Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

These Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies are loaded with peanuts used three ways for the most peanuty cookie ever! A peanut butter cookie is rolled in peanut sugar and filled with a Reeses type peanut butter filling. These are the perfect end to any meal or as a snack.

This easy to make cookie dough makes great cookies by themselves also. The peanut sugar adds a crunch not usually found in peanut butter cookies. In any case, these are a not-to-be-missed cookie.

Jump to:

• What Kind of Peanut Butter to Use
• Why use Bread Flour in the Cookies
• Butter, Shortening or Both
• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• Recipe Ingredients
• Step by Step Instructions
• Recipe FAQS
• Expert Tips
• Cookies You're Sure to Like
• Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

What Kind of Peanut Butter to Use

While chunky can be used, a better choice is smooth, commercial peanut butter for both the filling and the cookie. Regular or low fat can be used. Natural or homemade is not the preferred choice here.

Why use Bread Flour in the Cookies

Bread flour is a stronger flour than all purpose. As, such is makes a chewier cookie. The other thing that helps a lot is to put the prepared dough in the fridge overnight. That allows the cookies to more evenly absorb the liquid. All purpose can be used but bread flour is my preferred choice. To learn more about flours see my post Flour as Used in Baking and The Frustrating Facts about Measuring Flour.

Butter, Shortening or Both

Unsalted butter is used for flavor. Shortening (think crisco) is used to stop the cookies from spreading too much which is what will happen when all butter is used. There is some controversy over using shortening.

Historically Crisco was used as a replacement for. It used partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil which was high in trans fats. Trans fats — also called trans-fatty acids raises bad cholesterol and lowers good cholesterol.

From January 24, 2007, all Crisco shortening products were reformulated to contain less than one gram of trans fat per serving.  It no longer uses partially hydrogenated oils which were the problem and now uses only hydrogenated oils which are what gives shortening its semisolid consistency and high performance cooking attributes without the trans fats.

While the company touts no trans fats, there is actually .05 grams per serving which allows it to claim there is none.  But it is a much better product than was the original.

Used judiciously and in small amounts, I think the benefit is great and use it where no other product is suitable. 

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• This recipe is really easy. Basically the dry ingredients are combined with the wet ingredients, then shaped.
• These sandwich cookies are the most peanut laden cookies around.
• The ingredients are probably in your pantry now.
• Chocolate is added to the filling to intensify the flavor.
• If there are children around, let them help roll the dough into balls.

Recipe Ingredients

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough

FRONT ROW: Salt, unsalted butter, vanilla, baking soda

MIDDLE ROW: Eggs, peanut butter, shortening

BACK ROW: Brown sugar, bread flour, granulated sugar

Peanut Sugar

LEFT TO RIGHT: Salted peanuts, granulated sugar.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Filling

FRONT ROW: Milk, unsalted butter, vanilla

MIDDLE ROW: Peanut butter

BACK ROW: Powdered sugar, semisweet chocolate

Be sure to see the recipe card below for the exact ingredients and instructions.

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Set aside. Step 2. Add the peanut butter, shortening, butter, both sugars and vanilla to the bowl of a mixer. Step 3. Beat until well combined. Step 4. Add the eggs and beat until blended. It may curdle at this point. If it does, raise the speed of the mixer and continue beating. If that doesn't take care of it, the next step will.

Step 5. Add the dry ingredients and mix completely . Step 6. Beat on low until the dough is completely mixed. If resting in the fridge overnight, transfer to a storage container. Step 7. Place the peanuts and granulated sugar in the bowl of a processor. Step 8. Process until the peanuts are finely chopped. Do not over process and turn it to a paste.

Step 9. Place the peanut sugar in a bowl. Add a rounded cookie, scoop up some of the peanut sugar and a peanut butter cookie and roll them around in your hands so the sugar attaches. Step 10. Here are the steps to the final shaping of the cookie. From left to right, the cookie dropped from a #40 disher/scooper (about 1 ½ tablespoons each). The cookies rolled into balls between your hands. The balls covered in the peanut sugar and finally placed on the parchment then flatted to about ½ " thick or about 1 ½" in diameter. Bake as called for. Step 11. Place the cookies, 3 apart and 4 down on a half sheet pan. Double pan the cookies to prevent the bottoms from over browning. Step 12. Pair the cookies and arrange them bottom side up.

Step 13. Place all of the filling ingredients except the milk in the bowl of a mixer. Step 14. Beat until smooth, adding the milk a bit at a time until the filling pipeable. Step 15. With a 3 5 open star, pipe or spoon the filling onto the bottom of the cookies to within about ¼"of the edge. Step 16. Place the top cookie on the filling and press down lightly to bring the filling to the edge of the cookies.

Recipe FAQS

Expert Tips

• The bread flour is important, but all-purpose can be subbed if necessary.
• Chilling the dough overnight makes a better cookie.
• The shortening is important to keep the cookies from spreading excessively when baked.
• Make sure to pair the cookies before filling for the best looking sandwich cookies.
• Use salted peanuts for the peanut sugar to give an extra flavor boost.
• These keep well for days in a covered tin.

Cookies You're Sure to Like

If you love these Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies, It would be hugely helpful and so appreciated it if you would take a moment to leave a rating below. Thank you.