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Sharing a healthier take on everyone’s favorite peanut butter sandwich cookie…Healthier Homemade Nutter Butter Cookies…dipped, dunked, and drizzled in chocolate. Lightly sweetened, buttery, peanut cookies, sandwiched with creamy peanut butter filling, then finished with a dip in sweet chocolate. Every last bite is sweet, peanutty, and so DELICIOUS. Absolutely nothing not to love about these homemade Nutter Butter cookies. Bonus? These cookies are easy to make, use only 7 ingredients, have no processed sugars, and can even be made vegan.
Surprise, surprise, I’m taking it back to my childhood days yet again today with these homemade Nutter Butters. And I could not be more excited. You guys, not only are these cute and fun, but they’re so good. No, they’re delicious.
This is one of those recipes that I wasn’t planning on creating. In fact, I had completely different plans for today’s recipe. But after I mentioned the idea of homemade Nutter Butters to my mom, she convinced me that this idea was worth pursuing. In fact, she said she really liked the idea a lot. She’s not normally one to try and sway me in another direction, but she was adamant about these.
I wasn’t sure if you all would think these are boring or be tired of peanut butter after Friday’s lunchroom chocolate peanut butter bars, but (shockingly), I listened to mom…and like always, mom was right.
These cookies were the thing to make, and I could not be more excited to tell you all about them.
The nitty, gritty, details.
And by that, I mean EASY details, because these cookies are the simplest to make. The process is just a matter of mixing, rolling, baking, dipping, and dunking. Simple. Simple.
The dough is a mix of butter, peanut butter, and maple. When I set out to make these, I wasn’t sure if I could achieve a “healthier” cookie, but to my surprise, these came out almost perfect the first go around. The butter keeps the cookie from drying out and the maple just perfectly sweetens them. I used whole grain pastry flour to keep the cookie free of white flour.
If the dough is feeling dry, add a splash of water to help it come together. If the dough feels too wet to roll, add a sprinkling of additional flour. Everyone’s climates are a bit different, so these adjustments will ensure the cookies turn out great for everyone.
Additionally, if you’re gluten free, I would imagine a gluten free flour blend could also work well.
After you finish making the dough, roll each little peanut cookie into small balls. To create that classic Nutter Butter look, you’ll want to press two of the dough balls together, gently flatten them down, then use a fork to create that pretty crosshatch pattern. Since I’m such a visual person, I took a bunch of photos. My hope is that they’ll help to guide you a little better than my words!
Once you’ve formed the cookies, simply bake um up until they’re lightly toasted.
Simple as that.
For the filling, just mix peanut butter, butter, and maple together until combined. For an extra special touch, I always add a pinch of flaky sea salt too.
When the cookies have cooled completely, simply frost one cookie, then sandwich another cookie on top. Let the filling stiffen up and then? Dip um, dunk um, and drizzle them in a little melted chocolate…
Not a classic Nutter Butter….but still, yummm.
Of course, you can choose to leave the chocolate off, but you all know how it goes over here, the more chocolate the better. You can also dip just half the cookies for those who prefer theirs without chocolate. Once the chocolate hardens, store the cookies in an airtight container. Then you’ll have them on hand for easy snacking and late-night desserts. They’ll also make the perfect lunchbox cookie for any kids heading back to school!
A few tips for success…
Tip one, take your time when rolling and forming the cookies. You want to make sure each dough ball attaches to the other. This will really help to ensure the cookies don’t break apart from each other.
Tip two, make sure the cookies are thoroughly chilled before dipping them into chocolate. This is probably my biggest tip. If the cookies are chilled, the chocolate will quickly set up and be just a little less messy to work with.
Tip three, double the recipe. These go fast…kids love them, adults love them. And since they’re made on the healthier side, a two cookie snack is A-OK.
Great for back to school, great for fall…an all-around great cookie that everyone will love!
So with that, can we all agree to bake up some healthier Nutter Butter cookies tonight? I think our Tuesday needs a good cookie so why not take it back to childhood with a fun and delicious cookie. Promise, it’s going to be great.
Looking for other homemade back to school recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts
Lastly, if you make these healthier homemade nutter butter cookies be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Healthier Homemade Nutter Butter Cookies...Dunked in Chocolate.
Servings: 12 cookies
Calories Per Serving: 196 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup real maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3.2 ounces dark chocolate, melted
- flaky sea salt (optional)
Filing
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 2-3 tablespoons real maple syrup
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour and baking powder, beat until combined and the dough begins to form a ball. If the dough is crumbly, add 2-3 teaspoons water. If the dough feels moist, add 1-2 tablespoons flour. 3. Roll the dough into tablespoon size balls. Cut each ball in half, press the 2 balls together, and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Gently flatten each cookie. Using a fork, create a crosshatch pattern (see above photos). Transfer to the oven and bake for 9-10 minutes.4. To make the filling, beat together the peanut butter, butter, and maple syrup until combined. Spread an even layer on one cookie and sandwich another on top.5. To make dipping easier, freeze the cookies for 10 minutes. Then drizzle or dip the cookies into chocolate. Sprinkle with salt if desired. Eat...or let the chocolate harden and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Enjoy!
