My Ultimate Peanut Butter Cookies are one of my favourite pihikete (cookies) of all time due to the balance of flavours. The easy peanut butter cookies are made with simple ingredients and then it is really up to you. Eat them plain, add dark chocolate or top with a light peanut butter buttercream. So what will you do? I can't wait to hear about it.
These pihikete (cookies) speak to the love that my whānau (family) have for pata pīnati (peanut butter). We eat it every day, for parakuihi (breakfast), in our baking and sometimes, straight off the spoon. Therefore, in every stage of this tohutao (recipe) you will find pata pīnati (peanut butter). I guide you through each phase and you decide how far you take them. Kei a koe te tikanga - it is up to you.
Are you a peanut butter fan like I am?
Welcome to the club! Are you short on time? Then make this No-bake Peanut Butter Slice. For something a little healthier, try my Wheat-free Breakfast Cookies. Are you in need of an amazing keke (cake) with peanut butter, then look no further than my Chocolate Peanut Butter Poke Cake.
Videography and photography by Sarah Henderson.
ULTIMATE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES INGREDIENT TIPS:
- Flour: High grade or plain flour are both fine in this recipe so use what you have.
- Eggs: Free-range eggs are my go-to but use what you prefer.
- Peanut Butter: I always use a good quality peanut butter that just has peanuts and salt in the ingredients list. Feel free to experiment with your favourites.
- Smooth or Crunchy Peanut Butter?: Crunchy can be used in the biscuit but smooth is best for the buttercream if you are piping it, if not crunchy is totally fine.
- Dark Chocolate: I like the depth of flavour that dark chocolate brings but you can use any chocolate you like.
Expert Advice:
The cookies are so easy and made with simple equipment so get the tamariki (kids) involved. My teenagers make this recipe all the time.
When making the buttercream, take the time to whip the softened butter and icing sugar for 4 - 5 minutes until it is light and fluffy in colour and texture. This simple tip is the difference between a smooth or grainy buttercream.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ULTIMATE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES:
Note: The full recipe card with the full list of ingredients, instructions and step by step video are found at the bottom of this page.
1. Preheat the Oven:
Pre-heat the oven to 170 °C.
Prepare one large or two small, flat baking trays with baking paper.
2. Melt the Butter:
Add the pata (butter) to a small pot and melt it over low heat on the stove or in a heatproof bowl in the microwave. Remove from the heat.
Pour the melted pata (butter) in to a large bowl.
3. Make the Ultimate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough:
Add the huka hāura (brown sugar), huka one (caster sugar) and tote (salt) in to the butter. Using a whisk, whip for 30 seconds until smooth.
Whisk in the hēki (egg) and wanira (vanilla) until smooth. Add the pata pīnati (peanut butter) and stir until incorporated.
Add the puehu parāoa (flour) and pēkana houra (baking soda). Stir until a dough forms.
4. Mould in to Balls:
Roll the mixture in to 20 balls. Place them on the prepared trays with a gap of 2 cm in between each one. Press each one down with a paoka (fork) or with the palm of your hand.
5. Bake the Cookies:
Bake for 12 – 13 minutes until lightly golden.
Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the tray. You can eat them just as they are, straight from the oven or select one or all of the options below.
6. Add the Dark Chocolate:
Chop the tiakarete (chocolate) and add it to a small pot or heat proof bowl. Melt it over low heat on the stove or in the microwave until just melted.
Remove from the heat and add a small teaspoon to each cookies while they are still warm. Smooth it out.
Sprinkle with a touch of flaky tote (salt) if you are using it.
They are delicious to eat like this or refrigerate them so they cool down while you make the buttercream.
7. Make Peanut Butter Buttercream:
Add the pata kūteretere (softened butter), puehu huka (icing sugar) and wanira (vanilla) in to a medium bowl. Whip on high for 4 -5 minutes until light in texture and colour.
Add the pata pīnati (peanut butter) and then whip it for around 20 seconds.
8. Add the Peanut Butter Buttercream:
Remove the set pihikete (biscuits) from the pouaka mātao (refrigerator). Dollop the pani reka (frosting) on to each one then smooth it out with the back of a kokoiti (teaspoon) or pipe it on like I did.
9. Decorations (All optional):
If you are using the extra pata pīnati (peanut butter), add it in the centre of the frosting. Add around ½ teaspoon in to each pihikete (biscuit).
Melt the remaining tiakarete (chocolate) and drizzle it over the pihikete (cookies).
Sprinkle with the nati (nuts).
Chill them for around 20 minutes to firm up the buttercream.
Storage Instructions for the Ultimate Peanut Butter Cookies:
Store the unfrosted pihikete (biscuits) in a sealed container in the cupboard for up to week. Store the frosted ones in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week.
Note: In the hotter months when I want to take these to someone's house, I put them in the freezer for around half an hour before going and this helps them stay set for a bit longer.
Try some more
Biscuit Recipes
Take a moment with these delicious morsels.
DID YOU ENJOY THIS RECIPE?
