Creamy peanut butter is baked into the center of each of these rich peanut butter-filled chocolate cookies. You won’t be able to eat just one!
These delicious peanut butter-filled chocolate cookies are like a baked version of the always popular peanut butter cup. Making them is a bit involved, but with a little patience or (even better) a little help, it’s not very tedious at all. And with that irresistible combination of chocolate and peanut butter, these are great little cookies for packaging as a gift, sending in the mail, or simply adding to a cookie tray for your holiday guests!
Why You’ll Love These Peanut Butter-Filled Chocolate Cookies
- A timeless flavor pairing. Peanut butter and chocolate are a favorite combination for good reason—the rich, nutty flavor of the peanut butter perfectly balances the sweetness of the chocolate.
- Contrasting textures. These cookies offer the best of both worlds with a rich, chewy chocolate cookie on the outside and a creamy peanut butter filling on the inside.
- Perfect for sharing. Whether you add them to your holiday baking or make them for a school bake sale, peanut butter-filled chocolate cookies are always a hit!
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
For the Cookies:
- All-purpose flour – Here’s how to measure flour for baking.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Baking soda
- Unsalted butter – Let this soften before you start the recipe. Learn more: How to Soften Butter
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar – Here’s the difference between dark vs. light brown sugar.
- Creamy peanut butter
- Egg
- Milk – I like to bake with whole milk for its richness, but any milk you have on hand will work.
- Vanilla extract – You can use store-bought or homemade vanilla extract.
For the Filling:
- Confectioners’ sugar – Also known as powdered sugar.
- Creamy peanut butter
- Granulated sugar
How to Make Peanut Butter-Filled Chocolate Cookies
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, cocoa, and baking soda in a bowl.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Use an electric mixer to beat the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and peanut butter, then beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla.
- Combine wet and dry. Beat the flour into the wet ingredients (or stir it in if the dough is too difficult for the mixer to handle).
- Form the chocolate cookies. Portion 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie and roll into balls; refrigerate these while you work on the filling.
- Make the filling. Beat the confectioners’ sugar and peanut butter, then portion the filling mixture into balls.
- Form the cookies. Flatten a chocolate dough ball, then place the peanut butter filling on top. Shape the chocolate around the filling. Place the cookies on lined baking sheets and flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.
- Bake. Place one pan in the oven at a time and bake at 350ºF, or until just set.
- Cool. Let the cookies cool on the pans for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Tips for Success
- Make sure they’re uniform in size. Use a cookie scoop to help ensure that all of your cookies are the same size so they’ll bake evenly. Scooping before dividing the filling mixture means you’ll know exactly how to divide the filling.
- Don’t use natural peanut butter. The filling calls for creamy shelf-stable peanut butter, not the natural peanut butter that needs to be stirred before use. The oils and solids separate in natural peanut butter, making it unpredictable for use in baking.
- Be careful when flattening the cookies. You only need to lightly flatten the cookies with a glass dipped in sugar. Pressing too hard can cause the filling to burst out of the cookie while baking.
- Know the basics. Read over my baking tips for beginners before you start making these peanut butter-filled chocolate cookies.
Variations
- Try another nut butter. Almond butter would be fantastic, or try sunflower seed butter for a nut-free version of these cookies.
- Add chocolate chips. Fold mini chocolate chips into the peanut butter filling for another layer of chocolatey goodness.
How to Store
- Room temperature: These peanut butter-filled chocolate cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Allow the cookies to cool completely before placing them in an airtight container or zip-top bag and freezing them for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, simply thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
More Recipes for Chocolate and Peanut Butter Lovers
Get the Recipe:
Peanut Butter-Filled Chocolate Cookies
Yield
about 25 cookies
Prep Time
25 minutes
Cook Time
8 minutes
Total Time
33 minutes
Creamy peanut butter is baked into the center of each of these rich peanut butter-filled chocolate cookies. You won’t be able to eat just one!
