Peanut Butter, Jelly and Chocolate Chip Vegan Toastie Sandwich with Fresh Gooey Berries

Mood: I’m a PBJ addict & I have no shame in admitting it;) In fact, I’m rather proud of the fact that I have spent countless hours daydreaming about exciting new ways of bringing the magical Peanut Butter & Jelly combination to life! There’s nothing I love more for breakfast than biting into that salty-sweet goodness:) This Peanut Butter, Jelly & Chocolate Chip Vegan Toastie Sandwich recipe is a family favourite:) It’s not your regular Peanut Butter-Jelly Sandwich. It’s PB Style PBJ; the PBJ reinvented. Yes, my initials (PB) happen to be the same as Peanut Butter. I know, it’s fate;) Inspired by the humble Bombay Toastie that you can find on every street corner in Mumbai, this sandwich is guaranteed to blow your mind:) Crispy Crunchy Goodness + Oozy Gooey Deliciousness = MAGIC:) Happy Eating:)

Time: 10 mins
Serving Size: 2 Half Toasties
Category: Breakfast
Author: Animagus Eats

Ingredients:
Toastie
• 2 Slices of Bread (I used Whole Wheat Bread)
• 2-3 tbsp Peanut Butter
• 2-3 tsp Berry Jam (I used my homemade Mint-Cranberry-Balsamic Chia Seed Jam)
• 2 tbsp Fresh/Frozen Berries (I used Blueberries, Blackberries & Raspberries)
• 1 tbsp Vegan Chocolate Chips (optional)*
• 1/2-1 tbsp Vegan Butter*

Garnish
• Fresh Berries of your choice (I used Raspberries)
• Nuts of your choice (I used Pecans)
• Vegan Chocolate Sauce (optional)

Equipment
• Toastie Maker*

Method:
1. Spread the peanut butter on both slices of bread. Be generous & make sure that every last nook & corner of the bread has plenty of peanut butter love:) That’s the key to deliciousness:)

2. Next, spread the jam on both bread slices, on top of the peanut butter. Again, don’t be stingy with that jelly;) Try & use a berry jam that is not overly sweet. I used my homemade Vegan Cranberry Balsamic Jam with Mint & Chia Seeds. It’s super simple to make & you can substitute cranberries with any other type of berries that you like:)

3. Distribute the fresh/frozen berries & chocolate chips evenly across both slices of bread. Try & avoid placing anything too close to the edges, because those parts are reserved for toasty crusty goodness:) This step is extremely important because the oozy gooey berries & chocolate chips are what make this sandwich divine:)

4. Next, bring the two bread slices together & carefully assemble your sandwich. Make sure that none of magical ingredients fall out:) Spread the vegan butter on the bare sides of both slices of bread. Place it in the toastie maker & carefully close the lid. If you have an electric toastie maker, then just wait for the green light to go off & your sandwich will be done:) But, if you’re using an old school hand held toastie maker like me, then hold it over a low/medium flame for 3-4 minutes & keep turning it over to the other side every 1 minute. If you don’t have a toastie maker, you can also make it on the stovetop (see instructions in the Notes below). Every now & again, take a sneak peak of the sandwich & when the crust looks nice & golden brown (don’t burn it), turn off the gas. 

5. Next, take the toastie out of the toastie maker & carefully cut it into two halves. Plate up your sandwich & garnish it with fresh berries, nuts & a drizzle of Hershey’s Chocolate Sauce (it’s accidentally vegan!). And voila! Your Peanut Butter, Jelly & Chocolate Chip Vegan Toastie Sandwich with Fresh Gooey Berries is ready:) This sandwich is best enjoyed while it’s hot:) Your tastebuds will explode when you bite into that crispy crunchy toastie & feel the hot & gooey berries & chocolate chips melt in your mouth;) Sweet. Salty. Crunchy. Creamy. Decadence:) 

Notes:
* If you’re not a chocolate fan (no judgement here) or if you don’t have vegan chocolate chips at hand, then you can skip the chocolate chips & add some extra berries instead:)
* The vegan butter is an important ingredient, because it is the key to making the bread crunchy & golden brown:) If you don’t have vegan butter, you can lightly brush the bare bread sides with a mild flavoured oil like Coconut Oil or Grapeseed Oil. I have made the toastie with Grapeseed Oil & it worked well:)
* A toastie maker is also known as a pie iron, pudgy pie iron, sandwich toaster, jaffle iron, or toastie iron, depending on which part of the world you live in:) You can either use an electric one or a manual hand-held one. If you don’t have a toastie maker, you can also make the sandwich on the stovetop, using a saucepan, like how you would make a grilled cheese sandwich. You just have to be really careful when flipping the sandwich over, from side to side:) This way, the ingredients will not spill out:) The bread will not be as crispy as a sandwich made in a toastie maker, but it’s still quite crunchy & delicious:)