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I wish all Fridays could include cookies like these.
Lucky for us, it’s December and we have an excuse to eat a least a cookie or two a day. I made these chocolate peanut butter crinkle cookies earlier this week and they’re already long gone. Although, cookies never last more than a day or two around here, so I guess that was to be expected. Cookies are everyone’s favorite. As a lot of you probably assumed, chocolate and peanut butter is probably one of my favorite combos. It’s also a big time favorite of my older brother Brendan’s, who arrived with his girlfriend Lyndsie a week ago. Whenever I know people will be coming into town, I always try to make foods that I know they’ll love.
The main reason I started to get into cooking was because I love seeing the reaction on people’s faces when they take a bite of something delicious. To me, it’s the best feeling knowing I made someone so happy simply by making them food. It’s especially great when I give food to my brothers, who don’t normally get home cooked meals or fresh-baked desserts, and see their roll their eyes reaction…the best! The other day I baked up a batch of chocolate chip cookies for my younger brother Red, who is consistently traveling and almost never home. He literally took the entire 9×13 inch pan of cookies with him back to Copper where he is staying with the US Team and ate them all! Granted he had some help from all his friends, but the kid was pumped. I was feeling pretty good too, even though they were sugar loaded cookies, he was at least eating something homemade, and well, not from Chipotle…
Anyway, I guess my point is that I love making foods for the people around me. Sometimes it’s not even a matter of whether I like something, but more a matter of who I am feeding…cough, cough, chicken noodle casserole…Malachi and Creighton.
Thankfully, I am a fan of this combo of peanut butter and chocolate. These cookies are the bomb. And by that I just mean SO FREAKING DELICIOUS. Covered in chocolate, rolled in peanut butter, and doughy in the center, yum and YUM.
Oh, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, you know for good measure.
That extra chocolate drizzle you see on a few of those cookies is totally optional, well, it’s not optional in my mind, but you know, if you prefer just a little chocolate…I guess I get that. But the milk chocolate kiss in the center…a MUST. It kind of makes these cookies a cross between peanut butter blossoms and crinkle cookies. Unlike peanut butter blossoms, these cookies are soft and chewy and not the least bit dense, and the Hershey’s kiss, well that’s obviously perfection.
Can we talk about the crinkle factor to these cookies though? Before the cookies get baked the dough balls are rolled in a peanut butter/powdered sugar “crinkle” mix. This is what makes these crinkle cookies better than any other. Well, this and the chocolate…
Rolling the dough in the peanut butter and powdered sugar allows for ample peanut butter flavor with a touch of sweetness. It’s honestly just so delicious, like biting into a Reese’s, but in soft cookie form. In fact these might be better than Reese’s. <– bold but possibly true.
These cookies would be great for a cookie gift exchange, as easy holiday gifts, or simply to bake up on Christmas Eve and EAT! My whole family is arriving tomorrow and will be here through New Years, so it’s going to be rather crazy around here!
I’ll be back tomorrow for the second to last Christmas Drink Saturday and I am pretty excited about it! Also, I’m wondering if I should post the last Christmas Drink on Friday the 23rd, so you guys can have some time to buy ingredients and things, or should I post it on Christmas Eve? Thoughts? Let me know!
In preparation for a busy weekend, I think we should all probably be making these cookies tonight while sipping on this. Sound good? COOL.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Crinkle Cookies.
Servings: 36 Cookies
Calories Per Serving: 75 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter at room temperature
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 36-40 chocolate kisses
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter, 1/2 cup peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix until just combined. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
- In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup peanut butter and the powdered sugar. The mix will be clumpy and moist. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes or up to 3 days.
- Roll the cookie dough into 2 teaspoon size balls and then roll each ball through the peanut butter powdered sugar mix, pressing gently to adhere. Place 2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are just set around the edges but still doughy in the center. It's important not to overbake these as they will be dry and crumbly. Remove from the oven and insert 1 kiss into the center of each cookie. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. If desired, drizzle with melted chocolate and sprinkle with sea salt. Let the chocolate set at room temp. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
What are you guys baking up this weekend?
Delicious but the outer PBpowdered sugar topping never dried with baking. They cookies outer topping was gooey…delicious but not something I could pack and bring to a party. Any suggestions?
I just made these tonight and the outer part was still goey too. Got it all over my fingers. I may give it another try tomorrow but not sure. 😕
Would love if there was a video just to make sure I did it right.
Hi there! Hmmm I would maybe add a bit more flour if the cookies feel too gooey still! xT
All went well until bake time. I had to cook them so much longer that the recipe directions because they were so wet and gooey. Even with cooking and cooking for a long time, these cookies never dried to a crunchy outer topping and a soft center. They were delicious but not something I could put out for company because they were just too wet and gooey because the outer PB and powdered sugar topping never dried. Maybe I nceded a PB with a dryer consistency? I used Skippy. Any suggestions?
This recipe was very disappointing. The cookie dough was too soft to form a ball, and the peanut butter/ sugar mixture was just a paste that would not adhere to the soft dough. Resorting to making drop style cookies resulted in a mediocre pb cookie.