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 & 1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (42g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (64g) creamy peanut butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the filling:
- 3/4 cup (82g) confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 cup (127g) creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
To make the cookies:
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa, and baking soda. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and peanut butter. Add the egg, milk, and vanilla, beating well.
- Beat in as much flour mixture as possible using a mixer. Stir in the remaining flour mixture.
- Using about 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll into balls, about 1 & 1/4 inches in diameter. (A #30 scoop works well.) Set aside or refrigerate while you make the filling.
To make the filling:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
- Beat together the confectioners' sugar and peanut butter until smooth. Knead by hand if necessary. Shape into 25 balls (or a quantity equal to the number of cookies you scooped above).
- Slightly flatten a chocolate dough ball and top with a peanut butter filling ball. Shape the chocolate dough completely around the peanut butter dough. Roll into a ball. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared pans. Lightly flatten the cookies with a glass dipped in the sugar.
- Bake one pan at a time for 8 minutes or just until set. The cookie surfaces should be slightly cracked.
- Cool on the pans for 2 to 3 minutes. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
For tips, step-by-step photos, and extra details, be sure to read the full post above before starting. It’s packed with helpful info to answer common questions!
Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens.
These peanut butter-filled chocolate cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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37 Comments on “Peanut Butter-Filled Chocolate Cookies”
I really NEED to make these soon!
Oh I’ve made these before!!! They’re DELICIOUS!!! Mmm I must make them again.
Amazing. The sugar on the top reminds me of the Bourbon biscuits I ate growing up.
Great stuff.
Wow… those look absolutely gorgeous… and I am sure they taste just as good as they look, or even better!
Hi! I’m a long time lurker who completely loves your blog. Everything looks so delicious!
I would love to make these for a cookie swap. How many cookies does the recipe make?
JEP & Danielle, I highly recommend making them ASAP.
Graeme, I am more than intrigued by the prospect of Bourbon biscuits.
Jenn, thanks so much! They were indeed very good.
Ellen, thanks for de-lurking! This recipe makes about 32 cookies. Have fun at your cookie swap!
These are just brilliant.
Wow, those look fantastic. My hubby is the huge peanut butter and chocolate fan so I think I will make these for hism this year.
I used to eat loads of bread with peanut butter growing up here in Sao Paulo. These cookies are favorites of mine, already!
Those cookies are awesome! I must make a batch of those soon…
Cherrs,
Rosa
Deb, they just so are.
Peabody, I think these are an excellent choice for a peanut butter/chocolate fan. I hope he enjoys them!
Patricia, these cookies have made it to my short list as well.
Rosa, I hope you like the cookies! Let me know what you think if you make them.
We are huge PB and choc. fans too. I have a favorite choc. cookie with mini PB cups recipe, but this sort of takes that to the next level. I like the recipe for the PB filling and the fact that there’s PB in the batter too. I’m bookmarking it to try.
Julie
I’m a huge fan of the choc & pb combo, so the idea of this cookie thrills me to no end! Definitely one for the ‘to-do’ list!
Oh, I have this recipe, it is good. I never pull it out anymore though, and I don’t know why. I may just have to remedy that sometime soon.
Julie, I hope you like the cookies! Having eaten the few we didn’t give away, I’m certainly missing them.
Ellie, I don’t think any pb/chocolate fan would be disappointed in these. Let me know what you think if you try them!
Courtney, aren’t they delicious? Break out that recipe and give them another go!
I made these last night and they turned out great. I of miscounted my peanut butter portions, but Reese’s baking chips came to the rescue. Great out of the oven, but haven’t tried one yet today. Thanks for sharing!
These cookies look heavenly! I’m going to bake them for my boys’ teachers – thanks for sharing such a great recipe!
You took the cookie right out of my jar.
These are a household favourite. In fact, “Greatest Grampa” requests them for every visit.
I too love peanut butter…and you are right it is even better when you add chocolate. These look way to good. They look like good cookies to add to my holiday baking list!
