Peanut Butter Cut Out Cookies

Thanks for sharing!

Peanut butter cut out cookies are perfect for cutting into cute shapes and decorating. They can be used in the same way you enjoy sugar cookies, but they have the added goodness of peanut butter baked in. They are a perfect addition to your Christmas baking, but they are wonderful for any occasion that calls for cute cookies.

If you think sugar cookies are the only ones that can be rolled, cut and decorated, think again! These peanut butter cookies roll, cut and bake beautifully. 

You can taste and smell the peanut butter for a delicious twist on your cookie trays. For peanut butter lovers, these tasty cut out cookies are a dream come true.

We love decorating cookies. Of course we bake up batches of gingerbread cookies and sugar cookies at Christmastime every year.

But that isn’t the only time we cut out cookies and decorate them. I like to fill cellophane bags with decorated cookies for party favors as well.

They are the perfect little take home treat after a baby shower, bridal shower, or even birthday party. They can match the theme of the party and are an economical and cute little take home token for guests.

With all of the cookie baking opportunities that present themselves in a year, it is nice to have some more flavor options in the arsenal. That way you can mix and match your favorites or alternate through different flavors for different events.

These peanut butter sugar cookies are a wonderful addition. They add that rich peanut flavor in a dough that is a dream to work with.

Tips and Tricks

Though it is not necessary, I like to spread out the work for making cut out cookies over three days. It allows me to enjoy each step of the process and not feel overwhelmed.

I start by making the dough on the first day. It needs to chill before it is rolled out and cut anyway. Chilling it overnight allows the dough to get fully chilled and gives the flavors a chance to develop.

You don’t have to chill the dough for that long, but you do want to give the dough at least an hour to chill.

That gives the butter a chance to firm back up a bit so your dough will be less sticky. Then you can use less flour when you are rolling the cookie dough out, and your cookies will be more tender.

Once the dough is good and chilled, roll it out on a lightly floured surface. Cut out your shapes and bake them.

Let them cool on the tray for a few minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely. Sometimes I freeze them at this point to decorate later.

With a busy life, sometimes it isn’t possible to get everything done at once. If you stack the cookies in airtight containers you can freeze them for several weeks without affecting the quality.

Then you can decorate them at a later date, spreading out the mess and the work. Sometimes it is about working smarter, not harder.

We usually decorate these cookies with royal icing. Little Dude loves the process and is quite good at it.

However, they are also delicious with crusting buttercream on top. Both frosting methods have their advantages, it all depends on the finish you are going for.

More Favorite Peanut Butter Dessert Recipes:

Great-Grandma’s Peanut Butter Cookies are the classic chewy cookies that are made special with the crosshatch pattern embossed on top with a fork.

Emily’s No Bake Peanut Butter Bars are a tasty treat made with a delicious peanut butter layer topped with chocolate. They are one of my husband’s favorites.

Buckeyes have a creamy peanut butter center dipped in chocolate. They are a classic for Christmas in our family. 

Thanks for sharing!