Who doesn’t love a classic peanut butter and jelly combination? Get ready to take that nostalgic duo to a whole new level with these stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies with Jelly.
Soft, chewy, and bursting with rich peanut butter flavor, they’re perfectly complemented by a dollop of your favorite jelly. Whether you’re baking for a cozy family gathering or whipping up a midweek treat, these cookies are guaranteed to disappear in no time.
What Makes These Cookies Special?
The secret lies in a few key ingredients:
- Bread flour gives the cookies their chewy texture and helps them rise to the right size
- Instant vanilla pudding keeps them moist and tender
- Chopped peanuts add a satisfying crunch in every bite
- Make sure you’ve stirred your peanut butter (I prefer natural peanut butter) so there are no oils or clumps in your dough.
- Pick a jelly that you love—classic grape, vibrant strawberry, or even a tart raspberry. The options are endless!
Pro Tips:
Refrigerate your dough: I know it is tempting to bake your cookies as soon as you have that dough ready but it makes a huge difference in the end. Not all dough requires refrigeration before baking but you will regret not doing so with this one.
Don’t Overmix: Once you add the flour and pudding mix, mix only until combined. Overmixing can ruin the texture.
The Thumbprint: When shaping your dough balls, create a small indentation (or thumbprint) in the center for the jelly. Don’t make it too deep, or the jelly might stick to the pan.
If you’re looking for more peanut butter sweets, check out these Peanut Butter Fudge Balls that are no bake and too easy.
Peanut Butter Cookies with Jelly
Ingredients
The Wet Mix
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1/2 cup (115g) Butter, softened
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1/2 cup (90g) Creamy Peanut Butter (commercial brands like Jif/Skippy work best)
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1/2 cup (100g) Granulated Sugar
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1/2 cup (100g) Brown Sugar, packed
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1 Egg + 2 Egg Yolks (room temperature)
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1 tsp Vanilla Extract
The Dry Mix
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1 1/4 cups (150g) Bread Flour
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1 box (3.4 oz/96g) Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix (do not use Cook & Serve)
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1/2 tsp Baking Soda
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1/4 tsp Salt
The Mix-ins & Filling
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1 cup (140g) Coarsely Chopped Peanuts
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Grape or Strawberry Jelly (approx 1 teaspoon per cookie)
Instructions
1. The Jelly Prep (Do This First!)
Before you even touch the flour, you need to prep your filling. This is the trick to a mess-free stuffed cookie.
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Line a tray or small plate with parchment paper.
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Scoop teaspoonfuls of your chosen jelly onto the tray.
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Freeze: Place the tray in the freezer while you make and chill the dough. The jelly needs to be solid to handle easily.
2. Make the Dough
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Cream: In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
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Wet Ingredients: Beat in the egg, egg yolks, and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is incorporated.
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Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the bread flour, vanilla pudding mix, baking soda, and salt.
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Combine: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture until just combined. Do not overmix! Finally, stir in the chopped peanuts by hand.
3. CHILL THE DOUGH
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Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
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Why chill? Since this dough uses pudding mix and extra yolks, it can be sticky. Chilling allows the flour to hydrate and the fats to solidify, preventing the cookies from spreading too flat in the oven.
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4. Assemble and Bake
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Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Stuff the Cookies: Remove the dough from the fridge and your jelly from the freezer. Roll a portion of dough into a ball. Flatten it slightly in your palm.
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Seal: Place a frozen piece of jelly in the center and wrap the dough around it to completely enclose the jelly. Ensure there are no cracks!
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Bake: Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 minutes.
Notes
- Seal Tight: Make sure there are no cracks in the dough when you wrap the jelly. A good seal prevents “blowouts” on the baking sheet.
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Don’t skip the pudding: Ensure you buy Instant Vanilla Pudding mix, not the “Cook & Serve” variety. They have different chemical properties.
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Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature before you start creaming to ensure a smooth dough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour? While you can use all-purpose flour, I highly recommend sticking to bread flour for this recipe. Bread flour has a higher protein content, which is what gives these cookies their signature thick, chewy, bakery-style texture. If you use all-purpose, the cookies will be softer and slightly flatter.
Can I use natural peanut butter? For this specific recipe, it is best to use commercial creamy peanut butter (like Jif or Skippy). Natural peanut butters (where the oil separates) can be unpredictable in baking and often result in greasy or crumbly cookies.
My jelly leaked out while baking. What went wrong? Leaking is the most common challenge with stuffed cookies! Here are the main fixes:
- The Seal: Ensure the dough is completely sealed around the frozen jelly. Even a tiny crack allows the filling to bubble out.
- The Temperature: Make sure the jelly is frozen solid before wrapping.
- The Volume: Stick to 1 teaspoon of jelly. Overfilling makes the walls of the cookie too thin
