Chocolate Peanut Butter Stuffed Cookies {Magic in the Middle Cookies}
These chocolate peanut butter stuffed cookies are incredible! Easy enough to make for a snack, but amazing enough for a showstopper dessert!
Meet one of my favorite cookies ever. These chocolate peanut butter stuffed cookies with that magical surprise center are both fun AND delicious.
And thanks to a little rolling trick, they aren’t hard to make at all! If the chocolate peanut butter combo is your thing, these cookies are a must-make.
They are very much reminiscent of a peanut butter cup…in cookie form.
I’ve been making these cookies for years, and they are always a hit. We also call them Magic in the Middle Cookies.
Totally unassuming on the outside, if you spied them on a cookie tray, you might think “eh, chocolate cookie, been there, done that.” <–I’ve personally never had a thought like this ever cross my mind; there is always room in my heart for chocolate cookies
But they are far more than just your average chocolate cookie! That super soft, sugar-crusted chocolate cookie dough surrounds a sweet peanut butter filling that may be a bit of a surprise for people who don’t know what’s going on.
Talk about the best of all surprises!
Chocolate Cookie Dough
The chocolate cookie dough is pretty basic and comes together in a snap. The only real unique aspect is the touch of peanut butter that’s included in the cookie dough.
It’s mostly chocolate with just enough peanut butter to tie all the flavors together.
Also, I 100% always double this recipe (in my Bosch mixer). The cookies freeze great. And they go fast. You don’t want to be caught with too few chocolate peanut butter stuffed cookies.
Peanut Butter Filling
The 2-ingredient peanut butter filling comes together about as quickly as you imagine. Take care, though, too quickly and you’ll probably have powdered sugar exploding everywhere.
Don’t go crazy. Just get the sugar and PB mixed together until super smooth. And then try not to eat it all before rolling it up in the cookies.
Two Scoops
To make my life easier, I use cookie scoops to portion out the dough.
- One scoop of chocolate cookie dough (#40 medium cookie scoop) – about 2 tablespoons
- One scoop of peanut butter filling (#60 small cookie scoop) – 2 teaspoons
Using these scoops, I get about 2 dozen cookies per batch.
How to stuff the cookies
It’s about as simple as it looks and sounds!
Flatten the scoop of chocolate cookie dough into a rough disc shape. Plop the scoop of PB filling in the center and roll the chocolate cookie dough up and around the filling.
Once the filling is entirely enclosed, roll the chocolate cookie dough into a smooth shape.
The most important part
Recruit a very dedicated, very diligent, very hard working assistant to roll the filled cookie dough balls in granulated sugar.
This takes precision and excellence, so don’t settle for sub-par help. Only the best will do!
Flatten the cookies
Take a flat-bottomed drinking glass and gently press the cookie dough balls until they are about 1/4-inch thick (or thereabouts).
If the glass is sticking to the cookies, lightly grease the bottom with cooking spray.
The cookies will puff in the oven and the sugar on the top may disappear. Both scenarios are a-ok!
Once the cookies cool, they’ll flatten and might even wrinkle a little on top. The key is to not over bake. If anything, err on the side of under baking.
We want these chocolate PB cookies to be ultra-soft!
Freezing Cookies
Once cooled, these little stuffed cookies freeze great! I double layer them in a gallon-size ziploc bag or in a tupperware-type container.
Truthfully, unless you, like, six times the batch, you may not have enough to freeze. They go fast…and they are always a hit!
For chocolate peanut butter fans, these cookies are a no-brainer! Exciting enough for holiday cookie plates and show-stopper potluck offerings, they are equally as fun on your average Tuesday afternoon. Just because!
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Stuffed Cookies {Magic in the Middle}
Ingredients
Chocolate Dough:
- ½ cup (113 g) salted butter, softened
- ¼ cup (64 g) creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup (106 g) granulated sugar (plus extra for dipping)
- ½ cup (106 g) lightly packed brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 ½ cups (213 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (43 g) ounces natural unsweetened cocoa powder
Peanut butter filling:
- ¾ cup (191 g) peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
- ¾ cup (86 g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line half sheet pans with parchment paper.
- For the chocolate cookie dough, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a handheld electric mixer and a medium bowl, beat together the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt and mix until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the vanilla and the egg and egg yolk and mix well. Add the flour and cocoa powder and mix until no dry streaks remain and the dough is well combined.
