These Special Peanut Butter Cookies combine creamy peanut butter, rich chocolate chips, crunchy peanuts, and miniature peanut butter cups for a delightful treat. Perfectly soft with a slight crisp edge, they’re a peanut butter lover’s dream!
YIELD
24 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
24 minREADY
45 minPro Tips
- Peanut Butter Choice: If using natural peanut butter (just peanuts and salt), stir it well before measuring to avoid excess oil.
- Chopping Peanut Butter Cups: Freeze the miniature peanut butter cups for 15 minutes before chopping to make them easier to cut cleanly.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Add a slice of bread to the container to keep them soft longer.
- Cookie Size: For smaller cookies, use 1 tablespoon of dough and reduce baking time to 8-10 minutes.
Optional Variations
- Double Chocolate: Swap ¼ cup flour for unsweetened cocoa powder and use all chocolate chips instead of peanuts for a richer flavor.
- Nut-Free: Replace peanuts with extra chocolate chips or crushed pretzels for crunch without nuts.
- Spicy Twist: Add ½ teaspoon cinnamon or a pinch of cayenne to the dry ingredients for a subtle kick.
Ingredients
Directions
- Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (optional for easier cleanup; ungreased works too).
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Peanut Butter: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat ½ cup softened butter and ½ cup peanut butter until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add Sugars: Add ½ cup brown sugar and ¼ cup granulated sugar, beating until the mixture is light and smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
- Incorporate Egg and Vanilla: Add 1 large egg and beat for 2-3 minutes until fully combined. Mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, beating on low speed until just incorporated. Soften the Dough: Drizzle ¼ cup milk over the dough and mix until it softens slightly (this keeps the cookies tender).
- Add Mix-Ins: Gently fold in ¾ cup chocolate chips, ¾ cup peanuts, and ¾ cup chopped miniature peanut butter cups with a spatula. Avoid overmixing to keep the peanut butter cups intact.
- Shape Cookies: Scoop dough into 2-tablespoon portions (a cookie scoop works well) and place them on the baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
- Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. The centers may look slightly underdone—they’ll firm up as they cool. Avoid overbaking to prevent dry cookies.
- Cool: Remove from the oven and let the cookies sit on the sheet for 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely using a spatula.
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