Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeye Cookies
User Reviews
4.9
Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeye Cookies
Description
This recipe starts with a chocolate cookie dough made from a blend of granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, cocoa powder, and flour. The batter is soft but workable, forming roughly two-tablespoon balls that bake into tender cookies with crackled edges. The soft texture is preserved by careful baking time, avoiding overbaking for a moist crumb.
Once cooled, the cookies receive a thick peanut butter frosting made by creaming softened butter and creamy peanut butter with powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and heavy cream. This frosting adds a creamy, nutty layer contrasting with the chocolate base. Finally, a ganache made of chocolate chips melted with reduced heavy cream is applied as a shiny chocolate topping, completing the buckeye theme that mimics the classic candy.
The combination yields a multi-textured treat with a deep chocolate taste offset by the rich peanut butter cream, ideal for cookie lovers seeking something beyond plain chocolate. The recipe anticipates variations such as using different cocoa powders or adjusting cream quantities for ganache thickness.
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 cup butter softened to room temperature, salted
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 egg large
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup natural cocoa powder or unsweetened or Dutch-process cocoa powder
Peanut Butter Frosting:
- 6 tablespoons butter softened to room temperature, salted
- ¾ cup peanut butter creamy
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- Pinch table salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Ganache:
- 1 cup chocolate chips semisweet or bittersweet
- ½ cup heavy cream see note
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a handheld electric mixer, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, baking soda and salt, and mix until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until well-combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the flour and cocoa and mix until combined.
- Scoop the soft dough into about 2 tablespoon-sized mounds onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (I use a #40 cookie scoop). Roll into balls (the dough will be soft but should still easily roll into a cookie dough ball).
- Bake for 9-10 minutes (9 minutes is perfect in my oven) until the cookie is set around the edges and has a few crackles on the edges and top. Don't overbake; the cookies should be soft.
- Let the cookies cool completely.
- For the frosting, in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle or whisk attachment or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, whip together the butter and peanut butter until creamy and smooth, 1-2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until it is mostly incorporated. Add the salt, vanilla and heavy cream and mix until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add additional heavy cream and whip thoroughly if needed for a softer frosting.
- For the chocolate ganache, place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Heat the cream until just below a simmer. Pour over the chocolate chips and let sit for 4-5 minutes. Stir until the mixture is smooth and glossy (it will start out looking grainy, but it will come together as you stir). It will thicken as it cools (and harden in the refrigerator). Let cool until room temperature before using.
- Frost each cooled cookie with peanut butter frosting followed by a dollop of chocolate ganache (spread across the frosting). Refrigerate the cookies or serve at room temperature. The frosting and ganache will harden in the refrigerator; I like to take them out a few minutes before serving so they are chilled but have softened a bit.
Notes
- Both natural and Dutch-process cocoa powders work; Dutch-process produces a darker, richer cookie color.
- If cookies do not flatten during baking, gently press them flat with a glass immediately after baking before frosting.
- The ganache uses less heavy cream than earlier versions to achieve a thicker coating consistency.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 36Cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 Cookie | |
| Calories | 250kcal | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 30g | 10% |
| Protein | 3g | 6% |
| Fat | 14g | 22% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Cholesterol | 35mg | 12% |
| Sodium | 157mg | 7% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 20g | 40% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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