You’ve probably seen a variation of these cookies before, called peanut butter kiss cookies. Those are peanut chewy peanut butter cookies topped with chocolate kisses. 

While I will never turn down any cookie topped with chocolate, I prefer to top these cookies with M&M’s to give them a bit of crunchy texture. I love the way thick, creamy cookie contrasts with the chocolatey crunchiness.

Peanut Butter Cookie Base

As for the cookies themselves, this is one of those classic cookie recipes — I used to make them with my mother during the holidays each year. It’s a super fast recipe to make and they bake even more quickly.

The next time you need to whip up some quick cookies to impress guests or take to a party, try these!

Why You’ll Love M&M Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

You are gonna love these!

• Quick – These cookies come together quickly and require very little baking time.
• Customizable – You can trade out the M&M’s for any kind of chocolate candy you like. You can also change them up with different colored candies for birthdays or baby showers, or dress them up during the holiday season.
• Convenient – Most of the ingredients are likely already in your kitchen and there are plenty of easy substitutes. 
• Flavorful – These cookies have the perfect sweet and salty combination of chocolate and peanut butter.

Ingredients

Simple ingredients that you likely already have in the pantry make up these soft and tasty cookies.

• Unsalted butter – You can leave your butter on the counter to soften, or microwave it at 30 second intervals.
• Creamy peanut butter – I prefer to use natural peanut butter, but you can use any brand you choose. Creamy (instead of crunchy) works best. 
• Light brown sugar – If you do not have light brown sugar, you can substitute dark brown sugar but avoid white sugar. Brown sugar imparts a richness in this recipe. 
• Egg – While eggs are the ideal emulsifier, if you don’t have any on hand (or someone has an allergy) you can use applesauce or mashed banana as egg substitutes in some recipes. 
• Vanilla extract – I love using homemade vanilla extract but store-bought works too.
• All-purpose flour – Make sure to use all purpose flour and not self-rising. You can also experiment with almond flour (though admittedly we have not tested it).
• Baking powder – This ingredient will help your cookies to rise. 
• Baking soda – Using baking soda in conjunction with baking powder will make your cookies lighter and fluffy. 
• Fine sea salt – The fine granules of sea salt dissolve more quickly which equates to less of a chance of over-mixing. 
• M&M Candies – You can use the typical candies that you can find year-round but you can switch it up with seasonal varieties instead.

How To Make M&M Peanut Butter Blossoms

Making them is also super easy. Get the kiddos involved and if you are like me and love the dough, here is an eggless edible peanut butter cookie dough.

1. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Combine the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Blend on medium speed until creamy and smooth.
2. Combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. You can use a sifter or a whisk to ensure that all ingredients are completely incorporated.
3. Mix the two. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Blend on low speed until all ingredients are just combined — be careful not to overmix. 
4. Scoop the dough. Use a melon-baller or small cookie scoop to spoon out the cookie dough. Roll it in your hands to make ¾-inch balls of dough (you can make 1 inch balls for a thicker cookie).
5. Add M&Ms. Place the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press one M&M candy into the center of each cookie dough ball.
6. Bake. Place the pan in the pre-heated oven and bake until the edges are a light golden brown. Be careful not to overbake – if the tops become brown, the cookies are overdone.
7. Cool. Cool the M&M peanut butter blossom cookies on a wire rack, allowing them to come to room temperature before storing.

Variations

We love customizations! Let us know how you changed yours in the comments.

• Other candies – Try Hershey’s kisses, Rolos, chocolate chips, or even chunks of dark chocolate  instead of the M&M’s. You can also try Reese’s pieces or peanut butter cups for extra peanut butter flavor.
• Nut butters – Instead of peanut butter use almond butter or pecan butter. For more chocolate flavor, you can try chocolate hazelnut butter. 
• Extract – Substitute almond for vanilla extract for a more nutty flavor. 
• Nuts – Choose any crushed nut of your choice and use it instead of candy.
• Colored sugar – You can use colored granulated sugar or decorator’s sugar to make the cookies festive for whatever occasion you are celebrating.

Storage and Freezing

Store these M&M Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days or freeze for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature.

More Homemade Cookies

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

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Full of tropical flavor, you can have these EASY Coconut Key Lime Cookies ready in under 30 minutes from start to finish!

Check out this recipe

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With less than 10 simple ingredients, you will have a batch of these buttery Pecan Cookies whipped up in no time! Perfect for any occasion!

