Buckeye Cookies
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Even if you’re on Santa’s naughty list, I have a feeling he’ll still be making his way to your house when you have a batch of my Buckeye Cookies waiting for him!
These cookies are everything you love about a Buckeye candy, but in cookie form. A rich, fudgy, brownie-like chocolate cookie is topped with a creamy peanut butter confection and finished with even more chocolate. Basically, it’s what happens when a fudgy brownie and a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup collide, and the result is seriously decadent.
If you’ve never had a traditional Buckeye, they’re made with sweet peanut butter fudge that’s partially dipped in chocolate, leaving a little circle of peanut butter peeking out on top. These cookies mimic that classic combination in the best way.
I’m using my chocolate peppermint cookie recipe as the base (minus the peppermint), then layering on the creamy peanut butter topping and a layer of my chocolate ganache. They’re rich, indulgent, and completely irresistible, and definitely worthy of a spot on your holiday cookie tray!
If you love peanut butter & chocolate as much as I do, make sure to check out these recipes too: Peanut Butter Cup Cookies, Best Peanut Butter Chip Cookies, Peanut Butter Monster Cookies, and Chocolate Dipped Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
- All the flavors of a Buckeye candy: If you love traditional Buckeye candies, you’re going to love this cookie version! You get that classic chocolate and peanut butter combination in every bite.
- Rich and fudgy: The chocolate cookie is soft, chewy, and wonderfully fudgy, making these a must-try if you’re a brownie lover.
- Chocolate + peanut butter perfection: The rich chocolate cookie, creamy peanut butter center, and extra chocolate topping make for a seriously irresistible combination.
- Easy to make: These cookies look impressive but are surprisingly simple to make, making them perfect for holiday baking.
- Perfect for cookie exchanges: Looking for something a little different for your holiday cookie tray or cookie exchange? These Buckeye Cookies are always a fun choice!
Table Talk with Tawnie
If you know me, you know I am a huge peanut butter & chocolate lover, so naturally these are one of my favorite cookies EVER. The brownie cookie base…creamy peanut butter topping, and chocolate ganache on top…and that flaky sea salt to finish is a dream come true! Be sure to check out my “how-to” post for making ganache for all my tips and tricks!
- All-purpose flour: As always, it’s essential to make sure you’re using the spoon-and-level method to measure your flour when baking. Too much flour can result in drier, harder cookies, which you don’t want with these!
- Espresso powder: It’s like a baker’s secret weapon! Espresso powder enhances and intensifies the chocolate flavor in these cookies.
- Dutch-process cocoa powder: If you can get your hands on Dutch-process cocoa, try that. If not regular cocoa works great too!
- Light or dark brown sugar: Either light or dark brown sugar works for this recipe! The brown sugar makes the cookie chewier, softer, and more moist compared to only using granulated sugar.
- Eggs: Eggs help to create structure and stability in the cookie dough. Use room temperature eggs to create a lighter, fluffier cookie.
Step by Step Directions
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Make the peanut butter mixture
Whisk dry ingredients
Whisk together the dry ingredients.
Add wet ingredients
Melt the chocolate chips and butter until smooth. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla, and let cool slightly. Beat the eggs and sugars until combined, then stir in the cooled chocolate mixture. Fold in the dry ingredients until combined, then chill the dough for 10 minutes.
Scoop and bake
Finish & enjoy!
Make the chocolate ganache. Then gently press the chilled peanut butter disk on top of the cooled cookies and add the chocolate ganache on top. Garnish with flaky sea salt and enjoy!!
Expert Tips
- Properly measure the flour: As with any baking recipe, make sure to spoon the flour into your measuring cup and use the back of a knife to level off the top. Do not scoop the flour out of the container/bag with your measuring cup because you could end up with 50% more than you need. See this baking tip video for an easy tutorial.
- Use Dutch-process cocoa: I prefer Dutch-process cocoa for these cookies because it gives them a deeper, darker color and a smooth, mellow chocolate flavor.
- Don’t skip chilling the dough: Trust me on this! Only 10 minutes is all it needs! Chilling the dough will help the cookies bake up thicker and help prevent spreading.
- Don’t overbake: The cookies should be soft, fudgy, and chewy, so be careful not to overbake them. They may look slightly gooey when you first pull them from the oven, but they’ll continue to set as they cool.
- Watch the chocolate carefully: When melting the chocolate chips and butter, keep a close eye on them and stir frequently to prevent the chocolate from overheating or burning.
The Holiday Cookie Series is back for the 2025 holiday season and full of festive, delicious ideas! From espresso martini cookies to iced oatmeal gingerbread cookies, there’s something for everyone!
Variations / Substitutions
- Gluten-free: Swap the all-purpose flour for Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour.
- Add sprinkles: For a festive holiday touch, add colorful sprinkles over the chocolate layer before it sets.
- Try white chocolate: Swap the semi-sweet or dark chocolate for white chocolate on top for a fun twist and a little extra sweetness.
- Make them caramel: For a totally different take on these cookies, skip the chocolate topping and drizzle the cookies with caramel instead. The caramel and peanut butter combination is delicious!
