Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe | Sweet Pea's Kitchen (2024)

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These delicious chocolate peanut butter cookies will leave you yearning for more. They are decadent, sweet, and perfect for all occasions. You can make these surprise cookies with 11 ingredients and 10 minutes of prep time!

Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe | Sweet Pea's Kitchen (1)

This chocolate peanut butter cookie recipe has easily become one of my go-to cookies because the flavor is out of this world. Whether you are hosting a party, having a holiday cookie exchange, or are just craving something sweet, these peanut butter filled cookies should be on your radar. So, if you want a dessert that will win over any crowd, make these peanut butter and chocolate cookies, and they will disappear before your eyes.

Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe | Sweet Pea's Kitchen (2)

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Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

Every bite of these soft peanut butter filled cookies is so yummy. They are kid-friendly and the perfect dessert for parties or get-togethers. There are times when I don’t mind spending all day in the kitchen baking (I am a foodie after all), but once in a while, I love a pretty effortless recipe. These peanut butter filled chocolate cookies are exactly what I’m talking about. Easy and scrumptious.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies Ingredients

  • All-purpose flour
  • Unsweetened cocoa
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Granulated sugar
  • Packed brown sugar
  • Unsalted butter
  • Creamy peanut butter
  • Vanilla
  • Egg
  • Powdered Sugar

How To Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

You’ll find that these are the best peanut butter cookies, and they just so happen to be super simple to make too. Take a look at these easy steps to make your own homemade peanut butter cookies.

First Step: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Second Step: Add the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt to a medium bowl. Whisk together and then set aside.

Third Step: Using the paddle attachment, beat the sugar, butter, and 1/4 cup of peanut butter in a stand mixer. It should be light and fluffy. Then add in the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Carefully add in flour mixture and combine well. Set aside.

Fourth Step: Make the peanut butter filling by mixing together the powdered sugar and rest of the creamy peanut butter. Mix until it’s smooth and creamy.

Fifth Step: Grab a heaping tablespoon of cookie dough and use your hands to flatten it. Add 1 teaspoon of peanut butter filling into the center of the dough. Wrap the chocolate cookie dough around the peanut butter and seal the edges by pressing them. Roll the dough into a ball and coat it in granulated sugar.

Sixth Step: Place cookie dough balls on to a prepared baking sheet. Leave 2-inches of space between them. Use a glass and flatten the cookies until they are around 1/2 inch thick and bake for 7-9 minutes.

Seventh Step: After the cookies are done, let them sit on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then you can move them to a wire rack.

How Do You Know When Cookies Are Done?

You will be able to tell that the surprise cookies are done when the edges have set up, and the centers appear to be slightly soft. You don’t want to overbake them, or they will become hard. If you pull them out of the oven when they are just a little underdone, they will finish baking on the cookie sheet.

Optional Tips

When you bake this chocolate peanut butter cookie recipe, you can try out a few things with them if you want. They are positively delicious the way I have written it, but sometimes it’s nice to try a few things. Here are some ideas to get you started.

  • Melt chocolate and drizzle it on top of the cookies after they have baked. It will look gorgeous and like they were made in a bakery.
  • Mix a little bit of chocolate with some peanut butter and melt it. Then drizzle the combination on top of the cookies for an added surprise.
  • Put a piece of candy like a Hershey Kiss or Dove Chocolate square in the center of the cookie when you remove them from the oven. It takes these surprise cookies to a whole new level of amazing.

Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe | Sweet Pea's Kitchen (3)

Can I Use Crunchy Peanut Butter Instead Of Creamy?

Yes, absolutely! If you don’t have creamy peanut butter or just prefer the flavor and texture of crunchy peanut butter, give it a try. I prefer the softness of the creamy peanut butter, but when you use crunchy, it gives them a whole new texture that’s also delicious.

You could also mix half creamy and half crunchy peanut butter too. That gives you a subtle crunch that’s also really good.

Can I Use Salted Butter Instead Of Unsalted?

