Step into a world of unparalleled flavor with these incredible Chunky Peanut Butter Cookies, elevated with the delightful addition of Cookie Butter! This recipe reimagines the classic peanut butter cookies my mother lovingly made from her trusted Five Roses Cookbook during my childhood. By infusing both creamy peanut butter and the subtle, mildly spiced notes of cookie butter, we’ve created a dessert that transcends the ordinary, delivering an entirely new level of deliciousness and an irresistible depth of flavor.

Crafted predominantly from everyday pantry staples, these cookies are not only exceptionally quick and easy to prepare but also boast a unique charm that makes them a year-round favorite. Whether you’re baking for a special occasion, a casual get-together, or simply treating the peanut butter enthusiast in your life, these cookies are guaranteed to impress. Their perfect balance of familiar peanut butter taste with a hint of warming spice makes them truly unforgettable.

What is Cookie Butter? Discover This Secret Ingredient!

For those unfamiliar with this delightful spread, you’re in for a treat! Cookie butter, often labeled as Speculoos Cookie Butter or sometimes interchangeably referred to as Biscoff spread (affiliate link), is a popular European creation. It’s typically found in the grocery store aisle alongside other nut butters, jams, and spreads. Made from ground-up speculoos cookies (a type of spiced shortcrust biscuit), cookie butter boasts a unique, mild gingerbread-like flavor with notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Its texture is incredibly smooth and creamy, making it highly versatile for spreading, dipping, or baking. If you’ve never experienced it, prepare to be captivated, especially when combined with the rich, nutty goodness of peanut butter. This dynamic duo creates an unparalleled taste sensation that elevates these cookies to the status of truly the BEST cookie butter cookies you’ll ever make!

🥘 Essential Ingredient Notes for Perfect Peanut Butter & Cookie Butter Cookies

My daughter’s high praise for these cookie butter cookies, declaring them “The PERFECT combination of soft and crunch,” truly flattered me. While my Mom’s original peanut butter cookies were always wonderfully soft, I adore the added textural dimension that comes from using both chunky peanut butter and cookie butter in this recipe. That slight, satisfying C-R-U-N-C-H is absolutely crucial, especially for the ultimate milk-dipping experience – pure YUM!

These upgraded, crunchy peanut butter cookies bake a little thinner than the original version, which contributes significantly to their delightful crispness. For an even more pronounced crunch, consider seeking out and using a crunchy variety of cookie butter alongside your chunky peanut butter!

To create these extraordinary peanut cookie butter cookies, you’ll need the following carefully selected basic ingredients:

• Unsalted Butter. I consistently opt for unsalted butter in my baking. This choice allows me precise control over the overall salt content in my recipes, as the sodium levels in salted butter can vary significantly between brands. Ensure your butter is softened to room temperature for optimal creaming.
• Brown Sugar. This ingredient is key for both flavor and texture. The molasses in brown sugar provides a deeper, richer flavor profile compared to white sugar. More importantly, its moisture-retaining properties are essential for keeping these cookies wonderfully tender and moist on the inside, preventing them from becoming dry. You can use either light or dark brown sugar.
• Chunky Peanut Butter. This is where a significant portion of the “chunky” in our cookie’s name comes from! Chunky peanut butter introduces a fantastic textural contrast and a delightful crunch that complements the overall softness of the cookie, making it ideal for dipping.
• Cookie Butter. The star ingredient that transforms these cookies! Cookie butter imparts its signature mild gingerbread flavor, a harmonious pairing with the robustness of peanut butter. You can find cookie butter in both smooth and crunchy varieties. For an extra layer of crunch, consider using crunchy cookie butter, or even a combination of smooth peanut butter with crunchy cookie butter.
• White Granulated Sugar. While brown sugar handles moisture and chewiness, granulated sugar contributes to the crispness and spread of the cookies, balancing the sweetness and texture.
• Egg. A single egg acts as a binder, helping to hold all the ingredients together and providing structure and richness to the cookie dough. Ensure it’s at room temperature for better emulsion.
• Baking Soda. This leavening agent reacts with acidic ingredients (like brown sugar or even the natural acidity in peanut butter) to create carbon dioxide, resulting in a slightly lighter, airier texture and contributing to the cookie’s spread during baking.
• Salt. A pinch of salt is vital for enhancing all the other flavors in the cookie, balancing the sweetness and making the peanut butter and cookie butter flavors pop.
• All-Purpose Flour. The structural backbone of our cookies. Make sure to measure it correctly, preferably by weight or by the spoon-and-level method, to avoid dense or dry cookies.
• Vanilla Extract. A touch of pure vanilla extract rounds out the flavors, adding warmth and depth to the overall profile of the cookies.

