Peanut Butter Buckeye Cookies
These buckeye cookies are the sweet and chewy embodiment of classic buckeye candy! Similar to my buckeye brownies, these cookies feature a rich, chocolatey, (but not too sweet) cookie topped off with a thick layer of peanut butter filling and decadent chocolate ganache. The ganache layer is extra thick too; it’s the same topping you’ll find on my MIllionaire’s shortbread. You can make these into HUGE gourmet cookies (great if you own a bakery or sell cookies) or make them into smaller, normal sized cookies. The ones photographed here are the large version, but I typically stick with the standard-size since they are so indulgent. Instructions and measurements for both are included below, so take your pick!
What You Need
There are quite a few ingredients in this recipe, but don’t let that intimidate you! I promise these buckeye cookies are easy enough for beginner bakers.
Butter. No, your eyes are not fooling you–there are three sticks of butter in the photo above! Two will be melted and combined with our cocoa powder in the cookies, and the remaining stick will be used for the filling. Who said these buckeye cookies were supposed to be healthy? Not me! Cocoa powder. I recommend using natural cocoa powder here. Dutch process cocoa works with too, but the chocolate flavor is stronger and more intense in a way that actually doesn’t play as nicely as I’d like with the peanut butter filling. Peanut butter. Use a creamy peanut butter to mimic the smooth, creamy filling in buckeyes. I haven’t tested this recipe with natural peanut butter, so I can’t say for sure how that would work here. Brown sugar. Using some brown sugar alongside regular granulated sugar makes for flavorful and chewy buckeye cookies. Stick with light brown sugar here; dark brown will make things a bit too sweet and rich. Heavy cream. We’ll heat this up on the stove before pouring it over our semisweet chocolate chips or couverture chocolate to create chocolate ganache. Double cream or whipping cream will work too.
SAM’S TIP: I know chilling cookie dough can test your patience, but it’s a necessary evil here. Chilling helps make the buckeye cookies thicker so we have a nice thick/sturdy base for all the heavy toppings we’re adding. Don’t skip it! Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Buckeye Cookies
Prep the Cookie Dough
Bake
Make the Peanut Butter Layer
Chocolate Topping
SAM’S TIP: Let the warm cream and chocolate sit together under the foil for a few minutes before whisking to combine. If the chocolate still isn’t melting after this, you can microwave the mixture in 10-second increments until melted, stirring in between. Don’t overheat your chocolate, or you could make it seize. If you love larger-than-life cookies, try my blueberry muffin cookies or strawberry cheesecake cookies next! Enjoy! Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
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