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Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies

My grandma used to make us giant, chocolate-dipped peanut butter cookies. As a child, I thought she dipped them in fudge.

As I got older, I realized it was just melted chocolate, but my memories of these cookies have only gotten fonder over time.

I wanted to attempt to recreate her recipe but have altered it a bit to make the cookies slightly smaller and a little bit chewier.

image of melted chocolate being drizzled onto soft batch peanut butter cookies

Making These Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies

This recipe is pretty straightforward but does require an electric mixer of some sort to cream together the butter and both types of sugars.

Incorporating air into the butter helps your cookies bake up nice and fluffy! This is what gives them that wonderfully chewy texture.

I’ve made these with both my hand mixer and my stand mixer, and they’ve turned out great both ways.

Just be sure to mix the butter and sugars until the mixture becomes lighter in color. This usually takes me about 2 minutes!

Substitutions and Swaps – Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

While I love this recipe just the way it is, I know some of you might not have all these ingredients on hand!

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this recipe.

image of ingredients laid out to make chocolate dipped peanut butter cookies
  • Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter in this recipe. Just be sure to omit the salt that this recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place.
  • Granulated Sugar – You can use light or dark brown sugar in place of the granulated sugar in this recipe if that’s all you have on hand. However, the cookies have a better texture using both types of sugar.
  • Brown Sugar – You can use light or dark brown sugar (I prefer light in this recipe). I don’t recommend replacing the brown sugar in this recipe with additional granulated sugar.
  • 1 Large Egg – You can use a flaxseed egg in place of the egg in this recipe if you have an egg allergy. This will cause the cookies to spread more, but they should still taste great.
image of a peanut butter cookie being rolled in granulated sugar
  • Peanut Butter: This recipe turns out best with thicker peanut butter (like JIF or Skippy). You can use creamy or crunchy peanut butter, or an alternative nut butter like almond or sunflower seed butter. NOTE: If you use a natural peanut butter or alternative peanut butter, the cookies will be less chewy and spread more as they bake.
  • All-Purpose Flour – I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, but it should work as long as you use a good baking blend like King Arthur’s GF flour.
  • Chocolate – You can use pretty much any type of chocolate for the dip! Dark, semi-sweet, milk, or even white chocolate would all taste great. You can also use chocolate chips, baking bars, or chocolate disks.
  • Vegetable Shortening or Coconut Oil – This makes the chocolate coating easier to bite into. It can be omitted if needed, but the chocolate will be a lot more firm.
image of a peanut butter cookie being dipped in melted chocolate

How Many Cookies Does This Recipe Make?

This recipe can be used to make 12 cookies using 3 Tbsp of dough per cookie. The yield and bake time can vary based on the size of the cookies.

This recipe can be halved to make fewer cookies (use half a scrambled egg in the dough), but I don’t recommend doubling it unless you have a commercial (8 qt.) stand mixer.

The dough gets pretty sticky, and a double batch would be a lot for a hand mixer or regular stand mixer to handle.

image of peanut butter cookie dough that's been scooped onto a baking sheet

Tips for Making the Best Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies

  • Properly measure the flour by either spooning it into the cup measure and then leveling it with a knife or using a kitchen scale to measure it.
  • Ingredients at room temp mix together better! Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
  • Turn the oven on once you put the cookie dough in the fridge to chill. That way the oven will be preheated once the cookies are ready to be baked.
  • Use a cookie scoop (mine fits 3 Tbsp per scoop) to make sure your cookies are uniformly sized.
  • Wait to shape your cookie dough balls and roll them in sugar until the dough has chilled. They’ll be way easier to handle!
  • Space your cookies about 3 inches apart before baking them. They spread a bit as they bake.
  • Bake time can vary based on the size of your cookies, so keep a close eye on them and take them out just before they begin to brown.
image of melted chocolate being drizzled onto soft batch peanut butter cookies

Making These Cookies in Advance and Storing Them

Make these cookies in advance! If stored in an airtight container, they can last for up to a week at room temperature.

The cookie dough balls can also be made in advance and frozen for up to a month. When you’re ready to bake them, there’s no need to thaw the dough.

Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C and place frozen cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet about 3 inches apart. Bake for 14-16 minutes.

Baked cookies can be frozen! These cookies last for up to a month if frozen in a Ziplock bag or airtight container.

image of peanut butter cookies that have been made in advance and stored in an airtight container to keep them fresh

Move them to the fridge the day before you plan to eat, then let them sit out at room temperature for a few hours before eating.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this recipe for chocolate-dipped peanut butter cookies, I’d love to hear what you think of it! Please leave a rating and comment below.

image of a chocolate dipped peanut butter cookie that's been bitten into to show how soft and tender it is

And if you share on social media, tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets so I can see your delicious creations!

