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Brown Butter Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Name: Brown Butter Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 Stick Salted Butter (can also substitute vegan butter, if desired); 1/3 Cup Coconut Sugar; 1/2 Cup Monk fruit Sweetener or Organic Cane Sugar; 1 Egg; 1 Egg White; 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract; 1 Cup Gluten-Free Baking Flour; 3/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda; 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt (you can use an additional 1/8 teaspoon for garnishing the cookies at the end, if desired.); 1 1/4 Cup Gluten-Free Rolled Oats; 1 9.5 Ounce Bag Peanut Butter Cups

By Nicole Modic ⎯

December 5, 2024

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These may just be the gooiest, chewiest, peanut butter chocolate chip cookies that are sure to impress your friends and family, this holiday season. These are my Brown Butter Peanut Butter Cup Cookies and they are gluten-free, packed to the brim with chocolatey peanut butter cup cups, and finished off with a garnish of flaky sea salt for that salty-sweet flavor. What could be better than that?!

Chocolate chip cookies with chunks of chocolate and a sprinkle of salt are arranged on a peach-colored background. A small bowl of coarse sea salt is nestled among the cookies.

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Friends, my first Christmas Cookie recipe of the 2024 holiday season is finally here, and I cannot contain my excitement. Every year, this is the time that I look forward to the most. Not only because Christmas is my all-time favorite holiday, but because I LOVE cookies – after all, they’re what I’m known for! Of all of my recipes, my most popular by-far continues to be my Life Changing Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies – which, as the name suggests, are truly life-changing. They’re soft and chewy, gluten-free cookies, filled with salty tahini and warm, melty chocolate chips. If you love that recipe, then you are certain to love this one, because it fulfills all of the same categories!

These Brown butter Peanut Butter Cup Cookies are the perfect combination of salty-sweet. They start off with a perfectly moist gluten-free cookie dough, and are filled to the brim with chopped peanut butter cups and a garnish of flaky sea salt. The sea salt perfectly pairs with the saltiness of the peanut butter, for a cookie that truly melts in your mouth. If you’re looking for the perfect cookie to bring to your holiday parties this season, then this is definitely it.

With food prices also on the rise (especially this year), these cookies also make for a wonderful holiday gift. Simply prepare a batch of these cookies (or pair them alongside any other holiday classics, like my Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Marshmallow Cookies or my Christmas Chocolate Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies) for a holiday gift that is perfect for anyone!

Baking ingredients on a beige surface include rolled oats, flour, chocolate-covered treats, a stick of butter, a cracked egg in a bowl, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and small bowls of sugar and salt. Measuring spoons are nearby. — To make these cookies, you’ll need salted butter, coconut sugar, cane sugar (or monk fruit sweetener), eggs, vanilla extract, gluten-free baking flour, baking soda, kosher salt, gluten-free rolled oats, and peanut butter cups.

A person stirs melted butter in a pan with a wooden spoon. Surrounding the pan are ingredients like flour, oats, brown sugar, a cup of dark liquid, a bowl with a toothpick, peanut butter cups, and various small bowls on a light brown surface. — To make these cookies, you’ll need salted butter, coconut sugar, cane sugar (or monk fruit sweetener), eggs, vanilla extract, gluten-free baking flour, baking soda, kosher salt, gluten-free rolled oats, and peanut butter cups.

What You Need to Make These Chewy Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Salted Butter: Of course, it wouldn’t be brown butter cookies without the butter!
Sugars: You’ll need a combination of coconut sugar and either monk fruit sweetener or organic cane sugar, in order to make this recipe.
Eggs: One whole egg and one egg white makes for the perfect, light and fluffy, gluten-free cookie. Don’t skip the additional egg white – it’s a must!
Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract is essential to any good cookie recipe. Don’t skip this!
Gluten-Free Baking Flour: A 1:1 gluten-free baking flour works perfectly in this recipe.
Baking Soda: The baking soda acts as a leavening agent, providing lift and helping the cookies rise to perfection.
Kosher Salt: A pinch of salt adds the perfect balance of flavors to these cookies. I also love garnishing the cookies with an extra pinch of salt, at the end!
Gluten-Free Rolled Oats: Rolled oats not only adds fiber but also adds a delicious texture to these cookies. If you’re sensitive to gluten, make sure that these oats are gluten-free!
Peanut Butter Cups: Pick your favorite peanut butter cups and use them in this recipe! I love the ones from Unreal Snacks for a healthier option.

A person mixes a textured brown mixture in a large white bowl using a whisk. Surrounding the bowl are oats, salt, a small cup of liquid, and chopped pieces of chocolate peanut butter cups on a cutting board. The background is a warm beige color. — Next, cream the butter with the sugars, eggs, and vanilla. I recommend doing this in a stand mixer!

How to Make These Buttery Gluten-Free Christmas Cookies

To make these cookies, start by preheating your oven to 350 F. While the oven is preheating, brown the butter. Add the salted butter to a small or medium-sized saucepan, on the stove, over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally until the butter starts to brown and smell nutty. This will take approximately 3-5 minutes.

As soon as the butter starts to foam and turn brown, remove it from the heat – this is very important, to ensure that the butter doesn’t burn. Next, add the browned butter to the bowl of a stand mixer, alongside the coconut sugar and monk fruit sweetener or organic cane sugar, and mix until they’re fully creamed and combined. Then, add in the whole egg, egg white, and the vanilla extract, and mix until just combined.

Then, add in the dry ingredients (the flour, baking soda, kosher salt, gluten-free oats, and peanut butter cups) and mix until fully combined.

Once the wet ingredients have fully combined, add in the dry ingredients: the flour, baking soda, sea salt, and oats. Chop the peanut butter cups and add them to the bowl, then mix until just combined and a cookie dough has formed. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then use a cookie scoop to scoop the dough into balls, lining them up on the baking sheet approximately 2 inches apart. If using a large cookie scoop, you should end up with 12 cookies. If using a smaller cookie scoop, you should end up with closer to 16 cookies.

Transfer the cookies to the oven and bake them for 8-10 minutes. If you prefer a softer cookie, stick to 8-9 minutes; if you prefer a crispier, more well-done cookie, 9-10 minutes is perfect. Once the cookies are done, remove them from the oven and garnish them with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt (if desired). Allow the cookies to cool completely, then serve and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to one week.

Once the cookies are done, remove them from the oven and sprinkle them with flaky sea salt (if desired). Serve immediately, and enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to use brown butter? Can I use regular butter?

Brown butter is what gives these cookies a rich, toasty, and buttery flavor. Using regular melted butter will change the flavor and texture significantly, so I don’t recommend it.

What type of peanut butter cups work best for this recipe?

You can use any peanut butter cups for this recipe! Traditional Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups work well, but if you’re looking for a healthier option, I recommend using the Unreal Snacks peanut butter cups.

Can I make the dough in advance?

Yes, the dough can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 48 hours. Simply prepare the dough, cover with plastic wrap, and store in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.

Can I make these cookies dairy-free?

Yes, simply swap out the salted butter for a dairy-free alternative.

How can I store these cookies?

I recommend storing the baked cookies in an airtight container. When stored in the fridge, they will last for up to one week. When stored on the countertop, they’ll stay good for up to three days.

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.

** Photography by Tanya Pilgrim

gluten-free/Nut Free