Chocolate Peanut Butter Lava Cookies: Gooey Surprise
Soft chocolate cookies with a molten chocolate peanut butter center.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 4 oz semisweet chocolate chopped, or semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, stir together the chopped semisweet chocolate and creamy peanut butter until smooth and thick; refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes to firm slightly.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined and free of lumps.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat until the mixture looks smooth and slightly pale.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed just until a soft, scoopable dough forms and no dry streaks remain.
- Use a tablespoon or small cookie scoop to portion 12 equal mounds of dough and roll each portion into a ball.
- Working one at a time, flatten a dough ball into a disk in your palm and place about 1 teaspoon of the chilled chocolate peanut butter filling in the center.
- Fold the dough around the filling, pinch to fully seal, then roll gently into a smooth ball, checking for cracks so the filling does not leak.
- Arrange the stuffed dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges look set and the tops are matte but the centers still feel soft when gently touched.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and serve warm for the best gooey lava center.
Notes
- Make sure to fully seal the dough around the filling so the molten center stays inside the cookie as it bakes.
- If your kitchen is very warm, keep the prepared filling in the fridge between scooping cookies so it stays thick and easy to portion.
- If your kitchen is very warm, keep the prepared filling in the fridge between scooping cookies so it stays thick and easy to portion.