Fluffernutter Peanut Butter Cookies

What we have here is my seemingly never ending quest towards the best peanut butter cookie recipe.  It would seem that, when it comes to peanut butter cookies, I can leave well enough alone until I realize there’s a bag of marshmallows in the pantry and I need to head to the store for milk, so I might as well grab a bag of peanut butter chips and eat a handful from the bag in the car on the way home. It’s the marshmallows and thinking too much about the perfect cookie that gets me in trouble.

Peanut butter cookies are timeless and consistently perfect but put a marshmallow in the center? It’s giving s’mores without all the nonsense of a flame. It’s giving sticky finger summer camp.  It’s nearing the perfect recipe, but I’ll probably keep baking just to be sure.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make these marshmallow-gooey peanut butter cookies:

•  unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

•  creamy peanut butter – I prefer a brand like Skippy with a bit of extra fat. It makes for a chewy crisp cookie different from natural peanut butter

•  granulated sugar and light brown sugar

•  a large egg

•  vanilla extract

•  all-purpose flour

•  baking soda

•  kosher salt

•  large marshmallows – well more like regular marshmallows not the lil’ minis.

•  peanut butter chips or chocolate chips if you prefer.

We’ll start by combining softened, unsalted butter and peanut butter in a medium bowl using an electric hand mixer.  If you don’t have any sort of mixer, this is also a cookie dough amiably made with just a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.

Peanut butter choice here is key. Go for a peanut butter that has extra oils in it, not the natural peanut butter. The oils help with the texture and structure of the cookie.

Add granulated and brown sugar and mix until pale and smooth.

Add the egg and vanilla extract and combine until mixture is thick and nearly fluffy.  That egg really works wonders!

Stir in the dry ingredients into a thick and sticky cookie batter.

I like to chill my cookie dough for about 30 minutes before shaping it. You can work with the cookie dough right away, it’ll just be a bit stickier.

Let’s talk about shaping these cookies.  These are going to be ample cookie dough balls that bake into cookies the size of your palm.

Spoon 3 tablespoons of cookie dough into the palm of your hand.  Press it into a 3 to 4-inch circle that’s about 1/4-inch thick.  Place a marshmallow in the center of the dough and gather the dough up around the marshmallow.  If any cracks appear in the dough ball, just press them back together with your fingers. Roll into a ball and place seam side down onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

You might be able to tell that the marshmallow is closer to the surface on one side of the cookie dough ball. Place that side of the cookie towards the top so the cookie dough splits and reveals marshmallow.  For extra credit, dot each cookie dough ball with peanut butter chips.

Can you use Marshmallow Fluff to fill these peanut butter cookies?

Unfortunately no, friends! Marshmallow fluff does not have the structure needed to create a gooey marshmallow cookie. You’ll need the actual large marshmallow!

When the cookies bake in the oven, they’ll spread and the tops will split, revealing that gooey marshmallow center.

PRO TIPS about these fluffernutter cookies:

•  These cookies bake less than your average peanut butter or chocolate chip cookies. The shorter baking time allows the marshmallow to stay opaque and gooey without melting completely into the cookie.

•  Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet until nearly room temperature. They’re a little crumbly if you try to transfer them too quickly so patience key.

•  It’s possible that some marshmallows will bake out of the side of the cookie and onto the baking sheet. That’s ok! They’re still delicious!

This is one of those cookie recipes that puts a smile on your face.  Recipe inspired  by The Cozy Plum.

In other cookie news: 

•  The most popular peanut butter cookies on the site are these Easy 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies (which also happens to bee gluten-free!)

•  These Cookies and Cream Cookies Chocolate Chip Cookies are some of my favorites because we baked a cookie into another cookie.

•  How to make boxed brownies better? Add a layer of peanut butter of course!

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