Chewy Peanut Butter Butterfinger Cookies

These chewy peanut butter Butterfinger cookies feature creamy peanut butter and chunks of crushed Butterfinger candy bars folded into cookie dough. These super soft cookies can be easily frozen, perfect for having hot and fresh cookies on hand anytime! They are perfect for all occasions and you won't be able to have just one - trust me!

It is a well-known fact that we always have cookie dough frozen in the freezer ready to be baked off at any point. My sweet tooth and cookie monster of a husband must have some kind of cookie, like soft chocolate Reese's pieces cookies, on hand at all times. Or I love peanut butter and oatmeal white chocolate chip cookies. Regardless of what type of cookie it is, our freezer is always stocked with frozen cookie dough balls ready to be baked off at a moment's notice.

These peanut butter Butterfinger cookies have been in the freezer rotation for a while and I am OBSESSED! I can't get enough. I LOVE an old-fashioned peanut butter cookie! I think they are so underrated. This is like that piece of childhood nostalgia but with crunchy Butterfinger candy bars in it and I am here for it! My grandmother always had Butterfinger candies in her candy dish, so they made me think of her and smile.

We are using regular creamy peanut butter, not the natural kind, crushed Butterfinger candy bars, and your other typical cookie ingredients like butter, sugar, and flour. Mixed in a stand mixer, scooped onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, chilled in the fridge, and then baked off in the oven. There is nothing better in life than sinking your teeth into a warm freshly baked cookie in my opinion.

So in honor of my sweet Butterfinger-loving grandma, Bettymom as we called her, I am dedicating these cookies to her. These Butterfinger cookies are for you - I know you would love them!

Jump to:

• Notes on a couple of Ingredients
• Helpful Tips When Making
• How to Freeze & Store for Later
• Recipe

Notes on a couple of Ingredients

• Butter - remove your butter from the fridge about 30 minutes before making the dough. The softened butter will mix with the sugar more easily. If it is too cold, you will get butter clumps in the dough, or if it is melted, both will result in the end product of the cookie not turning out correctly. Spreading out too flat or baking unevenly in my experience while recipe testing (because I am impatient sometimes when I forget to get my butter out to soften and try and just cold butter - or microwave it and end up meeting it. Learn from my mistakes 😉 )
• Peanut Butter - do not use natural peanut butter. Use the old-fashioned creamy with oils and sugar in its kind. This is the best kind for baking and this recipe. If you use natural, it will alter the cookie's taste and texture. Save that for your normal day-to-day I'll eat it with my banana kinda events and use the "regular" creamy kind for this recipe.
• Crushed Butterfingers Candy Bars - when I made this recipe a couple of times testing it, I crushed up full candy bars, which worked great. But I saw they also make Butterfinger baking bits* after the fact, however, they do not sell these at our local grocery store. The link above is for some on Amazon (affiliate link). They will save you from having to crush up the cady on your own if you prefer or can find them. If not, unwrap the bar, place it in a zip-top bag, and use a rolling pin to crush it up. Either work!

PRO TIP: ANNNNNDDDDD if you want some extra chocolatey goodness - throw in a ½ cup of chocolate chips to the batter. It levels it up an extra special notch that you won't be upset about.

Helpful Tips When Making

These are a couple of things that help me when I am baking cookies to ensure they are perfect each time.

• Use a stand mixer like a Kitchen Aid, and beat the softened butter and sugar together for at least 2-3 minutes, until light fluffy and a little airy looking. This helps start the base of the dough by having those 2 ingredients incorporated nicely and evenly to begin.
• scrape down the side of the bowl after every step. There is always some unmixed batter in the bottom of my bowl, so using rubber spatial helps make sure the dough is mixed evenly.
• I HATE chilling cookie dough, but it does make a difference. Chill at least for 2 hours so that the cookies don't spread out when baking. You can make these the day before and just wrap the cookie sheet in plastic wrap until you're ready to bake. Or wait until the chilling time is over. Whatever works best for your schedule!
• Let them cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet after they come out of the oven, then move them onto a cooling rack. If I try and rush them and move them too soon after coming out of the oven, they are too soft and will fall apart in transit. Let them set up a little before moving to fully cool. At this point, it is a great time to taste test too ... just saying 😉

How to Freeze & Store for Later

I have already raved about having cookie dough in the freezer is one of my favorite things and hacks of all time! You can freeze dough the dough (which I prefer so you can have hot and fresh cookies anytime the craving hits and not have to make a whole batch) or freeze already-baked cookies. 

To Freeze Cookie Dough: Make the entire batch of cookies and scoop them out into balls on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 20 minutes until the cookie dough balls are firm, then transfer them to a freezer-safe zip-top bag. Keep for up to 6 months. To bake from frozen, bake at 350 for 12-13 minutes straight from the freezer. Bake as many or as few as you want and always have fresh cookie dough on hand whenever the craving hits!

To Freeze Baked Cookies: Once the cookies are cooled completely. Place in a freezer-safe zip-top bag or container. Place in the freezer for 3-6 months. Once ready to eat, remove from the freezer and thaw in the fridge for 24 hours.

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