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Print

M&M Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

A variation on peanut butter kiss cookies, these M&M Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies are EASY to whip up and so delicious!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword peanut butter blossom cookie recipe, peanut butter blossoms, peanut butter cookies

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 30 small cookies

Calories 123kcal

Ingredients

• ½ cup unsalted butter , softened
• ½ cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ cup M&M Candies

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.
• Sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.
• Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients until just blended.
• Form ¾-inch balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
• Press one M&M candy into the center of each cookie dough ball.
• Bake for 8 minutes or until the edges or lightly browned, do not wait for the tops to brown or they will be overcooked.
• Cool on a wire rack.
• If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.

Nutrition

Calories: 123kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 90mg | Potassium: 44mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 110IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 0.5mg

The post M&M Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies appeared first on Best Dessert Recipes .

Most of you are probably familiar with Key lime pie, the treat popularized after the introduction of sweetened condensed milk in the early 1930’s. The creamy tart pie is popular all over the U.S., but not nearly as much as it is in Key West.

So, I decided to take the flavors of the popular pie and make cookies instead. Almost like Lemon Cooler cookies, but with limes.

After all, these brightly flavored cookies are far more portable to take to parties and cookouts. Plus, twenty-four cookies is superior to the amount of slices in a pie, right?

Are Key Limes Regular Limes?

The simple answer is no. Key lime is a tad sweeter and less acidic. However, the majority of the time, regular limes can be used.

For this recipe, I do list lime juice instead of specifying the use of Key lime juice since it may be a challenge for people in some places to find Key limes or Key lime juice.

However, if you have Key limes or their juice available, you can really punch up the tangy flavor if you use Key lime juice. I have the most luck finding key lime juice in the grocery store aisle where lemon and lime juices are sold or in shops that sell cocktail ingredients.

I like munching on these cookies all on their own, but you can also grab your favorite ice cream and use them to make ice cream sandwiches or use any leftover limes to make Key Lime Pound Cake.

Why You’ll Love Coconut Key Lime Cookies

Fresh key lime juice baked into fresh cookies with great flavor- what’s not to love about these delicious cookies? And if you are a lime-lover like me, this is paramount.

• Bright flavors– these cookies channel beach-time and are the perfect treat at any warm weather gathering.
• Easy– these cookies come together in about twenty minutes or less, and the bake time is even faster!
• Accessible ingredients– many avid bakers likely have most of the ingredients in their pantry already.

Ingredients

With basic ingredients, you can have the best, chewy cookies ready in no time! 

• All purpose flour– if you like to bake you probably already have this pantry staple. However, if you need to grab it from the store, any brand will do. If you have a big bag, you can store it in a cool, dry cabinet. Alternatively, it can be frozen for up to 2 years.
• Baking powder– this leavening agent helps these cookies to have a light texture.
• Salt– just a bit of regular table salt will help bring out the lime and coconut flavors in these cookies.
• Butter– since there’s salt in the recipe, make sure to use unsalted butter. Leave butter on the counter for about an hour to soften so that it mixes easily.
• Granulated sugar– this type of sugar dissolves quickly when mixing and baking. Granulated sugar will last for up to 2 years in the pantry. Make sure not to store it in the refrigerator, though, where it’s likely to get lumpy.
• Shredded coconut– you can usually find bagged shredded coconut in the baking aisle of most grocery stores. You’ll have some leftover which you can use to make frosted coconut bars or no-bake coconut balls.
• Eggs– you can use any eggs you might already have in your refrigerator as long as they are large eggs.
• Lime juice– you can certainly juice your own limes but bottled lime juice can be used as well. Please note that bottled citrus flavors tend to pack less punch than fresh lime juice. However, key lime juice will have more authentic key lime flavor when it is near impossible to find fresh key limes. You can also add key lime zest for even more lime-y flavor.
• Coconut extract (optional)- if you don’t have coconut extract on hand in your pantry, you can omit it or use vanilla extract. However, using it will help make these coconut lime cookies rather than just lime sugar cookies.
• Powdered sugar– this soft sugar will help to make these cookies pretty and also adds some extra sweetness.

How To Make Coconut Key Lime Cookies

You are going to love how easy it is to make the best cookies ever!

1. Prepare oven and pan. Preheat oven and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Alternately, you can use a silicone mat.
2. Whisk dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Be sure to fully incorporate all 3 ingredients.
3. Beat butter and sugar. In a separate bowl using an electric mixer or stand-mixer, beat the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Next, stir the coconut into the butter and sugar mixture.
4. Add eggs. Add each egg, one at a time to the butter, sugar, and coconut. Beat the mixture well after each egg is added. Next, add the lime juice and the coconut extract (if using) and mix well.
5. Add dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture to wet ingredients gradually, mixing it in until it is just combined.
6. Scoop cookies. Scoop the cookie dough into 24 1½ inch cookie dough balls. You can use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop if you have one. A melon baller will work well, too. If you do not have either of those, two spoons can be used to scoop and form the balls.
7. Roll in powdered sugar. Roll each dough ball into the powdered sugar. Then, arrange the balls on the prepared baking sheet with about 2 inches between each.
8. Bake. Bake the cookies. When they are ready to be removed from the oven, their edges will be just slightly browned. Move baked cookies to a wire rack/cooling rack to cool.
9. Ice. If you choose to frost these with a key lime glaze, make sure they are fully cooled.

