Day 3 of the 12 Days of Christmas Cookie Recipes 2020

Soft cookie, creamy filling, and a crunchy topping. I honestly can’t say if there is a better cookie out there. These muddy buddy cookies are definitely my top 3 cookie recipes of all time and I have held the recipe so close to me for so long! These are my babies! 😂 I am a HUGE fan of the peanut butter/chocolate combo. If I’m handed a dessert menu, chances are prettyyyy high that I will go for the peanut butter chocolate ANYTHING. It’s just one of those given things in my life.

So while the normal recipe really isn’t all that “Christmas-y” I do feel like your holiday desert line up *should* have a peanut butter/chocolate concoction of some sort. These cookies would more than perfectly fill any peanut butter/chocolate void. Plus, they are so cute and I feel like they’ve got a lot of cookie appeal (you know, like curb appeal but cookie style 😂)

I dressed these up to be a little more holidayish by buying some red and green M&Ms. I, of course, reached for the peanut butter M&Ms because why would you ever choose something different? Peanut butter M&Ms are seriously one of my biggest weaknesses. My husband looks at me like I’m crazy when I choose them over peanut M&Ms, but I’ll be on #teampeanutbutterm&ms for the rest of forever. Anyone else with me?

So, like I said…these cookies are seriously delicious. They look fancy but they are actually quite simple to make! A perfect addition to your holiday cookie round up.

I start by adding cold tablespoon chunks of butter to my electric mixer and beat until the butter is softened. Then, add in the sugar and brown sugar until well combined. There shouldn’t be any chunks of butter left in the mixture. Once that is all done, add eggs, vanilla, and peanut butter and mix until well combined, mixing on LOW.

Next, add in the dry ingredients. Pulse the mixer, or keep it at the lowest speed possible. Make sure to scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl- sometimes the peanut butter can be a little difficult to work with 😝 Dough should be well combined but also somewhat stiff. If your dough seems too soft, place in the refrigerator for it to stiffen up a little bit more.

Once the wet and dry ingredients are well mixed, pour 1/2 c granulated sugar into a bowl. If you want to make ginormous cookies- weigh the cookie dough balls to 5 oz, for smaller cookies I do 2.5-3 oz each. You do not need to form the cookies into perfect balls. I like the look of the cookies better when they are just mounds of cookie dough. Take each mound and dip/roll it in the sugar.

Place the mounds of cookie dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone mats. Small cookies can be placed about 2-3 inches a part but I often place the large cookies further apart (2 on top, 1 in middle, 2 on bottom for a standard cookie sheet size).

Now here is the important part of the recipe: DO NOT OVER BAKE! If you do, your peanut butter cookie will be dry and most likely just crumble onto your lap when you try to eat it. I recommend baking the cookies for no longer than 6 to 8 minutes. You will know they are done when the tops are cracking a little bit and you notice them getting a little bit more brown.

Once the cookies are done baking, you need to push in the center of the cookie. I do this by grabbing one of my seasoning bottles (you know like the little McCormick ones…see here if you are confused) and making an indent- being careful to not press all the way through the cookie. This is where you will put the chocolate peanut butter deliciousness once the cookies have finished setting up. Allow the cookies to sit on their hot sheet until they are completely cooled down. This is so important, because the cookies will finish baking on the hot sheets!

While waiting for the cookies I will then make the muddy buddy mixture that you will place on top. This stuff is so good. Like, SO good. If you haven’t had it before, you aren’t living 🤪 There are no tips and tricks here, just follow the recipe below. You can also purchase premade Muddy Buddies at the grocery store but I do prefer the homemade kind.

One cookies have cooled off, you will make the peanut butter chocolate filling. I simply melt the chocolate chips and peanut butter in the microwave, the first increment for 30 seconds, the second 15 seconds, and if it needs more, I continue with the 15 second increments. Stir well to combine.

Once your peanut butter and chocolate mixture is melted to perfection, you will fill the indents you made in the cookies. You don’t necessarily need to fill the indents level with the cookie, but add a somewhat significant amount of filling. After you have filled all the cookies, immediately top the cookies with the muddy buddy mixture. The mixture will grab onto the cereal as it cools and help keep everything in place.

Let the cookies sit for at least another 15 or so minutes (or pop them in the fridge for less waiting time) to allow them to set up and then enjoy! I love the combination of crunchy, smooth, and soft. I’ve been told by multiple people that these are the best peanut butter cookies they’ve ever had, so I guess you’ll have to let me know if you agree or not 🙌

Peanut Butter Muddy Buddy Cookies

5 from 1 vote

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Ingredients

Wet Ingredients:

1 Cup Unsalted, COLD, cut into tablespoon chunks
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter (Not Natural PB)

Dry Ingredients:

1 Cup Cake Flour
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp salt

For Rolling

1/2 C Granulated Sugar

For the Filling:

1 Cup Chocolate Chips (which ever you prefer)
2 Tbsp Creamy Peanut Butter

For the Muddy Buddy Topping

1 12 oz Box Chex Cereal
1 12 oz Bag Chocolate Chips (which ever you prefer)
3/4 C Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 C Unsalted Butter
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 2 lb bag Powdered Sugar (you can just eyeball it to how much you like)

Instructions

Preheat over to 400 Degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Add cut up butter into mixer, mix until butter is somewhat softened.
Add sugars and mix on low until well combined.
Add creamy peanut butter, eggs, and vanilla and mix on low until well combined.
Sift together dry ingredients then slowly add to mixture while mixing on low. You may also choose to pulse the mixer on-and-off until dough ball forms. Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Measure dough mounds into 2.5-3 oz mounds for small cookies or 5 oz for large cookies.
Roll the cookie dough mounds into a bowl with 1/2 c granulated sugar. Roll until the whole mound is covered.
Place the cookie dough mounds 2 inches a part for small cookies or at least 3 inches apart for large cookies. Cookie dough mounds should be tall and not perfectly round.
Bake for 6-8 minutes, checking to see if the tops of the cookies are cracking and the tops starting to get browned.
Remove cookies from the oven and take the bottom of a seasoning bottle to make a round indentation into the top of the cookie (this is where you will put the filling and muddy buddy mixture) leave at least a 1/4 inch ring around the indentation.
Allow cookies to completely cool, they will finish baking on the warm cookie sheets.
While cookies cool, make the Muddy Buddy Mixture`

For the Muddy Buddies:

Melt the chocolate chips, vanilla, butter, and peanut butter in the microwave. Start by microwaving for 30 seconds, then stirring, then returning to the microwave for another 15 seconds, then stir, and repeat as needed. Mixture should be creamy and easily poured onto the cereal.
Pour the peanut butter chocolate mixture over the Chex cereal, stir until the chocolate is covering most of the cereal
Dump the cereal into a large Ziploc baggie. Pour in powdered sugar and close the Ziploc baggie. Toss the sugar to cover the surface of the cereal. Add additional M&Ms if you want!
For the Filling:
Melt chocolate and peanut butter for 30 seconds, stir. Repeat in 15 second intervals as needed.

For Assembly:

Fill each cookie's indentation almost full with the chocolate peanut butter filling.
Top each cookie with a small handful of the Muddy Buddy Mixture.

So there you have it, one of my all time favorite cookie recipes. Like I said, you get the best of both crunchy and soft with this cookie and you will love it! Especially if you are a peanut butter/chocolate lover like I am!

As usual, if you make these cookies, will you please share and tag me in your photos? I’d love to see what you’re baking in your kitchen!

xoxo

Nicole

2 Comments

Zack

Nicole H