Small Batch Peanut Butter Cookies

These small batch peanut butter cookies are based off of my well-loved flourless peanut butter cookies and inspired by the nostalgic nutter butters. Without the flour, these cookies have maximum peanut butter flavor and bake up with crisp edges & soft, chewy centers. Fill them with a dreamy peanut butter frosting and dip in melted chocolate for the best homemade version of a childhood favorite cookie.

Ingredients

• Brown Sugar: You can use light or brown sugar here!
• Granulated Sugar: A little bit of granulated sugar helps the cookies to spread just enough. Rolling them in sugar also gives them the best sweet crunch!
• Egg Yolks: 3 egg yolks give these cookies the perfect soft, yet slightly chewy texture.
• Milk: You’ll need about 1 tablespoon of milk to bring the dough to the right consistency. 
• Vanilla Extract: Optional, but adds great flavor!
• Peanut Butter: I recommend only using thick and creamy peanut butter, like Jif or Skippy.
• Powdered Sugar: You’ll need about a ½ cup of powdered sugar for the frosting.
• Heavy Cream: Add a touch of heavy cream to the frosting to bring it to a smooth spreadable consistency. 

For the peanut butter cookies:

• 160g (¾ cup) brown sugar
• 50g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 15g (1 tbsp) whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 270g (1 cup) thick & creamy peanut butter
• 50g (¼ cup) granulated sugar (for rolling)

For the peanut butter frosting:

• 42g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter (room temp)
• 135g (½ cup) thick & creamy peanut butter
• 56g (½ cup) powdered sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tbsp heavy cream

For the chocolate:

• 56g (2 oz; ⅓ cup) semi-sweet chocolate
• ½ tsp neutral oil

Instructions

This cookie recipe truly couldn’t be simpler. To make the dough, all you need to do is whisk the sugars & egg yolks together until smooth, then mix in the milk and vanilla. Lastly, fold in the thick, creamy peanut butter for about 2-3 minutes. Then, assemble the cookie dough and bake! Fill with the peanut butter frosting, dip in chocolate, and enjoy!

For the peanut butter cookies:

1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and egg yolks until fully combined and smooth.
2. Whisk in the milk and vanilla.
3. Fold in the peanut butter with a rubber spatula, mixing for about 2-3 minutes to until fully incorporated.
4. Using a one tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough onto one baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze cookie dough for 15 minutes.
5. After 15 minutes, divide each dough ball in two (I weighed mine out to be ~14g each), then roll each ball in the sugar, gently squish the two together, and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
6. Dip a fork in water then in sugar and use to make a criss-cross indentation in each cookie dough ball. Freeze for another 15 minutes.
7. While the cookie dough is freezing for the second time, preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
8. Bake the cookies for about 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool completely on the baking sheet.

For the peanut butter frosting:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth.
2. Add the peanut butter and mix until fully combined.
3. While mixing on low speed, slowly add the powdered sugar.
4. Turn the speed up to medium, then add the salt and the heavy cream and beat until smooth.

For the chocolate:

1. In a small heat proof bowl, add the chocolate and neutral oil.
2. Microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring in between, until fully melted and smooth.

For assembly:

1. Pair the peanut butter cookies up and spread the frosting on the bottom cookies, then press the paired cookie on top.
2. Dip each in the melted chocolate and enjoy!

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Notes

• I recommend only using a thick, creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy.
• You can store the cookie dough or baked cookies in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cookie
• Calories: 614
• Sugar: 43 g
• Sodium: 88.7 mg
• Fat: 49.5 g
• Carbohydrates: 44 g
• Protein: 2.1 g
• Cholesterol: 189.9 mg