Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies
Turn a classic PB&J sandwich into a delicious sweet treat. These peanut butter and jelly cookies are a fun, family-friendly recipe that only take minutes to make!
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Peanut Butter Jelly Cookie Recipe
The nostalgic feeling of biting into a gooey peanut butter and jelly sandwich never gets old. But what if I told you it could get even better? Yup, it actually can - and these peanut butter and jelly cookies are the key!
All the goodness of your favorite childhood sandwich stuffed into a warm, chewy cookie. Chewy peanut butter cookies are filled with your favorite jam, making that classic flavor combination just pop!
One of the great things about this recipe is that you can use whatever jam or jelly you want. If you've got homemade jam that you love, mix it in! If there's a store-bought jelly that you rave about, let it fill the center of the cookie.
It's no secret that I'm a sucker for a peanut butter treat. From peanut butter fudge to a creamy peanut butter banana smoothie, I love it all! But a PB&J cookie is unlike any other treat! This fun twist on a classic sandwich will quickly become a favorite, routine cookie recipe!.
Why You'll Love this Recipe
How many reasons can I list for why these peanut butter and jelly cookies are amazing? So many! But here's a few:
- Make a batch of this peanut butter jelly cookies in just about a half hour! The hardest part is just waiting for them to cool.
- You can use your favorite jelly flavor and favorite type of peanut butter. Make these cookies extra special to you!
- Peanut butter and jelly cookies are great for cookie platters. They're unique, fun and absolutely delicious.
Ingredients
Grab all of the ingredients on this list and then let's get started making the best peanut butter cookies:
- unsalted butter
- granulated sugar
- brown sugar
- large eggs
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- creamy peanut butter
- jelly or jam
Substitutions and Variations
You can use a gluten-free 1:1 flour substitute, such as King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour, to make this recipe without gluten.
Any kind of jelly or jam will work! The classics, like strawberry and grape, are best. But flavors like blueberry, blackberry, and cherry work great too.
To reduce the amount of refined sugar in this recipe, use coconut sugar in place of brown sugar.
Crunchy peanut butter works too! You cookies will just have a bit of a different texture and you may run the risk of them falling apart more easily.
Have a peanut allergy? Make these cookies with almond butter, cashew butter, or even sunflower seed butter!
How to Make Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies
Follow these easy steps and you can have peanut butter and jelly cookies with minimal effort and just a short amount of time:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C), then line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, take a small portion of the dough and flatten it in your palm. Add a small spoonful of peanut butter and a small spoonful of jelly in the center, then fold the dough around the filling and roll it into a ball.
Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. The center of each cookie may look slightly underbaked, but they will firm up as they cool.
Allow the finished cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
How to Store Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies
Allow your PB and J cookies to cool completely on a wire rack, then transfer to an airtight container. If you need to stack the cookies, place parchment paper between the layers. Store at room temperature for 5 days, or in the fridge if you prefer.
Keep in mind that the longer they sit, the soggier they will likely be. The finished cookies are kind of hard to freeze, but you can freeze the cookie dough balls! Flash freeze on a baking sheet, then transfer to a bag or container and store for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen - just add a few minutes onto the bake time.
Tips for Success
Check out these few tips for your peanut butter and jelly cookies:
- If the cookie dough seems like it's too soft to work with, just chill it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. This will firm up the soft dough, making it easier to shape and also prevents spreading during baking.
- These cookies are best enjoyed slightly warm, while the peanut butter and jelly are still gooey. Microwave your leftover cookies for a few seconds before serving for a warm and melty cookie!
- I didn't fully encase the filling as I wanted some to show on the top of each cookie. But you can encase the center filling if you prefer.
FAQ
Make sure that the peanut butter cookie dough fully encases the peanut butter and jelly in the center. You'll need to pinch the seams together and roll gently the cookie to seal it. Chilling the dough before baking will also help. You also may need to use more dough per cookie so it can hold a good amount of PB & jelly!
Yes and no. If you have a no-stir, natural peanut butter that does not separate then feel free to use it in this recipe! However, if the natural peanut butter that you enjoy ends up separating the oil from the nut butter then it isn't a great choice for peanut butter and jelly cookies.
The Sweetest Season: Holiday Cookie Recipes
This post is brought to you as part of The Sweetest Season, my friend Erin's annual virtual cookie exchange! Every year, she gets food bloggers together to share new holiday cookie recipes for your holiday parties
We're also raising awareness about and fundraising for Cookies for Kids' Cancer, a recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to funding research for new, innovative and less-toxic treatments for childhood cancer. If you'd like to join us, donate to our C4KC fundraising page.
More Peanut Butter Recipes
Did you make this recipe?
If you make and love this recipe, please leave a ★★★★★ review below! It means so much to me when you try my recipes, and I'd love to know how it goes. Please leave a comment below if you have any questions.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup jelly or jam your choice of flavor
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, take a small portion of the dough and flatten it in your palm. Add a small spoonful of peanut butter and a small spoonful of jelly in the center, then fold the dough around the filling and roll it into a ball.
- Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. The centers may look slightly underbaked, but they will firm up as they cool. You might need to bake them in batches.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
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Hello. There isn't peanut butter in the dough, only the dollops of pb in the center of the scoops? Did I miss something?
Nope, that is correct 🙂 It's a fun twist!