These are not your typical peanut butter cookies, friends. They’re lightly peanut butter flavored, packed with candied peanuts, with just the right amount of dark chocolate hanging about. My original plan was to dip/drizzle them with chocolate, but they came out perfectly without that, in my opinion! Making the candied peanuts is a bit of extra effort, but SO worth it for the crunch and flavor they bring. Make a double batch and stash some of these in the freezer for future you.
THE RECIPE
These are based on my usual cookie recipe, but with a few thoughtful changes.
- the peanut butter – half a cup of peanut butter makes these cookies peanut butter-y while not having an intense peanut butter
- the candied peanuts – yes, it’s an extra step, but these are so easy to make and so delicious! sweet, salty, with a bit of cinnamon. Perfect in these cookies, or just for snacking too
- the chocolate – there isn’t a ton of chocolate in these cookies, just enough to add some variety to each bite. I like using the dark chocolate to contrast with the sweetness of the candied peanuts
- the cream of tartar – my favorite secret ingredient for cookies! it is optional, but it makes the cookies so soft and helps you get the crisp edges with the soft inside
VARIATIONS
As usual, with cookies, there are SO many variations! Switch up any of the mix ins for a whole new cookie. Or make some cookie sandwiches – use marshmallow or buttercream as a filling. So many options! Here are some of my fav cookie recipes so far:
- Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies
- S’mores Cookies
- Orange Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
- Double Chocolate Pretzel Cookies
- Chocolate Orange Cookies
- Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwiches
- Peppermint Marshmallow Cookie Sandwiches
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
These are not your typical peanut butter cookies, friends. They're lightly peanut butter flavored, packed with candied peanuts, with just the right amount of dark chocolate hanging about. Making the candied peanuts is a bit of extra effort, but SO worth it for the crunch and flavor they bring. Make a double batch and stash some of these in the freezer for future you.
Ingredients
- 113g (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 128 g (1/2 cup) peanut butter (not the kind that separates)
- 150 g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 165 g (3/4 cup) brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 240 g (2 cups) all purpose flour
- 4 g (1 tsp) baking soda
- 3 g (1/2 tsp) cream of tartar, optional
- 6 g (1 tsp) salt
- 170 g (1 cup) dark chocolate chips
- 180 g (1 cup) candied peanuts, roughly chopped (see recipe below)
Instructions
- preheat the oven to 375*
- combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt in a medium bowl. set aside
- in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the sugar, brown sugar, and butter for 5-7 minutes until fluffy and significantly lightened in color. add the peanut butter and mix to combined. add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla.
- add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and mix until just combined, it's okay if there are some streaks of flour. fold in the dark chocolate and candied peanuts
- form the dough into 2 Tbps balls and place 2 inches apart on a large baking sheet. bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are set. let cool and enjoy!
Candied Peanuts
Candied peanuts are so easy and so delicious! They're a bit salty, a bit sweet, and a sprinkle of cinnamon brings a beautiful warmth to them too. Perfect for snacking or adding to other recipes!
Ingredients
- 142 g salted peanuts
- 100 g sugar
- 57 g water
- sprinkle of cinnamon
Instructions
- in a wide, shallow pan, combine the peanuts, sugar, and water. place over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves and the water evaporates. turn down the heat slightly and continue cooking, stirring often, until the sugar becomes and caramel and coats all of the nuts. if the nuts start to brown in places you're just seconds away from burning the whole lot, so remove from the heat
- spread the nuts onto a baking sheet and allow to cool. break up any large chunks