Go Back
3 chocolate cookies with peanut butter chips and peanut butter frosting stacked on top of each other.
Print

Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chilling 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours
Servings 13 cookie sandwiches
Calories 369kcal

Equipment

  • Cookie Sheets

Ingredients

Chocolate Cookies

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 grams)
  • cup cocoa powder (53 grams)
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (140 grams) softened to room temperature
  • cup brown sugar (133 gams) light or dark
  • cup granulated sugar (66 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • ¾ cup peanut butter chips divided

Peanut Butter Filling

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter (56 grams) softened
  • ¼ cup smooth peanut butter
  • ¾ - 1 cup powdered sugar (83 - 110 grams)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon milk or cream, if needed

Instructions

Chocolate Cookies

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
  • In a separate large bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until fluffy.
  • Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
  • With the mixer on a low speed, mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Go slowly, as the flour can blow up.
  • Stir in ½ cup peanut butter chips.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 48 hours. I prefer to chill the dough for 4+ hours.
  • When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or baking mats.
  • If the dough has chilled overnight, take it out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for 5-15 minutes so that it can soften slightly.
  • Form the dough into balls with about 1 - 1.5 tablespoons of dough each. They should be about the size of a ping pong ball, or a little smaller. I typically get between 24-26 cookies in total. Place 2 inches apart on a lined cookie sheet. I recommend using a cookie scoop if you have one.
  • Bake 1 tray at a time in the preheated oven for 9-11 minutes, or until the tops look just set. Remove from the oven and place a few extra peanut butter chips on top of each cookie with the remaining ¼ cup.

Peanut Butter Filling

  • Beat the butter until smooth. Then mix in the peanut butter. Mix until smooth.
  • Beat in ½ cup powdered sugar and the vanilla.
  • Mix in the rest of the powdered sugar a little at a time until the desired sweetness is reached. If it seems too thick, mix in the milk (or cream.

Making the Sandwiches

  • Ensure that the cookies are fully cooled first.
  • Frost the bottom of 1 cookie with the peanut butter filling using a flat knife, then sandwich a second cookie on top.
  • Repeat with the rest of the cookies. I got 13 sandwiches in total.

Notes

  1. Peanut Butter Chips: Feel free to use regular chocolate chips if you prefer.
  2. Cookie Sizes: I typically make slightly smaller cookies for this recipe, since you end up with 2 cookies plus the filling with each cookie sandwich. I don't quite fill my medium-sized cookie scoop (which is 1.5 tablespoons of batter) for each cookie. 
  3. Peanut Butter: Make sure to use smooth, commercial-style peanut butter for the filling, as opposed to anything homemade or labeled natural. You don't want to use peanut butter that can separate. 
  4. Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in fridge for up to 5 days. If your kitchen is warm, then I recommend storing in the fridge. 
  5. Nutrition: Details are an estimate only and based on 1 cookie sandwich (2 cookies plus filling), assuming that the recipe yields 13 sandwiches and all the filling is used. 

Nutrition

Calories: 369kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 142mg | Potassium: 136mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 401IU | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 2mg