A close up of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for an ingredient article about new PB&J products

PB&J 2.0

PB&J (Peanut Butter & Jelly) is an iconic, American classic. The first written peanut butter and jelly sandwich recipe was published by Julia Davis Chandler in 1901. Today manufacturers are getting creative and launching new PB&J applications for kids and adults alike to enjoy.  It’s PB&J 2.0.

Hormel Foods’ dropped Skippy P.B. Fruit Bites, a line of bite-sized real dried fruit snacks covered in peanut butter. Described as “portable and poppable,” they are offered in two variants: Strawberry-flavored Dried Cranberry and Dried Grape. In the frozen aisle, Hormel Foods’ introduced Skippy P.B. & Jelly Minis, bite-size buns filled with Skippy Peanut Butter and Grape or Strawberry Jelly in White Bakery Bread or Whole Grain Bakery Bread.

Smucker’s has upped the peanut butter ante with a variety of new Jif launches. Jif Power Ups Chewy Granola Bars feature peanut butter and granola in five flavors: Creamy Peanut Butter, Chocolate Flavored, Salted Caramel FlavoredStrawberry, and Banana. Jif Power Ups Creamy Clusters highlight a peanut butter center rolled in toasted oats in three flavors: Creamy Peanut ButterApple Cinnamon, and Strawberry. Jif Poppers are a new Peanut Butter Coated Popcorn snack in three varieties: Peanut Butter Coated Popcorn and Dried StrawberriesPeanut Butter Coated Popcorn and Pretzels, and Peanut Butter Coated Popcorn and Chocolate Covered Pretzels.

Bobo’s just launched Stuff’d Oat Bites, which are snack-size whole grain oat bars filled with organic fruit jam in Apple Pie and Peanut Butter and Jelly flavors. The products are gluten-free, vegan and non-G.M.O. Halo, the cult-followed ice cream maker, even joined the cause and launched Peanut Butter and Jelly ice cream made with peanut butter ice cream, a strawberry swirl and cannoli bites. Theo Chocolate introduced PB&J Chocolate Clusters, which are organic, Fair Trade, non-GMO, and free of soy and gluten while Kraft Heinz has partnered with The Hershey Company to offer a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup whipped topping.

The humble PB&J sandwich is so well-liked that it has trickled its way into hair color and has inspired the “Peanut Jelly Hair” treatment, a golden brown and purple balayage.

For those that enjoy celebrating food holidays, you’re in luck because April 2 is National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day. Go ahead, mark your calendars!

Hungry for more ingredient trends? Let Trendincite LLC custom-design a nostalgic trend excursion, a classic marketing presentation, an iconic newsletter or hire Amy Marks-McGee as a guest speaker.

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