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    Home » Recipes » Blog

    Peanut Butter Shortbread Cookies

    August 26, 2013 By Sara McCleary Updated November 29, 2020 - This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe

    This peanut butter shortbread has a delicate peanut butter flavour and melts in your mouth. A big batch cookie recipe that has to be one of the best shortbreads I have ever baked!

    This recipe makes quite a few cookies, over 50.  It's the perfect mass production cookie recipe, great for parties, school fetes or cake stalls.  Not feeding the masses?  You could freeze some of the dough for future use or halve the recipe if you wish.

    peanut butter short bread cookies sitting on green and white swirled material in a basket

    The cookie backstory

    These were whipped up as part of Josh's dessert offerings for his 21st.  They turned out to be amazing cookies, but they just didn't turn out the way that I wanted.  Originally they were to be perfect round discs stamped with the words 'bite me'.

    Best laid plans didn't come to fruition, and I ended up with a more simpler looking cookie. But these peanut butter shortbread cookies were still a massive hit.

    The dough

    The peanut butter shortbread dough is a sticky dough. Even after placing in the fridge to rest and firm, it is sticky.

    Rolling the dough up into balls and simply flattening with a thumb is my suggested and preferred way of shaping cookies.

    It will stick to cookie cutters, cookies stamps etc. If wanting to use a cookie stamp or cutters I suggest you flower everything very well. Also be prepared for a little stress when things start sticking and not holding shape on baking.

    peanut butter short bread cookies sitting on green and white swirled material in a basket

    Recipe variaitons

    I have left these peanut butter shortbread cookies very plain Jane in appearance and ingredients. I personally feel they are scrumptious just the way they are. But if you feel like jazzing them up a little here are some suggestions.

    • Drizzle the cooled baked cookies with dark chocolate
    • Add some chocolate chips to the cookie dough before shaping and baking
    • Place some strawberry jam in the thumbprint indent to make peanut butter and jelly shortbreads
    • Roll cookie dough balls in crushed peanuts before flattening for an extra peanut kick.
    • Press a dark chocolate button or square on top of each cookie before baking.
    • Try the recipe with alternative nut butters like cashew or almond.

    Sara xxx

    Peanut Butter Shortbread Cookies

    Recipe Author: Sara McCleary
    This peanut butter shortbread has a delicate peanut butter flavour and melts in your mouth. A big batch cookie recipe that has to be one of the best shortbreads I have ever baked!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 12 mins
    Total Time 27 mins
    Course Biscuit/Cookies
    Cuisine Baked Treats
    Servings 50 pcs
    Calories 144 kcal

    Ingredients

    • 340 grams unsalted butter softened
    • 360 grams smooth peanut butter
    • 200 grams raw or golden caster sugar
    • 2 large eggs
    • 560 grams self-raising flour

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line baking trays with baking paper or baking sheets.
    • Using an electric mixer beat butter until creamy and pale. Then add peanut butter and keep beating until combined.
    • Add sugar and continue to beat until combined and smooth.
    • Then add one egg, continue beating until incorporated, add the second egg and incorporate.
    • Slowly add flour and keep beating until all added and a soft dough has formed.
    • Roll dough into walnut size balls. Place on baking trays 2cm apart. Press down in the centre of each dough ball with your thumb.
    • Place trays in the oven and bake 10-12 minutes until cooked and a pale golden colour.
    • Once cooked, remove from oven and rest on trays for a couple of minutes before moving them to cooling racks.
    • Once cooled store in an air-tight container. They will keep for a week, if not eaten beforehand.

    Notes

    Recipe Variations
    • Drizzle the cooled baked cookies with dark chocolate
    • Add some chocolate chips to the cookie dough before shaping and baking
    • Place some strawberry jam in the thumbprint indent to make peanut butter and jelly shortbreads
    • Roll cookie dough balls in crushed peanuts before flattening for an extra peanut kick.
    • Press a dark chocolate button or square on top of each cookie before baking.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 144kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 3gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 42mgPotassium: 63mgSugar: 4gVitamin A: 180IUCalcium: 7mgIron: 0.3mg
    Keyword big batch cookie recipe, easy shortbread recipe, peanut butter recipes
    Did You Make This Recipe?I do a happy dance when people share how they went. Tag me on Instagram or Twitter @bellyrumbles & #bellyrumbles

    More great cookie recipes

    Slice and bake cookies - they make amazing edible gifts
    Coconut macaroons - addictive coconut meringue cookies
    Chocolate, Brazil nut and ginger cookies - for the ginger lovers
    White chocolate and macadamia cookies - a classic and delicious combo

    peanut butter shortbread cookies
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Renata

      August 26, 2013 at 9:57 am

      Sara, if you hadn't told us about all the fuss involving these cookies we could never tell. They look simply perfect! I can almost smell them half world away 🙂

      Reply
    2. Christine @ Cooking Crusade

      August 26, 2013 at 9:54 am

      I love shortbread and I love peanut butter so it's pretty much guaranteed that I would love these cookies! Great idea adding chocolate or jam 🙂 Btw where did you get these amazing sounding 'bite me' cookie prints! May I ask where you got them??

      Reply
    3. milkteaxx

      August 26, 2013 at 9:07 am

      it is alaways when u want something for an occasion that something has to go wrong! but these still look amazing, ill still gladly bite them!

      Reply
    4. Maureen | Orgasmic Chef

      August 26, 2013 at 6:49 am

      5 stars
      I don't do well under a lot of stress but ordinary stress I tend to do okay. If I have way more than I can do and I get pressured, then I'm not normal. 🙂

      I'd be better with one of these cookies. 🙂

      Reply
    5. Helen (Grab Your Fork)

      August 26, 2013 at 4:02 am

      You show that shortbread who's the boss! I tend to rage inside my head but a few deep breaths will usually see me through. You just gotta keep it together, keep it together, keep it together (Bowfinger reference. lol)

      Reply
    6. [email protected]

      August 26, 2013 at 3:47 am

      I've been waiting for you to post these because they were fabulous! Now I can make them for myself... without all the "bite me" drama!

      Reply

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    photo of Sara McCleary, Founder, Belly Rumbles culinary travel blog

    Well hello there! I’m Sara McCleary a food photographer, creative recipe developer, and avid traveller (when the World isn’t in a pandemic).

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