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Peanut butter and jelly cookies – a fun spin on traditional peanut butter cookies, and the best way to enjoy that classic peanut butter and jelly combo. Pair these peanut butter and jelly cookies with a tall glass of milk and you’ll have a protein-fueled snack filled with irresistible flavor.
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There is a good reason that peanut butter and jelly is a classic favorite childhood sandwich combination. The flavors work perfectly together! These peanut butter and jelly cookies are certainly no exception. This is the perfect treat for the PB&J lover, and a fun take on a basic peanut butter cookie.
As the cookies bake, the jelly expands with them and you have a nice little sweet, chewy layer. The jelly center doesn’t overwhelm the peanut butter cookie, which is nice. It balances out the flavor of the peanut butter cookie really well, similar to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies Ingredients
This perfectly chewy peanut butter cookie has a little smack of jelly in the middle and is perfectly soft and decadent. Thumbprint cookies are a fun cookie to make with an added addition to the taste. Each bite has a surprise in the middle. These cookies are simply beautiful and simple to make!
- Flour – This is the base of the PB&J cookie. It combines the ingredients and gives the cookie a thick form.
- Baking soda and baking powder – Combining these two baking ingredients are a must when making cookies. Together they build the cookie and help it bake properly in the oven.
- Salt – This will balance all the ingredients together.
- Unsalted butter – Soften the cookie with butter! It is a natural softener that gives the cookies a chewy and rich flavor.
- Peanut butter – Creamy peanut butter is smooth and gives you that “stuck on the roof” feel. This is one of the main ingredients for flavor.
- Sugars – Brown sugar and granulated sugar are needed for sweetness. Brown sugar is also used to aid in the chewiness of the cookies.
- Egg – This is a binder! Eggs shape the cookies and hold the cookie form when baked.
- Milk – Gives that creaminess to the cookie and added liquid to help with the egg mixture.
- Vanilla extract – Balances out flavors and adds in a sweet and savory flavor.
- Smucker’s Fruit and Honey Concord Grape Jelly – We love classic grape jelly. For the centers of these cookies, I used the new Smucker’s Fruit & Honey Concord Grape Jelly. If you’re like me, when I picture PB&J sandwiches and now cookies, I think of traditional grape jelly as the center.
How to Make Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies
These peanut butter and jelly cookies are a great little after-school snack to serve the kiddos for a fun treat. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, then scoop the cookie dough into balls. From here the PB&J cookie creation begins. You will love the flavor combination!
- Dry ingredients – In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Mix – In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth.
- Combine one at a time – Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly.
- Cookie scoop – Form the cookie dough into cookie dough balls. About 1 ½ tablespoons or a traditional-sized cookie scoop. Then place onto an ungreased cookie sheet, leaving several inches between for expansion.
- Make a hole – Using the handle of a wooden spoon or your thumb, press a hole into the top of each ball. Do not flatten out. Keep the dough round. It will expand.
- Fill – Place about ½ teaspoon of jelly into each hole so the jelly just fits in the hole.
- Bake – Place cookies in the oven to bake. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.
- Cooling rack – Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.
“These cookies are so addicting and very yummy! My husband and daughter were all over these. Very excited to make these delicious cookies again!”
-Beth
Frequently Asked Questions
I like using the “Fruit & Honey” variety because it gives it a more natural flavor and cuts down on the excess sugar in the jelly, particularly since the peanut butter cookie recipe itself already has a fair amount of sugar!
If you haven’t tried the new Smucker’s Fruit & Honey spreads, you really ought to give them a try! I was worried they would be sticky and taste too much like honey, but they honestly just taste like regular jelly or jam, depending on which one you try. The most dominant flavor is still the berry flavor just like jelly or jam and complements the natural flavor of the honey.
Yes! That is a fun twist within your cookie! Add an extra crunch in your texture with delicious crunchy peanut butter.
More Cookie Recipes to Try
We are a lover of all things cookies! These cookies are some of our classic and favorite ones we make year-round. The flavor combination and the sweetness are just what everyone needs in a handheld treat!
Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup peanut butter at room temperature, smooth or chunky
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup Smucker’s Fruit & Honey Concord Grape Jelly
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth.
- Add the egg and mix well.
- Add the milk and the vanilla extract.
- Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly.
- Make the dough into balls (about 1 ½ tablespoons or a traditional-sized cookie scoop) then place onto an ungreased cookie sheet, leaving several inches between for expansion.
- Using the handle of a wooden spoon or your thumb, press a hole into the top of each ball. Do not flatten out. Keep the dough round. It will expand.
- Place about ½ teaspoon of jelly into each hole so the jelly just fits in the hole.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
Nutrition Information
** This post was sponsored by Smucker’s but all opinions are our own**
These turned out delicious not to mention so pretty! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Totally agree that this is such a fun take on the traditional peanut butter cookies. It was a hit at home. You can’t ever go wrong with the PBJ combo.
These cookies are so addicting and very yummy! My husband and daughter were all over these. Very excited to make these delicious cookies again!
What a fun and even sweeter spin on a popular cookie recipe! One piece is never enough!
A classic flavor combo. Loved every one I ate. My kids loved them too. Such a great idea for a cookie! Thanks
Can you freeze these after baking and if so how?
Yes you can freeze them! I would freeze them on a baking tray for about an our, uncovered. Then, after that I would put them in ziplock bags or airtight containers to store in the freezer. Hope this helps!
While “sheltering at home” with not one sweet thing to eat on Easter weekend, I decided to make peanut butter cookies, since everyone has those ingredients in the pantry. Then I thought, wonder if there’s such a thing as a peanut butter and jelly cookie. A new invention! Well, I guess not, as you beat me to it, and I’m happy about that! Recipe is terrific, but I must be old, because it took me a lot longer to make these! Ten minute prep, I don’t think so, took me that long to assemble ingredients, then mix all, form the balls, make the little holes for jam, carefully put the jam in the holes, etc. actually so funny, and since they’re just delightful, I will do it again. Just don’t make any other plans for the afternoon! 😜Thanks, Sharon
These cookies are so darn delicious! They are a new staple in our cookie jar!
Oh my gosh, these are so good! I can’t believe I’ve never made them before 5/5 for sure!