Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cookies with Fudge Stripes

You know how pumpkin-flavored things seem to be everywhere this time of year?

Now pumpkin has arrived in cookie form. Yes, peanut butter, pumpkin and chocolate all in one cookie — a comforting trio that really works.

If peanut butter and pumpkin sounds unexpected, trust me: it’s delicious. Years ago I frosted pumpkin cupcakes with peanut butter icing on a whim and never looked back. Lately my go-to breakfast has been toast spread first with peanut butter, then with pumpkin butter, topped with microwaved frozen blueberries so they’re warm and juicy. That breakfast reminded me how well peanut butter and pumpkin pair and pushed me to make these pumpkin peanut butter cookies.

One afternoon I was starving and ended up eating cookies for lunch, a snack and dinner. Totally worth it. These cookies taste like autumn — pumpkin-forward but balanced by peanut butter, then finished with silky chocolate ganache. They’re not cakey like some pumpkin cookies; the peanut butter and melted butter help create a chewier texture and a modest spread. Use pumpkin butter instead of canned pumpkin if you want them even chewier.

These cookies have just enough spice to highlight the pumpkin, a gentle hint of peanut butter, and a glossy chocolate finish. You can drizzle the ganache or, if you’re feeling decadent, dip half the cookie right into it. They’re a great addition to holiday cookie trays since pumpkin fits both Thanksgiving and winter gatherings.

Fudge Striped Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cookies

Yield:
30 cookies

Prep Time:
25 mins

Cook Time:
10 mins

Total Time:
1 hr

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Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 6 tablespoons creamy peanut butter, melted and cooled
• 1 cup loosely packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup pumpkin puree (pumpkin butter for a chewier cookie)
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3-4 ounces milk chocolate chips
• 2 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

• Melt the peanut butter and butter together (microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between) and set aside to cool.
• Whisk together the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a bowl; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk the cooled butter and peanut butter with both sugars until smooth. Add the pumpkin and egg, mixing until combined, then stir in the vanilla.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring until a dough forms. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 15–20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll dough into balls slightly smaller than 1 inch and place about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Bake 8–10 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.
• To make the fudge stripes, warm the heavy cream and pour over the chocolate chips in a bowl. Stir until a smooth ganache forms. Place cookies on parchment and drizzle or dip with ganache. Let rest about 30 minutes for the chocolate to set.

Notes

Adapted from puffy peanut butter cookie recipes.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

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You can also fully coat each cookie in the ganache if you prefer — decadence encouraged.

[This post is sponsored by Nestlé® Toll House® Morsels, a classic ingredient in many favorite treats.]