids. 

I have to give the big win to Welch's here — I'd really only recommend Uncrustables over it if you're feeding small children. I liked how much more flavorful Welch's sandwich was, which led to a more satisfying bite, and not just in the sense that it was more filling.

The only downside is that, for the moment, you only have one choice of flavor for Welch's sandwiches. That said, I loved the mixed fruit spread and didn't feel like a lack of options had me missing out on anything. Uncrustables still offers a great mainstay, and you shouldn't throw them out if they're already in your freezer, but I would suggest upgrading to Welch's the next time you go on a frozen sandwich run.