Can I say that I am a Butterfinger candy hound? So you can imagine how I reacted when I saw a bag of Butterfinger Bits in the grocery store. If you cannot find these at your grocery store, the link is to Walmart.
I have been debating what cookie to make with my Butterfinger Bits, and I am thrilled with how these turned out. The soft and creamy peanut butter with the crunch of the Butterfinger Bits is a perfect combo.
I wanted just a few roasted peanut pieces for the top and found them at my local grocery store. Of course, you can roast your own, but it is a pleasant surprise to see some already roasted and in small pieces.
Tips! For Roasting Your Own Peanuts
If you cannot find roasted peanuts at your local grocery store, you can certainly roast your own;
- Heat oven to 350°
- Take a cup of shelled peanuts and place them on a sheet pan in a single layer.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes. You just want a light roast.
- Take them out of the oven and allow them to cool.
- If they have the paper-thin skin on them you want to take that off. You can salt them if you like but I already used salt in my cookie dough so I did not add any more.
- To chop the peanuts into small pieces you can use a knife on a cutting board. use a spice and nut grinder, or a food prosessor. If using a food prosessor only pulse a couple of times you don't want to make peanut butter.
If you love peanuts or peanut butter as much as I do, you might like to try a few of my other peanut cookies. My Milk Chocolate Carmel and Peanut Cookies are a perfect combination of chocolate, caramel, and peanuts. But if you love chocolate and peanut butter, you might like to try my Ultimate Peanut Butter-Chocolate Cookies.
Ingredients
Butterfinger Bits - You can certainly buy the Butterfinger candy bars and crush them up, But if you see a bag of the Butterfinger Bits, grab a bag.
Toasted Peanut Chips - If your store has a roasted and chopped container of shelled peanuts, it will save time making these cookies. But know you always have the option of roasting the peanuts at home.
Vanilla Extract - Always buy and use the best pure vanilla extract that makes sense for you. There is a difference in taste, but I realize there is a price difference also.
Kosher Salt - I have always used Diamond Crystal as my salt of choice. But if you have always used Morton's Kosher and decided to switch to Diamond Crystal, there are a few differences. First, their flake size differs, changing how much salt you add to your recipe. So you need to adjust by knowing that 2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal equal 1 teaspoon of Morton's Kosher.
Peanut Butter - I have always been a Jif kind of gal, but if you have been a Skippy person all these years, I will not try to change your mind. Loyalty is always a factor. But at the end of the day, both brands put in added sugar, Jif adds molasses, and Skippy uses traditional sugar. I used creamy peanut butter for these cookies.
Milk - I used 2% since that is what I had in the house. But you can use anything but fat-free for the icing.
Cream Cheese - Well, what can I say, I am a Philly girl. I live about 1 hour from Philadelphia and have grown up on only Philadelphia Cream Cheese.
Step by Step Instructions
Not much prep for these cookies; first, weigh or measure the white and light brown sugars and set them aside. Now weigh or measure the flour, baking powder, salt and run a whish through to blend.
In a mixer bowl, add the butter and cream cheese and blend them for about a minute on medium mixer speed. Next, add the sugars and mix for 3 minutes on medium mixer speed. Next, add the peanut butter and blend it through the cookie batter.
Now I scrape down the bowl and add the vanilla extract; then, add one egg at a time until incorporated.
Turn the mixer to a slow speed and slowly add the flour mixture. Don't over mix. I take the bowl off the stand with a solid one-piece spatula fold in any loose flour. Add the Butterfinger Bits and mix them into the cookie batter. Try to get the bits as evenly distributed as you can. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for an hour.
A medium cookie scooper makes excellent cookies that are even in size. Scoop 12 mounds onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet pan.
Take the bottom of a water glass and flatten the top of the mound. Then, use a wet paper towel to wipe the bottom of the glass between cookie mounds.
Sprinkle some of the roasted peanut bits on top of the flattened cookies. Press down slightly on the peanuts to stay in place during baking.
Bake at 350° for 11-13 minutes. I leave them on the cookie sheet pan for a minute or two before moving them to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Storage
The Butterfinger Bits have pieces of chocolate in the mix, so keep this in mind that you do not place the container in a warm spot.
I stack the cookies in a container with an air-tight lid and use either wax paper or parchment paper between the layers. They will stick together if you do not have something between them. They will last for 5 to 7 days.
Peanut Butter and Butterfinger Cookies
Barbara HallIngredients
- ½ cup (113.5 g) Butter unsalted
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) Cream Cheese
- ¾ cup (150 g) Sugar white
- ½ cup (110 g) Light brown sugar
- ½ cup (129 g) Peanut Butter
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Vanilla Extract
- 2 (2 ) Eggs
- 2-½ cups (300 g) All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Kosher Salt
- 1-½ cup (118.29 g) Butterfinger Bits
- ½ cup Roasted chopped peanuts (optional)
Instructions
- Weigh or measure the white and light brown sugars into one bowl and set that aside. Next, weigh or measure the flour, baking powder, salt and run a whisk through to blend.
- Add the butter and cream cheese to a mixer bowl and blend for a minute. Next, add the sugars and mix on a medium mixer speed for 3 minutes. Next, add the peanut butter and vanilla extract. Now, add one egg at a time until the eggs have been incorporated. Next, I scrape down the sides and gradually add the flour at a low mixer speed.
- Take the bowl off the mixer stand, and with a one-piece spatula, make sure all the flour has been mixed into the wet batter. Finally, fold in the Butterfinger Bits. Try and get the bits spread evenly throughout the batter--cover and chill for 1 hour.
- Set your oven to 350°. Use a medium cookie scooper to place 12 cookie dough mounds onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet pan for even-size cookies. Bake for 11-13 minutes and let them sit on the sheet pan for a minute after pulling them from the oven. Finally, move the cookies to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
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