These red velvet cookies have a tasty surprise inside! They're not just flavored with cocoa and white chocolate chips, there's peanut butter as well! This cookie recipe is so easy to make and taste like Reese's peanut butter cups. You can get fancy and turn them into a cookie cake which is perfect for special occasions (like Valentine's Day)! The cookie cake is layered with cream cheese frosting and it is absolutely delicious!
How to Make Peanut Butter Red Velvet Cookies
Ingredients:
Peanut Butter Red Velvet Cookies:
- Unsalted butter
- Peanut butter
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Red gel food dye
- Cocoa powder
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Mini white chocolate chips
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Cream cheese
- Unsalted butter
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
Equipment:
- Baking sheet
- Mixing bowls
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment, wooden spoon, or hand mixer
- Measuring spoons
- Whisk
- Kitchen scale (recommended) or measuring cups
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
- Spatula
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- Before you start, you'll want to take out the butter and egg to let them adjust to room temperature.
- When ready, cream together the softened butter, peanut butter, and sugar until it's light and fluffy (about 3 minutes of mixing).
- Mix in the egg, vanilla, and red dye until they're combined very well.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and salt. Then, gradually mix them into the wet ingredients until only a couple of flour streaks are visible.
- Finally, stir in the white chocolate chips!
If you're making cookies:
- Roll the dough into 1-2 inch balls and space them out on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
- Top them with mini white chocolate chips (optional).
- Bake the cookies at 350°F for 10-13 minutes. They’re done when the centers are slightly cracked and edges are firm.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, and then transfer them to a cooling rack.
If you're making a cookie cake:
- Weigh four 180g dough balls and flatten them into even circles ½ inch tall on baking sheets. These will bake to be ~6 inches in diameter. There should be enough dough left for ~4 small cookies, or you can make a heart shaped cookie like I did below! Alternatively, you can evenly distribute all the dough into 4 balls and flatten them into ½ inch tall circles on baking sheets. These will be slightly larger than 6 inches wide.
- Sprinkle the tops with mini white chocolate chips (optional).
- Bake the giant cookies at 350°F for 12-15 minutes. They’re done when the centers are slightly cracked and edges are firm.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets until they're firm enough to transfer to a cooling rack.
- While they're cooling, make the cream cheese frosting by mixing together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
- Layer completely cooled cookies with cream cheese frosting and enjoy!
How to Store the Cookies & Cookie Cake:
- Store the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container with half of a piece of bread (or smaller). The cookies will absorb the moisture from the bread and stay soft longer.
- The cookie cake will need to be stored in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese frosting.
- Both the cookies & cookie cake can also be stored in the freezer.
More Recipes You'll Love:
Peanut Butter Red Velvet Cookies & Cake
These peanut butter red velvet cookies taste like Reese's peanut butter cups and can be layered into a delicious cookie cake with cream cheese frosting!
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Mixing bowls
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment, hand mixer, or wooden spoon
- Measuring spoons
- Whisk
- Kitchen scale or measuring cups
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
- Spatula
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Red Velvet Cookies:
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ~1 teaspoon red gel food dye more/less to color to your liking
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup mini white chocolate chips plus more for topping (optional)
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz (1 block) cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Cookie Dough:
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
- Cream together butter, peanut butter, and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg, vanilla, and red dye one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until just combined, and then gently stir in the chocolate chips.
Cookies:
- Roll dough into 1-2 inch balls and place on baking sheet 2 inches apart. Top with extra mini chocolate chips (optional).
- Bake at 350°F for 10-13 minutes. They’re done when the centers are slightly cracked and edges are firm.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
Cookie Cake:
- Weigh four 180g dough balls and flatten them into even circles ½ inch tall on baking sheets. These will bake to be ~6 inches in diameter. There should be enough dough left for ~4 small cookies.Or, you can evenly distribute all the dough into 4 parts and flatten into ½ inch tall circles on baking sheets. These will be slightly larger than 6 inches wide.
- Sprinkle the tops with mini white chocolate chips (optional).
- Bake at 350°F for 12-15 minutes. They’re done when the centers are slightly cracked and edges are firm.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets until they're firm enough to transfer to a cooling rack.
- While they're cooling, make the cream cheese frosting by mixing together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
- Layer completely cooled giant cookies with cream cheese frosting and enjoy!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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