Variations

We love this easy key lime cookie recipe exactly as written, but there are plenty of ways for you to make it your own.

• White chocolate chips – Key lime cookies with white chocolate chips have just an extra hint of sweetness. Toss in a handful or two to the cookie batter.
• Icing – try drizzling powdered sugar icing over the cookies after baking for a pretty presentation. Use lime juice for a quick lime glaze.
• Key lime juice – if your local grocery store has it in stock, try using Key lime juice instead of your typical lime juice for an even more floral and tart flavor.
• Berries – raspberries and blueberries pair particularly well with Key lime and coconut flavors. To add berry flavor, try tossing in some dried berries before baking.
• Graham crackers – For even more of a key lime cheesecake flavor, try folding some graham cracker crumbs into the cookie dough.

Storage and Freezing

Storage: You can store these key lime pie cookies in an airtight container either at room temperature or in the refrigerator. 

Freezing: You can also freeze this key lime cookies recipe. Make sure to wrap in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container.

Common Cookie Questions

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Crispy on the edges and chewy in the middle, these EASY Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies are a peanut butter lovers dream come true!

Check out this recipe

Print

Coconut Key Lime Cookies

Full of tropical flavor, you can have these EASY Coconut Key Lime Cookies ready in under 30 minutes from start to finish!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword coconut key lime cookies

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 24

Calories 139kcal

Equipment

• hand crank sifter
• stand mixer
• wire cooling racks
• insulated cookie sheets
• cookie dough scoop

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup shredded coconut
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup key lime juice
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract optional
• ½ cup powdered sugar

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes. Blend in the coconut.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Lastly, add the lime juice and coconut extract.
• Gradually add the flour mixture, and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
• Place the powdered sugar in a bowl. Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop, roll cookie dough into 24 balls.
• Dredge each in the powdered sugar and arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet.
• Bake for 12-14 minutes until cookies begin to just turn brown on the edges.
• Remove from oven and transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
• If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 139kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 73mg | Potassium: 30mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 139IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Coconut Key Lime Cookies {Video} appeared first on Best Dessert Recipes .

What I love about this cookie recipe, outside of the fact that it makes granola super portable, is that it can be dressed up in so many ways. Add your favorite fruits like dried cranberries or raisins or sprinkle in coconut chips or pumpkin seeds. 

If this is your first time making granola cookies, you just might find that they become your go-to recipe for cookies that will satisfy a sweet tooth with a little healthiness added in.

Why You’ll Love Granola Cookies

If you like to munch on granola, you’re going to fall in love with these cookies.

• Easy – These simple cookies are made with basic ingredients and require no fancy equipment or techniques. 
• Convenient – You can toss granola cookies into lunchboxes or pack for a picnic or hike. 
• Versatile – Eat the cookies all on their own or dress them up by making them a layer in a parfait or into ice cream sandwiches.

Ingredients

These simple ingredients come together to create the most delectable cookies.

• All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour helps bind the ingredients and helps to create the cookie’s texture.
• Whole wheat flour: Whole wheat flour imparts a nutty flavor.
• Baking soda: This leavening agent helps the cookies rise.
• Coarse kosher salt: Coarse kosher salt balances the sweetness and brings out the flavors of the other ingredients.
• Unsalted butter, softened: Butter helps to make the cookies soft and rich.
• Brown sugar: Using brown sugar helps to make the cookies moist.
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract balances the cookie’s flavor profile.
• Eggs: Eggs help the cookies to be moist while also binding the ingredients together.
• Granola: This key ingredient is the star of the show, giving these granola cookies their unmistakable crunchy texture and nutty flavor.
• Add-ins (mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts, golden raisins, dried fruit): Add sweetness, nuttiness, and chewiness with these optional additions to the cookies.

How To Make Granola Cookies

These crunchy cookies couldn’t be easier to make.

1. Sift dry ingredients. Using a sifter, add both flours, salad, and baking soda to a medium mixing bowl. You can also whisk them together instead of sifting. 
2. Beat butter and sugar. Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl of a stand mixer. Beat butter and sugar until creamy and smooth.
3. Add vanilla and eggs. Then, add vanilla and eggs and mix until completely combined. 
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Add half of the wet ingredients to the flour mixture, and combine. Then add the remainder of the wet ingredients and mix again.
5. Fold in granola. Gently fold the granola and add-ins into the cookie dough. Tightly wrap the bowl with saran wrap and chill.
6. Scoop dough. When ready to bake, use a cookie scoop to portion out the dough onto a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 
7. Bake. Place the cookies into the preheated oven. Bake cookies until the tops are a light golden brown.
8. Cool. Allow the cookies to cool briefly on the cookie sheet. Then, use a spatula to transfer cookies to a wire rack.

