Peanut Butter and Jelly Parcels With Puff Pastry

An after school treat, Peanut Butter and Jelly Parcels With Puff Pastry, snack-sized pastries filled with sweet fruity jam and peanut butter. A quick easy recipe for baking with children.

Updated 2026 · Originally written for Babycentre’s now defunct blog, now revised here with printable recipe

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This classic American flavour combo makes an ideal back-to-school season baking project. It’s so easy you can sandwich it in between homework and tea time.

Six and seven-year-olds may manage to make them independently although make sure a grown up remains in charge of the oven.

“Jelly” is a misnomer to us Brits. It’s actually jam. One of the reasons “PB & Jelly” sandwiches are so popular in US kids’ lunchboxes is that the contents travel well without making the bread soggy.

You can even freeze them. I’ve heard of American moms who recommend making a week or a months’ worth of sandwiches in bulk. Apparently a single frozen sandwich, removed from its icy storage that morning will defrost with the filling intact and equally appealing by lunchtime.

The freeze-ahead sandwiches concept doesn’t grab me, however the time saving factor does. Only I know my discerning five year old (not to mention my husband) would object.

My son has school dinners anyway so we have no need. Knowing how tasty peanut butter and jam taste together, I supervised Ted knocking up these puff pastry parcels. They’re just right as a home-time snack to bridge the gap until dinner, or the perfect sweet treat for dessert. They’re also easy and quick enough to serve at an after school play date (assuming you’ve established no-one has a peanut allergy).

There’s no need to weigh the quantities of peanut butter and jam below. You’ll use roughly 20% of a standard size jar but the figures are given for purists.

I won’t pretend these are gourmet — and yes, the jam can leak a bit – but their salty sweetness tastes wonderful.

Making Peanut Butter and Jelly Parcels

Below are step by step pictures how to make these puff pastry treats.

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Remove the puff pastry from the fridge 20-30 minutes before use. Assemble your ingredients:

• Puff Pastry – ready-made, pre-rolled is easiest
• Fruit Jam – I used blackcurrant today
• Peanut Butter – I like crunchy but smooth works too
• Milk – to glaze the pastry
• Sugar – to sprinkle on top, optional

Preheat the oven to 200c / Gas 6.

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Unroll the puff pastry and cut into three even strips which are each cut in half and then quarters to make 12 rectangles roughly the same size.

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I lined them up on the baking tray so you could fold them over and bake straight away – but that’s not essential.

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Using two teaspoons, spoon half a teaspoon’s worth each of peanut butter onto each piece of pastry – it looks like Ted was a bit generous on some of them!

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And repeat with jam.

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Assembling the puff pastry parcels

Using a pastry brush, trace milk around the each of each rectangle and then fold in half to seal.

Compress the edges of each rectangle with a fork, in the manner of ravioli pasta and pierce the centre with the point of a sharp knife.

Spread the rectangles on the baking sheet lined with paper and bake for 15-18 minutes until puffed up and golden.

Allow to cool slightly before serving – remember the jam filling can be hot inside so test one yourself before giving to small children.

Print Recipe

Peanut Butter and Jelly Parcels with Puff Pastry

Servings: 12 parcels

Equipment

• baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Ingredients

• 1 pack puff pastry ready-made, pre-rolled
• 75 g strawberry jam
• 75 g peanut butter
• 2 tbsp milk
• 2 tbsp caster sugar or light brown sugar

Instructions

• Remove the puff pastry from the fridge 20-30 minutes before use. Preheat the oven to 200c / Gas 6.
• Unroll the puff pastry and cut into three even strips which are each cut in half and then quarters to make 12 rectangles roughly the same size.
• Using two teaspoons, spoon half a teaspoon’s worth each of jam and peanut butter onto one half of each rectangle.
• Brush milk around the each of each rectangle and then fold in half to seal.
• Compress the edges of each rectangle with a fork, in the manner of ravioli pasta and pierce the centre with the point of a sharp knife.
• Spread the rectangles on the baking sheet lined with paper and bake for 15-18 minutes.

Notes

Important: Allow to cool slightly before serving. The jam filling can be hot inside, so test one yourself before giving to small children.

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This isn’t the stuff of Great British Bake Off contestants but who cares?

Have your little horrors gone back to school now?