Puddin’ & Peanut Butter Cookies

Estimated yield: 12–15 large cookies using your level ⅓-cup scoop. This is an untested adaptation.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened but still cool

  • 1 cup crunchy peanut butter, regular Jif or Skippy style

  • ¾ cup packed light brown sugar

  • One 3.4-ounce box instant vanilla pudding mix, dry

  • 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

  • ½ teaspoon baking soda

  • ½ teaspoon baking powder

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup peanut butter chips

  • ½ cup chopped toasted peanuts, cooled

Directions

  1. Beat butter, crunchy peanut butter, and brown sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes.

  2. Beat in the dry pudding powder, then the egg, extra yolk, and vanilla. Do not prepare the pudding or add milk.

  3. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix into the wet ingredients just until combined.

  4. Fold in peanut butter chips and peanuts.

  5. Refrigerate the dough for 1–2 hours.

  6. Heat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment.

  7. Scoop level ⅓-cup portions. Flatten gently into approximately ¾-inch-thick pucks, leaving about 3 inches between cookies.

  8. Start checking at 14 minutes; approximately 15–19 minutes is an estimate. Look for set edges and centers that have lost their wet shine.

  9. Leave on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before transferring.

No pudding mix? Omit it, increase the flour to 1½ cups total, and add ¼ cup white sugar alongside the brown sugar. Keep everything else the same. The texture will be somewhat different.

Your notes

  • Bake one test cookie first to check spread and timing.

  • Peanuts that are already roasted don’t need to be toasted again.

  • To freeze extra dough, refrigerate the portions until firm, then gently vacuum-seal without crushing them. No freezer tray needed.