Bake

All I Want for Christmas Peanut Butter Cookies

by:
November 26, 2021
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All I Want for Christmas Peanut Butter Cookies
  • Prep time 15 minutes
  • Makes 4 dozen
Author Notes

My brother-in-law has a reputation for loving peanut butter. The first Christmas after our wedding, I packed up a tin of homemade cookies to send out to my now expanded family. Garry's reaction to these cookies was "WOW." Since then, I send the standard mixed cookie tin to his family, and a separate tin with a dozen peanut butter sandwich cookies just for him. They are ethereally light, crispy, and mmmmm-inducing. Make them small; they are very rich. I use a teaspoon-sized scoop. The recipe came to me from a friend of a friend, so many years ago I can't even recall. It's easily the most popular of the 20 or so types I make. —MrsWheelbarrow

Test Kitchen Notes

When the holidays roll around, it's usually the time of year when many home cooks put on their baking hats and put out the most amazingly decorated cookies they can come up with. Or, let's face it, you have the kids come help you bake and the kitchen ends up a mess, but the cookies at least taste good and you had fun in the process! These peanut butter cookies will please adults and young ones alike. As the developer said, this is easily one of the most popular peanut butter cookie recipes ever, so you better be sure to give it a try. It features ingredients you most likely already have on hand, but you do need to seek out the best-quality butter you can find. This is also a great way to use up creamy peanut butter if you have some hanging out in your pantry.

All you need is an electric mixer (though if you want to get a workout in too, the dough can be mixed by hand), and there's no other special equipment required. The filling also comes together really quickly, since all you have to do is beat the ingredients together until the desired consistency is reached. It doesn't get much easier, and everyone will be grabbing one or two of these tasty treats as long as they're on the dessert table. As you're making the cookies, if you are very lucky, there will be broken halves, or uneven numbers, as that means a little snack for the baker. —The Editors

What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
All I Want for Christmas Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
  • Peanut Butter Cookie
  • 6 ounces best-quality unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter, such as Jif; do not use natural peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 vanilla pod, seeds scraped
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Sandwich Cream
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup finely chopped semisweet chocolate or miniature chips
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 to 6 tablespoons heavy cream
Directions
  1. Peanut Butter Cookie
  2. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
  3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until lightened.
  4. Add the egg, beat to combine, then add the vanilla. Beat well until combined and lightened.
  5. Into a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture thoroughly but gently.
  6. Place rounded teaspoons of dough on the prepared sheet pans, spacing about 2 inches apart. Press down gently with a fork or with two floured fingers.
  7. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until barely golden on top and golden brown on the bottom. The cookies will be very soft, so don't fuss with them until they cool. Let cool completely while you make the sandwich cream.
  1. Sandwich Cream
  2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the powdered sugar, peanut butter, and butter until lightened and smooth.
  3. Stir in the chocolate vanilla. Add the cream until the filling is smooth enough to spread.
  4. Put the little cookies together, gluing one half to the other with a very generous schmear of sandwich cream.
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  • DAVID
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  • Adelucchi
    Adelucchi
  • Kathryn Morrissey
    Kathryn Morrissey
  • JanetRoss
    JanetRoss
  • EmilyNunn
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MrsWheelbarrow
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29 Reviews

DAVID
DAVID December 27, 2015
Very good. They all went this Holiday. I prepared them as one cookie with icing on top. Thank you for sharing.
 
jacci F.
jacci F. March 3, 2015
Amazing, delicious, heaven - the idea of filling 1/2 of them with Nutella was great! My husband can't decide which he likes more!
 
Atlanticgull
Atlanticgull August 5, 2014
Just packed a bunch of these off to my youngest at camp. A cry from the wilderness came for peanut butter and that lead me here. What a phenomenal recipe. Such a cut above the standard. I thank you and I know a certain group of boys off the grid in Vermont are thanking you, too!!
 
MrsWheelbarrow
MrsWheelbarrow August 5, 2014
Thank you! I'm sure those kids are going to be happy.
 
Atlanticgull
Atlanticgull August 24, 2014
Just returned from picking up Grizzly Adams. After hiking into the camp I was accosted, and I'm not exaggerating, by my son and 9 of his fellow campers. "Those were AWESOME!" "Can you send my mom that recipe?!" "Those were the BEST cookies we had all summer!!" "Did you crush Reese's up for the filling??" and my favorite, "Did you bring more?"

Many, many thanks from the most popular mother at Night Eagle
 
MrsWheelbarrow
MrsWheelbarrow August 25, 2014
That's a great story! Glad you are now the Cookie Hero.
 
Adelucchi
Adelucchi December 24, 2013
Dear MrsWheelbarrow!! What a recipe!! Thanks. I didn't follow your instruction about the teaspoon scoop at first because I didn't have one. The larger one didn't work because it's a very crumbly dough. Now I understand what you meant by use wet fingers. They work very well. I had quite a bit of filling left but I will use it on toast, muffins or to make a filling for plain sugar cookies I will make make later today with my grandchildren. Thanks again.
 
MrsWheelbarrow
MrsWheelbarrow December 25, 2013
Glad you tried them! I am VERY generous with the filling, so I don't have too much left over, but if I did, that would be dangerous! Merry Christmas.
 