What to Serve With Granola Cookies

You can serve these delicious cookies with all sorts of other treats. Try washing them down with a cup of coffee or tea, or serve them alongside a fruit smoothie for a mid-day snack. 

They’re also great with dairy, like a glass of cold milk, yogurt, ice cream, or whipped cream.

Variations 

You can change up some of the ingredients to make your own style of granola cookies.

• Sweeteners: Replace some of the brown sugar with honey, maple syrup, or an alternative sweetener. 
• Flour: Experiment with almond flour, coconut flour, or your favorite gluten-free flour. 
• Spices: Shake in some cinnamon or nutmeg for a warm flavor. 
• Nut butter: Try incorporating peanut butter or almond butter for a nutty flavor.

Storage, Make Ahead and Freezing

You can store these granola cookies at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Refrigerator: Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Make ahead: Prepare the dough ahead of time and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours before baking.

Freezer: Freeze cookies for up to 3 months.

Common Questions About Granola Cookies

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Granola Cookies

A better-for-you cookie that is full of granola, dried fruit, nuts and chocolate chips. Great as an after school snack or late night munchie.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cookies that use granola, granola cookie recipe, granola cookies

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Chilling Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Servings 24

Calories 183kcal

Equipment

• electric hand mixer
• insulated cookie sheets
• parchment paper
• cookie scoop

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups granola
• 1/2-3/4 cup add-ins mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts, dried fruit

Instructions

• Sift or whisk together both flours, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl using a stand mixer or a handheld electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and eggs, mixing until no streaks remain.
• In two additions, combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients.
• By hand, fold in the granola and other add-ins.
• Cover and chill cookie dough for a minimum of 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Use a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop and place dough onto the parchment 2 inches apart.
• Bake for 14-16 minutes or until tops are lightly browned.
• Remove and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
• If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings!

Nutrition

Calories: 183kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 85mg | Potassium: 73mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 206IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Granola Cookies appeared first on Best Dessert Recipes .

If you’re thinking that your standard chocolate chip cookie recipe could use an upgrade, you may be right. By adding a simple box of instant vanilla pudding mix to your cookie dough you can enhance the flavor and chewiness of cookies.

Ingredients

• All purpose flour – This is traditional in baking cookies and will render a fluffy, chewy cookie. This recipe hasn’t been tested with other flours.
• Baking soda – Baking soda acts as a leavening for cookies and is important to the recipe.
• Salt – When salt is omitted, a cookie can taste flat or unappealing. The salt will enhance the flavor of the vanilla and chocolate as well.
• Butter – Room temperature, unsalted butter is idea for baking pudding cookies. Using room temp butter will work best in creaming together with sugars, resulting in chewy, fluffy cookies.
• Brown sugar – Light brown sugar is ideal for homemade cookies. It has less molasses than dark brown sugar and lends to a lighter, more chewy cookie texture.
• Granulated sugar – Otherwise known as white sugar, this is a traditional ingredient in baking homemade cookies.
• Eggs – Large eggs, ideally room temperature are best for making a creamy, soft cookie dough.
• Instant vanilla pudding – One (3.4 oz.) package of instant pudding mix is used in this for this pudding cookie recipe. The vanilla pudding will act as a flavor enhancer and will also add to the dense, chewy texture to the cookies.
• Vanilla extract – Vanilla is another traditional cookie ingredient that lends to the flavor of the cookie dough.
• Chocolate chips – Semi-sweet chocolate chips are being used in this recipe, however you can also substitute milk chocolate, dark chocolate or even white chocolate chips in this recipe.
• Mini M&M chocolate candies – Mini M&M’s are most often found in the candy section of the grocery store. Mini M&M’s are an ideal size for chocolate chip cookies, but regular plain M&M’s can also be used instead.

