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What is the only way to make a truly perfect cookie… better? Add buttercream. Peanut butter buttercream, to be exact. My Rainbow M&M Cookies are now MINI (i love cute things!!) and double stuffed, over-filled, and bursting with buttery, creamy peanut butter buttercream.
If you’re like me and are completely, totally, and 100% obsessed with Averie Cooks, then you may recall her recent Apricot Butterscotch & White Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter-Filled Sandwich Cookies. She took her basic, go-to cookie dough and loaded it with white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and apricots. What a combination! Averie & I share a love for the same basic cookie dough recipe, a recipe based off of the Cooks Illustrated recipe for Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies.
I’ve used the dough recipe for several of my recent cookies because…. it’s a guarantee. This basic recipe produces thick, chewy, unbelievably soft cookies.
The peanut butter buttercream filling is extremely decadent in today’s cookies. Like, hand-me-a-TALL-glass-of-milk-decadent. It’s rich and THICK. It’s much different than the silky peanut butter frosting I used to frost my brownie cupcakes. No, this buttercream is comparable to the thick sandwich filling in Oreos and I credit that to the smidge of heavy cream I used in my recipe. You may use any type of milk or even half-and-half, but I had leftover heavy cream in my fridge, so I figured what-the-heck!
A buttercream’s thickness is directly related to the ratio of liquid vs sugar.
I used very little heavy cream in this buttercream and a decent amount of confectioners sugar, thus producing a stick-to-the-roof-of-my-mouth frosting.
The mini M&Ms and peanut butter buttercream filling pair wonderfully together, just as one would imagine. Peanut Butter M&Ms are my favorite and I get the same fudgy/PB effect in today’s cookie recipe. 
| Mini Rainbow M&M Cookies with Peanut Butter Buttercream |
- 2 cups + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) salted butter, softened to room temp
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1.5 cups mini M&Ms
- peanut butter buttercream filling (recipe below)
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Mix the flour and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. With an electric or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together on medium speed. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well. Gradually add the flour mixture and stir until a dough forms. Fold in mini M&Ms.
- Chill dough for AT LEAST one hour (I chilled mine for 24 hours).
- Drop cookie dough into small uniform sized balls (mine were about 1 tsp of dough each, which are TINY, but bake them any size you’d like) onto ungreased baking sheet or silpat. Bake for 8-11 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. The centers should appear soft and puffy. Let cool completely on wire rack.
- Once completely cooled, stuff cookies generously with peanut butter buttercream filling (recipe below).
*Buttercream filled cookie sandwiches should be stored in the refrigerator.
Peanut Butter Buttercream Filling
makes about 4 cups
- 6 Tbsp salted butter, softened to room temperature
- 6 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted (plus extra if needed)
- 1 Tbsp cream or milk or half-and-half (plus extra if needed)
Cream butter and peanut butter on medium-high speed with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add vanilla extract and 2 cups confectioners’ sugar. Beat for 2-3 minutes, or until mixture is smooth and thick. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed. Add milk/cream/half-and-half and beat for another minute. Add 1 more cup of confectioners’ sugar and continue adding until you reached desired consistancy. I added exactly 3 cups. Once cookies are completely cooled, stuff cookies generously with peanut butter buttercream filling.
Here are my original, full-sized, un-stuffed Rainbow M&M Cookies:
{ 36 comments… read them below or add one }
Amazing! These are my kind of cookie!
Jessica@AKitchenAddiction recently posted..Grilled Banana Sundaes
Thanks for linking up and trying my PB buttercream and yes, we share a love for super thick frosting. When I made it as well, it was really thick. I use half and half in all my baking. I don’t buy much milk but I always have half-and-half on hand (for coffee..or baking!) so that’s what I used but really, it’s all about the butter/confectioners sugar ratio as you mentioned and basically getting as much sugar into that butter as it will “hold”. The more you cram in, the thicker it’s going to be…which I love
Averie @ Averie Cooks recently posted..3 Vegan Cookbooks Giveaway
There is no doubt that these amazing cookies would last one minute at my place
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Choc Chip Uru recently posted..I Love Thee, Microwaves!
Sandwich cookies are so fun. Love these Sally!
Cassie recently posted..Wednesday Ramblings
Okay, so wait. Back up a second here.
Not only are these MINI cookies, which means that I’m required by law to eat at least 4 of them, but they are ALSO full of some of the most delicious sounding peanut butter frosting to date?
Imma need my fat pants.
Karly recently posted..Jalapeño Cornbread Cheddar Bites
Hahahaha Karly your comments make me laugh uncontrollably. And yes, mini things = required to pop about 4 or 5 into your mouth. Kinda like your mini corndogs!
whoa, these cookies are super intense! i wonder what they’d be like with reese’s pieces instead of the m&ms….