Checked the comments to see if there were hints to address the soft sticky dough or the pasty topping, and no fixes, just similar complaints. And the only response was , oh sorry.
Hi Joan! I am so sorry this recipe didn’t turn out well for you, how can I help? I would maybe add more flour to your dough if you feel the dough was too soft to form a ball? xT
Tasted great, but they don’t support being held well. They fall to pieces very easily.
The peanut butter/ powder sugar step came out more like a dough then a crumbly mixture that the batter could be dipped in, so I tore it into bits and topped the cookie dough with it.
Flavor was a 10/10, they will not go to waste. 🙂
Oh no I’m so sorry about that! Thanks for letting me know! xT
i’m not sure I’m understanding how to make the peanut butter/powdered sugar mixture. i think maybe i mixed it too much? it’s not crumbly 🙁 I’m worried it won’t stick to the cookies
Hi Taylor,
How long did you mix for? It should be crumbly. Let me know how the cookies turn out, I hope they are delish! xT
It would helpful if step one was; make the peanut butter powdered sugar mixture and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 3 days. Then turn on the oven and make the other part of the dough. That way, you don’t get to step 3 and have to turn off the oven and decide what to do with the raw egg dough for 30 minutes.
Hi Ruth,
Thanks for sharing your feedback. I hope you love this recipe! xx
Hi can I refrigerate the dough for a few days before I make the cookies?
Hey Mae,
Sure, that will work well for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Hi! I’m so excited to try these, is there any way to freeze the dough or cooked cookies to keep them longer so I can gift them as a Christmas gift? Thanks!
Hey Gabby,
You bet, you can do either one:) Let me know if I can help in any other way, I hope you love these cookies! xx
These are my new go-to peanut butter cookies. They have been a hit each time I have made them! My boyfriend requests them all the time. They were SUPER easy to make as well!! A couple of notes that I have after reading other peoples comments that almost dissuaded me from making these cookies:
-Refrigerate the peanut butter/powdered sugar mixture (this will be the “crunch” on the outside of the cookie), not the cookie dough (or else the “crunch” won’t stick to the dough).
-Your hands will get a bit messy, but this is baking so I expected this!
-I grabbed a pinch (approx tsp of cookie dough) and dropped it in the peanut butter/powdered sugar mixture, then rolled it around. Do not try to roll the dough into a ball before dropping it into the mixture or you will inevitably get frustrated as the dough will get stuck to your hands. The peanut butter/powdered sugar mixture easily stuck to the dough and allowed me to make it into more of a ball shape.
-Definitely let these cookies cool at least a bit before eating because that nice crunch on the outside will set!
Don’t be dissuaded from making these cookies, they are THE BOMB!!
Hey Melisa,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed! Thanks for sharing your notes and feedback. Have a great day:) xxT
I really loved the peanut butter chocolate crinkle cookies, but I was also confused by the directions. I was unsure what I was to refrigerate for 30 minute.
1st I refrigerated the peanut butter/powered sugar part but it did not stick to the cookie batter. Then I refrigerated the cookie batter but still no luck. I used maranatha peanut butter and it’s a little thin. Could that have been the problem? Even though I had problems the were still delicious! I’ve tried so many of your recipes and loved them all. Thanks, Vanessa
Hi Vanessa,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! You refrigerate the peanut butter mixture in step 3. Happy Holidays! xT
Very disappointed in this recipe and your directions. Either you didn’t put enough flour or you didn’t indicate that maybe dough should be refrigerated. It is so soft you cannot press it into the refrigerated peanut butter and confectioner sugar mix. The dough sticks to it and it’s impossible to roll the dough in the peanut butter mix. Otherwise it’s a waste of time it will not come out the way you indicated .
Hi Jeanette,
So sorry you did not enjoy this recipe, please let me know if I can help in any other way! xTieghan
What type of chocolate did you use to drizzle on top?
Did you use kisses?
I have trouble melting kisses?
Thanks in advance.
Hi Cathy,
Whenever melting chocolate, I always use a chocolate bar like Lindt or Chocolove. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Is the dough or the pb/sugar mixture supposed to be refrigerated? The dough so soft and the pb mixture is so hard, it doesn’t “roll”.
Hi Meagan,
You are going to refrigerate the peanut butter mixture for at least 30 minutes like stated in step 3. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi Teighan,
The step about putting the dough in the refrigerator is right under making the peanut butter powdered sugar. It is pretty confusing. It reads like you need to chill the topping.
Thanks for your delicious recipes!
Do you have a version of this where instead of a Hershey kiss on top, I can use Reeses pieces or M&Ms in the cookie instead?
Hey Dawn,
Sure, Reeses of M&M’s would also work. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Do you have a video on making these? Having trouble with the topping not sticking. The dough just rolls over it
Hi Sandy,
So sorry I don’t, what do you mean the topping? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
These are super frustrating– the cookie dough is too soft to make a ball, and the topping is too hard to stick yo the gooey dough. Very surprised if anyone was able to make these successfully. My second recipe with you. Very disappointing.
Are you sure the flour content is correct?