It’s no secret that I love peanut butter and in baking there’s something magical about adding peanut butter to recipes.
It just makes things better.
It makes baked goods moist, rich, and decadent in a going-to-stuff-my-face kind of way.
For the peanut butter allergy folks, you could most definitely use sunflower seed, almond, or cashew butter in these cookies.
I also adore oatmeal cookies.
Did you see my last cookie creation? Chewy, brown sugary oatmeal raisin cookies
When they are done right, I think that oatmeal-based cookies trump most other cookies.
Today’s cookies have oatmeal in them even though they don’t have much of an “oatmeal cookie taste”.
The peanut butter flavor is more dominant than oatmeal flavor.
When it comes down to it, though, I’ve really never met a cookie I didn’t like. Oatmeal raisin, peanut butter, chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, molasses. They’re all good.
Except dry cookies. Those are not so good. Don’t break any baking rules and make them dry or overcooked. Or put nuts into baked goods. Blech.
So when I saw Jo-Anna of A Pretty Life in the Suburbs’ recipe for Cookies ‘n Creme Stuffed Oatmeal Cookies, she got my wheels turning for this month’s Secret Recipe Club recipe reveal, and it steered me in the direction of using oatmeal.
I’ve also been eyeing the Cooks Illustrated Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe that I’ve read rave reviews about. Ever since 2009. I based last week’s oatmeal raisin cookies from the melted butter technique they used.
Because really, you can do no wrong with melted butter and peanut butter combined with oatmeal and white chocolate.
At least not in my book.
I loved these cookies
And now it’s time to geek out with food science trivia which likely explains why I loved them.
It has to do with sugar ratios, melted butter, and eggs.
The Cooks Illustrated website compared their ‘new cookie’ (2009) vs. the classic Nestle Tollhouse cookie (1950s I’m guessing) in this little chart (source)
Sugar: by having a higher proportion of brown sugar to white sugar, you will get a chewier cookie. That’s a big bonus for me.
- TOLL HOUSE RECIPE: Equal Amounts Brown and White SugarA 1-1 ratio of brown to white sugar creates a cookie that’s neither crisp nor chewy.
- OUR RECIPE: More Brown Sugar Using more brown sugar than white makes for a chewier cookie.
Butter: By melting the butter you get a chewier cookie, less of a cakey cookie, and enhanced flavor. Yes please.
- TOLL HOUSE RECIPE: Creamed Solid Butter. Creaming butter creates a cakier texture in cookies.
- OUR RECIPE: Browned, Melted Butter. Melting butter contributes to chewiness; browning it enhances flavor.
Eggs: Reducing egg whites increases chewiness and reduces dryness. Score.
- TOLL HOUSE RECIPE: 2 Whole Eggs. Whole eggs contribute to a drier texture.
- OUR RECIPE: 1 Whole Egg, 1 Yolk. Eliminating one egg white also boosts chewiness.
Take that, Alton Brown. You’re not the only one who can geek out.
Another thing I loved about these cookies was that I didn’t have to use an electric mixer.
I did everything by hand and with one spoon. That’s the beauty of the microwave melted butter technique. You don’t need to whip or cream anything together. Just melt ‘n stir.
I am still pining away for that Kitchen Aid but so far the Mixer Fairy hasn’t paid me a visit yet.
Not being bothered to use any sort of mixer in this recipe was a nice bonus.
It’s nice having fewer dishes to do. Beaters, bowls, paddles. It all adds up. I hate doing dishes and do everything in my power to keep them to an absolute minimum.
I’d rather spend my time baking and cooking or sampling the raw dough eating the finished product than doing dishes.
And between me, Scott, and Little Miss Cookie Monster, we made quick work on these
Just typing this post and looking at these pictures makes me really want another one. Or three.
They are chewy, sweet, rich, and the peanut butter flavor is enhanced even more by the addition of peanut butter chips. I bet butterscotch chips would also be excellent in these, too.
The oatmeal makes them soft
And the white chocolate chips make them sweet
This wouldn’t be an “Averie dessert” if there wasn’t peanut butter in the recipe or white chocolate. <– Those two links showcase all my peanut butter recipes and all my white chocolate recipes in one place. I will be adding these cookies to both sections.