How to Make Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

1. Cream butter and sugar. Cream together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. You can use a hand mixer, a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a wooden spoon. The texture should be light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs, vanilla and pudding mix. Next add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Then, add in the pudding mix. Mix the dry pudding mix into the sugar mixture until it is well absorbed.
3. Dry ingredients. Combine the dry ingredients; flour, baking soda and salt. Be sure to whisk these together well to ensure there are no pockets of unsavory soda or salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a few spoonful’s at a time.
4. Add chocolate chips and M&Ms. Once all of the dry ingredients are well mixed and have formed a firm dough, add in the chocolate chips and mini M&M’s.
5. Chill dough. For best results, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
6. Scoop dough balls. Once dough has been refrigerated, you can now roll the cookie dough into balls and place on baking sheet. Rolling the dough into balls helps the cookies bake evenly and allows for a uniform shape.
7. Bake. Bake the cookies. You will bake them slightly longer than the standard cookie recipe, however, the cold dough will need a few extra minutes to bake through. It will certainly be worth it, as it results in perfectly golden cookies crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside.
8. Let cool. Once the pudding cookies are done baking, let them sit on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to a baking rack to cool completely.

Storage and Freezing

• Storage – Cookies will keep for 4-5 days at room temperature, when stored in an airtight container. 
• Freezing – Cookies can be frozen. Store in an airtight freezer container or freezer bag. The cookies will keep frozen for up to three months.
• Freezing dough – the fully mixed cookie dough can be frozen. For best results, place the mixed dough on to a piece of parchment paper or press-and-seal wrap. Press the dough into a disk and wrap tightly in the paper or wrap. Place the wrapped dough into a freezer bag. The dough will keep for up to three months frozen. When ready to bake, thaw to room temperature before baking off the cookies.

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies Variations

Vanilla pudding isn’t the only option for making pudding cookies. There are several combinations of pudding mixes and mix-in options to create amazing cookies are a few ideas:

• Double Butterscotch: butterscotch pudding mix, 1 cup of butterscotch chips and ½ cup of pretzel pieces mixed into the batter.
• White Chocolate Pistachio: pistachio pudding mix, 1 cup of white chocolate chips and ½ cup of chopped pistachios.
• Peanut Butter Chocolate: chocolate pudding mix, 1 cup of Reese’s Pieces candies and ½ cup of cocoa powder added to the dry ingredients. Note: for flour amount use just 1 ½ cups, instead of 2 cups to keep the dry ingredient ratio sound.

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Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

Super chewy and flavorful, these EASY Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies are made with vanilla pudding mix, chocolate chips and mini M&M's!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword chocolate chip pudding cookies, pudding cookies

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes minutes

Total Time 24 minutes minutes

Servings 36 cookies

Calories 103kcal

Author Erin Indahl-Fink

Ingredients

• ¾ cup butter room temperature
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3.4 ounce package, instant vanilla pudding mix
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup mini M&M’s candies

Instructions

• In a mixing bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Mixture should be light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix to combine. Add in dry pudding mix and mix together until smooth. Set mixture aside.
• In a separate bowl, add the flour, baking soda and salt. Whisk together to combine.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients, a few spoonfuls at a time, to the wet ingredients. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated and smooth. The batter will be thick.
• Using a wooden spoon or rubber scraper, add the chocolate chips and M&M’s to the batter. Mix until just combined. Cover the bowl of cookie dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
• Once dough has chilled, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
• Begin rolling the cookie dough into 1” balls, placing the cookies on the prepared baking sheet. Space the cookies evenly. Twelve cookies will fit on a single sheet.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown and center is set.
• Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
• If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.

Nutrition

Calories: 103kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 76mg | Potassium: 50mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 33IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies appeared first on Best Dessert Recipes .

Pecans are healthy and may help lower blood pressure. Eating some of these cookies after a long day might help lower your blood pressure, too (though we’re not medical professionals!).

Pecan Cookies

Christmas pecans are popular, covered in sugar and cinnamon, but they are also amazing year-round. All sorts of recipes can be made from pecans, and one of the favorites is the praline cookie. This pecan cookie is a close cousin.

Pecans are good in cookies for a lot of reasons. The nutty flavor perfectly offsets the sweetness of a cookie while they also add texture. In this recipe they are also the star of the show, mixed into the cookie but also pressed into the top of the dough.

What You’ll Need

• Unsalted butter– we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – unsalted butter is the hero in baking, and using salted butter is a no-go. You can always put more salt in, but you can never take it out.
• Brown sugar– always pack your brown sugar. Make sure to get all of the powdery goodness that you can into that cup.
• Vanilla extract– get it from the store, or make your own homemade vanilla extract, but this is an essential ingredient that rounds out the flavor in nearly every baked good.
• Egg– eggs provide so many levels of goodness in baking from leavening to color as well as flavor and color. Choose large eggs when baking.
• Fine sea salt– sea salt adds the best flavor to baked goods like these pecan cookies while also elevating the other flavors in a recipe.
• All-purpose flour– make sure your bag of flour in the pantry is all-purpose and not self-rising. This kitchen all-star is the base for most baked goods and other recipes.
• Pecans– if you’re blessed enough to have a pecan tree with nuts falling, hang on to them for a week, and follow proper processes to let them dry before using them in the recipe. Otherwise, easily purchase pecans at your local shop.

