Stanley Tucci’s 4-Ingredient Midnight Snack Is My New Favorite

These days, as a cookbook author and food journalist, I usually write about food close to midnight. Since I have early dinners with my family between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., my tummy constantly rumbles late into the night, and sometimes, I heed that rumble and head downstairs for a midnight snack.

Usually, the Cantonese in me craves a bowl of instant ramen or a toasted bubble waffle. Lately, I've been fascinated by what other people, especially celebrities, eat as a midnight snack. Andrew Zimmern, for example, enjoys either cold, leftover Chinese food or grilled toast with butter and anchovies. 

Stanley Tucci's Favorite Midnight Snack

I always have sourdough bread in our pantry, so toast of any kind as a snack is something I can stand behind. In my extensive search for more midnight snack ideas, I stumbled upon a fun rapid-fire interview Stanley Tucci did with Katie Couric. In this interview, Stanley revealed his favorite midnight snack, a simple yet delicious combination of peanut butter, banana, and honey on toasted bread.

This revelation is somewhat surprising, given Stanley told Katie that he prefers savory to sweet food. This adds an element of intrigue to his midnight snack choice. It’s simple and easy, and you probably already have all those ingredients in your pantry. Plus, it’s quick to put together and super comforting as a midnight snack. 

How To Make My Version of Stanley Tucci’s 4-Ingredient Midnight Snack

Stanley's favorite midnight snack will help you use up any bread about to go stale, be it white, rye, whole wheat, or sourdough. I always make his toast with my family's favorite loaf of sourdough.

I toast a slice in my BALMUDA toaster for about four minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Then, I slather a generous amount of peanut butter over the toast, at least a tablespoon. If you’re a crunchy peanut butter fan like me, use crunchy peanut butter. Creamy peanut butter lovers, please use creamy peanut butter.

Of course, you can substitute the peanut butter with any other nut butter, tahini, or black sesame butter. I believe plain hummus could work, too—just not the heavily seasoned, garlicky, or spicy hummus. 

Then, slice a banana into coins and lay the banana slices over the peanut butter. Top with a drizzle of honey. If you want to add more depth to this dish, crown the honey with sea salt flakes, which add a pop of flavor and texture. For those who don’t use honey at home, swap it out with agave or maple syrup or even sweetened condensed milk. 

Tips That Make Stanley Tucci’s Toast Even Better

• Drizzle a little olive oil or spread unsalted butter over the bread first before grilling it. This will add a layer of richness.
• If you have additional fruits—like blueberries and strawberries—in your refrigerator, add some to the toast along with the bananas. This will give the toast more color, and the fruits work well with peanut butter and honey. Most fruits would work on this toast; however, if you ever make this toast for Stanley, you might want to skip passionfruit. “I like [to eat] just about everything. I suppose I don’t like passionfruit,” he told Katie.
• Finally, you can make Stanley's toast into a sandwich by topping it with another slice.
• If you love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, add some jam or preserves over the peanut butter. 

Uncomplicated to put together and change up, and deeply satisfying and comforting, Stanley's midnight snack can easily be an anytime snack. As a matter of fact, I just had it for brunch!