I'm Elyse. Some of my most vivid and cherished memories are around a table with friends and family, and I want that for you, too.
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All of the nostalgia of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in one sweet little package.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
I eat a potentially troubling amount of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as an adult. This cookie-fied version is a peanut butter base with a jelly core and topped with white chocolate drizzle to mimic a glass of milk.
The cookie is fairly straightforward and consists of more peanut butter than actual butter, which in my book is a great sign. I also shove peanut butter chips in the dough for ultimate peanut butter flavor. The dough comes together quickly in a stand mixer and after forming into balls, all you need to do is press a divot into the center, fill it with jelly, and top the jelly with a little more cookie dough.
These taste amazing as is, but to level up the specialness for a birthday or get together, simply heat up a little white chocolate in the microwave, drizzle over the top of each one and then sprinkle bits of salted peanuts over the top.
Tips for Making these Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies
First thing’s first: Do you HAVE to freeze your jelly the night before? Technically, no. In fact, the balls of jelly won’t actually freeze solid overnight. But, they will become much, MUCH easier to handle.
Secondly, while the peanut butter chips are a really lovely addition, if you don’t have them on hand, don’t stress.
This recipe makes nine big cookies. However, you should only scoop five dough balls. (The pictures below are from a triple batch…don’t ask.) We will be using the remaining dough to patch the top of each cookie.
The only thing you’ll really need to pay attention to is ensuring that the seals are nice and flush—this will make sure that none of the jelly leaks out the sides, so you can avoid burning sugar on your sheet pans.
Do I Have to Use Strawberry Jam?
You absolutely do not have to use strawberry jam. This cookie works great with raspberry jam and grape jam too. Also, I encourage you to take this recipe and run with it! Forgo jam altogether if you want! I’ve tried this base peanut butter cookie recipe with frozen bits of caramel and frozen bits of chocolate ganache, both to great effect.
How Do You Know When Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies Are Done?
Because peanut butter cookies start with a golden brown dough, it can be challenging to determine when they are fully baked. And, because you don’t want a dry, overbaked cookies, there are three signs to look out for to ensure a perfectly baked pb boi:
The tops look slightly dry and puffed
The edges are a beautiful golden brown
There are small cracks throughout the cookie
Once the cookies are out of the oven, allow them to cool on the hot baking sheet for 7 minutes. This will continue to bake the cookies so they firm up more before you transfer them to a wire rack to cool further.
A delicious (and easy) peanut butter cookie stuffed with jelly and drizzled with white chocolate—reminiscent of a pb&j with milk.
Ingredients
Scale
1/2 Cup + 1 Tablespoon strawberry jelly
57 grams (1/4 Cup) unsalted butter, softened
205 grams (3/4 Cup) smooth peanut butter
109 grams (1/2 Cup) granulated sugar
103 grams (1/2 Cup) light brown sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
136 grams (1 Cup) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 Cup peanut butter chips
1/2 Cup white chocolate chips + 1/4 Cup chopped salted and roasted peanuts for garnish – optional
Instructions
Place a piece of parchment paper on a plate or quarter sheet pan. Use a tablespoon to scoop out the strawberry jelly. Level the top and then place the domed scoop onto the paper. You need nine tablespoons total. Place in the freezer for at least an hour but overnight is best.
Preheat the oven to 350F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using an electric handheld mixer), beat together the butter, peanut butter, and both sugars until light and fluffy. This takes about 3-5 min. Scrape down the bowl.
Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition and scraping down periodically. Add vanilla extract and beat to combine.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Stop the mixer and dump in your dry ingredients. Gently pulse your mixer to combine everything. Turn off the mixer and fold in the peanut butter chips.
Using a 3T cookie scoop, scoop out five cookies.
Take out your jelly scoops. Make a divot in the dough ball and place a jelly dome in the center. Use your hands to work the sides up a tad before covering the top with the extra dough that wasn’t rolled.
Pinch the edges together to keep the jelly from leaking out in the oven—forming one large, jelly-filled ball.
Place the cookies about 2″ apart and bake for 10 – 13 minutes, rotating halfway through or until dry and lightly golden brown around the edges.
Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for another 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Place the white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl, heat for 20-second intervals until fully melted. Fill a piping bag (or a ziploc bag) and snip the end.
Drizzle each cookie with white chocolate and top with chopped peanuts. The white chocolate will dry in a few minutes.