Notes
To make Vegan: use your favorite vegan stick butter.
To Make Gluten Free: I have not tested using GF flours, but I would recommend using an equal amount of your favorite gluten free flour blend in place of the whole wheat flour. I recommend Cup4Cup gluten free flour. I have not had success using only almond or only coconut flour. I recommend a blend for best results.
I have so much extra filling leftover. Any suggestions on what I should do with it besides eat it all up on its own or make more cookies?
Hey Zubie,
Lol yeah I would make more cookies or you could save for ice cream:) Thanks for giving the recipe try! xTieghan
I made them and they are fabulous! I was a little impatient so didn’t cut the balls in half, just made rounds. And I added a couple tablespoons of organic powdered sugar to the filling because it looked a little runny and this batch has to travel about 7 hours to my daughter. But I did a add a couple of big pinches of kosher salt to offset the added sweetness. I didn’t have the pastry flour (I usually keep it in the freezer, but I can’t get it right now), so I used gold medal all purpose which has similar protein percentage. Oh, and I added my not-so-secret cookie ingredient to the cookie dough! A tablespoon of malted milk powder. I ate one and packed the rest up for my daughter for a special occasion. I will make these again and again! The maple syrup adds awesome flavor.
Aw that is so awesome! I am really glad these turned out so well for you, Kim! Thank you so much for trying these! xTieghan
Nossa, Adorei a receita!! Estava procurando por isso.
I loved your cookie recipe! I’ve been looking for him for a long time! I bought myself such a table mixer for mixing which is described here -http://kitchenaccessoryreviews.com/
And now I quickly knead the dough and cook! And the cookies are ready for tea!
Amazing! Thank you Tina! xTieghan
I made these and they were super dry. Not very good. I followed the recipe exactly.
Hi Lara! I am sorry to hear that! Please let me know if there is anything I can help you with! xTieghan
10/10 would recommend. I LOVED how these tasted (and looked). I dipped the edges of each cookie in some melted chocolate and yum. Would recommend doing as Tieghan suggests and allowing the cookies to set in the freezer both before and after dipping them in the chocolate. Sprinkle a little sea salt and wow. Surprisingly filling cookies and I wouldn’t recommend dipping more than just the top bit in the chocolate – the PB taste is just so good on its own. Took a little longer than the time listed but worth it. Will make these again and be sure to double the recipe.
I am so glad these turned out so well for you, Melissa! Thank you so much! xTieghan
I made these with coconut oil instead of butter in the cookie part of the recipe. Worked great! My only problem was that I didn’t read the instructions carefully and I made each ball 1” so they made larger cookies and only yielded 4 huge cookies. Lol, not a problem at all whatsoever. Still yummy and easy to make.
Thank you so much Nancy! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Excuse me but aren’t most schools peanut free because of the peanut allergies that a lot of kids have?? Be careful giving these to kids and friends. I like the recipe and may try them soon.
Hi Pam! Thank you, I am really glad you like these! xTieghan
Hi!
Any suggestions if using almond flour?
Looking forward to trying these!
Hey Victoria,
Unfortunately, I would not recommend using almond flour for this recipe, try an equal amount of gluten free flour! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
i made these vegan with smart balance. they came out great and are a healthier version of the peanut butter cookies i usually make-thanks!
Thank you Jack! xTieghan
These are insanely delicious. I am on a mission to avoid processed/artificial sugars and when I saw this recipe posted with only natural sugar I was so thrilled. I made them a few days later. I make homemade PB and used it in here. The cookies are definitely not low fat. But such a delicious treat. I doubled the recipe and they didn’t even last 24 hours in my house ??
I am really glad these turned out so well for you, Leah! Thank you so much! xTieghan
These were so good, they were eaten before being dipped in chocolate!!! Great recipe, thank you!
Thank you so much Nikki! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I made these with my 6 yr old niece and we decorated the dough into little nutter butter people. 🙂 Also, I ran out of peanut butter to make the filling so decided to do melted chocolate for the filling instead and it was delish. The only problem was that the cookies were a bit crumbly. Any ideas? Thanks!
Hey Margaret,
Thanks so much for giving the cookies a try, I am so glad your niece had fun making them! Next time try adding a touch more water at step 2. I hope this helps! xTieghan
Not sure what I did wrong, but the cookies were very dry and crumply. No eggs? Maybe that was what I was missing.
Hey Betsy,
So sorry about this! Did you try adding water per step 2? This is really key to getting the correct consistency. Please let me know how I can help! xTieghan
This cookie is amazing ! Not too sweet and so soft and creamy!
Yes!! Thank you Serena! xTieghan