Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies | Ambitious Kitchen

It’s time for another vintage AK recipe makeover and trust me when I say, this one is absolutely incredible.

It all started back in 2014 (yes, almost 10 years ago!) when my friend Joanna from Cup of Jo had me contribute to her holiday chocolate series. I knew exactly what I was going to bake up. I mean what could be better than incredibly soft and chewy peanut butter cookies dunked in chocolate and topped with salty pretzels and sweet toffee pieces? Nothing, that’s what.

Something you should probably know about these chocolate-dipped peanut butter cookies: They’re downright addicting. In fact, they’re unlike any other peanut butter cookie you’ve ever tasted. If the instructions are followed correctly, you’ll end up with soft and chewy peanut butter cookies. And they’ll continue to stay soft for days (like they’ll even last that long anyway)!

Come on, I know I have some peanut butter lovers out there. I made this one just for you!

FREE Ultimate Guide to Cookie Baking

Ingredients in these chocolate-dipped peanut butter cookies

These amazing cookies use regular old all purpose flour and butter, plus a few secret ingredients that help the peanut butter cookies bake up beautifully. Here’s what you’ll need to make them:

Flour: as I mentioned, all purpose flour gives these cookies the perfect texture.
Butter: you’ll need a stick of butter for moisture.
Peanut butter: we’re adding all natural creamy peanut butter for that true, addicting peanut butter flavor. I love Wild Friends peanut butter, and you can use the code ‘AMBITIOUS15’ for 15% off!
Sweetener: these cookies get their rich sweetness and chewy texture from dark brown sugar and a tiny bit of honey. Learn how to make your own brown sugar here!
Egg: you’ll need 1 egg in this recipe to help the cookies bake up properly.
Sour cream: I know it sounds odd, but the addition of sour cream or plain greek yogurt makes the cookies extra soft on the inside.
Baking staples: don’t forget the baking soda, salt, and vanilla extract. Make your own vanilla extract using this tutorial.
For dipping & topping: dip these babies in a little melted chocolate (mix chocolate chips with coconut oil) then adorn them with a sprinkle of salty pretzels and sweet toffee pieces.

Can I make them vegan or dairy free?

I haven’t tested these cookies using a flax egg instead of a regular egg but I think it should work out just fine! Learn how to make a flax egg here.

You can easily make them dairy free by using vegan butter and vegan chocolate chips (use these, too, if you’re trying to make them vegan).

A note on gluten free substitutions

Unfortunately, I cannot recommend a gluten free substitute for the all purpose flour in these chocolate-dipped peanut butter cookies. If you’re looking for a gluten free alternative try one of these recipes and feel free to dip them in melted chocolate + add the toppings:

Don’t forget these cookie baking tips

I have tons of tips and tricks for baking cookies every time in my cookie baking e-book! Here are the basics to remember when baking these chocolate-dipped peanut butter cookies:

Do not use substitutes. Please be sure to follow the recipe as written unless substitutes are noted in the notes section of the recipe. Changing the flour will greatly affect the taste and texture of these cookies.
Make sure your ingredients are room temp. You’ll want to be sure that your butter and egg are both at room temp so that they don’t coagulate when you’re making the dough.
Use fresh baking soda. Make sure your baking soda is fresh to ensure that these cookies bake up properly.
Measure your flour correctly. Do you know the best way to measure flour without a scale? Get my tips & tricks in this video!

Choose your toppings

The best part about these cookies is that you can have fun with different dips and toppings! Here are some more ideas:

Sprinkle new toppings: swap the pretzels and toffee for mini peanut butter chips and crushed peanuts.
Frost the cookies: instead of melted chocolate, try adding the lovely peanut butter frosting from this recipe on top of the cookies. Enjoy as is or sprinkle your fav toppings!
Add a caramel drizzle: drizzle the cookies with my famous 5-Minute Vegan Salted Peanut Butter Caramel instead of dipping them in chocolate.
Try white chocolate: mix it up by dipping the cookies in melted white chocolate instead of regular chocolate.
Go traditional chocolate chip: make traditional peanut butter chocolate chip cookies by mixing 1 cup of regular or mini chocolate chips into the batter before baking. Option to double up on the indulgence by dipping them in more chocolate and adding the toppings!

Storing & freezing tips

To store: place these chocolate-dipped peanut butter cookies in an airtight glass container or reusable silicone bag and keep them at room temp for up to 5 days.
To freeze: you can actually freeze the peanut butter cookie dough or the fully baked and dipped cookies! Head to this post for all of my tips and tricks for both methods.

More cookie recipes you’ll love

Get all of my cookie recipes here!

I hope you love these chocolate-dipped peanut butter cookies! If you make them be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked them. Enjoy, xo!

Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies with Toffee & Crushed Pretzels

Unbelievable soft and chewy chocolate-dipped peanut butter cookies topped with sweet toffee and salty pretzel pieces. These easy chocolate-dipped peanut butter cookies have lovely crackly tops and are filled with creamy peanut butter flavor. They’re freezer-friendly and the perfect treat!

Ingredients

1 ¼
cups
all-purpose flour
1
teaspoon
baking soda
¼
teaspoon
salt
1/2
cup
unsalted butter, softened
1/2
cup
all natural creamy peanut butter
1
cup
packed dark brown sugar (light will also work just fine)
1
egg
1
teaspoon
vanilla extract
1/2
tablespoon
honey
1/2
tablespoon
sour cream or plain greek yogurt
For the topping:
1
cup
chocolate chips
1
teaspoon
coconut oil
1/2
cup
crushed pretzel
1/2
cup
toffee pieces

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, add in peanut butter, softened butter and brown sugar; mix on medium low until well combined.
Switch mixer to low speed; add in egg, vanilla extract, honey and sour cream and beat 1 minute or until well combined, smooth and creamy. Slowly add in dry ingredients, increasing speed to medium low; mix until just combined.
Grab a tablespoonful of dough and roll into a ball with your hands. You can also use a small cookie scoop if you have this available. Place dough on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches apart between each dough ball. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes before removing and transferring to a wire rack. This allows them to set up a bit and harden slightly around the edges. Repeat with remaining dough.
In a small bowl, mix crushed pretzels and toffee pieces. Once cookies are completely cooled, you can prepare the chocolate.
First line two baking sheets with wax paper. Next, add chocolate chips and coconut oil to small pot and place over low heat. Watch carefully and stir often until chocolate is completely melted.
Dip each peanut butter cookie in chocolate then sprinkle with toffee-preztel mixture; place on wax paper and repeat with remaining cookies. The chocolate should set up within 30 minutes, but if you want to speed up the process, just place the baking sheet in the fridge for about 5 minutes
Cookies will keep for 3-5 days if stored in an airtight container.