Fluffernutter

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This New England staple deserves a home among Southern sandwiches.

Southern Living Fluffernutter sandwiches on a plate to serve
Photo:

Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

Active Time:
5 mins
Total Time:
5 mins
Yield:
1 sandwich

A fluffernutter is a sandwich made with soft, fluffy white bread that holds layers of creamy peanut butter and sweet marshmallow crème. The flavor is sweet and salty, similar to the qualities of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The peanut butter flavor stands out most of all, but the light texture of the bread and sweet taste of the marshmallow crème blend this sandwich together beautifully.

Wait, I Thought Fluffernutter Was a New England Thing?

It is. Massachusetts and New England more broadly claim the fluffernutter as their original creation, and we aren't going to argue that. (We're just happy the sandwich made its way South at some point.)

The sandwich first cropped up in the early 20th century, soon after the invention of marshmallow creme. The moniker "fluffernutter" was not attached to the PB-and-creme creation until the 1960s, when the culinary portmanteau—Marshmallow Fluff (fluffer) with peanut butter (nutter)—was born.

Ingredients for Fluffernutter

You'll only need three ingredients to craft a fluffernutter, making this the ideal sandwich for day your cupboard is nearly empty.

  • White bread: You could certainly upgrade with any bread of your choosing, but there's something poetic, melodic even about white bread with these ingredients. The soft, faintly sweet bread blends beautifully with the next two ingredients.
  • Peanut butter: Traditional fluffernutters call for creamy peanut butter. You could certainly upgrade to crunchy for some textural contrast, but we recommend creamy if you have a choice. The sublime texture of the creamy PB and marshmallow fluff sends this sandwich, as humble as it is, into the stratosphere of satisfaction.
  • Marshmallow creme: It's not just every day you get to add a scoop of this fluffy, bouncy topping to your food, so take advantage of the chance with this sandwich. You'll find the marshmallow creme or Marshmallow Fluff, if you want to be original, in the candy aisle of most grocery stores. (Check the baking aisle next.) While you won't need a lot for this sandwich, you may find plenty of reasons to start spreading a little marshmallow creme on everything from vanilla wafers to ice cream. Keep a tub handy; you won't regret it.
Southern Living Fluffernutter sandwich ingredients

Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

How To Make a Fluffernutter

It won't surprise you to know that if you're able to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you can knock out a fluffernutter, too. While this recipe calls for a quarter-cup of both peanut butter and marshmallow creme, you don't have to measure them precisely. Just aim for equal parts of the two spreads.

What To Serve With Fluffernutter

This simple sandwich doesn't need any fancy sides to accompany it. Pop a few potato chips or pretzels beside this, and call it a complete meal. Of course, if you're wrapping this up for a kid's lunch, don't forget the fruit and bottle of water.

Southern Living Fluffernutter Sandwich sliced and ready to serve

Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

Ingredients

  • 2 slices white bread

  • 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

  • 1/4 cup marshmallow crème (such as Marshmallow Fluff)

Directions

  1. Make sandwich:

    Spread peanut butter on one slice of bread. Spread marshmallow crème on the second slice of bread. Close the sandwich together so that the peanut butter and marshmallow crème are together in the middle of the sandwich.

    Southern Living Fluffernutter sandwich assembling the sandwich

    Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

    Cut the sandwich into halves, or enjoy it whole.

    Southern Living Fluffernutter cutting the sandwich in half

    Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What does a fluffernutter taste like?

    Nutty, salty peanut butter helps balances the sweetness of the marshmallow creme, for a special, mouth-filling combination that's evened out by sandwich bread. It's a lot like a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich, but without the fruity flavors.

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