Looking for the ultimate dessert to satisfy your peanut butter cravings? These homemade nutter butter cookies are a nostalgic yet elevated take on a classic treat.
Perfectly crispy, buttery wafers meet a creamy, sweet peanut butter filling to create a cookie that’s as indulgent as it is irresistible.
Why This Recipe Is a Must-Try
If you love recipes that deliver both flavor and texture, these cookies are the perfect choice. They combine the ideal balance of salty and sweet, with buttery shortbread wafers and a fluffy peanut butter creme filling.
Unlike store-bought cookies, this homemade version lets you control the quality of ingredients for a truly standout dessert. They’re surprisingly fun to make, especially when you get creative with shaping the cookies into peanut-inspired designs!
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Tips for Success
- Use Commercial Peanut Butter: For the best texture and ease in handling the dough, stick to creamy commercial peanut butter brands like Skippy,
- Temperature Matters: Ensure your butter is at about 68°F for optimal mixing. Soft but not melted butter is key to achieving the right consistency.
- Perfect Shapes: If you don’t have a peanut-shaped cookie cutter, use a simple round cutter or shape the dough by hand for a rustic look
- Avoid Overbaking: Keep a close eye on the cookies while baking. You’ll want them firm and dry, but not browned, to retain their delicate flavor.
Customizations & Substitutions
This recipe is as versatile as it is delicious. Here are a few ways to adapt it to suit your preferences or dietary needs:
- Gluten-Free: Substitute all-purpose flour with a mix of oat flour, white rice flour, and coconut flour for a gluten-free version. Use 4 ounces oat flour, 3 ounces white rice flour, and 2 ounces coconut flour.
- Vegan: Replace butter with refined coconut oil and skip the egg whites in the dough. Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes before rolling to ensure it holds its shape.
- Creative Fillings: While the classic peanut butter creme is divine, you can switch things up by adding a strawberry or chocolate-flavored filling for a twist on the classic recipe.
Storing Your Cookies
One of the best things about this recipe is its make-ahead convenience. Once assembled, the cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week at room temperature or up to a month in the fridge.
For long-term storage, you can freeze the unfilled wafers for up to three months and sandwich them with creme just before serving.
Fun Ways to Serve These Cookies
- Dessert Platters: Add these cookies to a dessert tray alongside brownies, bars, and other treats for a crowd-pleasing spread.
- Gift Baskets: Wrap a dozen cookies in parchment paper and place them in a decorative tin for a thoughtful homemade gift.
- Ice Cream Sandwiches: Use the wafers to make mini ice cream sandwiches for a delightful summer dessert.
Why Homemade Always Wins
While store-bought nutter butters have their charm, this homemade recipe takes the cookie to the next level. By using high-quality ingredients and tailoring the recipe to your taste, you get a dessert that’s fresher,, tastier, and more satisfying.
Homemade Nutter Butter Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- Stand mixer with a paddle attachment
- 3-inch peanut-shaped cookie cutter (or round cutter)
- Piping bag with a ½-inch plain tip
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Wafers
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large egg whites
Peanut Butter Creme
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
Instructions
Prepare the Dough
- Measure the flour accurately by leveling it off with a knife after spooning it into the measuring cup. Sift the flour into a bowl.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, peanut butter, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Start mixing on low speed until just blended, then increase the speed to medium and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, which should take about 5 minutes.
- Lightly beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until smooth and thin, then gradually add them to the butter mixture, ensuring they’re fully incorporated. Slowly mix in the sifted flour until a soft dough forms.
- Knead the dough by hand until smooth, then divide it into two portions and flatten each into a disc. The dough can be used immediately, or it can be wrapped in plastic and stored in the refrigerator for up to one week. If chilled, let the dough soften at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling.
Make the Wafers
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and position a rack in the middle of the oven. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
- Roll out one disc of dough on a floured surface to about ½ inch thick. Dust the dough with flour, flip it over, and roll it again until it’s approximately ⅛ inch thick.
- Using a peanut-shaped cutter (or a round cutter), cut out shapes from the dough and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about ¼ inch apart. For decoration, you can gently press a diamond pattern into the tops of the cookies with a bench scraper. Gather any dough scraps, re-roll, and cut additional shapes. Bake the leftover scraps if desired to make cookie crumbs.
- Bake the cookies for around 15 minutes, or until they are dry and firm. Let the wafers cool completely on the baking sheet before assembling.
Make the Creme
- Place the butter, peanut butter, honey, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat the mixture on low speed until combined, then gradually add the powdered sugar while continuing to mix.
- Once all the powdered sugar is incorporated, increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the mixture for about 5 minutes, or until it is light and fluffy. Pause occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
- Transfer the creme to a piping bag fitted with a ½-inch plain tip.
Assemble the Cookies
- Pipe approximately 2 teaspoons of the peanut butter creme onto one half of a cookie, distributing it evenly, especially into the “lobes” if using peanut-shaped wafers.
- Top with a second cookie to form a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining cookies until all are assembled.
- Allow the filled cookies to chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to set the filling. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week or in the fridge for up to a month.
Notes
- Vegan Option: Replace the butter with refined coconut oil and omit the egg whites. Let the dough chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before rolling it out.
- Gluten-Free Option: Substitute the all-purpose flour with 1¼ cups oat flour, ⅔ cup white rice flour, and ½ cup coconut flour for the wafers.
Nancy has been a plant person from an early age. That interest blossomed into a bachelor’s in biology from Elmira College and a master’s degree in horticulture and communications from the University of Kentucky. Nancy worked in plant taxonomy at the University of Florida and the L. H. Bailey Hortorium at Cornell University, and wrote and edited gardening books at Rodale Press in Emmaus, PA. Her interests are plant identification, gardening, hiking, and reading.