How To Make Pecan Cookies

1. Preheat oven and prepare baking sheet. Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using parchment paper protects your pans and makes cleanup easy. Set the sheet aside after it is prepared.
2. Cream butter and sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Make sure the butter is softened to make the creaming process smoother.
3. Add eggs, vanilla, salt and flour. Combine the mixture of the butter and brown sugar with the vanilla, egg and salt. Blend until all ingredients are completely incorporated. Slowly add the flour until just mixed.
4. Fold in pecans. Next, fold in the pecans by hand, using a large spoon or spatula. The pecan cookies dough mixture should be slightly crumbly.
5. Roll dough. Using your hands, roll the dough into 24 balls close to the size of golf balls. Place rolled balls onto the cookie sheet.
6. Flatten cookies. Dip the bottom of a pint glass into flour. Tap off excess flour and flatten each cookie, re-flouring as necessary.
7. Add pecans. Gently press a whole pecan into the top of each cookie.
8. Bake. Bake until the bottom edges are just lightly browned.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s easy– your stand mixer will do nearly all the work for you!
• You have the ingredients- nearly all of these ingredients are an arms-length away in your kitchen.
• So fast– whip together these cookies in less than 10 minutes, and then bake them for about 15. You couldn’t ask for a quicker cookie!
• They’re pretty– even though these pecan cookies are basic cookies, pressing that perfect pecan in the top makes them so pretty.

Variations on Pecan Cookies

Want fancier pecan cookies? Throw in some additions to make them even better!

• Almond Extract– make these nutty cookies even nuttier by swapping out the vanilla for almond extract.
• Powdered sugar icing- once you’ve pushed that pecan in, glaze the top of these with some powdered sugar icing to make them both pretty and sweeter.
• Dried fruit– toss in some dried cranberries or small raisins to the batter make these cookies seasonal, or just a little more fun.

Print

Pecan Cookies

With less than 10 simple ingredients, you will have a batch of these buttery Pecan Cookies whipped up in no time! Perfect for any occasion!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword pecan cookies

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 24

Calories 174kcal

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 2/3 cup brown sugar packed
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 24 whole pecans

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar.
• Combine with the vanilla, egg and salt, blending until fully incorporated.
• Slowly add the flour until just mixed, then add pecans, folding by hand. The mixture will be a little crumbly.
• Roll dough into 24 golf-ball-sized balls.
• Place balls onto the cookie sheet and dip the bottom of a pint glass into flour, tapped off excess, flatten each cookie, re-flouring when needed.
• Gently press a whole pecan into the top of each cookie.
• Bake for 14-15 minutes or until the bottom edges are just lightly browned.
• Remove and allow to cool in the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then move to a wire cooling rack to cool fully.
• If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how they were in the comments or star ratings!

Notes

For an added touch, once you’ve pushed that pecan in, glaze the top of these with some powdered sugar icing to make them both pretty and sweeter.

Nutrition

Calories: 174kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 30mg | Potassium: 49mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 250IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Pecan Cookies appeared first on Best Dessert Recipes .

And the best part- they are super easy to make! I used refrigerated cookie dough and brownie mix to whip these up. They will be the talk of the town.

What You’ll Need

• Boxed brownie mix– I used a standard 18.3 ounce box. Make sure to grab the ingredients you’ll need to make the brownies, likely oil and eggs. If you only want to make 12 peanut butter brookies, I’ve included instructions on how to bake off the other half of the brownie mix with the cookie dough.
• Refrigerated cookie dough– Grab a roll or the sheet that is already portioned into tidy little squares. Again, you can use the whole 24 or just do 12 and make the other into regular brookie bars… or just stash the cookie dough in the back of fridge for late night cravings. I won’t judge.
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups– You need the full size cups and lots of them. Head to one of the big box stores or grab the larger bag in the candy aisle rather than buying them all in 2-packs.
• Cooking Spray- While I usually don’t even list this as an ingredient, these guys are gooey and tend to get stuck. Making sure they are well lubricated is paramount to getting them to come back out again.

How to Make Peanut Butter Cup Brookies

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and very generously grease two regular size muffin tins. Or just one, depends on how many you want to make.
2. Prepare the brownie mix according to the package directions and set it aside. I don’t suggest making cake-like brownies if it gives you the option. Instead, go for fudgy or regular. I made my brownie batter in a large glass measuring cup so I could easily pour it. Do this or use mixing bowls with a spout.
3. Break apart the cookie dough squares and press them into the base of each muffin well or take about a golf-ball size piece and smoosh it in.
4. Top each cookie with a PB cup.
5. Pour the brownie batter over each, just enough to cover them, about 75% of the way full.
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the brownie batter is cracked and not jiggly. Don’t over cook or the cookie on the bottom will get hard.
7. Allow them to cool before gently popping from the pan. I recommend popping them out using a fork.

