Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies

These chocolate peanut butter swirl cookies offer a classic flavor combo that never gets old. I started with a rich chocolate cookie dough, slathered it with a creamy layer of peanut butter, then simply rolled it up and sliced it for that playful spiral effect. Fun and delicious cookies don’t have to be complicated!

Swirls of Chocolate And Peanut Butter In Every Bite

Transform basic chocolate cookie dough into something spectacular with just a spread of creamy peanut butter! Here’s why I keep finding myself baking these chocolate peanut butter swirl cookies on repeat:

Easy and fun to make. Even the kids will want to help!
Offers that irresistible flavor combination of chocolate and peanut butter
Chewy and crispy – you’ll want to eat the entire batch in one go.

Recipe Ingredients

Instantly elevate your basic chocolate cookie dough with a spread of creamy peanut butter! These chocolate peanut butter swirl cookies are easy, fun, and taste amazing. Don’t forget to read the recipe card below for the full details.

unsalted butter – softened for easy creaming
superfine sugar – dissolves more quickly into the creamed butter mixture, creating a smoother, more uniform dough texture and helping the cookies bake with a finer crumb and slightly crisper edge than granulated sugar would
vanilla sugar – this gives the cookies an extra delicious flavor
egg yolk – bring to room temperature for mixing. I’ve used a medium egg for this peanut butter cookie dough
flour – all-purpose flour works perfectly
pinch of salt – enhances the flavors
cocoa powder – use unsweetened natural cocoa powder as these cookies are already sweet enough
peanut butter – creamy peanut butter is easy to spread over the dough, although you could use crunchy peanut butter for extra texture in these cookie

BAKING TIP: As with most cookies recipes, make sure to have all ingredients at room temperature before you start baking.

How To Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies

Softened butter and sugar to make chocolate peanut butter swirl cookies

1

Cream the butter with the sugars in a bowl.

Creamed sugar-butter mixture with egg yolks to make chocolate peanut butter swirl cookies

2

Add the egg yolk and mix to fully incorporate.

Creamed sugar-butter with flour to make chocolate peanut butter swirl cookies

3

Add flour, salt, and cocoa powder and knead into a smooth cookie dough.

4

Divide the dough into two parts. Roll out to the recommended thickness. Place on plastic wrap.

Chocolate peanut butter swirl cookie dough with peanut butter spread evenly

5

Spread peanut butter evenly over the dough, the roll up and cover with foil.

Rolled up and sliced chocolate peanut butter swirl cookie dough

6

Refrigerate for an hour minimum. Remove foil, slice, and bake.

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Tips for Making Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies

A few simple tips to make the most of this easy recipe!

Be careful not to roll the dough too thin. The peanut butter will squeeze out during rolling, and you’ll lose those beautiful, defined swirls.
Leave a bare strip along one long edge of the rolled-out dough; this creates a natural seam that seals the log and keeps the swirl intact as you roll.
Gently rock each assembled dough log back and forth a few times on your work surface to firmly seal the seam and ensure the roll holds together perfectly.
Never skip the chilling of the dough. It firms the dough so you can slice clean, neat rounds without squishing the swirl. For even more convenience, you can prepare the rolled dough a day in advance and simply bake when ready.

Storing Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies

Leftover chocolate peanut butter swirl cookies will keep for about 2 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature.

Can I freeze these swirl cookies?

Absolutely! Store them for up to 3 months in the freezer, then leave them to thaw on the counter before serving again. You can also store the assembled cookie dough rolls in the freezer for the same time, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, to thaw and slice for easy swirl cookies whenever you want!

Rich Chocolate Cookies

While I’ll always adore a classic chocolate sugar cookie, there’s something irresistible about playing with flavor combinations. Check out these cookie recipes for to get your chocolate fix with a twist!

Can I use natural peanut butter in this recipe?

Natural peanut butter works fine in this recipe, but because its oils can separate and it contains less added fat and stabilizers than commercial peanut butter, it may make the dough slightly drier or more crumbly if not thoroughly stirred and evenly spread. It may also be a little trickier to spread smoothly over the rolled out dough.

Is it necessary to chill the rolled up cookie dough?

Yes, chilling the dough for at least 1 hour is essential to firm up the rolls so they slice cleanly and hold their swirl shape during baking. It also helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much while baking.

Can I make smaller cookies?

Absolutely! You can roll out the dough smaller to make larger cookies or keep to my recipe directions which will make slightly smaller cookies (approximately 5 cm/ 2-inches in diameter).

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