I finally perfected Chewy Butterfinger Cookies, peanut butter cookies studded with Butterfinger chunks and a surprising pantry swap you’ll want to try.

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I get weirdly excited about cookies that surprise you, and these are no exception. I call them Chewy Butterfinger Cookies because the inside stays soft while every bite has crunchy bits from chopped Butterfinger candy, and yeah it kinda ruins other cookies for me.

Using creamy peanut butter makes them feel rich without being cloying, and they are basically Cookies With Candy that actually work, not just a gimmick. I promise they are messy and imperfect in the best way, the sort of cookie you want to dunk, share, hoard, or pretend you made by accident.

Ingredients

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Creamy peanut butter brings protein and healthy fats, lots of flavor and sticky texture.
Unsalted butter adds richness, tender crumb and extra fat, not much flavor besides.
Granulated sugar gives sweetness and spread, mostly empty carbs, makes edges crisp.
Brown sugar adds molasses notes, chewiness and moisture, slightly deeper caramel flavor.
Egg and yolk bind everything, add protein and moisture, helps cookies rise.
All purpose flour provides structure and carbs, makes cookies hold their shape.
Cornstarch softens texture, makes cookies tender and cakier, small amount goes far.
Chopped Butterfinger gives sweet crunch, lots of sugar and airiness, strongly chocolatey.

Ingredient Quantities

1 cup (240 g) creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter softened

3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar

3/4 cup (165 g) packed brown sugar

1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups (190 g) all purpose flour

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

2 cups chopped Butterfinger candy (about 3 to 4 bars)

How to Make this

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1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and set aside.

2. In a large bowl cream together 1 cup creamy peanut butter and 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter with 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 3/4 cup packed brown sugar until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed.

3. Beat in 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until fully combined.

4. In a separate bowl whisk 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt. Gradually add the dry mix to the wet mix and stir just until combined, dont overmix.

5. Fold in 2 cups chopped Butterfinger candy (about 3 to 4 bars), leaving a handful of pieces to press on top of each cookie before baking.

6. Chill the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour for thicker chewier cookies, shorter if youre impatient; chilling also makes scooping easier.

7. Scoop dough into balls about 1 1/2 tablespoons each (or use a medium cookie scoop), place about 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets, gently flatten each ball and press a few reserved Butterfinger pieces on top.

8. Bake 9 to 12 minutes until edges are set and tops just start to crack, centers will still look soft. Rotate the pan halfway for even baking.

9. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet 5 to 10 minutes so they firm up, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely because they continue to set as they cool.

10. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days or freeze baked cookies or raw dough balls for later. Tip: dont overbake, use creamy peanut butter not runny natural style, and chop Butterfingers into smallish chunks so they blend well without turning to goo.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven, preheat to 350°F so its ready
2. Two rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone mats
3. Large mixing bowl plus a medium bowl for the dry stuff
4. Electric hand mixer or a sturdy wooden spoon if you dont have one
5. Measuring cups and measuring spoons for accuracy
6. Whisk for the flour mix
7. Rubber spatula to scrape and fold the dough
8. Medium cookie scoop or 1 1/2 tablespoons and a spoon to portion dough
9. Cutting board and a sharp knife to chop the Butterfingers
10. Wire cooling rack and an airtight container for storing leftovers

FAQ

How long do I bake these cookies and how do I know when theyre done? Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 to 12 minutes. Edges should look set and lightly browned while the centers still look a bit soft, let them cool on the sheet 5 minutes then move to a rack to finish firming up.

Can I use crunchy or natural peanut butter instead of creamy? Crunchy works fine it just adds texture. Natural peanut butter can make the dough greasy and spread more unless you stabilize it first try stirring it well and chilling the dough, or add 1 to 2 tablespoons extra flour so the cookies dont go flat.

What can I use instead of Butterfinger bars? You can swap in chopped Heath, Twix, chopped chocolate bars, or toffee bits. Butterfinger gives that flaky crunch though so other candies will change the texture and flavor a bit.

My cookies spread too much, how do I fix that? Chill the dough 30 to 60 minutes so the fats firm up, dont use overly soft butter, and measure flour accurately. You can also add a tablespoon of extra flour or cornstarch to help them hold shape.

How should I store or freeze these cookies? Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temp up to 3 days, in the fridge up to a week. Freeze baked cookies up to 3 months, or freeze scooped dough balls on a tray then bag them for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temp and warm briefly in a low oven to freshen.