Make Half a Batch

These brookies are decadent and rich… not to mention a little on the pricey side after you buy all those peanut butter cups. If you just want to make a half batch of the peanut butter cup brookies, you can make a small tray of regular brookie bars with the remaining cookie dough and brownie batter.

1. Grease an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Press the cookie dough into the bottom, making it as even as possible. Pour the brownie batter over the dough.
3. Bake for 35-38 minutes or until the brownie batter is set and slightly cracked.
4. Remove and allow to cool before cutting. Cutting this type of brownie is easier with a plastic knife because it slides through instead of sticking.

How to Eat Peanut Butter Cup Brookies

The most obvious way is to, of course, just eat it. But I actually like mine warm and gooey. Place it in the microwave for 15-20 seconds and enjoy with a fork.

They are also amazing for constructing a brookie sundae. Top with vanilla ice cream, fudge or caramel sauce and then regular or even chocolate whipped cream and a cherry.

Storage & Freezing

Peanut butter brookies are best stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Of course, they are best enjoyed the first day of baking, but will last up to 5 days.

They can also be frozen in an airtight container or in a large plastic bag. Thaw at room temperature on a plate for about 30 minutes. You can also give them a quick trip in the microwave to revive the gooeyness.

More Delicious Chocolate Desserts

Mississippi Mud Brownies

Using an upgraded box mix, this Mississippi Mud Brownies recipe has a gooey brownie layer, fluffy marshmallow and decadent ganache!

Check out this recipe

Coffee Cheesecake Bars

Satisfy your chocolate and coffee craving in one bite with these indulgent Coffee Cheesecake Bars with a Brownie Bottom!

Check out this recipe

Print

Peanut Butter Cup Brookies

Enjoy 3 of the best desserts combined into one bite sized treat with these EASY Peanut Butter Cup Brookies. Only 3 ingredients and 30 minutes!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword brookie recipe, peanut butter brookies

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 24

Calories 265kcal

Equipment

• muffin tins

Ingredients

• 18.3 ounce brownie mix plus the eggs and oil to make the brownies
• 16 ounces refrigerated cookie dough I like the ones that break into squares
• 24 full size Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
• cooking spray

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350°F and very generously grease two regular size muffin tins.
• Prepare the brownie mix according to the package directions; set aside.*
• Break apart the cookie dough squares and press them into the base of each muffing well.
• Top each with a PB cup.
• Pour the brownie batter over each, just enough to cover them, about 75% of the way full.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the brownie batter is cracked and not jiggly.
• Allow them to cool before gently popping from the pan. I recommend popping them out using a fork.
• If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.

Notes

To make half peanut butter brookies and half brookie bars:

1. Grease an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Press the cookie dough into the bottom, making it as even as possible. Pour the brownie batter over the dough.
3. Bake for 35-38 minutes or until the brownie batter is set and slightly cracked.
4. Remove and allow to cool before cutting. Cutting this type of brownie is easier with a plastic knife because it slides through instead of sticking.

Nutrition

Calories: 265kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 179mg | Potassium: 86mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 17IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Peanut Butter Cup Stuffed Brookies appeared first on Best Dessert Recipes .

Now everyone claims they have the best peanut butter cookies recipe. But everyone has their own requirements for their favorite cookies. So instead of claiming these are the best ever, I’m just going to say they’re my favorite.

I love a chewy cookie, and that’s exactly what these peanut butter oatmeal cookies are. They’re slightly crisp along the edges with a soft and chewy interior. The oats add a fantastic texture to the cookies and the peanut butter chips just add another terrific peanut butter element.