Sarah K. @ The Pajama Chef recently posted..Cookie Dough Dip
Yum! Anything with peanut butter and M&M’s in the same recipe is all good with me!!
I sent you an email about helping in a bake sale I am doing – are you interested?
Thanks Erin! I will write you back!
Sally, these cookies are amazing! Such gorgeous pictures, too! So, so glad I found your site! And I’m totally drooling here over that peanut butter buttercream–heaven!!
Ashley @ Kitchen Meets Girl recently posted..Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Pudding {and a Giveaway!}
Ashley, thank you so much. I struggle with my photos sometimes, so that means a lot!
Sandwich cookies are the best because you get two cookies for the price of one!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust recently posted..Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcakes
I like your thinking Dorothy
i love that these are mini and are stuffed with peanut butter buttercream!! i can’t think of a better way to eat these..well, a glass of milk to help me out a little but other than that, this is perfection!
Julie @ Table for Two recently posted..Roasted Red Pepper Pesto
The THICK pb buttercream filling def calls for a tall glass of milk! Thanks Julie!
Sally, These just look fabulous! I’ve never had peanut butter buttercream, and now I think I’m going to have to try it. I also slways love a good sandwich cookie; it’s such a good excuse to eat 2 cookies:)
Laura Dembowski recently posted..Graham Crackers
Thank you Laura! PB Buttercream is a MUST try! Promise me you’ll try some soon
Turning these up a notch with the butter cream. For the win!
Michael @ BlueberryChuckle recently posted..Spinach Scrambled Eggs
Haha yes! definitely kicked up a notch, buttercream makes everything better. Thanks Michael!
These are INSANE! I am in total and utter love! Being a frosting girl through and through – a few of these would satisfy my cravings completely.
Reeni recently posted..Wordless Wednesday: Moon The Kitchen Cat
Oh Sally. I knew these would be good. Sign me up for a few (read 10)! That frosting looks dreamy!!
Back For Seconds recently posted..Triple Chocolate Candy Cookies
The frosting is definitely DREAMY!
You just keep posting better stuff every day:-) Good thing I have on stretchy pants…the other ones won’t fit after I get ahold of that frosting!!! Thick and stick to the roof of my mouth sounds just perfect!!!
Jocelyn @BruCrew Life recently posted..Marshmallow Kit Kat Ice Cream
Hahahaha Jocelyn I think I’ll need my stretchy pants if I eat another one of them. Thankfully, I brought the rest into work and they disappeared!
How fun! I haven’t seen mini m&ms in ages!
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious recently posted..Buffalo Chicken Cups and Giveaway Winner
Thank you! I love little mini M&Ms, they are so fun to bake with.
Your description of that peanut butter buttercream is making me positively drool!
Sally @ Spontaneous Hausfrau recently posted..Zucchini Arugula Salad
haha Sally you are too funny! And yes, thinking about that buttercream (it’s all gone!) is making me positively drool too…
Okay, you twisted my arm. I’ll run and go get some elastic-waistband pants now. Jeez louise, these look superfantastic. Small and rich and creamy and chewy and pretty much the stuff my dreams are made out of. Yeah, most people dream as if they’re in a rom-com, or on a beach, or beating stuff up as a ninja (if you’re my boyfriend), but I dream of this. Perfect, petite cookies stuffed with the most decadent peanut butter frosting evah. I love you.
Hayley recently posted..Pretzel-Bottom Oatmeal Scotchie Bars
Hahaha I dream about buttercream Hayley… it’s all good. <3 you too miss cookie dough queen!
Sandwich cookies…..peanut butter buttercream….I’m dying! WHY does it have to be 90 degrees in my kitchen right now? What I wouldn’t give for central air. Maybe I’ll just make this frosting and eat it with a spoon.
Meghan @ After the Ivy League recently posted..Throwback Thursday and Honey Goat Cheese Fruit Dip
Hey Meghan! It’s 104F wher eI am right now and all I want is cold buttercream haha.. is that weird?
I love how colourful your blog is! These look beautiful. Also: I love your blog! So I’ve nominated you for the versatile bloggers award. Check out the post to find out more =] http://food-fork-and-good.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/herb-crusted-chicken-with-veggie-fries.html
Emma @ Food, Fork and Good recently posted..Herb Crusted Chicken with Veggie Fries & Onion Crumb
Thank you so much Emma! You are so sweet.
These are too cute! M&M’s are my absolute fav! Next to chocolate covered pretzels of course!
Laurie {Simply Scratch} recently posted..Grilled Vegetable Panzanella
i think i ight have to combine mini m&ms AND choc covered pretzels one of these days!