Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Cookies Recipe
Decadent Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Cookies combining rich chocolate dough with creamy peanut butter centers. These thick, fudgy cookies are generously studded with chocolate chips and finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, creating a perfect balance of sweet and salty flavors.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 28 minutes
- Yield: About 13 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Peanut Butter Filling
- 3/4 cup (203 grams) creamy peanut butter
- 6 tablespoons (47 grams) powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cookie Dough
- 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (200 grams) light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, (at room temperature)
- 1 large egg yolk, (at room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (143 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup (57 grams) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup (170 grams) semisweet chocolate chips, plus more for garnish
- Flaky sea salt, for finishing (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the filling: In a medium bowl, vigorously stir the creamy peanut butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract with a stiff spatula until well combined and smooth.
- Form peanut butter balls: Using a small 1-tablespoon scoop, drop thirteen equal-sized scoops of the peanut butter mixture onto a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Freeze for at least one hour to firm up while you make the dough.
- Prepare the cookie dough: In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the unsalted butter in 20-second bursts until fully melted. Whisk in the light brown sugar and let the mixture cool until just warm.
- Add eggs and vanilla: Whisk in the large egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until the mixture is completely smooth and combined.
- Combine dry ingredients: Using a rubber spatula, stir in the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and fine sea salt until just incorporated. Fold in the semisweet chocolate chips gently.
- Chill the dough: Cover the dough and refrigerate for 1 hour to firm up, which helps in shaping the cookies later.
- Preheat oven: Set your oven to 400°F (204°C). This higher temperature will help create thick, fudgy cookies.
- Assemble the cookies: Using a large spring-loaded 3-tablespoon scoop, drop balls of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Flatten each dough ball slightly and place a frozen peanut butter ball in the center. Cover the peanut butter ball with dough, leaving some peanut butter visible, and gently flatten the cookie slightly. Dot each cookie generously with additional chocolate chips for extra chocolatey goodness.
- Maintain dough firmness: If at any point the peanut butter balls or dough become too warm to handle, return the peanut butter balls to the freezer and the dough to the refrigerator until firm enough to work with.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for about 8 minutes, or until just set but still soft. Remove from the oven immediately and sprinkle each cookie with flaky sea salt if desired.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.
- Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days to maintain freshness and texture.
Notes
- Using room temperature eggs ensures better emulsification and a smoother dough.
- Freezing the peanut butter filling helps keep the center intact during baking.
- Flattening cookies slightly before baking promotes even cooking and shape.
- The high oven temperature makes cookies come out thick and fudgy rather than thin and crisp.
- Adding flaky sea salt enhances the flavor by balancing sweetness.
- If you prefer a softer cookie, slightly reduce baking time by 1 minute.
- Make sure not to overmix the dough to avoid tough cookies.
Keywords: peanut butter stuffed cookies, chocolate cookies, peanut butter cookies, chocolate peanut butter dessert, thick fudgy cookies, homemade cookies
