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By: julieblannerLeave a Comment
Updated: 8/15/22
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A light and crispy shortbread cookie with a fun twist - peanut butter! Easy and fast to make, with just 5 staple ingredients.
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Peanut Butter Shortbread Cookies are a tasty twist on classic shortbread cookies. Made with just 5 staple pantry ingredients, these cookies are simple to make. Follow the recipe and tips for peanut butter shortbread cookies that are perfect every time!
Just like classic buttery shortbread cookies, peanut butter shortbread cookies are crispy, melt-in-your mouth perfection. What makes these stand out is the nutty addition of the fan-favorite ingredient – peanut butter!
Peanut butter is a comfort food for desserts, which is why it is incorporated into so many delicious cookie recipes – Peanut Butter Blossoms, Peanut Butter Cup Cookies, no bake Cornflake Cookies, and Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies. All of them, including this peanut butter shortbread cookie, will bring bite after bite of home-baked peanut butter goodness.
Peanut Butter Shortbread Cookies are thin and crispy so they remain light and will melt in your mouth. They’re not overly sweet, using just a small amount of brown sugar to add a depth of flavor. Without leavening agents – baking powder, baking soda, or eggs – these cookies are designed to remain thin through the baking process.
Their crunchy texture makes them perfect for dipping into milk, coffee, and hot chocolate. They can easily be served alongside a bowl of ice cream or pudding to add the element of crunch to soft desserts. And they make a cute gift, stacked in a clear bag and tied with a bow.
Table of Contents
About Peanut Butter Shortbread Cookies
- Melt-In-Your-Mouth Crispiness
- Peanut Butter Flavor
- Not Too Sweet
- Store Well
Tools You Need
- Food Processor or Blender
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Parchment Paper
- Fluted Cookie Cutter, Or Other Round Cutter
- Baking Sheet
- Rolling Pin, Optional
What You Need to Make Peanut Butter Shortbread Cookies
- Flour, All Purpose – Learn how to measure flour correctly here.
- Brown Sugar, Packed – Use light or dark. Can replace with white sugar plus 1/2 teaspoon molasses. Read more about Brown Sugar.
- Unsalted Butter, Cold – The salt in the peanut butter makes it unnecessary to use salted butter. If you only have salted butter, then the cookies will just be a little saltier.
- Peanut Butter – For this recipe you need the consistency and fat content of regular peanut butter. Natural peanut butter or other nut butters won’t produce the same result. Creamy works the best, but crunchy will also work.
- Vanilla – Pure vanilla adds a subtle layer of flavor that complements the peanut butter. It also provides the right amount of liquid to the dough.
Variations
- Sprinkle the cookies with white sugar, sanding sugar, or turbinado sugar before baking. Lightly press into dough.
- Drizzle the top with melted peanut butter or chocolate.
- Dip a side of the cookie into melted chocolate. Garnish with almonds or coconut, like Vanilla Biscotti.
Overview | How to Make Peanut Butter Shortbread Cookies in 3 Easy Steps
The full printable recipe is below
- Combine Ingredients in Food Processor– Process flour, sugar, and butter (similar to a pie crust); add peanut butter and vanilla, then pulse and knead until smooth.
- Prepare Cookie Shape – Press with hands or roll dough with rolling pin until it is the correct thickness; cut with cookie cutter.
- Bake – Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 12 minutes.
Tips
- Pulsing the ingredients rather than using a mixer allows you to use cold butter. This keeps the cookies from spreading and will ensure the cookies are light and crispy.
- Don’t overmix or over-knead the dough. Too much mixing and kneading will activate the gluten and make the cookies tough instead of crispy and light.
- Instead of using a cookie cutter, use a knife to cut into squares.
How to Store
Room Temperature – Store peanut butter shortbread cookies in an airtight container or ziplock baggie for up to a week.
Refrigerator – Keep in the fridge for up to 10 days in an airtight container. Fridge odors can seep into cookies after a while, so move to the freezer for long term storage.
Freezer – In an airtight container, cooled cookies can be layered and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. They will last longer than that, but their fresh flavor will be compromised if kept in the freezer too long.
Can I use all peanut butter, instead of regular butter?
Peanut butter does replace some of the butter that is used in regular shortbread cookies, but the amount of peanut butter in the recipe is as much as you should use. While they both contain fats, the protein, fat, and cream content in each ingredient is different and it takes both to make the cookies bake the right way.
Can I make these cookies soft?
These cookies are designed to be crisp. If you’re interested in a soft peanut butter cookie, try my Peanut Butter Blossoms or Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies.
Why did my peanut butter shortbread cookies turn out too hard?
This is not a soft cookie, but if yours are too hard you may have overmixed the dough or kneaded the dough too long. Make sure you use cold butter to keep the cookies from spreading and getting thinner, which could also make them hard. If your oven has a tendency to cook hot, try reducing the bake time by a minute.
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Peanut Butter Shortbread Cookies
Julie Blanner
A light and crispy shortbread cookie with a fun twist – peanut butter! Easy and fast to make, with just 5 staple ingredients.
4.08 from 38 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 12 minutes mins
Total Time 22 minutes mins
Course Cookies, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 147 kcal
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup peanut butter, avoid natural
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a food processor or blender, combine flour, sugar and butter until it achieves a cornmeal texture.
Add peanut butter and vanilla extract. Pulse until combined. Form into a large dough ball and knead until smooth.
Press into a disc between ⅛-¼" thick or roll between parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Using a fluted cookie cutter, cut close together.
Bake 12 minutes or until edges are slightly golden. Allow to cool 1 minute before transferring to a cooling rack.
Notes
- Pulsing the ingredients rather than using a mixer allows you to use cold butter. This keeps the cookies from spreading and will ensure the cookies are light and crispy.
- Don’t overmix or over-knead the dough. Too much mixing and kneading will activate the gluten and make the cookies tough instead of crispy and light.
- Instead of using a cookie cutter, use a knife to cut into squares.
- To store, place cookies in an airtight container. They can be stored at room temperature for up to one week, refrigerated for up to 10 days, and frozen for up to three months.
Nutrition
Calories: 147kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 3gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 35mgPotassium: 66mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 158IUCalcium: 9mgIron: 1mg
Keyword peanut butter shortbread cookies
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