My Ultimate Peanut Butter Cookies are one of my favourite pihikete (cookies) of all time due to the balance of flavours. Make the easy peanut butter cookies with simple ingredients and then let your creativity take hold. 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.
So do you want a plain pihikete pata pīnati (peanut butter cookie)? Or is it a peanut butter cookie with tiakarete (chocolate) and sea salt kind of day? Or, does this occasion call for a fully decorated pihikete pata pīnati (peanut butter cookie) with all the bells and whistles? Kei a koe te tikanga – it is up to you!
The Ultimate Peanut Butter Cookies:
This recipe begins with a simple pokenga pihikete (cookie dough) which is made with pata kua rewaina (melted butter), huka (sugar) and wanira (vanilla). Then, mix the hēki (egg), pata pīnati (peanut butter) and dry ingredients together and the dough is ready. There is no chill time for these pihikete (biscuits) so just roll them in to balls and bake them. You can eat them warm, straight from the oven with a hot drink. You can also add another layer by spreading over tiakarete parauri (dark chocolate) and sprinkle on some flaky tote (salt). Finally, you have a choice; to make the pani reka pata pīnati (peanut butter buttercream) or not. For me, it is a no brainier but whatever you choose, you will not be disappointed.
Are you a peanut butter fan like I am?
Welcome to the club. Here are some of my other favourite peanut butter recipes. Do you love tiakarete (chocolate) and panana (banana) vibes? Try my Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream, they are perfect for parties or school lunches.
For something a little healthier, try my Wheat-free Breakfast Cookies. And for my all time favourite, check out my Vanilla, Chocolate and Peanut Butter Poke Cake. Find more pihikete (biscuit) recipes here.
Videography and photography by Sarah Henderson.
Peanut Butter Cookies – Pihikete Pata Pīnati
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 tsp tote (salt)
- 1 hēki (egg, size 6)
- 2 tsp 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 tsp 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
Peanut Butter Icing – Pani Reka Pata Pīnati
- 110 g pata kūteretere (softened butter)
- ½ C (85 g) puehu huka (icing sugar)
- 2 tsp (10 ml) wanira
- ¼ C (65 g) pata pīnati māeneene (smooth peanut butter)
The 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 (chocolate, I like 50 % here but use what you want)
- ½ C nati kua tapahia (chopped nuts)
Instructions
Peanut Butter Cookies – Pihikete Pata Pīnati
- Pre-heat the oven to 170 °C. Prepare one large or two small, flat baking trays with baking paper.
- 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. Pour the melted pata (butter) in to a large bowl.
- Add the huka hāura (brown sugar), huka one (caster sugar) and tote (salt). Give it a rough whip with a whisk.
- 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.
- 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).
- Bake for 12 – 13 minutes. 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.
Chocolate Icing – Pani Reka Tiakarete
- Melt the tiakarete (chocolate) and divide it evenly on to each of the pihikete (biscuits), spreading it on the centre. Sprinkle with the tote (salt).
- Refrigerate so the cookie cools and the tiakarete (chocolate) sets. If you are adding the frosting, make the pani reka (buttercream) as it cools.
Peanut Butter Frosting – Pani Reka Pata Pīnati
- Add the pata kūteretere (softened butter), puehu huka (icing sugar) and wanira (vanilla) in to a medium bowl. Whip on high for a couple of minutes until it is light in texture and colour.
- Whip through the pata pīnati (peanut butter) for around 20 seconds.
- Remove the set pihikete (biscuits) from the pouaka mātao (refrigerator).
- Either 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 that in to 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) and you are done!I like to chill them for around 20 minutes so the frosting is a little firmer when it is time to eat them but you choose how you eat them.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
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!