Chocolate Peanut Butter Lava Cookies: Gooey Surprise
Soft chocolate cookies with a hidden molten peanut butter chocolate center.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter divided
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips divided
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter and 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips. Microwave in 20 second bursts, stirring between each, until just softened, then stir until smooth and thick. Chill in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes until the mixture is scoopable like soft fudge.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, remaining 1/2 cup peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla bean paste until fully combined and smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly blended.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two additions, mixing on low just until combined. Add the milk and mix until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
- Scoop the cookie dough into 12 equal portions, about 2 tablespoons each. Flatten each portion into a disk in your hand.
- Scoop about 1 teaspoon of the chilled chocolate peanut butter filling into the center of each dough disk. Wrap the dough around the filling, pinching the seams to seal, then roll into a smooth ball.
- Arrange the filled dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the tops are set, lightly crackled, and the edges just begin to firm. The centers should look slightly soft.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes to set the molten centers.
- Carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving warm to enjoy the lava center.
Notes
- Chill the chocolate peanut butter filling briefly so it is firm enough to shape and stays inside the cookies as they bake.
- Do not overbake or the centers will set instead of staying molten; they should look a bit underdone in the middle when you take them out.
- For make ahead, assemble the filled dough balls and chill for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months, then bake from cold or frozen, adding 1 to 3 extra minutes in the oven.
- Reheat cooled cookies in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds or in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes to revive the gooey center.
- Do not overbake or the centers will set instead of staying molten; they should look a bit underdone in the middle when you take them out.
- For make ahead, assemble the filled dough balls and chill for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months, then bake from cold or frozen, adding 1 to 3 extra minutes in the oven.
- Reheat cooled cookies in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds or in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes to revive the gooey center.