*Please see the comprehensive recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and precise quantities.

📖 Creative Variations & Easy Substitutions

While this recipe for Chunky Peanut Butter Cookies with Cookie Butter is perfect as written, don’t hesitate to get creative in the kitchen! Here are some fantastic variations and substitutions to tailor these delicious treats to your preferences or what you have on hand:

• Butter – If you only have salted butter, feel free to use it! Just remember to omit the added salt from the recipe to avoid overly salty cookies. This simple swap won’t compromise the texture or flavor significantly.
• Cookie Butter – As mentioned, cookie butter also comes in a “crunchy” variety. If you’re a fan of extra texture, using crunchy cookie butter with either smooth or chunky peanut butter will add another layer of delightful crispness. For a slightly different, though less sweet and less intensely spiced, flavor, Biscoff Spread is a good substitute. However, for the best, most authentic flavor in these cookies, classic cookie butter truly reigns supreme!
• Peanut Butter – While chunky peanut butter is highly recommended for its texture, smooth peanut butter works perfectly well if that’s what you prefer or have on hand. The cookies will simply be softer. If you prefer a more natural, less sweet peanut butter, you can use it, but you might want to slightly increase the sugar content (by about 1-2 tablespoons) to compensate for the difference in sweetness. For those who want chunkiness with smooth peanut butter, simply toss in some finely chopped roasted peanuts!
• Brown Sugar – Both light and dark brown sugar can be used interchangeably in this recipe. Dark brown sugar will lend a slightly deeper molasses flavor and a bit more moisture to the cookies, while light brown sugar offers a milder sweetness. Choose based on your personal preference!
• Add-ins: Consider folding in a cup of chocolate chips (milk, dark, or white!), peanut butter chips, or even some chopped toffee bits into the dough for an extra layer of indulgence.
• Spices: For an even more pronounced gingerbread note, a tiny pinch (¼ teaspoon) of ground ginger or a dash of extra cinnamon can be added to the dry ingredients.
• Gluten-Free Option: While not tested in this exact recipe, a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend could likely be substituted for the all-purpose flour, though results may vary slightly in texture.

🔪 Step-by-Step: Crafting Your Chunky Peanut Butter & Cookie Butter Cookies

Creating these delightful cookies is a straightforward process, perfect for bakers of all skill levels. Follow these simple steps for perfectly baked, flavorful treats!

Prep: Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C). Prepare your baking sheets by spraying them with a non-stick cooking spray or, for easier cleanup and consistent baking, lining them with parchment paper.

1. In a large mixing bowl, start by creaming your softened unsalted butter. Gradually add both the brown sugar and white granulated sugar, beating with an electric hand mixer (or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on low speed) until the mixture is light, fluffy, and thoroughly creamy, usually about 2-3 minutes.

2. To the creamed butter and sugar mixture, add the chunky peanut butter, cookie butter, egg, salt, vanilla extract, and baking soda. Beat on low speed until all these wet ingredients are fully combined and incorporated into the sugar mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

3. Gradually and slowly blend in the all-purpose flour. Mix on low speed just until the flour is fully incorporated into the dough. Be careful not to overmix at this stage, as it can lead to tough cookies. Stop as soon as no dry streaks of flour remain.

4. Before shaping, keep a small bowl of flour handy. Dip the tines of a fork into this flour, ensuring they are lightly coated. This will prevent the dough from sticking when you create the classic crisscross pattern.

5. Scoop out small portions of the cookie dough (approximately 1 inch in diameter) and roll them into neat, round balls between your palms. Place these dough balls onto your prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each for proper spreading.

