Welcome to day 9 in Sally’s Cookie Palooza!!!
If there’s a serious lack of peanut butter in your life, you should double up. Or if there’s never a lack of peanut butter in your life, you should double up. Basically, there’s always a time and a place for peanut butter cookie sandwiches stuffed with more peanut butter.
These cookies are ridiculous. Crisp on the edges, soft centers, super chewy. Filled with thick peanut butter filling that’ll have you reaching for a cold glass of milk quicker than you can say I just ate a calorie bomb.
Best part? Somehow they taste exactly like the beloved nutter butter cookies in our junk food stashes. (Also hiding there: york peppermint patties, peanut butter M&Ms, cheez its. I’m actually salivating as I type this.) They also remind me of Do-Si-Do’s, the peanut butter girl scout cookie. This is very dangerous, but this is also very good.
Let’s see how they’re made!
We’re working with a peanut butter oatmeal cookie today. Very straightforward. I recommend using a commercial brand creamy peanut butter for the dough and the filling. Natural or homemade varieties are a little too oily. I typically use Jif or Skippy.
This is a no-chill dough recipe. Hallelujah! No waiting around! The dough is pretty sturdy and won’t over-spread in the oven, so that’s why it’s OK to skip the chilling step. In fact, they need a little nudge in the spreading direction. Take a measuring cup or the bottom of a glass and gently press the dough balls down before baking. (Watch how I did that in the video above. So simple.)
The peanut butter cookies are great and all, but the filling is the center of attention. It’s just 3 ingredients: peanut butter, a bit of confectioners’ sugar to thicken, and honey to smooth it out. I added the honey at the last minute and I’m sooooo glad I did. The filling is super peanut buttery and doesn’t taste like frosting (aka over-sweetened). Rather, it’s like a very thick and smooth peanut butter. If that makes sense?
You can spread the filling between two cookies or pipe it on. I had my piping bag out for something else, so I just used my Wilton #12 round tip. Honestly, it tastes good no matter how it’s slathered onto the cookie.
If it even makes it onto the cookies!!! I couldn’t stop eating it.
Who needs jelly?
See all cookie palooza recipes.
Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwiches
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup (95g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
- 1 cup (80g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup (5 Tablespoons; 75g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup (170g) creamy peanut butter*
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Frosting
- 1 cup (250g) creamy peanut butter*
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1/4 cup (30g) confectioners' sugar
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together until combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla extract and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined.
- Scoop cookie dough into balls, about 2 heaping teaspoons of dough per cookie (almost 1 Tablespoon-- any size around here is great), and arrange 3 inches apart on the baking sheets. Using the back of a measuring cup or drinking glass, gently press down on each dough ball to slightly flatten. Bake for 10-11 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and appear set.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before sandwiching.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the frosting ingredients together until combined and smooth. Spread the frosting onto the flat side of one cookie and sandwich with the other. (Or you can use a piping tip-- I used piping tip #12 to pipe the frosting onto the cookies before sandwiching.) Repeat with remaining.
- Cookies will stay fresh covered at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for 1 week.
Make ahead tip: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Allow to come to room temperature before continuing with step 4. Baked cookie sandwiches freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature, if desired, before serving. Unbaked cookie dough balls will freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Click here for my tips and tricks on freezing cookie dough.
Recipe Notes:
*I don't recommend a natural or homemade peanut butter for the cookies or filling. You want a thick, non-oily creamy peanut butter such as Jif or Skippy.
Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
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Here are some items I used to make today’s recipe.
KitchenAid Stand Mixer | KitchenAid Hand Mixer | Silpat Baking Mat | Cookie Sheet | Cooling Rack
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Hi Sally, another quick question regarding baking with non-stick pans… do I need to adjust the oven temp… i.e. for this recipe do I need to reduce the temp from 350 to 325? Thanks so much
Hi Bernice! No need to reduce the temperature if using non-stick pans.
HUGE hit with my peanut butter-loving guy! He was leaning against the sink eating one and started swinging his foot like a little kid, haha. Thank you for the recipe!
Haha – I can picture this happening! Glad they were a hit 🙂
Sally is there a reason for the smooth versus crunchy peanut butter? I have the crunchy on hand.
You can absolutely use crunchy! Either work.
I made these Saturday, they were a definite hit!!! My husband loved them. My daughter took a few to a friend’s house, their Dad took them and ate them all, he said these are amazing, who made them? They weren’t happy with him LOL! I am ask to make more!!! Thanks for a fabulous recipe!!!
I’m so happy that they were such a hit with everyone!!
Another winner! I could eat the filling by itself with a spoon! But together with the cookies…mmmm! Thanks again Sally! Happy New Years!
loooove these!!! I absolutely need them in my life-pinning!
These are delicious! Made according to recipe. LOVED the oats. Thanks for all the wonderful recipes, Sally!
THESE COOKIES ARE TO DIE FOR!!!
I love peanut butter and have never found *the one* that awesome cookie recipe, but when i found this, i had to look NO MORE!!!!
You will NOT regret this. It doesn’t matter how much you make-they are delicious!
Sally, your awesome, and just thank you! You have no idea how long i have waited for something like this.
YAY!!! I’m thrilled that you landed on this as your “One” 🙂
Would quick oats mess up the cookies?
I was wondering this same thing.
How can I add chocolate to these? And what kind should it be? Thank you! They look amazing!!!
Hi Stacy! You could fill them with a chocolate ganache and/or add chocolate chips to the cookie dough. Follow this recipe for chocolate ganache: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2018/09/06/homemade-eclairs/
and wait for it to cool and thicken before filling the cookie sandwiches.
These are the best dang peanut butter cookies EVER!!! They taste just like do-si-do’s to me and they freeze beautifully even after they’ve been assembled. Definitely my go to peanut butter cookie from now on.