With a chocolate coronary heart sweet nestled on prime, these tremendous smooth sweetheart peanut butter Valentine’s Day cookies are the February model of peanut butter blossoms!
I initially printed this recipe in 2012 and have since added new pictures, a video, and extra useful success suggestions.
Similar to a great go-to recipe for chocolate chip cookies or sugar cookies, a top-notch peanut butter cookie recipe is a should. As a result of peanut butter can usually depart cookies dry and crumbly, I’ve labored onerous to check and succeed with a recipe for the softest peanut butter cookies. Many readers say they style like the within of a peanut butter cup!
Naturally, I’ve taken that basis recipe and created a number of completely different variations. As a result of if it really works, it really works! My peanut butter M&M cookies, peanut butter jam thumbprints, and as we speak’s peanut butter Valentine’s Day cookies are only a few of the spinoffs I’ve created with my trusty peanut butter cookie dough.
I do know you and your sweetheart will love these festive cookies!
One reader, Jennie, commented: “Only a fast remark. I’ve made these cookies for a few years. I exploit your recipes so usually and the valentine chocolate hearts caught my consideration. I believed my recipes had been fairly good however yours is a ‘WOW’! Even my husband commented on these. So, I’ll simply delete all different peanut butter cookie recipes now… I’ve discovered the most effective. ★★★★★“
One other reader, Amy, commented:“These are scrumptious and so smooth. Conventional peanut butter cookies crumble after a day however these are fully scrumptious. Thanks for adjusting the outdated normal and making these so superb. ★★★★★“
And one other reader, Melanie, commented: “One other winner Sally! The cookie half is irresistible! Everybody commented on how stunning they had been too! I’m going to attempt it with completely different candies for year-round. Heck I could depart the sweet out and simply eat the cookie! ★★★★★”
Why Everybody Loves These Peanut Butter Valentine’s Day Cookies
Begin With My Greatest Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
We use the identical dough right here as my smooth and thick peanut butter cookies. (Word that these have 1 further Tablespoon of flour to assist maintain the form when flattening with a fork.)
- Flour: We use all-purpose flour as the bottom of those peanut butter cookies. Chances are you’ll take a look at the recipe and surprise why there’s so little flour. Do you know that nut butters act as a binder and may truly exchange some or all flour in cookie recipes? See these flourless almond butter cookies and flourless monster cookies. Utilizing extra flour will dry out the cookies, so stick to the recipe beneath.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda helps the cookies rise.
- Salt + Vanilla Extract: Use each salt and vanilla extract for taste.
- Sugars: Use a mixture of granulated sugar and brown sugar on this recipe. Each for sweetness, and brown sugar for further softness.
- Egg: One egg binds every part collectively; the cookies would collapse with out it.
- Butter: Butter provides taste and construction. Ensure you have correct room-temperature butter earlier than starting.
- Peanut Butter: Peanut butter is crucial ingredient for peanut butter cookies. For greatest outcomes, use processed peanut butter like Jif or Skippy—the identical I like to recommend for my peanut butter balls and peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.
- Chocolate Coronary heart Candies: I really like these cookies with Reese’s peanut butter creme hearts, which give a smooth, meltaway texture along with further peanut butter taste. However you should use any chocolate coronary heart sweet you want right here, equivalent to Dove or Hershey’s chocolate hearts; simply consider these have a firmer texture.
These Step-by-Step Pictures Will Assist
You will discover the total written recipe beneath, however let me stroll you thru these steps. These cookies are fast and easy—a welcome recipe throughout a busy vacation season.
Make the dough. You’ll mix the dry and moist components individually, after which collectively. Anticipate a really smooth cookie dough:
Chill the dough for no less than 1 hour to assist solidify it, which helps assure your peanut butter sweetheart cookies will maintain form within the oven. Chilly dough can also be simpler to portion and roll. After the dough chills, roll into balls about 1 heaping Tablespoon in measurement (about 25g every).
It’s elective, however for a little bit sparkle, roll every cookie dough ball in a little bit granulated sugar:
Success Tip: Forestall Melting Chocolate Hearts
I imply, these peanut butter Valentine’s Day cookies will clearly soften your coronary heart, however perhaps you don’t need the chocolate coronary heart to soften too? 😉
The very first thing I like to recommend to forestall the chocolate from melting and shedding their coronary heart form is to let the cookies cool for five minutes after baking, earlier than you add the chocolate hearts on prime.
After very gently urgent the chocolate hearts into the tops of your peanut butter cookies, place them within the freezer for 10 minutes. This may make sure the chocolate hearts preserve their shapes and don’t flip into melty chocolate blobs.
The fridge will even work, however the freezer is simplest. If you happen to don’t have sufficient room in your fridge or freezer for a baking sheet, rigorously switch the cookies to a smaller tray or plate after which freeze.
