These spooky Halloween Peanut Butter Cookies are packed with goodies! Thick peanut butter cookies stuffed with peanut butter and chocolate chips, M&M’s, candy corn, and pretzels make for the perfect sweet and salty combo. Decorated with cute candy eyeballs for a little spooky twist!
Current obsession: these Spooky Halloween Peanut Butter Cookies. I almost named them Halloween Kitchen Sink Cookies because I’ve managed to pack so much into these, but that just sounded strange. Also thought about Halloween Monster Cookies, but that’s too on the nose.
So “Spooky Halloween Peanut Butter Cookies” it is.
But regardless of what they’re called, these are Halloween treat perfection. First of all, they are ADORABLE. Second of all, they are DELICIOUS. Third of all, they are way fun to make with kiddos. Again, Halloween treat perfection. The Halloween treat trifecta, if you will.
A peanut butter cookie that’s thick, super soft, and oh so moist. Your teeth just sink in so easily. It’s delightful. I packed these cookies with all sorts of fun Halloween-y goodies & mix-ins like M&M’s, candy corn, pretzels, peanut butter chips, and chocolate chips. Sounds like a lot, but trust me, it works. It’s the ultimate sweet-salty fix. You can call these “balanced” if you want to be all sophisticated, but also, let’s not take ourselves too seriously because there are candy eyeballs involved.
Speaking of candy eyeballs, did I mention these are way fun to make with kiddos? Quick soapbox: if you have babies in your home, bake with them! It’s messy & requires patience, but it creates memories and fun and teaches them life skills. Okay, soapbox over.
I hope y’all love these cookies as much as I do! Happy baking, friends!
What you’ll need to make these cookies:
Butter: Adds moisture, flavor, & helps cookies spread in the oven.
Creamy Peanut Butter: Brings lots of peanut butter flavor! I used JIF peanut butter for these cookies. Just be sure to avoid the natural or organic peanut butter that requires stirring.
Brown sugar: Adds moisture, sweetness, and a little chewiness.
Sugar: Adds sweetness, tenderizes the cookie dough, and helps cookies spread in the oven.
Eggs: For binding and structure. Using an additional egg yolk adds moisture, richness, and chewiness.
Vanilla: For flavor.
Flour: For structure.
Baking soda: For leavening.
Kosher salt: To balance out all the sweetness.
Peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, candy M&M’s, candy corn, & pretzels to make these extra fun and delish. Plus some decorative candy eyeballs to make these super cute for Halloween.
FAQs:
Why is this recipe primarily listed in grams? I develop my recipes in grams because weighing your ingredients is the best, most accurate way to bake. Baking is a science and precision is key to success! Measuring cups are not standardized, and what’s more, the way each baker uses them varies drastically, which ultimately gives you inconsistent (and sometimes negative) results. For instance, did you know that scooping flour out of a cannister can give you 50% more flour than what’s called for in the recipe? By weighing your ingredients rather than using measuring cups, you can confidently know that you are using the correct amount of each ingredient, giving you greater success & delicious results. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale, like this one when you bake. Plus, it makes clean up a lot easier!
What kind of peanut butter should I use? Be sure to use a creamy, processed peanut butter like JIF or Skippy. I used JIF peanut butter in my recipe. Don’t use natural or organic peanut butter that requires stirring.
How will I know when these are done? Be careful not to overbake these cookies or they will lose their yummy softness & moisture. Take these out of the oven once the edges are very lightly browned. Don’t wait for the tops to brown or you will end up overbaking them.
A few notes before you bake:
These cookies don’t spread a ton in the oven, which makes them thick, soft & delicious. But to help them spread a little bit, carefully bang the cookie sheet on the counter a few times after you remove them from the oven. This will help the cookies “deflate” & spread a bit more as they cool.
Print
Spooky Halloween Peanut Butter Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Chill time: 30 to 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes (plus 30 to 60 minute chill time)
- Yield: 20 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Dessert, Snack
Description
These spooky Halloween Peanut Butter Cookies are packed with goodies! Thick peanut butter cookies stuffed with peanut butter and chocolate chips, M&M’s, candy corn, and pretzels make for the perfect sweet and salty combo. Decorated with cute candy eyeballs for a little spooky twist!
Ingredients
- 113 gm (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 264 gm (1 cup) creamy peanut butter (not natural or organic)
- 180 gm (3/4 cup, firmly packed) light brown sugar
- 100 gm (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 187 gm (1 1/2 cups, spoon & leveled) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 73 gm (1/3 cup) peanut butter chips
- 73 gm (1/3 cup) semisweet chocolate chips
- 73 gm (1/3 cup) candy M&Ms
- 73 gm (1/3 cup) candy corn
- 20 gm (1/2 cup) pretzels, broken into pieces
- Candy eyeballs for decoration
Instructions
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and peanut butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix in the egg and egg yolk, one at a time, being sure that the first is fully incorporated before adding the next. Mix in the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and kosher salt. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Add in the peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, M&M’s, candy corn, and pretzels, and fold in by hand until the mix-ins are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Cover the dough and place in the fridge to chill for 30 to 60 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a #20 spring-loaded cookie scoop (which holds about 3 tablespoons of dough), scoop the chilled dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart. Top the cookies with candy eye balls. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are very lightly browned. (The tops of the cookies may appear underdone, but they’re not! You don’t want to overbake these.)
- Remove the cookies from the oven and carefully tap the baking sheet on the counter a few times to “deflate” the cookies and help them spread a bit. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 to 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
