Description
These Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Jack-O’-Lantern Cookies are a festive treat perfect for Halloween. Featuring rich chocolate-spiced cookies shaped like pumpkins, each cookie is dipped in melted chocolate, sprinkled with sea salt, and filled with a creamy peanut butter filling. They offer a delightful balance of chocolate and peanut butter flavors with a buttery, tender texture.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 stick salted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder (plus up to 2 tbsp more if needed)
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Chocolate Coating
- 12 oz milk chocolate, melted
Peanut Butter Filling
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 4 tbsp salted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- Flaky sea salt, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the egg and mix until fully combined. Then, add the flour, ½ cup cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined and the dough forms a ball. If the dough feels too wet to roll out, incorporate the additional 2 tablespoons cocoa powder.
- Roll and Cut Cookies: Generously flour a work surface to prevent sticking. Divide the dough into two halves, flatten each into a disk, and roll out each to ¼ inch thickness. Use a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter or cookie stamp to cut out the cookies. Transfer the cut cookies carefully to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover the baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 10 minutes. Re-roll any leftover scraps to cut more cookies.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Once baked, cool them on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make Peanut Butter Filling: In a stand mixer bowl, combine peanut butter, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and kosher salt. Beat until light and fluffy, forming a creamy filling.
- Assemble Cookies: Dip half of the cooled cookies, stem side down, into the melted milk chocolate to coat about a third of the top. Decorate with additional melted chocolate as desired and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Chill these dipped cookie halves in the freezer for 10 minutes to set. Spread the peanut butter filling evenly on the undipped cookie halves. Sandwich the dipped cookie on top, chocolate side up, gently pressing to adhere. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
- If the dough is too sticky, adding a bit more cocoa powder helps firm it up for easier rolling.
- Freezing the dough and the dipped cookies ensures clean shapes and helps the chocolate set quickly.
- Use high-quality dark cocoa powder and milk chocolate for the best flavor.
- These cookies keep well for up to 3 days stored airtight at room temperature or refrigerated.
- Flaky sea salt adds a tasty contrast to the sweet and rich flavors.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 17g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