It would be so awesome if you could please leave a review/comment by clicking the “leave a comment” section at the top of the page.
I love seeing you all make my creations, so send a whakaahua (photo) or kiriata (video) to my Instagram and show me what you made. Let me know if you have any pātai (questions) too, I would love to help.
Peanut Butter Cookies - Pihikete Pata Pīnati
Equipment
- 1 x Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer for the Buttercream It can be done with a whisk and some muscle power too.
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Cookies - Pihikete Pata Pīnati
- 120 g pata (butter)
- ⅔ C (110 g) huka hāura (brown sugar, lightly packed)
- ½ C (110 g) huka one (caster sugar)
- ½ teaspoon tote (salt)
- 1 hēki (egg, size 6)
- 2 teaspoon wanira (vanilla)
- ½ C (130 g) pata pīnati māeneene (smooth peanut butter, I prefer Pic's for this recipe but use your favourite, good quality pb)
- 1 ½ C (225 g) puehu parāoa noa (plain flour)
- ½ teaspoon pēkana houra (baking soda)
Chocolate Icing - Pani Reka Tiakarete
- 50 g tiakarete (chocolate, I like 50 % here but use what you want)
- A sprinkle of flaky sea salt (optional)
Peanut Butter Icing - Pani Reka Pata Pīnati
- 110 g pata kūteretere (softened butter)
- ½ C (85 g) puehu huka (icing sugar)
- 2 teaspoon (10 ml) wanira
- ¼ C (65 g) pata pīnati māeneene (smooth peanut butter)
Decorations - Ngā Whakarākei (All Optional)
- ¼ C (65 g) pata pīnati māeneene (smooth peanut butter, this is for the centre of the buttercream)
- 50 g tiakarete kua rewaina (melted chocolate) for drizzling on top of the buttercream.
- ½ C nati kua tapahia (chopped nuts)
Instructions
Preheat the Oven:
- Pre-heat the oven to 170 °C. Prepare one large or two small, flat baking trays with baking paper.
Melt the Butter:
- Add the pata (butter) to a small pot and melt it over low heat on the stove or in a heatproof bowl in the microwave. Remove from the heat.
- Pour the melted pata (butter) in to a large bowl.
Make the Cookie Dough:
- Add the huka hāura (brown sugar), huka one (caster sugar) and tote (salt) in to the butter. Using a whisk, whip for 30 seconds or so until smooth.
- Add the hēki (egg) and wanira (vanilla), whisk again for a minute until smooth and creamy. Add the pata pīnati (peanut butter) and stir until incorporated.
- Add the puehu parāoa (flour) and pēkana houra (baking soda). Stir until a dough forms.
Mould in to Balls:
- Divide the mixture in to 20 balls. Place them on the prepared trays, with a gap of 2 cm in between each one. Press each one down with a paoka (fork) or with the palm of your hand.
Bake the Cookies:
- Bake for 12 - 13 minutes until lightly golden.
- Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the tray.
- You can eat them just as they are, straight from the oven or select one or all of these options below.
Add the Dark Chocolate:
- Chop the the tiakarete (chocolate) and add it to a small pot or heat proof bowl. Melt it over low heat on the stove or in the microwave.
- Remove from the heat and add a small teaspoon to each of the warm cookies. Smooth it out with a teaspoon. Reserve a little bit of the tiakarete (chocolate) for drizzling over the buttercream if you want. Sprinkle with a touch of flaky tote (salt).
- You can eat them like this or refrigerate so they cool down while you make the buttercream.
Make Peanut Butter Buttercream:
- Add the pata kūteretere (softened butter), puehu huka (icing sugar) and wanira (vanilla) in to a medium bowl. Whip on high for 4 -5 minutes until light in texture and colour.
- Whip through the pata pīnati (peanut butter) for around 20 seconds.
Add the Peanut Butter Buttercream:
- Remove the set pihikete (biscuits) from the pouaka mātao (refrigerator).
- Dollop the pani reka (frosting) on to each one and smooth it out with the back of a kokoiti (teaspoon) or pipe it on like I did.
The Decorations - Ngā Whakarākei (All optional)
- If you are using the extra pata pīnati (peanut butter), add it in the centre of the frosting. Add around ½ teaspoon in to each pihikete (biscuit).
- Melt the remaining tiakarete (chocolate) and drizzle it over the pihikete (cookies). Sprinkle with the nati (nuts).Chill them for around 20 minutes to firm up the buttercream.
Storage Instructions:
- Store the unfrosted pihikete (biscuits) in a sealed container in the cupboard for up to week. Store the frosted ones in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week.
- Note: In the hotter months when I want to take these to someone's house, I put them in the freezer for around half an hour before going and this helps them stay set for a bit longer.
Rochelle Price
He reka enei pihikete! Such an easy recipe to make. We made ours with the pinati pata icing and as well looking devine they tasted incredible.
Naomi Toilalo WhānauKai
Kia ora Rochelle, so glad you had them with the pani reka (frosting) as they are my favourite like that too! Thanks so much for the awesome review Rochelle!