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Slice and Bake Cookies are great for the holidays and they’re super easy too! These are a chocolate peanut butter cookie you just slice, bake, and easily decorate. It’s a fun twist on a classic – and who doesn’t love peanut butter and chocolate?
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Slice and Bake Chocolate Cookies
Slice and Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies are easy, fast, and the recipe makes enough for several cookie platters. They’re just as good as sugar cookies but so much easier – no rolling, no flour, no cookie cutters to wash. Just tons of chocolate flavor – a new recipe twist!
I drizzled these with melted chocolate and rainbow sprinkles and chopped nuts because it makes them so much prettier. That’s optional but honestly, more chocolate is always a good thing. These are the perfect Christmas cookies because the recipe makes a lot, you can make the dough ahead of time, and they freeze well too!
Ingredients Needed
- Brown Sugar: Don’t forget to pack your brown sugar!
- Butter: I love using unsalted butter – be sure it’s room temperature.
- Peanut Butter: Use a no-stir peanut butter (not natural).
- Cocoa Powder: You can use regular unsweetened cocoa powder or Dutch process.
- Baking Powder: Keeps the cookies soft without much spread.
How to make Slice and Bake Cookies
- Mix brown sugar, butter, and peanut butter in a large bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer until creamy (about 2 minutes). Add eggs and vanilla, continue beating until mixed.
- Add flour, cocoa, and baking powder and beat on low speed until well mixed.
- Divide the cookie dough in half. Place each half on a sheet of plastic wrap and form into a log. Wrap well and chill until firm in the fridge, 4 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Working with one cookie dough log at a time, cut slices 1/4” thick with a sharp knife and place 2” apart on baking sheet. Bake just until they loose their glossy sheen. Cool on cookie sheets 10 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cookies are cool, melt chocolate chips and dip or drizzle over the cookies.
Topping Ideas
I love decorating these with drizzles of melted chocolate or white chocolate. Sprinkle with rainbow sprinkles, holiday nonpareils, or chopped nuts. Peanuts are great but you can also use almonds, pistachios, even cranberries or anything you like!
Expert Tips
- The dough requires a long chill time: 4 hours or overnight. However, if you do not have that time you can freeze the dough for 1-2 hours and then bake.
- Make sure to not over-bake these cookies. They’re done just as soon as they lose their glossy sheen.
- Chill your cookie dough logs upright in drinking glasses so you don’t get that flat side from them sitting on the refrigerator shelf.
- Store cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
FAQs
You can freeze them in an airtight container.
Slice and Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (300g) packed brown sugar
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup (133g) creamy peanut butter (only use a no-stir brand)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (224g) all purpose flour
- ½ cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup (170h) chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or shortening
- 1 cup chopped peanuts toffee bits, toasted coconut, sprinkles, or other similar items for garnish
Instructions
- Note: this dough requires chilling.
- Mix brown sugar, butter, and peanut butter in a large bowl with a hand mixer until creamy (about 2 minutes). Add eggs and vanilla, continue beating until mixed. Add flour, cocoa, and baking powder and beat on low speed until well mixed.
- Divide the dough in half. Place each half on a sheet of plastic wrap and form into a log. Wrap well and chill until firm, 4 hours or overnight. (This process can be sped up by freezing the dough for 1-2 hours.)
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Working with one dough log at a time, cut slices 1/4” thick and place 2” apart on baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or just until they loose their glossy sheen. Cool on cookie sheets 10 minutes then remove to a rack to cool completely.
- Once cookies are cool, place chocolate chips and oil or shortening in a microwave safe bowl. Heat on 50% power for about 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, or until chocolate is melted and smooth.
- You can dip each cookie in the chocolate then dip in the toppings. Or, for a more decorative approach, place the melted chocolate in a sandwich bag and cut off one tip. Drizzle chocolate over cookies and sprinkle with toppings.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- The dough requires a long chill time: 4 hours or overnight. However, if you do not have that time you can freeze the dough for 1-2 hours and then bake.
- Make sure to not over-bake these cookies. They’re done just as soon as they lose their glossy sheen.
- Chill your cookie dough logs upright in drinking glasses so you don’t get that flat side from them sitting on the refrigerator shelf.
- Store cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Recipe Nutrition
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Last Updated on December 9, 2023
These were wonderful.
I lovelovelove that these are slice and bake-but so much better than any slice and bake cookie I’ve ever seen before! Absolutely PERFECT for the holidays!
Yum yum! Love these cookies!
hey girl- these cookies look so yummy!
As someone who raises chickens for our own eggs, hens are omnivores and need to be fed/have access to protein like insects. A vegetarian diet does not cut it. The cage free part is nice though.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/04/29/consumers-love-chickens-that-are-vegetarian-fed-never-mind-what-the-birds-want-to-eat/?utm_term=.5d1d1265aa7c
These cookies look amazing and I love how you topped them. I look forward to making these as a cookie for my trays. You are so right, chocolate and peanut butter. How can that be wrong? We all deserve something yummy and not be so labor intensive. Thank you. P.S. Your Abby is so adorable and looks so very cuddly. Happy Thanksgiving.
didn’t egg-lands best treat their chickens terribly? I’m glad they have changed, if so. I’m genuinely curious. these cookies are the bomb though 😉
I wouldn’t mind a big platter of these cookies!! Yum….
2 eggs, butter, and PB…yes this is going to be a soft cookie! Love it! Slice and bakes are something I rarely do but seeing these, I need to get on it!
Good for you for wanting to streamline your holiday baking/cookie giving process!
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