The Elvis PB Banana Sandwich

If you’re ever in need of lunch inspiration, some of our favorite celebrities actually have great sandwich ideas. Harrison Ford’s grilled cheese hack has become a staple in my household. Matthew McConaughey takes his tuna salad very seriously. And Michael B. Jordan challenged my idea of what’s possible at McDonald’s with one sly addition to his breakfast order.

But perhaps one of the most famous sandwiches of all time is the Elvis peanut butter banana sandwich, which has strips of bacon layered inside. At first glance, this might seem like a ridiculous grouping of ingredients. But if you break it down, it makes sense. Peanut butter is creamy, nutty and smooth. Banana is sweet and starchy. And the bacon is crispy, salty and fatty. All those different textures and flavors combine so nicely on toasted bread.

I’ll just say, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. The Elvis sandwich is good! I guess all I have to say to Elvis Presley is thank you, thank you very much for this sandwich!

Ingredients for Elvis PB Banana Sandwich

• Creamy peanut butter: Whether you like no-stir or natural peanut butter, your favorite peanut butter brand is best here. You’ll only need about 2 tablespoons per sandwich.
• White sandwich bread: Soft and squishy white sandwich bread is our go-to for an Elvis peanut butter sandwich. It holds all the ingredients together very well and toasts beautifully in a skillet.
• Banana: Slice one medium banana into coins or long strips. You could also use mashed bananas instead.
• Bacon: I always like to bake bacon in the oven instead of cooking it on the stovetop. There’s much less mess! You could also use bacon bits for ease, or make a gourmet sandwich with candied bacon.
• Butter: Fry your sandwich in just a little bit of butter. Don’t have any on hand? Use mayonnaise instead. We actually prefer it over butter when making a grilled cheese!

Directions

Step 1: Spread the peanut butter

Spread 1 tablespoon of peanut butter over each slice of bread.

Step 2: Assemble the sandwich

On one piece of bread, arrange the bananas and bacon on the peanut butter. Top it with the second slice of bread, peanut butter–side down, to form a sandwich.

Step 3: Toast it in the skillet

In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Carefully add the sandwich and toast it until it’s golden brown, one to two minutes per side. If desired, slice it diagonally to serve.

Recipe Variations

• Add a sweetener: Drizzle honey or maple syrup on the sandwich before adding the final piece of bread. If you really want to up the ante, add some hot honey.
• Make it crunchy: Replace the creamy peanut butter with crunchy peanut butter, and cook your bacon to a nice, deep brown so it’s cracklingly crispy—just don’t burn it!
• Try another nut butter: Use any nut butter in place of peanut butter. Cashew butter in particular sounds delicious, but almond butter would work, too.

How to Store an Elvis Presley Sandwich

I don’t recommend storing any leftovers of an Elvis Presley sandwich. The butter-fried bread will get soggy, and the bananas will turn brown. Make only as much as you’re prepared to eat.

Can you make an Elvis peanut butter and banana sandwich ahead of time?

No, you cannot make an Elvis peanut butter banana sandwich ahead of time. It’s best eaten fresh and hot off the skillet. You can, however, cook the bacon the day before making the sandwich. Just store it in an airtight container in the fridge.

Elvis PB Banana Sandwich Tips

Do I have to fry the Elvis peanut and banana sandwich?

No, you don’t have to fry the Elvis peanut and banana sandwich. Instead, you can toast the sandwich in an air fryer to crisp the bread and heat the ingredients through, or you can just toast the bread beforehand and keep the sandwich ingredients at room temperature.

What other foods did Elvis like?

Elvis’s favorite foods were Southern comfort foods. “He liked his food real rich,” said Mary Jenkins, Elvis’s cook of 14 years, as reported by the New York Times. Meatloaf, banana icebox pie, cheeseburgers, chicken-fried steaks, hamburger steaks, caramel cakes and family-size bowls of banana pudding were some of the recipes Elvis routinely requested.

Do I need to use ripe bananas to make an Elvis sandwich?

No, do not use ripe bananas to make an Elvis sandwich. Use yellow bananas—not green, not brown. Yellow bananas are still sweet with a lot of creamy banana flavor, but they’re still firm enough to hold their shape for the sandwich. Ripe, brown bananas are too sweet and soft, and would become mushy in the sandwich. Green bananas are too astringent.