Description
These Peanut Butter Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies combine rich cocoa flavors with creamy peanut butter and a crunchy peanut coating. This easy-to-make cookie recipe features a soft, chocolatey dough that’s rolled in chopped peanuts, baked, then filled with a smooth peanut butter filling and drizzled with melted chocolate for the perfect sweet and salty treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup All-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Unsalted butter (softened)
- 2/3 cup Sugar
- 1 Egg (separated; save the egg white)
- 2 Tablespoons Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Toppings and Fillings
- 1 cup Peanuts (finely chopped)
- 1 cup Peanut Butter
- 1/4 cup Powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt until evenly mixed.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter and sugar. Mix for about 5 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and well incorporated.
- Add wet ingredients: Add the egg yolk, milk, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and continue mixing until fully incorporated.
- Form cookie dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, half a cup at a time, mixing after each addition until a cohesive dough forms.
- Chill dough: Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour to firm up.
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Shape cookies: Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it into 1-inch balls, using about 1 ½ tablespoons of dough per ball.
- Coat with egg white and peanuts: Dip the bottom half of each dough ball into the reserved egg white, then immediately dip into chopped peanuts. Press the peanuts gently into the dough to adhere.
- Create thumbprint indentations: Use the back of a teaspoon to press a deep indentation into the center of each dough ball.
- Bake cookies: Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 350°F until set.
- Deepen indentations: After removing from oven, press the spoon again into each cookie to ensure the indentation is deep enough for filling.
- Cool cookies: Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare peanut butter filling: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the peanut butter and powdered sugar. Stir well. Heat in 15-second intervals, stirring between each, until the mixture is pourable, about 30 seconds total.
- Fill cookies: Using a ½ teaspoon, fill the indentations in each cookie with the peanut butter mixture.
- Melt chocolate: Place chocolate chips in a microwave-safe dish and heat in 5-second increments, stirring after each, until melted and smooth.
- Drizzle chocolate: Spoon the melted chocolate over the filled cookies for a beautiful finish.
- Set toppings: Allow the cookies to sit at room temperature until the peanut butter filling and chocolate drizzle have firmed up.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is essential to prevent spreading and helps the cookies hold their shape.
- Use room temperature butter for easier mixing and better texture.
- If you don’t have chopped peanuts, you may substitute with finely chopped almonds or leave them off for a smoother cookie.
- Ensure cookies are completely cool before filling to prevent melting the peanut butter filling.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