- For the peanut butter filling, in a medium bowl, mix the the peanut butter and confectioners sugar together until smooth (by hand or with an electric mixer).
- Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the chocolate dough (I use a #40 cookie scoop) and flatten into a thick disc shape. Place a heaping teaspoon of the peanut butter filling (I use a #60 cookie scoop) in the center of the chocolate dough disc.
- Bring the chocolate dough up and over the filling, pressing the edges together cover the center. See pictures in the post for a visual. Roll the cookie lightly in the palms of your hand to form a smooth cookie dough ball. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
- Roll each rounded cookie in granulated sugar and place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.
- Grease the bottom of a flat-bottomed glass and flatten each cookie to about 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick. Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, just until lightly set – you want them soft. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from King Arthur Flour Blog
Recipe originally published December 2008; updated February 2020 with new photos, recipe notes, etc.
110 Comments on “Chocolate Peanut Butter Stuffed Cookies {Magic in the Middle Cookies}”
Love these.
Thank you for the reply. It is a matter of preference. I made your cookies and they are amazing!!!! I used the wt, no cups.
Hi. I have not make these cookies yet but it sounds delicious.I bake a lot and my question is ; why do you put the baki g soda and salt during the creaming process instead of the standard adding to flour with the other dry ingredients ?
I have seeing few recipe with this mixing method and can’t understand what will be the effect on the cookies VS the standard method. Thank you
The cookies turn out the same if the baking soda/baking powder/salt is added during creaming vs added with the other dry ingredients. I like adding it during the creaming phase so I don’t have to worry about over mixing when adding the dry ingredients. It’s just a personal preference, mostly. 🙂
My almost 9 year old daughter has been working on her baking skills. We have been using several of your recipes because I know you only post the best! She made these 100% on her own following your instructions. She made them gluten free so that she could share with friends and everyone was gawking over how amazing they were. This is another winner Mel! Thank you for always giving us the best!
That is amazing, Jess!! I’m so proud of your daughter (and what an awesome way to support her friend to make them GF!)
Made these for my husbands work and i guess they were a huge hit. I used a regular cookie scoop for the chocolate dough and then 1/2 T for the PB and it must’ve been the perfect amount. I’ll probably be tripling the recipe again today and freezing them for future. Definitely a yummy PB cookie if that’s something you enjoy.
These are delicious! Your instructions and photos on how to assemble the cookies were so helpful. I added 1/4 tsp cinnamon to the batter and added a bit of cinnamon to the sugar I rolled them in, because I love cinnamon with chocolate and peanut butter. SO good!
These are one of my favs! So good!
These were phenomenal and very easy to make.
Thanks so much for all your great recipes! I love your site!!
Any problem with freezing this un-baked? I usually save some cookie balls & extend the baking time. But with this magic middle, I didn’t know if that would work out. What do you think?
I haven’t tried freezing the cookie dough prior to baking, but I think it should work just fine!
This was amazing!!! I made with gluten free flour (1:1) and dairy free butter- no problems at all!
Delicious! Reese’s Cups used to be my favorite candy (until I had a child with a peanut allergy) but I think these are even better. I loved the chew of the cookie with the amazing chocolate and peanut butter (in our case sunflower seed butter) combination.
So, if anyone is wondering, sunflower seed butter works perfectly as a substitute. A new family favorite!
I made these cookies years ago, and wanted to try a different recipe this time around. They turned out so well! 8 minutes seemed to be the magic number – the cookies were perfectly soft and chewy. They have been a hit this Easter weekend! Absolutely delicious. I will definitely make them again!
Super delicious and super fun! I used whole wheat flour and they still turned out amazing
This is a very tasty cookie but I measured exactly 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie and ended up with only 17 cookies. And I had a lot of the filling left over. I think for me, I’ll have to double the cookie recipe but only increase the filling by about 25%. So your recipe is a good jumping off point. Thanks.
Do yourself a favor and make these cookies!!! They are awesome!! They do not spread much, so once you flatten they will stay about the same size as when you put them on the baking sheet. I put chocolate & peanut butter chips on top instead of rolling in sugar, which was very good (although I am sure the sugar would be great too). I used crunchy peanut butter inside and it gave these a slight crunch but in a good way. Thanks for this recipe!