Storage / Freezing
Store these cookies in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To freeze: Scoop the dough into 3 Tbsp. sized balls and freeze in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You can bake the frozen cookie dough from frozen; just add an extra minute or so to your bake time.
FAQs
Can I substitute regular cocoa powder for the Dutch-process cocoa powder?
Yes! You can use regular unsweetened cocoa powder if that’s what you have on hand. The cookies may have a slightly lighter color and a slightly more pronounced chocolate flavor, but they’ll still be delicious.
Can I substitute crunchy peanut butter for creamy?
Yes, but keep in mind that crunchy peanut butter will change the texture and appearance of the peanut butter topping. I recommend using smooth, creamy peanut butter for the soft, creamy texture that makes these cookies so good.
I don’t recommend it for this recipe. The dough only needs 10 minutes in the refrigerator, and that quick chill helps the cookies bake up thicker and prevents them from spreading too much. It’s a small step that makes a difference!
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Ingredients
Peanut Butter Layer:
- 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter (softened)
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1¾ cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled )
- 1/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
- 2 tsp. espresso powder
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 8 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 cup chocolate chips (milk, semi-sweet or dark)
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs (room temperature )
- 3/4 cup light or dark brown sugar (tightly packed)
- 1/4 cup sugar
Chocolate Ganache:
- 6 oz high-quality semi-sweet or dark chocolate bars (finely chopped)
- 6 oz heavy cream (3/4 cup)
- 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter (room temperature)
- Flaky sea salt (optional)
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Make the peanut butter layer: Cream the butter, peanut butter, and salt together until smooth and creamy.
- Add powdered sugar: Add the powdered sugar on low speed until combined.1 cup powdered sugar
- Scoop and chill: Scoop the peanut butter mixture (about 1-ish Tbsp.) and roll into a ball. Flatten into a disk and place on a parchment paper-lined plate or baking sheet. Refrigerate while you make the cookies.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a medium-sized bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, Dutch cocoa powder, espresso powder, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Whisk and set aside.1¾ cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powder, 2 tsp. espresso powder, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. cornstarch , 1/2 tsp. salt
- Melted butter and chocolate: In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the chocolate chips and butter. Stir just until the ingredients are melted, and be careful to watch so the chocolate doesn't burn.8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, 1 cup chocolate chips
- Add vanilla: Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract and set aside to cool.2 tsp. vanilla extract
- Beat eggs and sugars: Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugars for 3-4 minutes, or until thick and pale in color. Start Timer2 large eggs, 3/4 cup light or dark brown sugar, 1/4 cup sugar
- Stir in chocolate: Using a rubber spatula, stir in the cooled chocolate/butter mixture until well combined.
- Combine ingredients: Add in the flour mixture and fold until combined; avoid over-mixing. The dough will look shiny.
- Chill: Chill cookie dough in the fridge for at least 10 minutes so the batter can thicken and look more like cookie dough. Start Timer (Chilling the dough will also help the cookies bake up thicker & help prevent spreading. Preheat oven to 350°F while dough chills.
- Scoop: Scoop batter using a cookie scoop so cookies come out even in size and roll into a ball in the palms of your hands. Place on a baking sheet or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes Start Timer. (Will make ~10 cookies, depending on the size of the scoop you use; I used a 3 Tbsp. scoop, but you can, of course, make smaller). Allow to cool on a cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the ganache: If it is very runny, allow the ganache to sit at room temperature for ~ 10 minutes until slightly thickened but still pourable. Start Timer6 oz high-quality semi-sweet or dark chocolate bars , 6 oz heavy cream, 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- Assemble cookies: Gently press the chilled peanut butter disk on top of the cooled cookies and flatten it on top of the cookie if it's too thick. Spoon the chocolate ganache over the peanut butter and garnish with flaky sea salt. ENJOY!
Notes
- Storage: Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days or freeze them for up to 3 months.
- 2026 recipe update: I recently updated this recipe to add my chocolate ganache on top and also updated it with new photos.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
📸 Photography by Angelica Oles
hello, can I use natural cocoa powder?
hi yes – they should turn out fine just might be a slightly different color cookie than the photos 🙂
Looking forward to making these! Can you freeze the cookie dough and then bake?
thank you so much! yes, that works!
These cookies are delicious. My grandkids new favorite.
I am so glad! Thank you:)
So good! I made these a few months ago and kind of forgot about them until a friend randomly asked when I was going to make them again. That was all it took for me to make a batch this weekend and they did not disappoint, I can’t believe I didn’t remember them! Surprisingly easy to throw together and I love that I didn’t need to buy any special ingredients. Don’t skip the salt, it adds the perfect extra something to round out the sweetness of these cookies. Will definitely be keeping this recipe close to make again and again.
yayyy I am so glad Mandy! Thanks so much 🙂
These are divine! As are all your recipes I have tried thus far! Every Sunday, I make a new dessert for my coworkers and family to try! These were already requested to make again!
Thank you soo much Whitney!! what a fun thing to do every Sunday! 🙂
These were amazing!! Definitely take the time to chill the batter. Extra time if you double the recipe.
I am so glad, thank you soo much Melissa! 🙂