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Peanut Butter Lava Cookies
Peanut butter lava cookies with their warm, gooey peanut butter-filled center, are soft molten cookies that are easy to make and irresistible.
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Peanut butter lava cookies are peanut buttery, flaky, sugary morsels of deliciousness that are sure to be the favorite of any peanut butter lover. Served warm from the oven, the warm peanut butter center of these lava cookies will burst when you take that first yummy bite.
If you love stuffed desserts then you’ll also want to make Peanut Butter Cookie Cup, Chocolate Lava Cake, and Lemon Lava Cake.
Peanut Butter Lava Cookies Ingredients
You will need:
- 14 ounce package premade pie crust, 2 crusts
- 14 tablespoons creamy peanut butter (We used JIF Original, and it worked best for the lava)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Substitutions and Additions
PEANUT BUTTER: I have found that Peter Pan Original or Skippy No-Stir natural are great options in place of JIF Original if you can’t find it. Traditional natural peanut butter with its natural oils doesn’t tend to give the lava effect we are looking for.
PIE CRUST: You can use the store-bought pie crust as mentioned above, or if you have a homemade pie crust recipe you prefer, that will work as well.
How to Make Peanut Butter Lava Cookies
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Set out the pie crusts until they are at room temperature. Refer to the package instructions for time requirements.
STEP TWO: On a piece of parchment paper, unroll/unfold one pie crust layer. Roll slightly with a rolling pin to achieve a crust just a bit thinner than it comes in the package, it should be 1/16 to ⅛ of an inch.
STEP THREE: Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter or a glass/jar to cut as many circles as you can fit from the crust.
STEP FOUR: Spoon 1 tablespoon of creamy peanut butter onto the center of the round pie piece. Sprinkle with ⅛ teaspoon of granulated sugar, making sure the sugar stays right on the peanut butter and does not spread to the edges of the pie crust. This will prevent the top from sealing to the bottom piece when we sandwich them together.
PRO TIP: The best way to get the lava effect is with a big dollop of peanut butter in the center and to be sure to smush the edges of the pie crust together really well.
STEP FIVE: Place a second pie round over the first to form a sandwich. Use your fingers to pinch the edges together firmly all the way around the cookie.
PRO TIP: You can also use the tips of a fork to crimp and seal each cookie.
STEP SIX: Gently toss the formed cookie in granulated sugar and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
PRO TIP: The sugar on the inside and the double coating of sugar on the outside helps sweeten these cookies up. The pie crust doesn’t tend to be sweet enough for a good flavor.
STEP SEVEN: Repeat for the remaining pie crust pieces. Collect the excess pie crust, press it into a ball, and re-roll to form additional rounds.
STEP EIGHT: Bake cookies for 12 minutes until the pie crust is flaky and just beginning to brown. Do not overbake.
PRO TIP: Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to keep a close eye on your cookies as the suggested baking time approaches.
STEP NINE: While the cookies are baking, repeat the above steps with the other roll of pie crust.
STEP TEN: Remove from the oven and let cool for just a few minutes before serving. The peanut butter in the center remains in a lava state while the cookies are warm and will firm up as they cool.
PRO TIP: No matter what kind of peanut butter you use or how much you put in there, the lava effect comes from being warm and melty, so once the cookies cool down, the peanut butter goes back to its room temperature state.
How to Serve Peanut Butter Lava Cookies
Peanut butter lovers will love this amazing treat with a cold glass of milk, hot chocolate, or a cup of coffee. Scrumptious on its own, combine this cookie recipe with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side or drizzle some hot fudge or caramel sauce on top for an extra appetizing treat.
Storage
IN THE FRIDGE: You can store them in an airtight container for up to 2 days, but these are really at their peak when they are still warm straight out of the oven.
IN THE FREEZER: These cookies don’t do well in the freezer, because they are meant to be served warm. If stored for too long, the peanut butter will harden completely and lose its lava effect.
Peanut butter lava cookies are a fun dessert that only requires three simple ingredients. Served fresh from the oven, with a warm, gooey peanut butter-filled center, these soft peanut butter lava cookies are a molten treat that’s irresistible and easy to make. These crowd-pleasing creamy cookies can be ready to eat in under 30 minutes!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the easiest way to cut the circles out of the dough?
Either a 3-inch cookie cutter or glass would work fine. A ring top from a mason jar would also work if the size is right.
Can I use natural peanut butter for this recipe?
The oils in natural peanut butter do not give the oozing lava effect we want for these cookies. Stick to regular peanut butter for this recipe.
Can I freeze these cookies?
These cookies will not freeze well. They are meant to be served warm, and the peanut butter will harden and lose the lava effect once frozen. Since this recipe is so easy to make, it is best to stick to enjoying them right after they are baked.
MORE RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Butterscotch Toffee Cookies
- Blueberry Cheesecake Cookies
- Buckeye Brownie Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut Butter Lava Cookies
Peanut butter lava cookies with their warm, gooey peanut butter-filled center, are soft molten cookies that are easy to make and irresistible.
Ingredients
- 14 ounce package premade pie crust 2 crusts
- 14 tablespoons creamy peanut butter We used JIF Original, and it worked best for the lava
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Set out the pie crusts until they are at room temperature. Refer to the package instructions for time requirements.
- On a piece of parchment paper, unroll/unfold one pie crust layer. Roll slightly with a rolling pin to achieve a crust just a bit thinner than it comes in the package, it should be 1/16 to ⅛ of an inch.
- Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter or a glass/jar to cut as many circles as you can fit from the crust.
- Spoon 1 tablespoon of creamy peanut butter onto the center of the round pie piece. Sprinkle with ⅛ teaspoon of granulated sugar, making sure the sugar stays right on the peanut butter and does not spread to the edges of the pie crust. This will prevent the top from sealing to the bottom piece when we sandwich them together.
- Place a second pie round over the first to form a sandwich. Use your fingers to pinch the edges together firmly all the way around the cookie.
- Gently toss the formed cookie in granulated sugar and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Repeat for the remaining pie crust pieces. Collect the excess pie crust, press it into a ball, and re-roll to form additional rounds.
- Bake cookies for 12 minutes until the pie crust is flaky and just beginning to brown. Do not overbake.
- While the cookies are baking, repeat the above steps with the other roll of pie crust.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for just a few minutes before serving. The peanut butter in the center remains in a lava state while the cookies are warm and will firm up as they cool.
Notes
The best way to get the lava effect is with a big dollop of peanut butter in the center and to be sure to smush the edges of the pie crust together really well.
You can also use the tips of a fork to crimp and seal each cookie.
The sugar on the inside and the double coating of sugar on the outside helps sweeten these cookies up. The pie crust doesn’t tend to be sweet enough for a good flavor.
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to keep a close eye on your cookies as the suggested baking time approaches.
No matter what kind of peanut butter you use or how much you put in there, the lava effect comes from being warm and melty, so once the cookies cool down, the peanut butter goes back to its room temperature state.
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