6. Using the floured tines of your fork, gently flatten each cookie dough ball. You can press down once to create a single set of parallel lines, as I often do, or rotate the cookie ball 90 degrees and press again to achieve the traditional crisscross pattern, if desired. Dip the fork in flour again for each cookie to prevent sticking.

7. Bake the cookies in your preheated oven for 12-14 minutes. Baking times can vary depending on your oven, so keep an eye on them. They are ready when the edges are lightly golden brown and the centers still appear slightly soft.

8. Once baked, remove the cookie sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to cool directly on the hot sheet for 5 minutes. This crucial step helps them set up and firm up without breaking.

After the initial cooling period on the baking sheet, carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to allow them to cool completely. This ensures air circulation all around, preventing sogginess and preserving their wonderful crunchy texture.

Expert Recipe Tips for Flawless Cookies Every Time

Achieving bakery-quality cookies is easier than you think with these simple, expert tips. Pay attention to these details, and your Chunky Peanut Butter Cookies with Cookie Butter will be perfect:

• Embrace Room Temperature Ingredients: This is perhaps the most critical tip for baking success. Ensure your butter and egg are at room temperature. Softened butter creams beautifully with sugar, incorporating air for a lighter texture, and a room temperature egg emulsifies more smoothly into the mixture, resulting in a more cohesive and evenly textured dough.
• Thorough Creaming is Key: Don’t skimp on creaming the butter and sugars! This step is vital for introducing air into the dough, which translates to lighter, chewier cookies. Beat the mixture with an electric mixer until it’s noticeably light in color and fluffy in texture, typically for about 2-3 minutes.
• Avoid Overmixing After Flour: Once you’ve added the flour, mix just until it’s incorporated. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour too much, which can lead to tough, dense cookies. Stop mixing as soon as no dry streaks of flour are visible.
• Flour Your Fork Generously: To maintain the classic, neat crisscross pattern on your peanut butter cookies, dip your fork into a small bowl of flour between each cookie before flattening. This prevents the dough from sticking to the fork and keeps the pattern sharp and defined.
• Monitor Baking Time Closely: Oven temperatures can vary widely. Start checking your cookies around the 10-minute mark. They are perfectly baked when the edges are set and just lightly golden brown, but the centers still look slightly soft and puffed. They will continue to set and firm up as they cool on the baking sheet.
• For Maximum Crunch: If you truly love a crispy cookie, double down on the crunch! Use both chunky peanut butter and a crunchy variety of cookie butter. This combination adds an unparalleled textural experience, especially when dunking your cookies in a cold glass of milk.
• Seeking Thicker, Chewier Cookies? Chill the Dough! If you prefer a cookie that’s a bit thicker and chewier with less spread, chill your prepared cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before rolling and baking. Chilling solidifies the fats in the butter, slowing the cookie’s spread in the oven.
• Double Up for a Crowd or Future Cravings: These cookies are always a massive hit and disappear quickly! They also freeze exceptionally well, both baked and as dough. Consider doubling the batch so you’ll have plenty to share, or to stash away for those impromptu cookie cravings!

👪 Serving Size & Adjustments

This fantastic cookie butter cookie recipe yields approximately 36 delicious cookies, making it perfect for sharing with family and friends, or for enjoying over several days. Should you need more or fewer cookies, the recipe is incredibly versatile. You can easily half, double, or even triple the recipe to suit your needs. Simply click on the “servings” number within the recipe card below, select your desired number of servings, and all the ingredient amounts will automatically adjust accordingly, taking the guesswork out of scaling.

🌡️ Storage Solutions for Freshness

Proper storage is key to keeping your Chunky Peanut Butter Cookies with Cookie Butter fresh and delicious for as long as possible. Here’s how to store them:

For short-term storage, once the cookies have cooled completely to room temperature, place them in an airtight container. They will remain wonderfully fresh and soft at room temperature for up to 3 days. To maintain their texture, you can place a slice of bread in the container to absorb excess moisture.

These cookies are also excellent for longer-term storage in the freezer. Arrange cooled cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe airtight container or a heavy-duty zip-top freezer bag. They will keep beautifully for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, simply thaw them at room temperature or warm them gently in the microwave for a few seconds for that freshly baked feel.

❔ Frequently Asked Questions About This Recipe

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