Chocolate and peanut butter combine in these indulgent, chocolate-dipped Sandwich Cookies. The cookie shells are tender and chewy with intense chocolate flavor, and the creamy peanut butter filling balances them perfectly. Recipe includes a how-to video.
To celebrate our anniversary, I baked a special batch of one of Zach’s favorite sandwich cookies. These chocolate peanut butter sandwich cookies are a long-time favorite on the blog. Even after developing many other cookie recipes, this combination is still requested the most—proof they’re worth making.
The cookies are thin, deeply chocolatey, and soft with a fudgy chew. The filling is a creamy, lightly sweetened peanut butter mixture that’s sturdy enough to pipe or spread without oozing out when you bite into the cookie. Below you’ll find tips for baking, filling variations, and optional chocolate-dipping instructions.
Chocolate Cookies
These cookies bake up like thinner versions of brownie cookies: soft and chewy with shiny, crackly tops. When removed from the oven the centers may look slightly underbaked—this is intentional. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet so they finish setting without becoming overbaked and crisp. Moving them to a cooling rack too soon can make them fragile and prone to breaking.
For consistent results, use a cookie scoop and portion the dough as evenly as possible. You’ll be pairing the cookies into sandwiches, so uniform size makes assembly easier.
Filling for Sandwich Cookies
The peanut butter filling is similar to a classic peanut butter frosting but thicker so it won’t spill from the cookies. An electric mixer makes creaming the butter and peanut butter easy, though it can be done by hand with extra effort. I thin the filling with milk to reach a spreadable consistency; the recipe lists a range—start with 2 tablespoons and add more if needed. If the filling becomes too thin, add more powdered sugar to thicken it back up.
Whole milk works well, but 2%, almond, coconut, heavy cream, or half-and-half can be used. Note that lower-fat or thinner milks may require a slight adjustment to the amount used.
Other Filling Options
If peanut butter isn’t your preference, you can swap the filling for other frostings. Cream cheese frosting, chocolate cream cheese frosting, or cookie dough frosting all make excellent alternatives. Chocolate ganache is another great option—allow it to cool until spreadable before assembling the sandwiches.
Double the Chocolate
For extra chocolate appeal, dip the finished sandwich cookies in melted chocolate. Chocolate melting wafers are convenient because they melt smoothly and harden quickly without tempering. If you don’t have melting wafers, use chocolate chips—milk, semisweet, or dark flavors all work. If the melted chocolate is too thick to dip easily, add a teaspoon or two of shortening to thin it.
When melting chocolate, heat gently in short bursts (20–30 seconds) and stir between intervals to avoid overheating and seizing.
Storing
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3–5 days.
A Few Tips For Perfect Cookies
- Measure flour correctly: stir the flour, spoon it into the measuring cup, then level it off rather than scooping directly from the container.
- Do not overbake. The cookies will appear slightly underbaked in the center right out of the oven—allow them to cool on the sheet so they finish setting and remain soft and chewy.
- Melt chocolate slowly: heat in short 20–30 second bursts and stir between each interval to prevent the chocolate from seizing.
More Recipes You Might Like:
- Peanut Butter Bars
- No-Bake Cookies
- Peanut Butter Pie
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Fudge Rounds
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! Watch the how-to video included in the recipe card. If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and let me know how it turned out.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
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Ingredients
Cookies
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, cut into Tablespoon-sized pieces
- 2 cups (340 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk, room temperature preferred, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup (190 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoon natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Peanut Butter Filling¹
- 1 ½ cup (420 g) creamy peanut butter²
- 4 Tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups (190 g) powdered sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2–5 Tablespoons milk³
Optional Chocolate Shell
- 10 oz (283 g) dark melting chocolate (or 1 ½ cups chocolate chips; if too thick to dip, thin with 1 teaspoon shortening)
- Chocolate sprinkles, optional
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine butter and chocolate chips. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring and repeating in 15-second increments until melted and smooth. Allow to cool slightly.
- Stir in brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture until combined.
- Drop dough by rounded 2-teaspoon scoops onto parchment, pressing down slightly. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 8–10 minutes. Cool completely on the baking sheet.
Filling
- Cream together peanut butter and softened butter with an electric mixer.
- With the mixer on low, gradually add powdered sugar until fully combined, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Stir in vanilla. Add milk, one tablespoon at a time, checking consistency at 3 tablespoons; add up to 5 tablespoons if needed. If too thin, add more powdered sugar to thicken.
- Spread or pipe the filling onto the bottom of one cooled cookie and sandwich with a matching cookie.
- When all sandwiches are assembled, melt chocolate according to package directions and dip each cookie one-third to one-half of the way into the melted chocolate. Sprinkle with jimmies if desired and allow chocolate to harden before serving.
Notes
²This recipe was tested with regular creamy peanut butter. Natural peanut butter with separated oil may behave differently.
³Whole milk is recommended, but other milks or cream will work—adjust the amount as needed.
Storing
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 351 kcal |
Carbohydrates: 32 g |
Protein: 7 g |
Fat: 23 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was first published 02/24/2016. Photos, tips, and a step-by-step video have since been added.