I made these last night and everybody loved them. They’re lovely, but the chocolate did not stand up to the peanut butter (chocoholic speaking). Next time I’ll leave the PB out of the cookie recipe (butter instead) and add lots of chocolate shavings or something to the dough as well. Or maybe just use a favorite chocolate cookie recipe with this PB filling. Love the idea and appearance of these cookies. Thanks
Chelsea, good call on the Reese’s chips. A good improvisation and also a good shortcut.
Marcia, I think these “gift” very well. They are just sturdy enough to be packed in a little box.
Dayna, I can see how these would become a favorite!
miya, let me know what you think if you bake them for the holidays.
Lisa, a little extra chocolate would certainly swing the taste pendulum more toward chocolate and less toward peanut butter. I love to experiment with recipes. After all, we all have different tastes. Good luck, and let me know about your final results!
I made these yesterday and they were freakin awesome…I used dark cocoa powder..Everyone said they were the best cookies they have ever tasted..Thanks so much……:)
I made them this afternoon. Yum!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v378/lolly1206/Thorntons/100_2968.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v378/lolly1206/Thorntons/100_2969.jpg
Sherane, you’re welcome! I’m so glad you liked them. I bet that cocoa powder was terrific!
Lauren, your pictures look great!
These were pure heaven! Thanks for sharing the recipe. 🙂
A and I made these tonight. They truly are divine. One thing I loved about the making process was A could do many of the steps all by herself. Loved making them. Loving eating them. This recipe is a keeper.
You’re welcome, Ngoc! Glad you liked them.
My dear Nuwanda, I’m glad you and my favorite little girl got around to some cookie baking!
When I saw this recipe, I knew that I had to make them for our annual cookie swap! I was definitely not disappointed and they were a huge hit. However, next time I may throw some rice krispies into the peanut butter filling to give it some crunch!
Glad you liked them, Mandy! The Rice Krispies are an interesting idea. I might have to try that myself.
hey! i’m an amateur baker, and these pb filled choc cookies look reeeeeeeeal yummy! Could you hand me the recipe and instructions?
Please and thank you 😀
oh lol! didn’t see your recipe link. Are the heat signatures in Celcius or fahrenheit?
A big thanks to ya by the way!
I made this last night and they were fabulous! As you suggested, I plan on mailing some out as a (birthday) gift. I think they’ll be perfect.
I only got 20 cookies out of the dough, but I’m guessing that’s because I always seem to overestimate how much dough goes into a ball. As you suggested, I only pressed my cookies down slightly, so they remained really thick and soft. So delicious!
Next time I may add a little sea salt to give a little salty crunch, and possibly a dash of cinnamon or espresso powder to jazz up the cocoa a little more.
Thank you for such a fabulous recipe and for hosting such a great blog!
amanda, I’m glad you liked them. I could definitely love the cinnamon addition. The sea salt, too. Thanks so much for commenting and for the ideas!
I was looking for a treat for my husband and a way to use the last of my peanut butter. These cookies were heavenly and I’m definitely making them again.
Please help! I’m making the peanut butter filling now, but it crumbles like sand and cannot be kneaded into a ball!
🙁 Did I do something wrong? What should i do now?! *panics*
Hilda, try refrigerating it for a while – maybe 30 minutes.
You should know that I bring a baked good every Friday to my office. It’s become an anticipated custom & an extreme joy to be known as the Friday Dessert Girl.
My coworkers are Peanut Butter Mongers (capitalized to portray their extremeness), so this dessert should suit their t-buds. I am a chocoholic, but I also enjoy PB. This recipe combines them in a simple yet duh-of-course-it-works-why-didn’t-I-think-of-this way.
My differences/suggestions:
– I made 27 cookies… it was more manageable.
– Sugar-coated cup: After flattening cookies with the sugar-coated cup, I sprinkled on some coarse sea salt. I asked my picky brother for some feedback regarding this, and he approved. Plus, it provides a nice visual contrast to the granulated sugar.
– I ended up cooking each batch ~11 minutes. instead of 8.