Have I convinced you to make these yet?
They’re a new favorite of mine.
They’ve earned a special place in my heart.
And in my stomach.
Pin This Recipe
Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ c unsalted butter
- ⅓ c creamy peanut butter
- 1 c light brown sugar, packed
- ½ c granulated sugar
- 1 egg + 1 yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ c all-purpose flour
- 1 c old fashioned whole oats
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¾ c white chocolate chips
- ½ c peanut butter chips, or use butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, toffee bits, raisins, nuts, seeds, etc.
Instructions
- In a medium-sized microwave safe bowl, melt the butter and peanut butter together. Power on for 30 seconds, take out, stir. Repeat. Should take no more than about 90 seconds.
- Add the brown & white sugar to the melted butter & peanut butter mixture and stir. Set this is the freezer for a couple minutes.
- Remove from the freezer (or just wait for the mixture to come to room temp on it’s own) and add the egg + yolk (you just don’t want to add eggs to that hot mixture. We don’t want scrambled eggs here), add the vanilla extract, and stir.
- Then add the flour, oats, baking soda and stir. You should have cookie dough consistency dough and if you don’t, either add a touch more flour if it’s too wet or a touch more peanut butter if it’s too dry.
- Finally, add the white chocolate chips and peanut butter chips and stir.
- Roll or spoon out golf ball sized balls onto a cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. They spread but not tons.
- Bake at 325F for approximately 10-12 minutes. (I like very underdone and soft cookies so I baked for 10 minutes) The cookies will look pretty raw even at 12 minutes and that’s ok. Take them out and let the sit and cool well before eating.
- adapted from my Oatmeal Raisin Cookies & Cooks Illustrated
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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wow these look amazing….not so healthy (so def a treat) but amazing! I cant wait to try them! I found your blog from haveanotherbiteplease.com!
I never think of cookies as ‘healthy’. I think of them as something I like and makes life much more fun :) Thanks for stopping by!
I am a new follower of your fantastic blog…and believe you to be the guru of all cookie-dom…really. Question..I live in France, and I wonder what “Type” of flour corresponds to bread flour in your must-be-made chocolate chip cookie recipe? Here..every flour is “typed” by number..”Type 45 to 65″ are generally considered the regular baking flours..whilst Type 110 is considered to be similar to Whole Wheat pastry flour…I want to do your recipe(s) justice..and I so love that you are an unabashed fan of white chocolate!..I thought I was the only one!!…Loving your detailed explanations…incredibly helpful and appreciated. I simply cannot tell you how your blog, writing, instructions and photography impress me!
Have a lovely weekend!
I don’t have any idea about the French system of flour numbering, but you’d want to use the flour that you’d use to make bread with. White bread that’s crusty, or like a baguette or a firm, chewy, roll.
Not a light, soft flour, which we’d call cake flour or pasty flour. And NOT wheat! That has low gluten, you want high gluten. Not anything labeled wheat, pastry flour, cake flour, soft flour; you want a ‘hard’ flour with as much gluten as you can get. Bright white :)
Thanks for the compliments on my blog, writing, recipes, etc! So appreciated!
And you know, if you can’t find ‘the right’ flour; just use what you’d always use to bake cookies with, but not wheat. Must be white!
just pulled these out of the oven…i’ve ate 2…made for the purpose of taking these on weekend family getaway with four other families…it is going to be really hard to SHare! they are so good…love that melted peanut butter taste!
They’re probably my fave cookie on my whole blog! I love that you made them (awesome choice!) and that you’re gobbling them up. It’s only Thursday. I don’t think they’re going to make it to the weekend :)
Is there anyway I could make these without the oats? I have everything but the oats and I’m too lazy to go to the store :) Could I just use more flour? Thanks!!
I’m sure you could add flour until you get a proper dough consistency; I love oats and the texture they provide and these cookies aren’t the same for me without them; but in theory, yes they will ‘work’ without oats and using more flour.
I made these yesterday, and they came out wonderful!
So glad to hear you had success!
WOWZA!!! These are good! Thanks for sharing. I added milk chocolate chips in addition to the white ones.
So glad you like them – they’re my fave cookie on my whole site! Glad you added some milk choc chips, too. The more the merrier!