With a chocolate coronary heart sweet nestled on high, these tremendous gentle 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 photographs, a video, and extra useful success suggestions.
Similar to an excellent 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 typically depart cookies dry and crumbly, I’ve labored laborious 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 couple of totally different variations. As a result of if it really works, it really works! My peanut butter M&M cookies, peanut butter jam thumbprints, and immediately’s peanut butter Valentine’s Day cookies are just some 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 typically and the valentine chocolate hearts caught my consideration. I believed my recipes have 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 gentle. Conventional peanut butter cookies crumble after a day however these are fully scrumptious. Thanks for adjusting the outdated customary and making these so wonderful. ★★★★★“
And one other reader, Melanie, commented: “One other winner Sally! The cookie half is irresistible! Everybody commented on how stunning they have been too! I’m going to attempt it with totally 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 Finest Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
We use the identical dough right here as my gentle and thick peanut butter cookies. (Notice 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. You might take a look at the recipe and marvel why there’s so little flour. Do you know that nut butters act as a binder and may truly substitute 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 mix of granulated sugar and brown sugar on this recipe. Each for sweetness, and brown sugar for further softness.
- Egg: One egg binds all the things collectively; the cookies would crumble with out it.
- Butter: Butter provides taste and construction. Be sure to have correct room-temperature butter earlier than starting.
- Peanut Butter: Peanut butter is an important 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 like these cookies with Reese’s peanut butter creme hearts, which offer a gentle, meltaway texture along with further peanut butter taste. However you should utilize any chocolate coronary heart sweet you want right here, resembling Dove or Hershey’s chocolate hearts; simply remember these have a firmer texture.
These Step-by-Step Images Will Assist
You could find the complete 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 gentle cookie dough:
Chill the dough for at the very least 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 non-compulsory, however for just a little sparkle, roll every cookie dough ball in just a little granulated sugar:
Success Tip: Forestall Melting Chocolate Hearts
I imply, these peanut butter Valentine’s Day cookies will clearly soften your coronary heart, however possibly 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 dropping their coronary heart form is to let the cookies cool for five minutes after baking, earlier than you add the chocolate hearts on high.
After very gently urgent the chocolate hearts into the tops of your peanut butter cookies, place them within the freezer for 10 minutes. This can make sure the chocolate hearts maintain their shapes and don’t flip into melty chocolate blobs.
The fridge may also work, however the freezer is only. In the event you 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 suggest crunchy peanut butter—the cookies will probably 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 could have a couple of choices. For a nut-free model of this recipe, swap the peanut butter for a nut-free unfold resembling sunflower seed butter, or cookie butter unfold. Or you’ll be able to attempt my sparkle sweetheart cookies recipe as a substitute, which makes use of a cream cheese sugar cookie dough. You possibly can additionally take pink velvet blossoms or chocolate cherry blossoms and use a chocolate coronary heart sweet instead of the Hershey’s Kiss.
Sure! For just a little further sweetness and a few sparkle, roll the dough balls in sugar or coloured sanding sprinkles earlier than you bake them.
I like these cookies with Reese’s peanut butter creme hearts, which offer a gentle, meltaway texture along with further peanut butter taste. However you should utilize any chocolate coronary heart sweet you want right here, resembling Dove or Hershey’s chocolate hearts; simply remember these could have a more durable texture to chew into, particularly in the event you use darkish chocolate hearts as a substitute of milk chocolate.
Extra Valentine’s Day Treats:
And see this checklist of 36+ Valentine’s Day dessert recipes for much more inspiration!
Peanut Butter Valentine’s Day Cookies
Prep Time: 1 hour, half-hour (consists of chilling)
Cook dinner Time: 12 minutes
Whole Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Yield: 26-28 cookies
Class: Cookies
Methodology: Baking
Delicacies: American
Description
With a chocolate coronary heart sweet nestled on high, these tremendous gentle 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 pace till creamy. Change to medium-high pace and beat within the brown sugar and 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar till fully creamed and easy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and beat till mixed, about 1 minute. Scrape down the edges 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 pace till mixed. The dough will probably be very creamy and gentle. Cowl and refrigerate the cookie dough for at the very least 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. (At all times really useful for cookies.) Put aside. Additionally, ensure there’s room in your freezer as a result of the baked cookies will should be positioned inside to forestall the candies 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 couple of smaller plates (gently—they’re gentle). Place the plate(s) of cookies within the freezer for 10 minutes to shortly 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 properly for as much as 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze properly for as much as 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an additional minute, no have to thaw. Learn my suggestions and methods on the right way 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 explicit recipe, it’s greatest to make use of processed peanut butter resembling Jif or Skippy. In the event you resolve to make use of pure peanut butter, ensure it’s at room temperature and is properly stirred, and count on a barely crumblier cookie.
- Can I exploit almond butter or different nut butter? Sure, you should utilize almond butter or one other nut butter on this cookie recipe; nevertheless, count on a crumblier cookie. I’ve not examined this recipe with Nutella.
- Can I make a nut-free model? You could have a couple of choices. For a nut-free model of this recipe, swap the peanut butter for a nut-free unfold resembling sunflower seed butter, or cookie butter unfold. Or you’ll be able to attempt my sparkle sweetheart cookies recipe as a substitute, which makes use of a cream cheese sugar cookie dough. You possibly can additionally take pink velvet blossoms or chocolate cherry blossoms and use a chocolate coronary heart sweet instead of the Hershey’s Kiss.
