Honey-Peanut Butter Cookies - Prepare from Scratch

      These bakery-style cookies are a perfect blend of textures—chewy centers and crispy edges, enriched with layers of peanut flavor from the creamy peanut butter and crunchy honey-roasted peanuts. The combination of dark brown sugar and honey imparts a rich caramel flavor, while an additional egg yolk improves both the texture and chewiness. A clever shaping technique creates a wonderfully rugged surface, and a sprinkle of flaked salt enhances the sweet-salty balance. Chilling the dough is essential for controlling spread and flavor intensity, but the wait is rewarding—what comes out of the oven is golden, nutty, and completely irresistible.

      Yields 6 large cookies

      ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened

      ⅓ cup (85 grams) peanut butter

      ½ cup (110 grams) firmly packed dark brown sugar

      2 tablespoons (42 grams) honey

      1 large egg (50 grams), at room temperature

      1 large egg yolk (19 grams), at room temperature

      1½ teaspoons (6 grams) vanilla extract

      1½ cups (188 grams) all-purpose flour

      ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) baking powder

      ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt

      ¼ teaspoon (1.25 grams) baking soda

      1¼ cups (113 grams) chopped honey-roasted peanuts

      Garnish: flaked sea salt

      Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and honey, mixing on medium speed until creamy, around 1 to 2 minutes, and pausing to scrape the paddle and the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the egg and egg yolk, and mix until well blended. Incorporate the vanilla and scrape the sides of the bowl.

      In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, kosher salt, and baking soda. With the mixer on low speed, gradually incorporate the flour mixture into the butter mixture, mixing just until combined and stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl. Fold in the peanuts.

      Using a ½-cup dry-measuring cup, scoop a heaping ½ cup (approximately 122 grams) of dough and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Press a 3-tablespoon spring-loaded scoop, rounded side up, into the center of each mound to create a raised center with a border. Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

      Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and prepare another baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the dough 3 inches apart on the prepared sheet, and sprinkle with sea salt if desired. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. While the cookies are still warm, gently swirl a 4- to 5-inch round cutter in a circular motion around each cookie to make them evenly round. Allow them to cool on the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

      We’d love to hear how it turned out!