Yes, you could use salted butter instead of unsalted butter if that’s what you have. It’s imperative to omit the salt from the recipe if you use salted butter. Otherwise, these cocoa peanut butter cookies will be extremely salty and not very good.

How Do You Store This Chocolate Cookie Recipe?

Allow the cookies to cool all the way after baking them. Once they have adequately cooled, you can put them into a sealed storage container with a lid. These easy chocolate peanut butter cookies will last around 2 weeks if they are appropriately stored. You don’t need to put them in the refrigerator, and they will last perfectly on the counter or in your pantry.

Can I Freeze This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe?

Yes, you can freeze these peanut butter filled cookies! They are ideal for making ahead of time and grabbing when you need some. Place the cooled cookies in a plastic or glass storage container or freezer bag.

When the holidays are coming, I will often make up a few batches of cookies then they are ready whenever I want some. Plus, they are nice if we have last-minute dinner guests too.

If you love these chocolate peanut butter cookies as much as I do, you’re going to need to try some of my other amazing cookie recipes. Don’t forget to get a big glass of milk and enjoy some freshly baked cookies.

  • Ginger Cookies With Cinnamon Filling – These are some of the best cookies I’ve ever tasted. They are soft, delicious, and impressive.

Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe | Sweet Pea's Kitchen (4)

  • Soft Lofthouse Cookies With Frosting – You will fall in love with how delicious these cookies are. They are better than what you can get in a bakery any day.

Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe | Sweet Pea's Kitchen (5)

  • Peanut Butter Easy Snickerdoodle Cookies – You’ve never had snickerdoodles like this before. I promise you won’t find a more flavorful combination of peanut butter, cinnamon, and sugar.

Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe | Sweet Pea's Kitchen (6)

  • Fresh Apple Oatmeal Cookies – If you love classic flavors, you are going to be hooked on this combination. Take these to your next potluck dinner, and the guests will rave about them.

Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe | Sweet Pea's Kitchen (7)

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Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe | Sweet Pea's Kitchen (8)

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Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

These chocolate peanut butter cookies are EASY to make. Suprise cookies have a soft chocolate outer with a peanut butter filled center and are delicious.

Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe | Sweet Pea's Kitchen (9)

5 from 1 vote

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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling

  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 egg

  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar

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Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together sugars, butter and 1/4 cup of peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg, beating to combine. Stir in the flour mixture and stir to combine, blending well. Set aside.

  • In a medium bowl, mix together powdered sugar and remaining 3/4 cup of peanut butter until smooth.

  • Pull off a heaping tablespoon of cookie dough and flatten with your hands. Take about 1 teaspoon of peanut butter mixture and place it in the center of the chocolate dough. Wrap the chocolate dough around the peanut butter center, pressing to seal. Roll the cookie into a ball and roll the cookie in the sugar. Place cookies on the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart. Using the bottom of a glass, flatten each cookie to about a 1/2 inch thickness.

  • Bake in preheated oven for 7 to 9 minutes. Let stand on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to a wire rack.

Notes

Author: Laura

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March 26, 2020

  • American
  • Baking
  • Baking
  • Desserts
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Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe | Sweet Pea's Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

Why do you put fork marks in peanut butter cookies? ›

The baking company shared that the reason has to do with the consistency of the dough. Because peanut butter cookie dough is dense, using a fork helps flatten it into the ideal shape and thickness, allowing it to bake evenly.

How to make peanut butter cookie mix taste better? ›

Peanut Butter Cookie Mix Hacks

Flavor Twist: After creating the dough according to the peanut butter cookie mix instructions, portion the dough into balls then roll in a tasty topping like poppy seeds, sesame seeds or sprinkles, or go for a 4:1 ratio of sugar and dry spice, like ground cinnamon or nutmeg.

Why is my peanut butter cookie dough falling apart? ›

Dry – “Dry” or “Crumbly” dough is a product of over-mixing or using too much of any ingredient during the mixing process. This can be reversed by adding one to two tablespoons of liquid (water, milk or softened butter) to your mix.

