With a chocolate heart candy nestled on top, these peanut butter sweetheart cookies are the Valentine’s Day version of peanut butter blossoms!
Just like a good go-to recipe for chocolate chip cookies or sugar cookies, a top-notch peanut butter cookie recipe is a must. Because peanut butter can often leave cookies dry and crumbly, I’ve worked hard to test and succeed with a recipe for the softest peanut butter cookies. Many readers say they taste like the inside of a peanut butter cup!
Naturally, I’ve taken that foundation recipe and created a few different variations. Because if it works, it works! My , peanut butter jam thumbprints, and today’s peanut butter sweetheart cookies are just a few of the spinoffs I’ve created with my trusty peanut butter cookie dough.
I know you and your sweetheart will love these festive cookies!
Why Everyone Loves These Peanut Butter Sweetheart Cookies
- Soft, thick, and positively packed with peanut butter flavor
- A peanut butter version of my popular sparkle sweetheart cookies
- Perfect for stacking and transporting
- Only 1 hour of cookie dough chilling
- Great with any variety of chocolate hearts, plain or filled
- Fun to serve alongside white chocolate red velvet cookies, Valentine’s Day cookies, or any of these Valentine’s Day dessert recipes
Start With My Best Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
We use the same dough here as my soft and thick peanut butter cookies. (Note that those have 1 extra Tablespoon of flour to help hold the shape when flattening with a fork.)
One thing that might jump out to you is the shockingly small amount of flour. In cookies, nut butter acts as a binder and can actually replace some of the flour (or all of the flour like in these flourless almond butter cookies). We use 3/4 cup of peanut butter, which still packs a big peanut butter punch without drying out the cookies.
FAQ: What Kind of Peanut Butter Works Best for Peanut Butter Sweetheart Cookies?
For best taste and texture, use a creamy, processed peanut butter like Skippy or Jif. They’ll spread less and won’t be as crumbly. I don’t recommend crunchy peanut butter—the cookies will be sandier/crumblier, will spread more, and will taste a bit dry. Natural peanut butter is OK in a pinch, but the cookies crack and crumble more. You can, however, use natural-style peanut butter in these peanut butter banana chocolate chip oatmeal bars.
FAQ: Can I Make a Nut-Free Version?
You have a few options. For a nut-free version of this recipe, swap the peanut butter for sunflower seed butter or Biscoff spread. Or you can try my sparkle sweetheart cookies recipe instead, which uses a cream cheese sugar cookie dough. You could also take these red velvet blossoms or chocolate cherry blossoms and use a chocolate heart candy in place of the Hershey’s Kiss.
FAQ: What Kind of Chocolate Can I Use for Peanut Butter Sweetheart Cookies?
I used peanut butter-filled Reese’s chocolate hearts in these photos, and below you’ll see cookies and cream chocolate hearts too (below). There are many different kinds and brands of chocolate heart candies available today. Use whatever your heart desires. 😉 Or skip the hearts and try my peanut butter cup cookies instead.
If you have leftover candies, you could use them as toppers on these Valentine’s Day Cupcakes. If you find yourself in the mood to make cupcakes for the holiday (red velvet cupcakes, white chocolate strawberry cupcakes, and chocolate covered strawberry cupcakes are popular choices), chocolate hearts are always an easy and festive finishing touch.
Success Tip: Prevent Melting Chocolate Hearts
I mean, these cookies will obviously make your heart melt but maybe you don’t want the chocolate heart to melt too? 😉
After gently pressing the chocolate hearts into the tops of your peanut butter cookies, stick them in the freezer for 10 minutes. This will ensure the chocolate hearts keep their shapes and don’t turn into melty chocolate blobs. Still delicious? Yes. Just not as cute as a bunch of little heart-topped cookies.
The refrigerator will also work, but the freezer is most effective. If you don’t have enough room in your refrigerator or freezer for a baking sheet, carefully transfer the cookies to a smaller tray or plate and then freeze.
More Valentine’s Day Treats:
- Raspberry Sugar Cookies
- Favorite Cheesecake Recipe
- Small Chocolate Cake (6 Inch) or Chocolate Cake
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
- White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
Peanut Butter Sweetheart Cookies
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star5 from 10 reviews
- Author: Sally
- Prep Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes (includes chilling)
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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Description
With a chocolate heart candy nestled on top, these peanut butter sweetheart cookies are the Valentine’s Day version of peanut butter blossoms!
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/4 cups (156g) all-purpose flour ()
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (about 190g) creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 24 chocolate heart candies, unwrapped (like these or these)
- optional: additional 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on high speed until creamy. Switch to medium-high speed and beat in the brown sugar and 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar until completely creamed and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and beat until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the peanut butter and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat on low speed until combined. The dough will be very creamy and soft. Cover and chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, and up to 3 days.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside. Also, make sure there’s room in your freezer because the baked cookies will need to be placed inside to prevent the chocolates from melting.
- Roll & bake: Scoop and roll cookie dough, about 1 heaping Tablespoon of dough each. If desired, roll each ball in 1/4 cup of granulated sugar. Arrange cookie dough balls on the baking sheet about 3 inches apart. Bake for 11–13 minutes or until the tops begin to slightly crack. Remove cookies from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes.
- Set the chocolate: Press a chocolate heart candy into the center of each, then, using a thin spatula, immediately transfer the cookies to a large plate or a few smaller plates (gently—they’re soft). Place the plate(s) of cookies in the freezer for 10 minutes to quickly set the chocolate in the cookie.
- Remove from the freezer and serve.
- Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.
- Special Tools (affiliate links):Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer) | Baking Sheets |Silicone Baking Mats | Cooling Rack | Chocolate Hearts or Chocolate Peanut Butter Hearts
- Peanut Butter: Creamy peanut butter is ideal for this recipe because crunchy peanut butter creates an overly crumbly cookie. For this particular recipe, it’s best to use processed peanut butter such as Jif or Skippy. If you decide to use natural peanut butter, make sure it’s at room temperature and is well stirred, and expect a slightly crumblier cookie.
- Can I use almond butter or other nut butter? Yes, you can use almond butter or another nut butter in this cookie recipe; however, expect a crumblier cookie. I have not tested this recipe with Nutella.
- Can I make these without nut butter? For a nut-free version of this recipe, swap the peanut butter for sunflower seed butter or Biscoff spread. However, you’ll have better luck (and a tastier cookie!) if you make these sparkle sweetheart cookies.
