Making memories with food often happens by accident — it’s woven into the everyday, like the lacy crêpes my dad loved to serve on weekends or the sucre à la crème my grandma made every time she visited. School cafeterias are ripe for core food memory formation, and if you grew up in New England (or had a caregiver who did), mere mention of a Fluffernutter sandwich will bring you back.
The Fluffernutter is a classic sandwich made of soft white bread, creamy peanut butter, and gooey marshmallow Fluff. It’s been a favorite among New Englanders for decades, and here you’ll learn the history of the Fluffernutter and how to make it.
Key Ingredients in a Fluffernutter
How to Make a Fluffernutter
Lay two slices of soft, white sandwich bread on a cutting board. Spread marshmallow crème in an even layer on one slice and creamy peanut butter on the second slice. Sandwich the fillings together and cut in half with a sharp knife. Enjoy!
History of the Fluffernutter
There are other brands of marshmallow crème, but the one New Englanders reach for is Marshmallow Fluff. It’s a gooey, sweet spreadable marshmallow made by the Massachusetts company Durkee-Mower since 1920. Despite being a preferred brand, Marshmallow Fluff was not the first marshmallow crème produced. Like many of today’s favored food products and recipes, the origin story is not always straightforward or simple.
Around 1900, siblings Emma and Amory Curtis (who also happened to be descendents of Paul Revere) invented Snowflake Marshmallow Crème (also known as SMAC). Emma was clever in her promotion of the product, sharing recipes using the sticky spread, including a 1918 recipe she called the “Liberty Sandwich” made with peanut butter and marshmallow crème. A similar recipe was shared a few years earlier in a confectioner’s trade journal.
Around the same time, the Curtises were promoting SMAC, Archibald Query of Somerville, Massachusetts, began making and selling his own marshmallow crème. His business struggled during World War I, and he sold what would become Marshmallow Fluff to Durkee-Mower for just $500. The name Fluffernutter finally came to be in the 1960s, thanks to a popular marketing campaign and sing-along jingle.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Fluffernutter sandwiches are best eaten the same day they are made. They can be made up to 8 hours in advance before sending to school or packing for a picnic. Stash in a zip-top bag, but because the bread and fillings are so soft, an airtight container is best for preventing the sandwich from becoming squished.
