Melted Snowman Cookies

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Melted Snowman Cookies not only make such a fun winter treat--they're also crazy delicious! These sugary peanut butter cookies are topped with a peanut butter cup and melted white chocolate. Throw on a few candies to decorate the tops like a melting snowman.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword melted snowman cookies

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes

Total Time 28 minutes

Servings large cookies

Calories 370kcal

Author Chelsea, inspired by Better Homes and Gardens

Cost $9.52

Ingredients

Cookies (OR Use Store-Bought Cookies Instead!)

1 cup (16 tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 cup white granulated sugar, plus some extra for rolling cookie dough balls
1 cup creamy peanut butter Note 1
1/8 teaspoon almond extract, optional -- Note 2
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2-2/3 cup white all-purpose flour Note 3

Decorating

1 bag (12 oz.) miniature peanut butter cups, unwrapped
1 bag (8 oz.) mini peanut butter cups These are even smaller than the miniature ones; they come in a bag already un-wrapped.
Orange jimmies sprinkles
Miniature chocolate chips
1 bag (12 oz.) white chocolate chips Note 4

Instructions

PREP: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat liner and set it aside.
COOKIE DOUGH: In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the butter until it’s melted. Set aside to cool back to room temperature (hot butter will melt sugars and cause greasy cookies). Once at room temperature, use a spatula to scrape every bit of butter into a large bowl and add in the brown and white sugars. Mix with a large whisk until smooth.
COOKIE DOUGH, CONT.: Add in the peanut butter, almond extract (if using), and vanilla extract. Mix until combined. Add in one egg and mix just until ingredients are incorporated and then add in the last egg. Continue mixing until the ingredients are just incorporated. Add in the baking soda and salt and mix until just incorporated. Add in the flour and again mix until just incorporated. Don't over-mix.
CHILL: Cover the dough and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Scoop the cookie dough and roll into large balls that are each 3 tablespoons in size (don't make these smaller) and if desired (optional) roll cookie dough balls in some extra granulated sugar. Place dough balls on a lined cookie sheet -- 6 cookies at a time, leaving ample room for spreading.
BAKE: Bake for 8-14 minutes. Ever so slightly under-baking the cookies will keep them soft and chewy. (They also bake a bit more on the cookie sheet when removed from the oven). Be careful to not over-bake these cookies!
COOL: Remove the cookies and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
ADD PEANUT BUTTER CUPS: When the cookies are almost completely cooled, but not all the way, gently press an unwrapped miniature peanut butter cup into the center of the cookies. Let the cookies finish cooling completely. (If the cookies are fully cool, it's fine, just attach the Reese's with melted white chocolate.)
DECORATE: Once the cookies are completely cooled (you can chill them if you're in a warm kitchen), melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave. Microwave the chips (don't add oil or anything) in bursts of 20 seconds, stirring in between each burst for 10 seconds until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Using a small spoon, spoon the white chocolate over the miniature peanut butter cup. Tap the cookie on the counter a few times and then add another spoonful of white chocolate on top if needed. Again, tap the cookie a few times to get the white chocolate to spread out smoothly.
SNOWMAN HATS: Run a very sharp serrated knife under very hot water. Dry and then cut off the base of a miniature peanut butter cup. Place some of the melted white chocolate on the bottom of a mini peanut butter cup and attach it to the cut miniature cup. Repeat the process to make more snowman hats.
DECORATE, CONT.: Immediately press in the "hat" (see above step) to the top of the "head" of the snowman and then add two miniature chocolate chips (placed upside down) below the hat and finally one orange sprinkle below the chocolate chip eyes (Note 5). Repeat with remaining cookies. Allow them to harden at room temperature.

Video

Notes

Note 1: Peanut butter: We love and highly recommend Skippy® Creamy Peanut Butter for these cookies (not sponsored). We don't recommend a natural peanut butter that needs stirring.

Note 2: Almond extract: Completely optional; almond extract adds an additional nutty flavor to the cookies if you'd like that. If you have some add it in, but it's not essential.

Note 3: Flour: Measuring flour can vary wildly from person to person and is usually the culprit for cookies not working out. If you have a food scale, use that instead of measuring cups. 385 grams is perfect for this recipe!

Note 4: White chocolate: Use good, high-quality chocolate chips (we love Ghiradelli®) or white chocolate melting wafers/baking bars for best results. Let the chocolate slightly cool before spooning it on top of the peanut butter cup. Instead of touching the white chocolate, tap the entire cookie on the table to smooth the chocolate in one even layer. Tapping also helps the white chocolate to spread down into an irregular "melted snow" look.

Note 5: Add the decorations quickly. White chocolate has a tendency to set up fast, so you'll want to add on the hat, eyes, and nose as quickly as possible. Decorate one cookie at a time instead of adding decorations in batches.

Nutrition