Peanut Butter Cut-Out Cookies
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My easy Peanut Butter Cut-Out Cookies have all of the classic peanut butter cookie texture and flavor, but are sturdy enough to keep sharp, clean edges after baking.
Table of Contents
- Here's Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients You'll Need
- In Photos: How To Make Peanut Butter Cut-Out Cookies
- More Peanut Butter Recipes
I love a pretty decorated cookie, but I don't always want the typical sugar cookie as the base. For this recipe, I wanted to create a classic peanut butter cookie that could stand up to a classic cut-out sugar cookie, that's sturdy enough to decorate, but made with real peanut butter.
Cream cheese turned out to be the key. It makes the dough rich without making it too soft, so your shapes come out crisp and defined. You can leave them plain for a simple treat, or add icing to make them extra special.
Here's Why You'll Love This Recipe
- These cookies hold their shape well. The dough is sturdy, so you get clean, sharp edges with your cut-outs.
- You get real peanut butter flavor in every bite. There are no shortcuts, just peanut butter, brown sugar, and cream cheese working together.
- These cookies are ready for decorating. Top them with royal icing, buttercream, whipped ganache, or leave them plain.
- The dough is easy to handle. Especially if you roll it between sheets of parchment paper to keep the thickness even.
Ingredients You'll Need
The recipe card at the bottom of the post contains the full list with all of the amounts. Refer to that when you're cooking.
- Unsalted butter: Let it soften so it mixes smoothly with the other ingredients. If you only have salted butter, you can use it, but omit the additional Kosher salt the recipe calls for.
- Peanut butter: The main flavor. Use high-quality, creamy, well-stirred peanut butter for the smoothest dough.
- Light brown sugar: It adds sweetness and a hint of molasses flavor. Use dark brown sugar if you want a deeper molasses flavor.
- Cream cheese: This makes the cookies rich and tender, but still sturdy enough to keep their shape.
- Egg yolk: It binds the dough together without making it too wet.
- All-purpose flour: This gives the dough its structure. Bread flour will also work in a pinch.
- Cornstarch: Keeps the cookies tender and helps them hold crisp, clean edges after baking.
- Kosher salt: This balances the sweetness and brings out the peanut butter flavor.
In Photos: How To Make Peanut Butter Cut-Out Cookies
Step 1: Preheat Oven & Prep
Preheat your oven to 375°F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 2: Make Dough
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and cream cheese together on medium-low speed until smooth, about 1 minute.
Add the egg yolk and mix on medium speed until everything is combined.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the flour, cornstarch, and salt.
Mix the dough on medium-low speed until a stiff dough forms, about 1 minute. If the dough feels too sticky to handle, stir in a little more flour.
Step 3: Roll & Cut-Out Dough
Roll out a portion of the dough at a time between two sheets of parchment paper until it's about 3/16-inch thick. Rolling pin rings can help keep the thickness even.
Take off the top sheet of parchment and use a 3-inch heart cookie cutter, or any shape you like, to cut out the cookies.
Gently peel the shapes from the bottom parchment and place them on your prepared baking sheets.
Step 4: Bake
Bake the cookies for 10 to 14 minutes, until the bottoms are just starting to turn golden.
Let the cookies cool completely before decorating them with royal icing, buttercream, or whipped ganache, if you like.
Helpful Tips and Tricks
- Use a rolling pin. The rolling pin helps keep the dough an even thickness, so every cookie bakes evenly, and your shapes stay consistent.
- If the dough feels too soft or sticky while rolling, chill it in the fridge briefly to make it easier to handle.
- Make sure the cookies are completely cool before decorating. Otherwise, the icing or buttercream will melt off.
- To store, keep undecorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Decorated cookies will last about 5 days, depending on the topping.
More Peanut Butter Recipes
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup peanut butter, (I use Jif creamy)
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 egg yolk, large
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and beat on medium-low speed until smooth (about 1 minute).
- Add the egg yolk and mix on medium speed until combined.
- Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, then add the flour, cornstarch, and salt.
- Mix on medium-low speed until a stiff dough forms (about 1 minute). If the dough is too sticky to handle, try stirring in a little more flour.
- Roll a managable amount of dough at a time to 3/16-inch thick (rolling pin rings ensure an even and exact thickness) between 2 sheets of parchment paper.
- Remove the top sheet of parchment, and cut shapes with a 3-inch heart cookie cutter.
- Peel the shapes from the bottom layer of parchment and place them on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, or until just barely beginning to turn golden on the bottoms.
- Cool completely, then decorate with royal icing, buttercream, or whipped ganache, if desired.
Notes
Click here for the peanut butter version of these cookies: Peanut Butter Cut-Out Cookies.
