Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Crinkle Cookies (2024)

Peanut butter crinkle cookies are sweet, salty, and chocolatey. These crunchy treats are sure to satisfy any peanut butter craving.

Whatever the season, whatever the reason, peanut butter cookies are always a good idea.

These chocolate dipped crinkle cookies are perfect all year long. Top them with heart sprinkles for Valentine’s Day or perhaps rainbow confetti for birthdays. They are excellent topped with chopped peanuts for the holiday season (Thanksgiving and Christmas!) or just the every day.

This has quickly become a family favorite. I make about six dozen or so to share with loved ones during the holiday season. These chocolate dipped peanut butter crinkle cookies are definitely a contender (if not the winner) of my annual holiday assorted cookie boxes.

Key Ingredients Notes

• Butter : Use unsalted butter to be in control of the amount of salt. If you choose to use salted butter, omit the salt listed in the recipe. Softened, room temperature butter is best for mixing.
• All-Purpose Flour : For best results, measure dry ingredients by weight. If you prefer volume measurements, please use the stir and spoon method to measure out flour.
• Brown Sugar : Use your choice of light brown or dark brown sugar. Darker sugar means more molasses. This lends to a richer, warmer flavor.
• Peanut Butter : This recipe works best with no-stir smooth peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. Natural peanut butters which require stirring are prone to separating during baking. This may cause cookies to be oily on the outside and dry on the inside.
• Dark Chocolate : Use quality dark chocolate (preferably 55-72% dark chocolate). Scroll down below for detailed tips for how to melt chocolate.

How to Make Crinkle Dough

This super easy to make peanut butter crinkle cookies may be mixed together by hand or with the aid of a stand mixer (or electric hand mixer).

Dry Ingredients. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Wet Ingredients. Beat together butter, brown sugar, and peanut butter until smooth. Add egg and vanilla. Then, add mixed dry ingredients.

Portion dough. Use a 1.5 tablespoon or #40 scoop to portion out peanut butter crinkle dough. Equal sized cookie dough balls result in evenly sized baked cookies. More importantly, equal size portions cook at the same rate

Roll in sugar. Roll dough in granulated sugar. Then, roll in confectioners’ sugar.

Bake. Place sugar coated dough on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake for about 15 minutes just until the edges of the cookies are set and the tops are cracked.

How to Achieve Crinkle or Earthquake Cookie Effect

To achieve that iconic earthquake cookie texture, roll the portioned cookie dough in two types of sugar. First in granulated sugar and then in confectioners’ sugar (also known as powdered sugar or icing sugar).

Why two sugars? You could pick one or use both. Using both sugar produces a distinct texture. The resulting peanut butter cookies are both soft and chewy, yet sturdy and crisp.

The same technique is used for cashew cookies and ube sugar cookies.

At this point, the peanut butter cookies are ready to be shared and enjoyed! However, if you’d like to take it a step further, dip the cookies in chocolate! Peanut butter and chocolate are a wonderful pairing. It takes these cookies from simple to decadent.

Chocolate Dipping Tips

Mis en place is key when working with melted chocolate! You don’t need to be a professional chocolatier. You simply need to be organized.

Prepare your work station like the image above. Have the melted chocolate ready, along with the cooled peanut butter cookies, optional chopped peanuts topping, and a cooling rack.

Chocolate melts at different temperature depending on the type of chocolate. Milk chocolate melts at a lower temperature than dark chocolate.

For best results, gently melt chopped chocolate over a bain-marie (or double boiler). Heat until chocolate is melted and smooth.

Work quickly, dipping cookies into melted chocolate. Place on wire cooling rack and immediately sprinkle chopped peanuts on top. For extra sweetness, use chopped honey roasted peanuts. And, voila– your new favorite Christmas cookie!

Cookie Storage

Cool cookies to room temperature before dipping in melted chocolate. Allow chocolate to harden and set before stacking cookies.

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. Keep in a cool, dry place away from heat and direct sunlight.

For the best experience, enjoy cookies within three days of baking. Overtime the cookies will stale.

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