Want them chewier or crispier what tweaks should I make? For chewier bake a touch less time, use more brown sugar, and keep the egg yolk. For crisper bake a little longer, flatten dough slightly before baking and use a bit more granulated sugar. Dont overbake either way.

Peanut Butter Butterfinger Cookies Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Peanut butter: swap with natural peanut butter, just stir the oil back in first, or use almond butter or sunflower seed butter if you need nut free. Natural tends to make dough a bit oily so chill it for thirty minutes before baking.
Unsalted butter: use salted butter and cut the added salt in half, or replace with solid coconut oil in an equal amount. Coconut oil gives a slight coconut taste and the cookies might be a bit crisper.
Eggs: replace the egg plus yolk with two flax eggs (two tablespoons ground flaxseed mixed with six tablespoons water, let sit five minutes) or use about half a cup applesauce per egg you swap. Note this can make cookies more cake like and a bit softer.
Butterfinger candy: use chopped peanut butter cups, chopped Heath or Skor bars, or crushed peanut brittle instead. You can pulse the candy briefly in a food processor if you want smaller bits but dont overdo it or it will turn to crumbs.

Pro Tips

1) Chill the dough longer if you want thick, chewy cookies. Seriously, an overnight rest firms everything up and concentrates flavor. If you’re short on time scoop and freeze the balls for 15 to 30 minutes so they hold shape in the oven, then bake straight from frozen adding a minute or two to the bake time.

2) Chop the Butterfingers with care. Pop the bars in the freezer for 10 to 20 minutes first so they don’t crumble, then use a sharp or serrated knife and cut into smallish chunks not dust. If you like pockets of gooey candy leave a few bigger pieces, but avoid pulverizing them or they’ll mostly melt into candy dust.

3) Don’t overbake, watch the edges not the center. Pull them when the edges are set and tops just start to crack, the centers will still look soft but they’ll firm as they cool. Use an oven thermometer and rotate the pans halfway for even results, ovens lie.

4) Small technique stuff that makes a big difference: use creamy, stable peanut butter not runny natural stuff, weigh your flour or spoon and level cups so you don’t end up with dry dense dough, and only mix until the dry bits disappear. Scrape the bowl often when creaming so everything aerates evenly, and press a few reserved candy pieces on top right before baking so they look and taste awesome.

Peanut Butter Butterfinger Cookies Recipe

Recipe by Samantha Dalling

0.0 from 0 votes

I finally perfected Chewy Butterfinger Cookies, peanut butter cookies studded with Butterfinger chunks and a surprising pantry swap you'll want to try.

Servings

servings

Calories

218

kcal

Equipment: 1. Oven, preheat to 350°F so its ready
2. Two rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone mats
3. Large mixing bowl plus a medium bowl for the dry stuff
4. Electric hand mixer or a sturdy wooden spoon if you dont have one
5. Measuring cups and measuring spoons for accuracy
6. Whisk for the flour mix
7. Rubber spatula to scrape and fold the dough
8. Medium cookie scoop or 1 1/2 tablespoons and a spoon to portion dough
9. Cutting board and a sharp knife to chop the Butterfingers
10. Wire cooling rack and an airtight container for storing leftovers

Ingredients

1 cup (240 g) creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter softened
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (165 g) packed brown sugar
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (190 g) all purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
2 cups chopped Butterfinger candy (about 3 to 4 bars)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and set aside.
In a large bowl cream together 1 cup creamy peanut butter and 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter with 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 3/4 cup packed brown sugar until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed.
Beat in 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until fully combined.
In a separate bowl whisk 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt. Gradually add the dry mix to the wet mix and stir just until combined, dont overmix.
Fold in 2 cups chopped Butterfinger candy (about 3 to 4 bars), leaving a handful of pieces to press on top of each cookie before baking.
Chill the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour for thicker chewier cookies, shorter if youre impatient; chilling also makes scooping easier.
Scoop dough into balls about 1 1/2 tablespoons each (or use a medium cookie scoop), place about 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets, gently flatten each ball and press a few reserved Butterfinger pieces on top.
Bake 9 to 12 minutes until edges are set and tops just start to crack, centers will still look soft. Rotate the pan halfway for even baking.
Let cookies cool on the baking sheet 5 to 10 minutes so they firm up, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely because they continue to set as they cool.
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days or freeze baked cookies or raw dough balls for later. Tip: dont overbake, use creamy peanut butter not runny natural style, and chop Butterfingers into smallish chunks so they blend well without turning to goo.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.