Chocolate Peanut Butter Stuffed Cookies
These chocolate peanut butter stuffed cookies bake up so soft and are perfectly chewy! Toss them in a bit of sugar and they're completely irresistible!!
Servings: 12
Calories: 207kcal
Ingredients
Chocolate Cookies
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 160g
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted 20g
- 1/2 tsp baking soda 3g
- 1/4 tsp fine salt 1g
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 113g
- 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar 133g
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar 50g
- 1/2 tsp instant coffee or espresso 1g
- 1 large egg, room temperature 56g
Peanut Butter Filling
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 140g
- 1/4 cup cream cheese, room temperature 56g
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar 66g
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 8ml
- 1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
Crunchy Sugar Coating
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar 66g
Instructions
Chocolate Cookies
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
- Cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar with a stand or hand mixer until the mixture lightens in color (about 1 minute).
- Dissolve 1/2 tsp of instant espresso in 1 tsp of water and pour into the butter mixture. Add the egg and mix on a medium speed until combined.
- Mix in the dry ingredients on a low speed until just combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Peanut Butter Filling
- While the cookie dough chills, make the peanut butter filling! Use an electric mixer to beat together the peanut butter, cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and fine salt. Mix on a medium speed until combined and smooth. Scrape around the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure everything is properly mixed.
- Use a spoon to scoop 12 equal sized dollops (about 1 Tbsp each) of the peanut butter filling and roll them out into balls with your hands. Flatten the top of each ball with your fingertips.
- Place them on a parchment paper lined plate or tray. Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes or until they're firm to the touch. These can also be made in advance or chilled overnight.
Assembling These Chocolate Peanut Butter Stuffed Cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350 F / 175 C and line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats.
- Remove the cookie dough and peanut butter dollops from the fridge and freezer.
- Very lightly wet your hands with water. Flatten the cookie dough balls in the palm of your hand and place the peanut butter filling in the center. If you have warm hands, flatten the cookie dough between two sheets of parchment paper.
- Place a dollop of peanut butter filling in the center and wrap the overhanging cookie dough around the filling, doing your best to cover it. If there is a little bit of peanut butter filling peeking through, don't worry! Just make that the bottom of the cookie when you bake them. They'll still bake up just fine! If you notice the cookie dough or filling is getting too soft to handle, pop the dough in the fridge and the peanut butter filling in the freezer to make them easier to handle.
- Place 1/3 cup of granulated sugar in a small bowl and toss the cookies in granulated sugar until they're fully coated. Place them on the lined baking sheets and space them about 3 inches apart. They spread as they bake so they need a little room!
- Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until the cookies have set on the edges. Place them on a wire rack to cool, then enjoy! While you might be tempted to eat them warm, I think they taste best cold and straight from the fridge!!
- Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days.
Video
Notes
Making the Best Chocolate Peanut Butter Filled Cookies
- Chilling your cookie dough is a must! It's almost impossible to fill these cookies if the dough isn't chilled. I find they're easiest to roll out when they've been in the fridge for an hour or two.
- Use a cookie scoop to make sure your cookies are uniformly sized.
- Thoroughly coat each cookie with sugar. It really adds the the texture of these cookies.
- If you have warm hands, flatten the cookie dough between two sheets of parchment paper.
- Wet your hands before flattening and rolling out the cookie dough. It will help prevent them from sticking to your hands.
- Don't worry if there's a little bit of peanut butter filling peaking through a small crack in the cookie dough. It will bake up just fine and be covered with sugar!
- Space your cookies about 3 inches apart before baking them. They will spread as they bake.
- Don't over-bake your cookies! They don't really brown, so you have to keep an eye on the texture of the top of the cookie. Even if they seem a bit soft coming out of the oven, they will continue to bake and set on the tray once they're out of the oven.
Making These Cookies in Advance and Storing Them
- In the off chance that you have any leftover cookies, they can be stored in an airtight container for up to 10 days in the fridge.
- You can also freeze baked cookies for up to a month. I like to thaw them in the fridge overnight, then heat them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to make the centers gooey again.
- If you make the cookie dough in advance, you can freeze stuffed cookies in an airtight container for up to a month. Let the cookies thaw in the fridge overnight, then bake as instructed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 207kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 153mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g