These peanut butter chocolate pudding cookies are soft, rich, and full of flavor. Each cookie is studded with peanut butter chips and hides a gooey milk chocolate center. They’re the perfect treat for anyone who loves the classic chocolate-and-peanut-butter combination. Below you’ll find the full recipe, helpful tips for stuffing the cookies, storage guidance, and a few easy variations to try.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Pudding Cookies
Lately I’ve been obsessed with cookies — testing doughs, fillings, and little twists that make a classic cookie even better. These peanut butter chocolate pudding cookies are one of those happy discoveries: tender, slightly chewy cookies with pockets of melted milk chocolate and bursts of peanut butter chips throughout. Friends and family have loved them, and they’re simple enough to make for a weekend bake or for sharing at gatherings.
One of the reasons I keep coming back to stuffed cookies is that moment when someone bites into a cookie and discovers a warm, gooey center. It’s a small surprise that feels special. For these cookies I use small rectangles of milk chocolate tucked into the dough before baking, which yields a reliably melty center without making the cookie bottoms soggy.
These cookies are also a fun project for kids. Little hands can press dough into scoops, add the chocolate pieces, and decorate the outside with extra peanut butter chips. If young helpers are involved, supervise when placing the chocolate and shaping the dough so everyone stays safe and the cookies bake evenly.
These are likely to become a new favorite if you enjoy chocolate and peanut butter together. Serve them slightly warm so the chocolate center is gooey, or let them cool completely for a firmer texture. Both ways are delicious.
How to make peanut butter chocolate pudding cookies
Peanut Butter Chocolate Pudding Cookies
Author: Miranda Couse
These peanut butter chocolate pudding cookies are soft, decadent, and packed with flavor. They are studded with peanut butter chips and filled with milk chocolate for a gooey surprise. Serve with a cold glass of milk.
Prep Time: 20 mins | Cook Time: 12 mins | Total Time: 32 mins
Servings: 30 cookies | Calories: 255 kcal per cookie (estimate)
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3.56 ounce box dry chocolate pudding mix
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups peanut butter chips, divided
- 3 milk chocolate candy bars, cut into small rectangles for stuffing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, dry chocolate pudding mix, unsweetened cocoa, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, creamy peanut butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar with a hand mixer on medium until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and beat until incorporated.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until most of the dry ingredients are combined.
- Stir in 1 1/4 cups of the peanut butter chips on medium speed until evenly distributed in the dough.
- Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the dough. While the dough is still in the scoop, use a finger or the back of a spoon to make a shallow well in the center of each scoop. Place a small rectangle of milk chocolate into the well, then cover the chocolate with a little more dough and press the edges closed.
- Roll each portion gently between your palms until the surface is smooth, and place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet. Press a few extra peanut butter chips onto the outside of each dough ball for a decorative finish.
- Bake for about 12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. The centers will be gooey while warm and firm up as they cool.
Notes
Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If you prefer the chocolate center to remain soft longer, warm cookies briefly in the microwave before serving.
Nutrition (per cookie, estimate)
Calories: 255 kcal | Carbohydrates: 28 g | Protein: 5 g | Fat: 14 g | Saturated Fat: 7 g | Cholesterol: 23 mg | Sodium: 225 mg | Potassium: 119 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 19 g | Vitamin A: 195 IU | Calcium: 20 mg | Iron: 1.2 mg
(Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. For specific dietary guidance, consult a registered dietitian.)
Tips and Variations
- For extra peanut flavor, substitute half the milk chocolate pieces with dark chocolate or peanut butter cups cut into small pieces.
- If you want firmer centers, use smaller chocolate pieces or bake for an additional 1–2 minutes; for gooier centers, remove cookies as soon as the edges are set.
- To make these ahead, form and stuff the dough balls, freeze them on a tray, then transfer to a sealed container. Bake directly from frozen, adding a couple of minutes to the bake time.