Make your trip to the zoo extra special by packing your kids a fun lunch including adorable Monkey Sandwiches. Simply made with Smucker's® Uncrustables®, these monkeys just might keep your kids from begging for expensive snacks on your day out.
This post is sponsored by Smucker®.
Before the summer slips away, my friend and I decided it would be fun to load the kids in the car and take them on a wild adventure.
Not far from our home, is a small family owned zoo called Idle-Hour Ranch, where guests can get up close and personal and pet and feed an amazing array of animals including kangaroos, camels, zebras, bunnies, goats, and alpacas.
My favorite farm resident is Lubbins, a prairie dog, who loves a good scratch. She is just the sweetest little girl. Check her out in the video below. Adorable, right?
We can't wait to see Lubbins, but are also super excited to see one of the zoo's newest residents, a marmoset monkey. That's what inspired today's project.
The drive to the ranch isn't too long, but we plan to spend the afternoon there, so we are packing lunches. I volunteered to make them and thought it would be fun to create a few sandwiches featuring the zoo's animals.
I just had to make some monkey sandwiches to add to the excitement of the day.
They are pretty easy to make and I think the kids are going to love them.
Monkey Sandwich
You'll Need: (per monkey)
1 Smucker's® Uncrustables® Peanut Butter and Honey Spread on Whole Wheat
2 graham cracker squares
1-2 tablespoons Jif Whips
1-2 teaspoons Jif Chocolate Flavored Hazelnut Spread
Supplied Needed:
2 inch round cookie cutter
2 disposable pastry bags or zip top bags
optional: 1 plastic sandwich container, 1 piece scrapbook paper, 1 sheet acetate, scissors
If you want to pack your monkey sandwiches to take with you to the zoo, you can put them in plastic sandwich containers. To add a bit of color to my containers, I cut some scrapbook paper and fit it inside the box, then cut a piece of clear acetate to put on top of the paper.
For the monkey sandwiches, I used a jungle print green paper.
To make the sandwiches, you'll need to unwrap one Uncrustables. Then spoon some Jif Whips into a pastry bag, and some Jif Hazelnut Spread into another pastry bag. You could use zip top bags, if you prefer. Snip the tip off the bags and you are ready to decorate your sandwich.
To decorate the Uncrustables to look like a monkey, start by cutting two ears out of graham crackers. Push a 2 inch round cookie cutter through the dimpled part of the graham cracker and remove the excess cracker.
Pipe a small circle of Jif Whips on each graham circle to make the monkey's ears. Use a spoon to smooth out the peanut butter. To make it look furry, push down on the spoon then lift up quickly, creating small spikes all over the peanut butter.
Pipe more Jif Whips in a large oval on one half of the Uncrustables. Smooth it out with a spoon.
Set the edges of two ears under the monkey's head in your sandwich container or on a plate. The peanut butter will help the ears stick to the sandwich.
Pipe two eyes, two eye brows, two nostrils and one big smile using the Jif Hazelnut Spread onto each monkey.
Add a few slices of banana and your lunch is ready to go.
If you plan to pack this lunch to take with you, then be sure to brush the banana slices with a little bit of lemon juice or lemon-lime soda, to keep them from turning brown.
I created two more animal sandwiches to take with us and I'll share those along with pictures of our day out with you on Monday, August 17th. So be sure to stop back to check them out. If you were served an animal sandwich, which animal would you most like to see in your lunch box?
I was able to find all the ingredients I needed to make my monkeys at Walmart, the "SNACKATION" destination. You can find the Uncrustables in the freezer section and the Jif Whips and Jif Hazelnut Spread in the peanut butter and jelly section.
I was compensated by the J.M. Smucker Company to create this fun lunch and to share it with you. All opinions expressed here are my own.
If you liked this Kid's Recipe, then you need to check out these other fascinating recipes that your little ones will love!
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Elizabeth (Rock-A-Bye Parents) says
These sandwiches are adorable! What a fun twist to a traditional PB&J.
Beth says
Thanks, Elizabeth. I enjoyed these sandwiches as much as the kids did!
Angela Harris says
This is a super cute idea. My kids will love this. Thank you so much for sharing these great tips.
Beth says
You are welcome, Angela! Have fun making some monkeys for your kids:)
Sue {Munchkin Munchies} says
i love the adorable little monkey sandwiches so much, Beth! Can't wait to make some for my munchkins! Lubbins is a little love. 😊
Beth says
I hope your little munchkins like their monkey sandwiches as much as Lubbins likes her scratches:)
Karen @ Sugartown Sweets says
Sweet monkey sandwiches! Little Lubbins didn't want her scratch session to end! 🙂
Every time we have a church fellowship, someone brings a huge box of these pb&js..I love them and have to have at last two. What an adorable way to cute them up. My daughter and I bought Zoo Atlanta memberships this summer and we have made several trips already. Your fun snacks would be the perfect treats for the kiddos to make and take along!
Beth says
Lubbins definitely loved getting scratched and I could have done it for hours. She was so sweet. We love going to zoos too. I've never been to the one in Atlanta. We'll have to put that one on our list.
I have always been a huge fan of pb&j sandwiches, and really enjoyed the Uncrustables. I ate plenty while experimenting with my designs.
Beth says
Thanks, Olivia. I'm glad you like them:)
Noa Ambar Regev says
Love these cute monkey sandwiches!
Beth says
Thanks:)
Beth says
Thanks so much, Jessica:)
The Partiologist says
This would have been the perfect sandwich for me...when I was young I always cut the crust off my bread. Looks like I might have to relive my childhood and make myself a monkey sandwich!
Beth says
Me too, I wasn't a big fan of crust so these are perfect. I am a huge fan of PJ&J, however, and could eat it everyday.
Jeanne Shakespeare says
I shuddered when I read that you petted prairie dogs. They can carry the plague. It comes from the fleas that bite them. Where we live they have found two colonies of prairie dogs with the plague and Colorado has has some people infected.
Beth says
Wow, I had not heard about that. This particular Prairie Dog was hand raised, has had veterinary care and is very healthy. She spends a lot of her time in the farm owner's house because she is so tame and lovable.
Abeer says
Omg! Cuteness overload... I know what my little one is getting for breakfast tomorrow morning 😉
trisha says
these are super duper cute, Beth. LOVE IT!
Beth says
Thanks, Trisha:)