Why do my peanut butter cookies get hard? ›

Feel free to add chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, Reeses pieces, chopped chocolate, or even chopped up Nutter Butters. I would recommend skipping the fork tines if you add any of these ingredients. Why did my peanut butter cookies turn out hard? This is most likely to happen from over-baking your cookies.

Should you refrigerate peanut butter cookie dough before baking? ›

Why You Need to Chill Your Cookie Dough. For starters, chilling prevents cookies from spreading out too quickly once they're in the oven. If you use a higher fat butter (like Kerrygold), chilling your dough is absolutely essential. Popping your dough in the fridge allows the fats to cool.

What happens if you don't flatten peanut butter cookies? ›

If you don't flatten the cookies first, then the fork does double duty – it performs both functions. One very subtle result of creating the pattern is that the little tips of dough bake up crisper than the rest of the cookie, giving you both a bit of additional texture and deeper taste where the dough is more baked.

What happens if you put too much baking soda in peanut butter cookies? ›

Using too much baking soda or baking powder can really mess up a recipe, causing it to rise uncontrollably and taste terrible.

Which peanut butter makes the best cookies? ›

Peanut butter: Creamy peanut butter is ideal for this recipe because crunchy peanut butter creates an overly crumbly cookie. You can use processed peanut butter such as Jif or Skippy, or natural-style peanut butter.

Can I use butter instead of oil in Betty Crocker peanut butter cookie mix? ›

You sure can. The good news is that butter, margarine, shortening and all types of oil can be used in place of the vegetable oil in SuperMoist package directions.

Why do you chill peanut butter cookie dough? ›

Firm dough prevents the cookies from spreading too much, which is why chilling the dough is a crucial step for cut-out and rolled cookies. "The colder and more solid the fat is, the less the cookie will spread," says food stylist and recipe developer Caitlin Haught Brown.

What happens if you add milk to cookie dough? ›

The moisture contributed by the milk will also increase spread and hydrate more of the starches in the flour. These hydrated (gelatinized) starches support the structure of the air pocket wall, keeping the cookies from collapsing once cooled. By holding more water, they also help keep the cookies softer over time.

How do you keep peanut butter cookies from going flat? ›

If your cookies come out of the oven looking flat, you may not have adequately chilled the dough before baking. Chilling times may vary depending on the cookie you're making, but you should typically chill cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least two hours before you pop it in the oven.

Is it better to use butter or shortening in peanut butter cookies? ›

Your other source of fat should be butter, not shortening. Butter will make your cookies taste buttery; shortening will make them taste suspiciously vacant, like Katy Perry's voice post-autotune. Yes, shortening yields chewier cookies than butter does, because butter contains water and shortening doesn't.

Why do you use a fork on peanut butter cookies? ›

These early recipes do not explain why the advice is given to use a fork, though. The reason is that peanut butter cookie dough is dense, and unpressed, each cookie will not cook evenly. Using a fork to press the dough is a convenience of tool; bakers can also use a cookie shovel (spatula).

How can you tell when peanut butter cookies are done? ›

Unlike many other cookies, peanut butter biscuits only fully harden once they've been removed from the oven. Here's how to tell when peanut butter cookies are done: The tops of the cookies are a uniform light brown. They're soft to the touch but not moist or mushy.

Why do people put fork holes in sugar cookies? ›

You can use a fork or a dough docker to prick small holes all over the surface of the dough. By venting the steam, docking keeps the dough from billowing or heaving as it bakes. It's an important step for crisp cookies or that are baked all in a single sheet and not cut up until they come out of the oven.

How do you keep peanut butter cookies from spreading? ›

If all you have on hand is foil and you don't like thin and crispy cookies, try chilling your dough before baking to prevent excess spreading — or just skip the lining altogether and bake them on an ungreased sheet pan. A nonstick silicone cookie mat made the best cookies of all the tests I tried.

What causes peanut butter cookies to go flat? ›

Oven temperatures are a crucial factor in baking. If your cookies consistently come out flat, you may have selected the wrong baking temperature. If you bake cookies using too much heat, the fats in the dough begin to melt before the other ingredients can cook together and form your cookie's rise.

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