Description
A delightful Peanut Butter Christmas Cookies recipe featuring soft and chewy peanut butter cookies dipped in melted semi-sweet chocolate and adorned with festive holiday sprinkles. Perfect for holiday celebrations and gifting.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour sifted
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For Dipping and Decoration
- 2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoon coconut or vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Prepare Baking Sheet and Oven: Prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 375°F to ensure it reaches the right temperature for baking cookies.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the sifted all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. This ensures even distribution of leavening agents.
- Cream Butters and Sugars: In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the unsalted butter, creamy peanut butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Add the large egg and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture and continue to mix until the batter is light and fluffy, helping to incorporate air for a tender texture.
- Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure all ingredients are evenly incorporated without overmixing.
- Portion Cookie Dough: Use a medium cookie scoop to portion out the cookie dough, dropping each portion onto the prepared baking sheet with at least 2 inches of space between each to allow spreading.
- Shape with Fork: Gently press down each cookie with a fork in a crisscross pattern by making two presses per cookie. This keeps the round shape intact while creating the classic peanut butter cookie look.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Once baked, remove the cookies and transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
- Melt Chocolate: In a small mixing bowl, microwave the semi-sweet chocolate chips for 1 minute, then stir. Continue melting at 30-second intervals, stirring in between until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth.
- Mix in Oil: Stir the coconut or vegetable oil into the melted chocolate until evenly combined, creating a smooth dipping sauce that will set well on the cookies.
- Dip Cookies and Decorate: Dip each cooled cookie halfway into the melted chocolate. Place the dipped cookies on parchment paper and immediately sprinkle with holiday sprinkles for a festive touch.
- Set Chocolate: Allow the chocolate-dipped cookies to set at room temperature for 1 hour so the chocolate hardens and the sprinkles adhere well.
Notes
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days to maintain freshness.
- Salted butter can be used instead of unsalted butter, but omit the additional ½ teaspoon kosher salt if doing so.
- Cookies freeze well in an airtight container for up to 3 months, perfect for making ahead.
- Melting wafers can be substituted for semi-sweet chocolate chips for dipping if preferred.
- Rolling cookie dough balls in granulated sugar before baking adds extra sweetness but is optional since the chocolate dip provides sufficient sweetness.
- For variation, sprinkle crushed peanuts along with the holiday sprinkles for added salty crunch.
- Swap out holiday sprinkles with mini M&Ms for a colorful, chocolaty twist.
- Finish dipped cookies with a sprinkle of sea salt to balance the sweetness.
- Use milk chocolate for a sweeter flavor or dark chocolate for a richer taste when dipping.
- Change sprinkles to match any holiday such as Valentine's, Easter, or Halloween for year-round enjoyment.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