For greatest style and texture, use a creamy, processed peanut butter like Skippy or Jif. They’ll unfold much less and received’t be as crumbly. I don’t advocate crunchy peanut butter—the cookies will likely be sandier/crumblier, will unfold extra, and can style a bit dry. Pure peanut butter is OK in a pinch, however the cookies crack and crumble extra.
You’ve got a number of choices. For a nut-free model of this recipe, swap the peanut butter for a nut-free unfold equivalent to sunflower seed butter, or cookie butter unfold. Or you’ll be able to attempt my sparkle sweetheart cookies recipe as an alternative, which makes use of a cream cheese sugar cookie dough. You can additionally take purple velvet blossoms or chocolate cherry blossoms and use a chocolate coronary heart sweet rather than the Hershey’s Kiss.
Sure! For a little bit further sweetness and a few sparkle, roll the dough balls in sugar or coloured sanding sprinkles earlier than you bake them.
I really like these cookies with Reese’s peanut butter creme hearts, which give a smooth, meltaway texture along with further peanut butter taste. However you should use any chocolate coronary heart sweet you want right here, equivalent to Dove or Hershey’s chocolate hearts; simply consider these may have a tougher texture to chunk into, particularly if you happen to use darkish chocolate hearts as an alternative of milk chocolate.
Extra Valentine’s Day Treats:
And see this record of 36+ Valentine’s Day dessert recipes for much more inspiration!
Peanut Butter Valentine’s Day Cookies
Prep Time: 1 hour, half-hour (contains chilling)
Prepare dinner Time: 12 minutes
Complete Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Yield: 26-28 cookies
Class: Cookies
Methodology: Baking
Delicacies: American
Description
With a chocolate coronary heart sweet nestled on prime, these tremendous smooth sweetheart peanut butter Valentine’s Day cookies are the February model of peanut butter blossoms!
Directions
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt collectively in a medium bowl. Put aside.
- In a big bowl utilizing a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on excessive velocity till creamy. Swap to medium-high velocity and beat within the brown sugar and 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar till fully creamed and clean, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and beat till mixed, about 1 minute. Scrape down the perimeters and backside of the bowl as wanted. Add the peanut butter and vanilla extract and beat till mixed.
- Add the flour combination to the moist components and beat on low velocity till mixed. The dough will likely be very creamy and smooth. Cowl and refrigerate the cookie dough for no less than 1 hour, and as much as 3 days.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2 massive baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (All the time really useful for cookies.) Put aside. Additionally, ensure that there’s room in your freezer as a result of the baked cookies will have to be positioned inside to forestall the goodies from melting.
- Roll & bake: Scoop and roll cookie dough, about 1 heaping Tablespoon (round 25g) of dough every. If desired, roll every ball in 1/4 cup of granulated sugar. Prepare cookie dough balls on the baking sheet about 3 inches aside. Bake for 11–13 minutes or till the tops start to barely crack.
- Take away cookies from the oven and permit to chill on the baking sheets for five minutes.
- Set the chocolate: Gently press a chocolate coronary heart sweet into the middle of every, then, utilizing a skinny spatula, instantly switch the cookies to a big plate or a number of smaller plates (gently—they’re smooth). Place the plate(s) of cookies within the freezer for 10 minutes to rapidly set the chocolate within the cookie.
- Take away from the freezer and serve. Cookies keep recent coated at room temperature for as much as 1 week.
Notes
- Make Forward & Freezing Directions: You can also make the cookie dough and chill it within the fridge for as much as 3 days. Baked cookies freeze nicely for as much as 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze nicely for as much as 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an additional minute, no have to thaw. Learn my suggestions and tips on methods to freeze cookie dough.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks):Electrical Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer) | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats | Cooling Rack | Chocolate Hearts or Chocolate Peanut Butter Hearts
- Peanut Butter: Creamy peanut butter is right for this recipe as a result of crunchy peanut butter creates an excessively crumbly cookie. For this specific recipe, it’s greatest to make use of processed peanut butter equivalent to Jif or Skippy. If you happen to determine to make use of pure peanut butter, ensure that it’s at room temperature and is nicely stirred, and count on a barely crumblier cookie.
- Can I exploit almond butter or different nut butter? Sure, you should use almond butter or one other nut butter on this cookie recipe; nonetheless, count on a crumblier cookie. I’ve not examined this recipe with Nutella.
- Can I make a nut-free model? You’ve got a number of choices. For a nut-free model of this recipe, swap the peanut butter for a nut-free unfold equivalent to sunflower seed butter, or cookie butter unfold. Or you’ll be able to attempt my sparkle sweetheart cookies recipe as an alternative, which makes use of a cream cheese sugar cookie dough. You can additionally take purple velvet blossoms or chocolate cherry blossoms and use a chocolate coronary heart sweet rather than the Hershey’s Kiss.
