Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies
Chewy chocolate and peanut butter cookie dough swirled together for a perfect blend of rich cocoa and nutty sweetness. A decadent and irresistible treat!
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Start by taking butter out of the fridge about an hour before baking. You want it soft enough that your finger leaves an indent when pressed, but not so warm it’s melting.
- While the butter’s softening, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- In a large bowl (or your stand mixer if you’ve got one), cream together the softened butter and both sugars for about 3-4 minutes. You’re looking for it to get really light and fluffy – the color will actually change to a pale beige.
- Beat in eggs one at a time, letting each one mix in completely before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula – there’s always some butter mixture hiding there! Add the vanilla and mix until just combined.
- Gradually add your dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed. Stop as soon as you see the flour disappear – overmixing will make tough cookies. The dough will be pretty thick and fudgy looking.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, powdered sugar, and milk until smooth. This makes your peanut butter swirl mixture more workable and adds a nice sweetness.
- Chill both the chocolate dough and peanut butter mixture for about 30 minutes. The dough will be much easier to work with when it’s cool.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop about 2 tablespoons of chocolate dough and roll into a ball. Make a thumb-sized indent in the center and add about 1 teaspoon of the peanut butter mixture. Fold the chocolate dough around it and roll again, then give it a gentle squeeze to create a slight marbled effect.
- Place cookies about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets – they’ll spread a bit. Slightly flatten each cookie with your palm.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. You’ll know they’re done when the edges are set but the center still looks slightly soft – they’ll continue cooking a bit on the hot pan after you take them out. If you wait until they look completely done in the oven, they’ll end up overbaked.
- Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will firm up as they cool, giving you that perfect chewy center.