Could I use Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder? I would like to make these tomorrow but that’s all I have. Do you think that would make much of a difference? Thank you any help.
Yes, you can!
Hi Mel! I love these cookies and I’ve made them a couple of times now. They are delicious, but I always end up with quite a bit of peanute butter filling left over, and I’ve never gotten 2 dozen cookies out of the recipe (usually 20ish). Can you add weights to the “about 2 Tablespoons” of the chocolate dough and the “heaping teaspoon” of the peanut butter filling? I find it so helpful when there are weights to the divided dough amounts since how much someone fills a cookie scoop seems to vary from person to person. Sorry for my OCD-ness, but I would love to perfect the chocolate to peanut butter ratio! By the way, I love your site! I use it all the time and I’ve learned so much from you.
Hey! I made a vegan version of this cookie by subbing the eggs with 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp non dairy milk. Parfait!!! Great explanation of method. Everything worked out well.
Can I use chunky peanut butter?
I haven’t tried it but definitely worth experimenting!
My husband and I made these tonight and they are AMAZING. even my daughter who doesn’t like peanut butter liked them. Thanks!
Yay for other people besides moms making the cookies!!
These are so delicious!!!!! I had 3 little helpers but even with all the extra hands they still turned out amazing!!! My peanut butter filling was not coming together at all but a splash of milk did the trick. Thanks, Mel, for another fantastic recipe!! And I definitely made a double batch so I could freeze some!
I’m so happy to hear that, Laurel – glad your little helpers were in there doing their thing. You’re a good momma!
These are amazing! I made a double batch, and with the size of cookie scoops I have, I ended up with a bit more dough than filling. I just made a bit more filling, since the 1:1 ratio makes it easy to make up just a bit more. Thanks for another winner!
Thanks for letting me know, Kristi!
Ha ha, that’s funny because I needed up with too much peanut butter mix!
Would natural peanut butter work here? Pb made with just peanuts and salt
If it’s pretty thick you might want to use a bit more applesauce or coconut oil
Superb! Perfect project for the family to keep our minds busy during a stressful time. I will say that as I use all natural peanut butter with no additives i will add a pinch of salt to the ‘magic middle’ when making these again.
These were tricky to make with my three you g kids helping, but once they were baked and I tried them, it was worth the chaos. So yummy. Next time I’ll make them when my little helpers are otherwise occupied!
Way to persevere, Becky! 🙂 Cooking with little kids around is no easy task.
When we were first married, my husband made these, but rolled them in salt instead of sugar…..needless to say, he hasn’t made a second attempt thus far in our marriage!
Haha, don’t tell your husband but I laughed out loud at that! I don’t blame him for not trying again. Ew!
I wish I could give this 38 stars. Ohhh myyyy goooodnessss. My favorite cookie I’ve ever eaten. EVER. And the best part was my 14 year old made them for me. I’m going to gain 20 pounds.
Lucky momma!! 🙂
Super delicious, as usual. Another winner!
Thanks so much, Barbara!
These are delicious! A bit of work, but well worth the effort in the end!!
Thanks, Michelle!
Well these were just delightful! I love that I had the ingredients on hand and could whip them up this afternoon. They taste similar to a recipe with peanut butter chips I’ve made before, but I never have peanut butter chips in my pantry. These fill that gap and then some. 🙂 Thanks, Mel!
I’m so happy you liked these, Jana! Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
This is one of the first recipes I made from your blog. These and philly cheesesteak calzones. I hadn’t made the cookies in years and then made them over the holidays. They are so delicious! Everyone loved them… particularly the three children who joined our family since I last made them. I hereby pledge to not wait so long before making them again!
I love this, Angela! Mostly, I love that you are still around after all these years!
Hello! These sound amazing!!! I was wondering, do you think it would be possible to make these into bars? If so, do you have any recommendation to do so?!
I haven’t tried that so I’m not sure – maybe spreading half the dough in a 9X9 pan, PB filling, and then rest of the dough? Worth a try!
Oh man, this is the technique I’ve been looking for !!!!!
a local farm makes these KILLER brownie-stuffed chocolate chip cookies and I could not figure out how to pull it off myself…. Now I know the HOW… I need to find out the recipe details…
(they also make one like yours, as well as what they call “raspberry pillows” which are a sugar cookie stuffed with a raspberry jam filling. droooooool )