Kathryn M.
Kathryn M. November 19, 2013
I love the sound of these, they look and sound divine! Can't wait to try!
 
JanetRoss
JanetRoss May 8, 2012
I've made the batter and filling for this recipe and would like to freeze both. Should I roll the dough into a log and cover in heavy foil to freeze? Also, can I freeze the filling in a heavy Tupperware container?
 
MrsWheelbarrow
MrsWheelbarrow May 8, 2012
Hi Janet, I've never frozen these cookies. They have such a light crumb, I'm not sure how they will do after freezing. The log may reduce the cookie's lift. I'm so curious, so please let me know how it works!
 
the M.
the M. December 22, 2011
Mmmmmmmm. These are really really good. They will be snatched up quickly at my sisters house on Xmas eve!

A few notes to future bakers. Make them small as they are really rich. I made them too big and we have been cutting them in half too share. I also recommend refrigerating them until just before serving.

Next time I make them, I may put the mini chips in the cookie dough instead of the sandwich cream. I may also use a bit less sugar in the dough as they are sweet with the sandwich creme. The cookies are crumbly but making sure you bake them until golden brown on the bottom as recommended by the recipe author seemed to firm up the cookie. Maybe another egg in the batter might do this too. I made mine gluten free by using a blend of millet, oat, white rice, almond, sorghum flours with potato starch so that may have been why they were crumbly.

Wonderful recipe and they will be enjoyed. Thanks so much for sharing!!!
 
GrannyMart
GrannyMart December 19, 2011
Why shouldn't I use natural peanut butter??
 
MrsWheelbarrow
MrsWheelbarrow December 20, 2011
I have tried natural peanut butter and the cookies were not the same.
 
MrsWheelbarrow
MrsWheelbarrow December 20, 2011
The cookies just aren't the same.
 
EmilyNunn
EmilyNunn December 19, 2011
Wow. Sock it to me, Mrs. Wheelbarrow.
 
MrsWheelbarrow
MrsWheelbarrow December 20, 2011
Come visit Emily! I'll make a batch for you!
 
ErinC
ErinC December 19, 2011
I made these for my holiday party this year and they were a hit! Thanks Ms. Wheelbarrow! Super peanut-chocolate-y! :)
 
MrsWheelbarrow
MrsWheelbarrow December 20, 2011
Yay! So glad!
 
WileyP
WileyP November 6, 2011
I made these today for a Sunday meeting of the San Ignacio Art League. They (and I) loved them! The texture was just right for a sandwich cookie (would have been a little crumbly without the filling) and the fillinf was really, really good! I started making them as the recipe suggested, by rounded teaspoonsful. After 52 of those, which were 1 3/4" in diameter. Then I switched to a #50 portion scoop (3-3/4 teaspoons) and made 18 more, which were 2 1/2" in diameter...all from the same batch of batter. Howcomeisit that when a cookie recipe says to use teaspoonful amounts I end up with two or three times the number of cookies there should be?! If I had used that #50 scoop for all of them, I would have had about 445-50 cookies.

And while I'm on a rant - What's with the inconsistent measurment of butter (ounces for the cookies and tablespoons for the filling)? Glad I too it literally and used 12 tablespoons for the cookies!

Well, I'll overlook the trivialities, because I appreciate your posting this recipe, MrsWheelbarrow. It's the best peanut butter cookie I've ever made!
 
MrsWheelbarrow
MrsWheelbarrow December 19, 2011
Hi Wiley, hey, you're totally right about the inconsistencies! I'm so sorry. I've just made two batches of these cookies. I use a tiny scoop, about 3/4" across, and get 48 sandwich cookies or use a larger scoop, about 1-1/2" across, and get 20 sandwich cookies. I prefer the tiny size as they are so rich.
 
Whats4Dinner
Whats4Dinner October 29, 2011
Who doesn't LOVE peanut butter cookies!!! Here's a silly question: I see that the cookie recipe makes 4 dozen. So then when you're done, you'll have 2 dozen sandwiched cookies, right? I need to know because I'll be making these for a food52 function and there's no way I'm getting out of the house without leaving some for my kids. If the end-yield is 2 dozen, looks like I'll have to double it...darnit ;-)
 
meganvt01
meganvt01 October 20, 2011
Very delicious. I made these last night and they have been gobbled up by my coworkers. So tender and the mini chips are the perfect little bite in the middle.
 
Chandra
Chandra October 18, 2011
I like her concept that these cookies are small in size... that's what caught my attention. and they look good. thanks
 
FoodieFlirt
FoodieFlirt October 18, 2011
I'd definitely go with a commercial (not natural) brand of PB like JIF or Skippy, particularly for the frosting/creme. I think the stabilizers in the commercial brands lend themselves to the consistency of the PB frosting/creme.
 
LisaCooks
LisaCooks October 17, 2011
What brand of commercial peanut butter? Where do I get it? I'm in the NY area.
 
mariaraynal
mariaraynal December 18, 2009
Excellent concept. Impossible to go wrong with peanut butter, vanilla and chocolate.
 
Kelsey B.
Kelsey B. December 16, 2009
Fantastic idea. I agree, I always bake with commercial PB, it always seems to taste better.
 
Loves F.
Loves F. December 16, 2009
Wow! These sound amazing... almost like filling peanut butter cookies with peanut butter cookie dough!