Chocolate Dipped Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

When you think of Christmas cookies or holiday cookies, most often gingerbread or sugar cookies come to mind, but this year I wanted to add my Chocolate Dipped Chewy Peanut Butter Cookie to your dessert lineup!

These peanut butter cookies are thin, chewy, and definitely not crumbly! They have a rich, nutty aroma as they’re baking in the oven, slightly crisp edges with dense, yet pillowy soft and chewy centers.

What makes these cookies special is dressing them up with a glossy finish of smooth and silky melted dark chocolate. The cookie is totally delicious on its own, but the dark chocolate takes them to the next level! The cookies are half enrobed in the rich dark chocolate, giving it an elegant and indulgent appearance.

And the finishing touch: adding Christmas sprinkles infuses them with festive spirit, bringing lots of joy and and holiday charm to each cookie. These Peanut Butter Cookies will definitely make a grand entrance at your next party or holiday gathering!

Why this recipe works

• Creaming the butter and sugars together with the peanut butter helps to aerate the butter and gives the cookies an overall yummy texture. 
• Just a touch of milk in the cookie dough batter helps keep these cookies moist and hydrates the starches in the flour.
• No chill time required, which is perfect for the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. (But you can chill the dough for up to 3 days if you want! ?)
• They have an irresistibly soft, chewy, dense interior and slightly crisp edges.
• They are decorated with Christmas sprinkles which adds color, joy and a touch of whimsy!

Ingredient Notes

For the ingredient measurements and entire recipe, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the blog post where the recipe card is located.

• Creamy Peanut Butter: The star of the show! I love using a smooth, creamy peanut butter (like Jif or Skippy) as opposed to a natural peanut butter. Natural peanut butter tends to dry out the cookie. Creamy peanut butter lends a rich, nutty flavor to the cookies.
• All purpose flour: adds structure to the cookie. Spoon and level by using a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and use the back of a knife to level off the top of it. This helps prevent you from using too much flour than is necessary.
• Unsalted butter: bring the butter to room temperature so it can cream together with the sugars properly.
• Egg + egg yolk: adds moisture and helps with chewiness.
• Granulated Sugar: Provides sweetness and contributes to the crispness of the cookie edges.
• Brown Sugar: Adds moisture and a caramel-like flavor due to its molasses content, contributing to the chewiness.
• Dark chocolate: try to find the Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Melting Wafers. The dark chocolate brings a touch of bitterness that beautifully cuts through the richness of the peanut butter. What’s not to love about marrying the creamy, rich taste of peanut butter with the sweet, decadent allure of chocolate?!

Step by Step Directions

For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the bottom of the blog post to the recipe card.

1. Cream the peanut butter, butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
2. Add in the eggs, vanilla and milk.
3. Add in the dry ingredients just until combined.
4. Scoop and bake.
5. Cool, then dip in melted dark chocolate and finish with holiday sprinkles.

Expert Tips

• Creaming: Properly cream the peanut butter, butter and sugars together until the mixture is light and fluffy. This incorporates air into the dough, leading to a lighter texture in the finished cookies.
• Spoon and level flour properly: Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and be sure it’s leveled. 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. Spoon and level by using a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and use the back of a knife to level off the top of it.
• These cookies are soft and puffy when they first come out of the oven! Be sure to allow them to rest on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a wire rack so they can set up completely. 
• While the cookies are still warm, place a circular cookie cutter or a circular drinking glass around one of the cookies (it should be larger than the cookie so you don’t cut off any edges) and give the cookies a spin. Swirling the cookie should help to smooth out any uneven edges and make the cookies perfectly circular. 
• Do not over bake. These cookies look very soft and slightly under baked when you take them out of the oven. But they will settle and create a fudgy soft center in the middle as they cool, thanks to the melted butter and sugars and perfect ratio of dry ingredients. 
• Do not crowd the baking sheet. I like to bake 6 cookies at a time. Overcrowding the cookies can lead to the cookies baking into each other and creating wonky shaped cookies. We want the heat to circulate evenly around the cookies so if you find your cookies are spreading too much, bake less cookies on your sheet at one time. 

Variations and Substitutions

• Instead of dipping in chocolate, fold in chocolate chips into the cookie dough.
• Add rolled oats into the dough for an even chewier, heartier texture.
• Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top for a sweet, salty flavor combination.
• Gluten free: use your favorite gluten free blend for a gluten free cookie.
• Incorporate chopped nuts like peanuts, almonds, or pecans for added crunch. Or even try using a crunchy peanut butter!
• Add spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice to the dough for a warm flavor.