Chocolate Frosted Peanut Butter Cookies
Chocolate frosted peanut butter cookies are soft and chewy peanut butter cookies topped with a smooth, rich layer of chocolate buttercream frosting. The combo is creamy, chocolatey, and perfectly nostalgic with just the right balance of sweet and salty.
Chocolate Frosted Peanut Butter Cookies
These chocolate frosted peanut butter cookies are bold, nostalgic, and feature the ultimate flavor power couple – chocolate and peanut butter. (Move over Westley and Buttercup).
Soft and chewy peanut butter cookies meet swirls of rich chocolate buttercream frosting creating a flavor match so perfect it deserves its own dramatic declaration. Inconceivable? Hardly.
So whether you’re baking for someone you adore, a cozy movie night, or just because you believe in happily-ever-afters (and really good cookies), these cookies are here to sweep you off your feet. One bite and you’ll understand—this is not just dessert, this is destiny.
Oh, and don’t forget—eat as many as you wish.
If you’re totally crushing on peanut butter cookies, check out my peanut butter M&M cookies, frosted peanut butter cookies, and peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Easy to make: An easy recipe with simple steps that uses ingredients you likely have in your pantry.
- Soft & chewy cookies: These cookies have that classic melt-in-your-mouth peanut butter cookie texture everyone loves.
- Rich chocolate frosting: Creamy chocolate buttercream frosting takes these cookies from classic to iconic.
- Perfect sweet-salty balance: Salty peanut butter richness meets bittersweet chocolate for a great balance of flavors.
- Crowd-pleasing nostalgia: Ideal for bake sales, parties, or anytime you’re craving a sweet treat.
Recipe Ingredients
Peanut Butter Cookies
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Light brown sugar + granulated sugar
- Creamy peanut butter
- Eggs – Room temperature.
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda + salt
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Powdered sugar – Confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar.
- Dark cocoa powder – Substitute with dutch-process cocoa powder or black cocoa powder.
- Heavy cream – Room temperature.
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
How to Make Chocolate Frosted Peanut Butter Cookies
Make the peanut butter cookie dough.
Scoop the cookie dough using a large cookie scoop and chill for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven and place the chilled cookie dough balls on prepared baking sheet pans.
Bake the peanut butter cookies and then cool to room temperature.
Make the chocolate buttercream frosting.
Frost the cookies with chocolate frosting and decorate with chocolate sprinkles.
Courtney’s Expert Cookie Baking Tips
- Use regular creamy peanut butter for the best results. Natural or chunky peanut butter does not work well in this recipe.
- Use a large cookie scoop to portion the cookie dough for uniform size cookies.
- Don’t skip chilling the cookie dough. Chill helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much and helps create the chewy texture.
- Bake the cookies in the center of the oven for even heat distribution and perfectly baked cookies.
- Don’t overbake the cookies. Pull them when the centers still look slightly underdone—they will finish baking on the pan as they cool.
- Use the back of a spoon, a round cookie cutter, or a small glass bowl to gently shape the cookies immediately when they come out of the oven to make perfectly round cookies.
- Make sure the cookies are completely cooled before frosting to prevent the buttercream from melting.
Frequently Asked Questions
For this recipe, you will want to stick with a good old fashioned creamy peanut butter like Jif, Skippy, or your favorite creamy peanut butter brand. It helps create the perfect soft and chewy texture and adds amazing peanut butter flavor.
Yes, you can use a medium cookie scoop which is about 1 ½ tablespoons. Bake the cookies for about 10-11 minutes until the edges are set and the centers are slightly underbaked.
For the chocolate buttercream, go with a dark cocoa powder or dutch-process cocoa powder for the deepest chocolate flavor and color. You can use regular unsweetened cocoa powder or baking cocoa if preferred—the frosting will have a lighter flavor and color. You could also use black cocoa powder if you want a really dark and rich chocolate flavor.
My favorite trick to get super smooth buttercream frosting is to temper the buttercream. Melt about ½ cup of the buttercream in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Add the melted frosting back into the buttercream and mix on low speed. This will remove air bubbles and create perfect smooth and silky frosting.
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Chocolate Frosted Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Cookies
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) baking soda
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) salt
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 ½ cups (330 g) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (260 g) creamy peanut butter
- 2 (2) large eggs (room temperature)
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (45 g) dark cocoa powder or dutch-process cocoa powder
- ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream (room temperature)
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
Additional Ingredients
- ¼ cup (40 g) chocolate sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
Peanut Butter Cookies
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar for a few minutes on medium speed until well combined. Add in the peanut butter, eggs and vanilla extract and continue to mix until well combined and smooth.
- Add in the flour mixture and mix on low speed until the cookie dough comes together. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the ingredients are well mixed.
- Use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) to portion the cookie dough. Place the cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet pan. Chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
- While the cookie dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line baking sheet pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- Place the chilled cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet pans, allowing room for spreading. Bake the cookies for about 12 to 13 minutes until the edges are set and the centers of the cookies are slightly underbaked. Cool the cookies on the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the unsalted butter for 5 minutes until light, pale, and creamy.
- Add half of the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed setting until fully combined. Add the remaining powdered sugar and the dark cocoa powder and continue to mix on low speed until fully incorporated.
- Add the heavy cream, vanilla extract and salt and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally to ensure the frosting is well mixed.
- Increase the speed on the mixer to medium and whip the buttercream for about 2 to 3 minutes until it is smooth and creamy. Turn the mixer to low speed and mix the buttercream for several minutes to remove any air bubbles.
- Optional: To smooth out the buttercream, heat ½ cup of the frosting in the microwave for 15 seconds. Pour the melted frosting back into the mixing bowl and mix the frosting on low speed until the buttercream is super smooth and creamy.
Frosting the Cookies
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1A piping tip with the chocolate buttercream frosting. Pipe a swirl of the frosting onto the cooled cookies and spread the frosting with an offset spatula. If desired, sprinkle the cookies with chocolate sprinkles.
Notes
- Room temperature: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 days.
- Refrigerator (cookie dough): Store the unbaked cookie dough balls in the refrigerator in an airtight container or resealable storage bag for 1 week. Let the cookie dough sit out at room temperature for about 15 minutes and then bake as directed.
- Refrigerator (frosted cookies): Store the baked and frosted cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Serve at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
- Freezer (cookie dough): Store the unbaked cookie dough balls in the freezer in an airtight container or resealable storage bag for 3 months. Bring the cookie dough balls to room temperature and then bake as directed.
- Freezer (baked cookies): Store the baked cookies in the freezer in an airtight container or resealable storage bag for 3 months.
Nutrition
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About Courtney
Baker | 80s Lover | Cookbook Author
Courtney is a self-taught home baker and cookbook author of “Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes”. She loves to create new and unique recipes while simultaneously listening to 80s music.
These are perfect, another A+ recipe
I’m so thrilled to hear this one was a hit! Thanks so much for trying it out and for the positive review!