Ingredients

• Flour – No need for a fancy flour for this recipe, all purpose flour is perfect. It provides structure and also makes a cookie either crisp, chewy or crumbly based on the amount used.
• Baking soda – This is used as a leavening agent. When baked, it releases carbon dioxide that makes cookies light and fluffy.
• Peanut butter – You can use chunky peanut butter here if you wish, I just prefer creamy peanut butter. You can also substitute natural peanut butter or even other kinds of nut butters like almond butter too.
• Butter – I always prefer using unsalted butter when baking. That way I can choose the amount of salt going into the cookies. Salted butter will also work if that’s what you have, just make sure it’s softened.
• Brown sugar – I use light brown sugar for these cookies. When measuring brown sugar, always make sure it is packed to ensure you’re getting the right amount in your baking.
• Sugar – We are using a regular granulated white sugar for these chewy peanut butter oatmeal cookies.
• Eggs – Eggs act as a binding agent for baked goods. They also help to give a little color and rich flavor to cookies too. Always assume a recipe calls for large eggs if it’s not specified.
• Vanilla extract – Vanilla is a great way to add another dimension of flavor to your baking. It’s subtle, but it makes for the best cookies.
• Old-fashioned oats – I do not recommend using quick oats (cut into smaller pieces) or steel cut oats (not rolled) for the best peanut butter oatmeal cookies. Old fashioned oats are rolled and flat which provides optimal texture and also a nutty flavor.
• Peanut butter chips – To really amp up that peanut butter flavor, I like to add in peanut butter chips. You could also use regular chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, Reese’s pieces or even peanut butter cups.

How to Make Easy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

1. Combine dry ingredients. Sift together the flour and baking soda and set aside. Siftin evely combines the dry ingredients and reduces clumps meaning less mixing and lighter, softer cookies in the long run. I like using a hand crank sifter.
2. Cream peanut butter and butter. In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the peanut butter and butter together until smooth.
3. Add sugars, vanilla and eggs. Next add in the brown and granulated sugar and mix until smooth. Add vanilla and the eggs one at a time until fully mixed.
4. Add dry ingredients. Next add the flour mixture and stir until combined, scraping down the sides as needed.
5. Oats and peanut butter chips. Add the oats and peanut butter chips, mix until just combined. Cover with plastic wrap and place the bowl into the fridge to chill slightly.

6. Prepare oven and cookie sheets. Preheat the oven and line cookie sheet with parchment paper to prevent the cookies from sticking. Insulated cookie sheets are awesome to make sure air gets all the way around the cookie. Otherwise, a heavy duty sheet controls heat the best.
7. Scoop dough. Roll the dough with your hands to form balls. Place on the sheet trays spaced apart. Top with more peanut butter chips if you wish for a pretty presentation.
8. Bake cookies. Bake until the edges are lightly golden brown and the tops appear dry. Let cool on baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies Variations

To amp up the peanut butter even more you can drizzle or dip them in a peanut butter glaze. These would also be fantastic with a basic powdered sugar glaze or a drizzle of melted chocolate on top of the cookie.

The original recipe calls for peanut butter chips, but try mixing it up by using regular chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, Reese’s pieces or even peanut butter cups.

You can use crunchy peanut butter for an added texture. You can also try substituting other nut butters like sunflower or almond butter for a different flavor.

Storage and Freezing

These peanut butter oatmeal cookies keep at room temperature for up to 5 days in an airtight container. If you have lots of leftovers, you can freeze them for up to 3 months. 

These cookies are best served at room temperature, so just make sure to take them out of the refrigerator or freezer in plenty of time to enjoy them.

More easy cookie recipes:

• Applesauce Cookies
• Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
• Cheesecake Cookies

Potato Chip Cookies

If you want the best of a crispy cookie with a soft cookie, both salty and sweet? Then these Potato Chip Chocolate Chip Cookies are for you!

Check out this recipe

Print

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Crispy on the edges and chewy in the middle, these EASY Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies are a peanut butter lovers dream come true!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword oatmeal cookies, peanut butter cookies, peanut butter oatmeal cookies

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 13 minutes minutes

Chill Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 53 minutes minutes

Servings 56

Calories 140kcal

Equipment

• wire cooling racks
• hand crank sifter
• electric hand mixer
• stand mixer
• cookie sheet

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup unsalted butter , softened
• 1 1/4 cup light brown sugar , packed
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cup old fashioned oats (rolled oats)
• 1 1/2 cup peanut butter chips

Instructions

• Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside. If you don't have a sifter, whisk them together in a bowl.
• In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the peanut butter and butter together until smooth.
• Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the bowl, and mix until smooth.
• Add the eggs one at a time until fully mixed in followed by the vanilla.
• Add the flour mixture and stir until combined, scraping down the sides as needed.
• Fold in the oats and peanut butter chips by hand, mix until just combined. Cover with plastic wrap and place the bowl into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line sheet trays with parchment paper.
• Roll 1 ½ tablespoons of the dough with your hands to form balls. Place on the parchment paper lined sheet trays about 3 inches apart. Top with more peanut butter chips if you wish for a pretty presentation.
• Bake for 11-13 minutes until the edges are lightly golden brown and the tops appear dry. Let cool on the sheet trays for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.

Notes

These peanut butter oatmeal cookies keep at room temperature for up to 5 days in an airtight container. If you have lots of leftovers, you can freeze them for up to 3 months. 

Nutrition

Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 58mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 110IU | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies appeared first on Best Dessert Recipes .