Other Recipes You Might Like:

Yield: 12

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies

image of a peanut butter cookie being dipped in melted chocolate

These chocolate dipped peanut butter cookies are soft, chewy, and so delicious! They're the perfect balance of salty and sweet.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 54 minutes

Ingredients

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp (113g)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
  • 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar (66g)
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter - cream, chunky, or you can use an alternative nut butter (120g)
  • 1 large egg, room temp (56g)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract (8g)
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (190g)
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda (3g)
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder (2g)
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt (3g)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar, optional for rolling (50g)

Chocolate dip and drizzle:

  • 1 cup milk or dark chocolate chips (180g)
  • 1 Tbsp vegetable shortening or coconut oil (12g)

Optional Garnish

  • 2 Tbsp chopped honey roasted peanuts (9g)
  • 1 Tbsp flaky sea salt

Instructions

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough

  1. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer cream together 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1/3 cup brown sugar with a hand mixer or paddle attachment. Mix on a medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture becomes lighter in color.
  3. Add in 1/2 cup of peanut butter, 1 large egg, and 2 tsp of vanilla extract. Mix on a medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt.
  5. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix on a low speed until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. The cookie dough should be pretty thick and sticky. 
  6. Scoop 12 cookie dough balls that are roughly 3 Tbsp each onto the prepared baking sheets and chill for 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge. Chilling the dough helps the cookies spread less which makes softer, chewier cookies, so don't skip this step!!
  7. As you put the cookie dough in the fridge, preheat the oven to 350 F / 175 C.
  8. Once the cookie dough balls have chilled, use your hands to roll them into round balls and toss them in granulated sugar.
  9. Place cookie dough balls about 3 inches apart on the baking sheets. They will spread out quite a bit as they bake! Use a fork to flatten the cookies a bit and create a crisscross pattern on top of each cookie dough ball.
  10. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or just before the cookies start to brown on the sides. I like my cookies soft, so I always err on the side of them being slightly underbaked. The centers will look soft and slightly undone but remember the cookies will continue to bake a bit once they're removed from the oven.
  11. Let the cookies cool on a baking sheet for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Dip and Cookie Decoration:

  1. While the cookies cool, melt your chocolate! Place 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1 Tbsp of shortening or coconut oil into a heat-proof bowl. Heat for 30-second intervals at half power, stirring between each session in the microwave. Repeat until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth.
  2. Dip each cookie about 1/4 of the way into the melted chocolate, then sprinkle chopped peanuts and flaky sea salt over the chocolate-dipped area of the cookie.
  3. If desired, place the remaining melted chocolate in a small piping bag and seal the top with a rubber band. Drizzle lines of melted chocolate over the cookies to give them a little extra pizazz.
  4. Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Baked cookies and rolled cookie dough also freeze well and stay good for up to a month in an airtight container or Ziplock bag. Be sure to bake frozen cookie dough balls for 1-2 extra minutes.

Notes

How Many Cookies Does This Recipe Make?

This recipe can be used to make 12 cookies using 3 Tbsp of dough per cookie. The yield and bake time can vary based on the size of the cookies.

This recipe can be halved to make less cookies (use half a scrambled egg in the dough), but I don't recommend doubling it unless you have a commercial (8 qt.) stand mixer.

The dough gets pretty sticky, and a double batch would be a lot for a hand mixer or regular stand mixer to handle.

Tips for Making the Best Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies

  • Properly measure the flour by either spooning it into the cup measure and then leveling with a knife or using a kitchen scale to measure it.
  • Ingredients at room temp mix together better! Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
  • Use a cookie scoop (mine fits 3 Tbsp per scoop) to make sure your cookies are uniformly sized.
  • Turn the oven on once you put the cookie dough in the fridge to chill. That way the oven will be preheated once the cookies are ready to be baked.
  • Space your cookies about 3 inches apart before baking them. They spread a bit as they bake.
  • Bake time can vary based on the size of your cookies, so keep a close eye on them and take them out just before they begin to brown.
  • Sprinkle the chocolate dipped cookies with chopped peanuts and flaky sea salt to make them look just as incredible as they taste.

Making These Cookies in Advance and Storing Them

Make these cookies in advance! If stored in an airtight container, they can last for up to a week at room temperature.

The cookie dough balls can also be made in advance and frozen for up to a month. When you’re ready to bake them, there’s no need to thaw the dough. Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C and place frozen cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet about 3 inches apart. Bake for 14-16 minutes.

Baked cookies can be frozen! These cookies last for up to a month if frozen in a Ziplock bag or airtight container. Move them to the fridge the day before you plan to eat, then let them sit out at room temperature for a few hours before eating.

Nutrition Information

Yield

12

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 361Total Fat 21gSaturated Fat 9gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 43mgSodium 857mgCarbohydrates 38gFiber 2gSugar 23gProtein 7g

If you want to take a trip down memory lane, below are the photos of my first batch of these cookies from back in 2015.

image of chocolate dipped peanut butter cookie topped with chopped peanuts
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Debbie

Tuesday 7th of December 2021

Hi There! Curious if there is something wrong with the post since the last edit. Unfortunately, I cannot view the recipe. Do you see it on your end? I’d really like to bake these for a cookie exchange this week.

Many thanks for all the lovely recipes!

Happy baking! xo

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