Chocolate & Peanut Butter Cookies
Updated: Aug 16, 2022
Vegan Chocolate & Peanut Butter Cookies
These chocolate and peanut butter cookies have a thick, fudgy centre and melt in your mouth... with chocolate in every bite. With both chocolate and peanut butter in the cookies, as well as chocolate chips, chocolate chunks and peanut butter on top of the cookies, there no shortage of goodies is this recipe! Let's not forget the edges of these cookies are almost caramelised from the brown sugar, which gives a slight chewiness to the edges.
Once the butter has been melted in pan, all the ingredients are gradually thrown in one bowl and whisked to make the cookie dough, so no fancy equipment is needed... you don't even need a mixer as it can all be whisked by hand. Once the cookie dough is ready and has been placed on a baking tray, all you need to do is drizzle some peanut butter and sprinkle some extra chocolate chunks on top and you're good to go, that's how easy these cookies are.
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Do I need chocolate chips and chunks?
This is entirely up to you, as both have their own effect on the final cookie... if you'd prefer a thinner cookie with pools of chocolate, go for just chocolate chunks (cut up baking chocolate is best) but if you'd like a thicker cookie, chocolate chips are for you. I like a thicker cookie with pools of chocolate, so I choose to go for a combination of both!
What chocolate should I use?
I used a darker chocolate for both the chocolate chips and chunks, as that's my preferred chocolate. But if you prefer sweeter chocolate (even though the cookies are already quite sweet) then you may want to use a 'milkier' chocolate. Whichever type of chocolate you choose, a baking chocolate would be best, as it will melt the best in the oven to create the pools of chocolate.
How do I get pools of chocolate on top of my cookies?
Once your dough has been rolled into balls, pop a few extra chocolate chunks on the top and slightly press them into the dough. These will melt as the cookies spread in the oven and create mini pools of chocolate on the top of your cookies.
What peanut butter should I use?
A runny peanut butter is really what we need, but you can make it runny if you only have a thicker peanut butter. To make a thick peanut butter thinner, simply add some agave syrup, just like it says in the recipe, as I use a thicker peanut butter. I also use a smooth peanut butter, but you could use a crunchy peanut butter in the cookie itself, just make it thinner if it's a little thick. Though a smooth peanut butter would work best for adding on top of the cookies before they're popped in the oven.
Do I need any fancy equipment?
Nope not at all! All you need is a bowl, pan, whisk, baking tray and an ice cream scoop (or a couple of spoons) and a large round cookie cutter. These can be made easily by hand - there's no need for a mixer as the butter and sugars aren't creamed together - the butter is melted first and then whisked with the sugars. When it comes to portioning the cookie dough into balls, I prefer to use an ice cream scoop so they are all the same size, but you can just use some spoons if you prefer. These cookies will spread a lot in the oven and will be large and flat when you take them out. However, if you grab a large cookie cutter and carefully put it around the cookies whilst they're still warm and swirl them around, they will be pressed together and will therefore become smaller and thicker (which will give the fudgy centre).
How do I store these cookies?
These cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to week, no problem! Though you can also make the cookie dough ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week (if it lasts that long as it can also been eaten as cookie dough straight from the container), then baked and stored in an airtight container for another week... if there's any left!
What goes into these chocolate & peanut butter cookies?
Vegan Butter - baking block butter works best, for taste and texture in baking, so I'd stick with that.
Caster Sugar - the sugar provides the sweetness and gooey centre to the cookies.
Brown Sugar - this sugar gives sweetness like the caster sugar, but also darkens the colour of the cookies.
Oil- the oil softens the bars and creates a richer flavour... just make sure it's an unflavoured oil!
Vanilla Extract - just gives a little extra flavour.
Peanut Butter - we can't have peanut butter cookies without the peanut butter!
Agave Syrup - this is mixed with the peanut butter for added sweetness, but also to loosen the peanut butter and make it runny.
Plain Flour - this makes up the base of the cookies and gives them texture.
Cacao Powder - this is what gives the general chocolate flavour and colour in the cookies.
Baking Powder - gives a little rise in the cookies.
Chocolate Chips - for the chocolate flavour in every bite.
Chocolate Chunks - to add the gooey, melted chocolate to the cookies.
These chocolate and peanut butter cookies have a thick, fudgy centre and melt in your mouth... with chocolate in every bite. With both chocolate and peanut butter in the cookies, as well as chocolate chips, chocolate chunks and peanut butter on top of the cookies, there no shortage of goodies is this recipe! Let's not forget the edges of these cookies are almost caramelised from the brown sugar, which gives a slight chewiness to the edges.
Once the butter has been melted in pan, all the ingredients are gradually thrown in one bowl and whisked to make the cookie dough, so no fancy equipment is needed... you don't even need a mixer as it can all be whisked by hand. Once the cookie dough is ready and has been placed on a baking tray, all you need to do is drizzle some peanut butter and sprinkle some extra chocolate chunks on top and you're good to go, that's how easy these cookies are.
Chocolate & Peanut Butter Cookies
Total Time : 20 - 22 minutes
Preparation Time : 10 minutes
Baking Time : 10 - 12 minutes
Makes : 12 - 14 cookies
Ingredients
75g Dairy-Free Butter
50g Caster Sugar
100g Brown Sugar
80g Oil (tasteless)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
130g Plain Flour
20g Cacao Powder
40g Peanut Butter (20g extra for the top of the cookies with another 2 tbsp agave syrup)
2 tbsp Agave Syrup (not needed if you're using a runny peanut butter)
2 tsp Baking Powder
100g Chocolate Chips
50g Chocolate Chunks (20g extra for adding on top)
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C fan and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Melt the butter over a low heat and once melted, pour into a bowl with the caster and brown sugars and whisk until combined.
Once combined, add oil and vanilla extract, then continue to whisk until smooth.
In another bowl mix the peanut butter and agave syrup until combined and smooth, then add it to the wet ingredients and whisk them together.
Once all the wet ingredients are combined add the flour, cacao powder and baking powder. Gently whisk the dry ingredients into the wet until it's all combined into a dough.
Finally add the chocolate chips and chocolate chunks. Gently fold the mixture until the chocolate is evenly distributed.
Using a spoon or an ice cream scoop, divide the cookie dough into balls. Place them on your lined baking tray and slightly flatten the tops. In a bowl, add the extra peanut butter and agave syrup until combined and smooth, then drizzle it over the top of the cookie dough. Finally add the extra chocolate chunks (to get that gooey chocolatey top), leaving a large gap as they will spread a lot in the oven!
Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, then remove the tray from the oven. Whilst the cookies are still hot, grab a large round cookie cutter and carefully put it around the cookies. Swirl them around in the cookie cutter, to bunch up the sides towards the middle of the cookie. As a result, the cookie will become smaller and thicker (which will give the fudgy centre).
Leave them to harden slightly on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool.
Once cool, store in an airtight container and enjoy!
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