It’s that time of year where I find myself wearing short skirts with long sleeve sweaters, a chunky scarf with my cut off shorts. It’s silly really, but there’s that delicious bite of autumn in the wind. There’s a hint of a chill in the air down here in New Orleans, but enough of a sunny day to feel a little flirty. That alone is enough to have me ready to sugar-and-spice everything that goes into the oven.
If we’re going to mix seasons in our outfits, let’s do it in our cookies too. How about a classic peanut butter cookie made extra cozy with molasses and gingersnap spices? Are you nodding your head yes? I am too.
Consider this a cookie @ cookie moment similar to our Chocolate Cookies and Cream Cookies.
More is more. Let’s get baking!
Here’s what you’ll need to make these little sweeties:
• unsalted butter, softened to room temperature.
• brown sugar
• peanut butter and molasses for richness and depth.
• warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
• an egg for binding
• vanilla because we’re baking.
• flour, baking soda, and salt for all the structure, lift and balance.
We’ll start like most cookies do, by creaming together softened butter and sugar.
I like adding the cozy spices along with the butter in these cookies because the fat helps distribute the spice flavor throughout the cookie essentially making then EVEN MORE DELICIOUS.
Once the butter and sugar are beaten to fluffy, work in the egg and vanilla extract.
Eggs are a wonder in baking and smooth out and aerate this cookie dough in the most lovely way.
Welcome smooth peanut butter and molasses into the bowl.
Now it’s really getting good.
Mix in the dry ingredients. I use a mixer but finish with a spatula to hustle up any hidden bits of flour from the bottom of the bowl.
At this point it’s going to be difficult not to spoon an entire spatulaful into your mouth. Try to hold off but honestly, it’s 2020… do whatever you need to do.
I transfer the cookie dough to a piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper and chill it for 30 minutes while the oven preheats and I prep the nuts and pans.
Portion the cookie dough into two tablespoon balls and roll them in either crushed peanuts or turbinado sugar or nothing at all.
I used a chopstick to press an X into each cookie to give them that peanut butter cookie mark but with a little twist.
Bake until just golden around the edges and puffed slightly. They’ll smell incredible. If you pay close attention, your nose will tell you when they’re done.
They such a sweet little cookie hybrid. Like traditional peanut butter cookies put their fall scarf on.
The combination creates a chewy, sweet but with a nutty depth, and spiced in the warmest way. It’s the best of two very good worlds. I hope these are your new afternoon treat. They’re simple and cozy.
Photos with my friend Jon Melendez.
Print
Peanut Butter Gingersnap Chews
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 57 minutes
- Yield: 18-20 cookies 1x
Description
A peanut butter cookie all dressed up for the holiday season.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
- Pinch of ground cloves
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cup finely chopped roasted and salted peanuts or honey roasted peanuts
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter, sugar, and all of the spices on medium speed. Beat for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and vanilla extract beat on medium speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Add the molasses and peanut butter and beat until just combined.
- In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. It’s important to evenly combine these ingredients before adding them to the butter and egg mixture. Beat into the dough until just combined, stopping the mixer when the flour just disappears to finish incorporating by hand. Transfer dough to a large piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap and allow to chill for 30 minutes while the oven preheats. (The dough can be left to chill overnight or for a few nights before baking.)
- Place racks in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place chopped peanuts in a shallow bowl.
- Spoon cookie dough by the two tablespoonful and roll into a ball. Roll each dough ball in chopped peanuts to coat. Place on the prepared baking sheet and flatten just slightly with the heel of your hand. Use a pencil, dowel, or chopstick to press and X into the cookie dough. Repeat with all of the cookie dough, leaving about 1 1/2 – 2 inches of space between each cookie portion.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until a deep golden brown around the edges. Allow to rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
You can absolutely substitute a flax egg in these cookies as well as a gluten-free flour blend that combines xanthan gum.
21 Responses
Pausing eating these cookies just long enough to say, BAKE THESE DANG COOKIES, YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT. So well balanced with the deep, sweet molasses, subtle spices, rich peanut butter, and roasty peanuts. Bonus, they look gorgeous.
Hello !
I do not own a stand mixer.
I own a hand mixer.
Can I not do it by hand?
Thank you :-)
( I enjoy reading your whole recipe as the stories are wonderful and witty)!!
Britt, you can absolutely use a hand mixer!!
Hello Joy,
Do you know how long the cookie dough can be frozen?
Yes! The cookie dough can be frozen for up to a month!
Joy, that peanut butter cookie looked sooo delicious! Could you make your recipes pinable? Yesterday I made oatmeal raisin cookies from the book 100 Cookies, Smitten Kitchen’s Ultimate Banana Bread and Deb’s Buttermilk Biscuits too, and Alison Roman’s Potato Leek Soup. I just cannot bake today, yummy as those cookies look! I particularly enjoyed this weeks’s letter from you. Thank you!
Interesting combo for sure. This cookie doesn’t disappoint. The flavors are balanced and compliment each other perfectly.
For peanut allergies can substitute with almond butter?
Yes, sure!
Oh my goodness, these are SO delicious! The peanut butter, spices & molasses compliment each other beautifully & make a lovely cookie. The chopped salty peanuts are just the perfect extra touch. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
As always, Joy truly delivers! These are fantastic cookies. I made these GF by using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free flour blend plus a teaspoon of Xanthan Gum, and it worked out wonfderfully. Joy, I so so so appreciate all of your hard baking work, and I’m very grateful that you throughtfully share it out to us all. So many of your recipies have become my holiday staples – these cookies now included. Thanks a million!
They look extra good!!
These cookies are spectacular!! My husband’s favorite cookie is a peanut butter cookie, and his family always makes molassess cookies at the holidays (which are tasty right out of the oven, but somehow stale after like 12 hours). This was a perfect, inspired, hybrid of the two. I only had enough salted peanuts to roll half the dough in peanuts and rolled the other half in turbinado sugar- still good, but the peanut topping was the best. And still soft and delicious two days later.
Hi Joy,
UK reader here – have loved your blog since the start! Would you ever consider putting ingredients in grams as well as cups on your recipes? I try and convert them but they don’t always work as it’s hard to get it exact. Katie Xx
I went for a long walk today. Was listening to Samin Nosrat talk about cookies, immediately remembered this. Came home & they were made within the hour. I should have made a half batch because they are amazing! And i don’t have coworkers to share with anymore. More for me.
So tasty!
I made these yesterday and they are wonderful and so unique! I added some cardamom and used dark brown sugar. I rolled the scoops of dough in granulated sugar and, when baked, they crackled beautifully. I think they taste even better today! Thank you!
Love the be idea of this cookie mashup! Ginger snap and peanut butter! Who knew? Such a flavour explosion.
Here on the west coast of Florida, we don’t even get a breath of cooler air until January. I have to turn the a.c. way down to get that feeling. I’m sure I will love the gf version. Thanks!
I’d LOVE to try these – and I’d also love to know the nutritional info for these as I o keep track of my carbs right now. Any help in that area? Also, if I run a little bit of candied ginger through the chopper, do you think that would up the flavor ante at all?
I can’t wait to try the see – two of my favorite flavors! I think I might use while wheat flour for even more of a fall-y flavor, too…