My peanut butter and jelly cookies are crisp on the outside, soft and chewy inside, with the perfect nostalgic peanut butter and jelly filling. It’s just about as good as a cookie gets!
You definitely don’t have to be a kid to love these peanut butter and jelly cookies. In fact I’d argue they’re really more of an adult cookie, especially when you use your favorite gourmet jam. They have a soft plush “chew” that’s super satisfying and, like all sandwich cookies ~ you get 2 cookies in one!
related recipe: Classic Peanut Butter Cookies
the pantry staple ingredients
It’s what makes these a spur of the moment cookie recipe, I bet you’ve got everything you need!
peanut butter ~ use regular unsweetened mainstream pb, not the natural kind where the oil separates out at the top. I use creamy, but if you have a taste for crunchy, go for it. My fave? I like Jiff, but since I was at Whole Foods I picked up their 365 brand, which was fine but definitely a little looser in texture.
butter ~ I suggest salted to bring out the peanutty flavor of these cookies.
sugar, both white and brown ~ don’t cheat on this, you do need both!
egg ~ softens these cookies and give them a chew factor.
flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt
jam or jelly ~ have fun with this! I used a tart raspberry (with seeds) for mine, but there are endless good ideas out there from a classic grape to fun flavors like ginger rhubarb or sour cherry.
peanut butter and jelly cookies tips
- This dough is not meant to be chilled, scoop and bake right away.
- The cookies themselves will look under done when it’s time to take them out of the oven, that’s ok! They’ll look pale and puffed, but will settle down and firm up as they cool.
- If your cookies are very puffed, slap the pan sharply on a firm surface immediately after pulling it out of the oven ~ this will deflate the cookies and make them flatter.
- Thick filling is best ~ both peanut butter filling and jam should be on the thick side so you don’t get too much slippage in your sandwich cookies.
- The cookies keep well in an airtight container, and they firm up as well, so even if they’re a little loose to start with, they do stabilize as they sit.
- I found these cookies were just as good (if not better!) the next day.
creative twists on these cookies
Instead of jam or jelly you might also use…
- Nutella
- Marshmallow Fluff
- bacon bits!
more favorite peanut butter recipes
Peanut butter features in so many of my favorites, it’s almost universally loved. The first recipe that comes to mind is my Best Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Scones, probably my favorite scone yet. But my Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are one of my earliest success stories, they’ve drawn millions of readers to the site over the years (peanut butter has that effect on folks!)
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Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies
Equipment
- cookie sheet
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling cookies
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (a firm peanut butter like Jiff is best.)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
for the peanut butter and jelly filling
- 3 tbsp creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- 2 Tbsp milk or cream, plus a little more if needed
- 1/2 cup of your favorite jam or jelly (thicker is better.)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F, and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer, or with electric beaters, cream together the sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, softened butter, and egg until smooth.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and fold together until there are no streaks of flour left.
- Scoop the dough into 1 tablespoon-sized balls, and roll in sugar. Place on the prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between all the cookies.
- Bake for 8 minutes. The cookies will still look fairly pale and be puffy. If yours are super puffy you can rap the baking pan sharply on a firm surface immediately after taking it out of the oven.
- Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack to fully cool before filling them.
- While the cookies are cooling, make the pb filling by stirring together the peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and enough milk to make a thick spreadable filling.
- To assemble the cookies, place a small amount of the filling onto the back of one peanut butter cookie and follow with a bit of jam. Top with a second cookie, pressing lightly together.
These are so adorable! I want to leave them just sitting on my counter as a decoration instead of allowing people to eat them 🙂 Made them with my homemade raspberry jam and they were divine!