These Peanut Butter Oreo Cookies are classic peanut butter cookies with the added twist of Oreo cookies mixed into the dough. A super satisfying peanut butter-Oreo chocolate combination!
After several rounds of recipe testing I have developed a handful of tricks to help you make these cookies or any peanut butter cookies come out just right!
Oreo claims to be milk’s favorite cookie (though I think a top-notch chocolate chip cookie could more than give it a run for its money). They are, however, very versatile and can be tossed into a number of other desserts for a fun take on the original.
Oreos are excellent in a giant Brownie Pizookie topped with ice cream, in a more elegant Oreo Brownie Cheesecake, or in a combination of a brownie and cookie in this Oreo Brookie.
In these peanut butter cookies, the Oreos add a little crunch and chocolatey flair and make you think of cookies and cream.
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🪄 Tips for Better Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut butter, particularly natural peanut butter, can make cookies a little more brittle. So here are three tips you can use to make outstanding peanut butter cookies and still use the real stuff, rather than the kind with sugar and added ingredients. (Not that the Oreos are all natural either!).
- Flatten Slightly: Peanut butter cookies do not spread as easily as say chocolate chip cookies do. To avoid poofy peanut butter cookies, flatten the balls of dough slightly with a spoon, fork, or your hand (anything) before baking. Those fork indentations on traditional peanut butter cookies have more than an aesthetic purpose!
- Baking Time: Peanut butter cookies need less time on average in the oven than other cookies. Bake them for slightly less time for a softer and less brittle cookie (8 minutes instead of 10 minutes).
- Cooling: Allow the cookies to fully cool on the baking sheet before transferring them. As the cookies cool the sugar helps to bind the cookies together better. Once they are fully cool they are much more sturdy and much less likely to fall apart when moved.
For more tips and tricks see my Guide to Making the Best Homemade Cookies.
💡 Recipe Development
I made several batches of these cookies. Ultimately these rounds of recipe testing resulted in the ingredients and proportions used along with the baking tips provided.
- Early Batches: The first batches came out well in terms of taste, but they were crumbly, and it took several tries to get the size and baking time right. I tried using 2 tablespoons, 3 tablespoons, and ¼ cup worth of dough to determine which size was right for the weight and texture of the cookie. Ultimately both 2 tablespoons and ¼ cup worked well, but 2 tablespoons results in a normal drop cookie size, whereas ¼ cup is more of an oversized bakery-style cookie.
- Ingredient Proportions:
- Egg Yolk: I tried these cookies with an additional egg yolk to see if that helped to bind the ingredients better (it did not).
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder: I tried reducing the amount of baking soda and baking powder (also unsuccessful).
- Flour: I made various attempts at adjusting the amount of flour for the right texture and consistency (1 cup of flour measured at 140 grams with ⅔ cup of peanut butter is the right balance).
- Incorporating Oreos: I looked at different ways of incorporating the Oreos, but roughly breaking them up into unequal-sized pieces yielded that perfect “Cookies and Cream” style cookie.
🛒 Ingredients:
Below are the ingredients needed to make Peanut Butter Oreo Cookies.
- Butter: Use salted butter, softened.
- Sugar: The recipe calls for both granulated and brown sugar.
- Peanut Butter: Use natural peanut butter (without added ingredients like sugar).
- Egg: Use one large egg, pasture-raised if possible.
- Vanilla Extract: Use real vanilla extract.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder: For leavening.
- Salt: To bring out and balance flavor.
- Flour: Use all-purpose, unbleached flour.
- Oreos: Use 15 Oreos, which amounts to one row of Oreos in a standard-sized Oreo package. Don’t be tempted to use more or the extra Oreo crumbs will dry out the dough.
To learn more about these cookie ingredients, see my Guide to Cookie Ingredients.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
📝 How to Make Peanut Butter Oreo Cookies
Below are the step-by-step instructions and photos for how to make Peanut Butter Oreo Cookies.
*Note: The recipe card with instructions, ingredient list, and quantities is included further below these step-by-step photos.
Prep: Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Step 1. Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl combine the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar.
Step 2. Peanut Butter and Egg: Add the peanut butter and egg and combine.
Step 3. Add Vanilla and Dry Ingredients: Add the vanilla extract, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour, and combine.
Step 4. Crush Oreos: Add 15 Oreos to a quart or gallon-sized sealable bag and crush with a rolling pin.
Tip: I do not recommend using a food processor or blender to crush the Oreos. If they are crushed too fine they will dry out the cookie dough and you will not get that "Cookies and Cream" look in your peanut butter cookies.
Step 5. Add Oreos to the Dough: Add the crushed Oreos to the peanut butter cookie dough and combine.
Step 6. Bake the Cookies: Scoop 2 tablespoons worth of dough for each cookie and place on a baking sheet. Flatten the cookies slightly with a fork, spoon, or your hands.
Bake at 375 for 8 minutes. Allow the cookies to fully cool before removing them from the baking sheet or they may fall apart.
Tip: It is important to flatten the cookies before baking them, otherwise they will be too tall and poofy.
✏️ Peanut Butter Oreo Cookie FAQs
The recipe is designed using natural peanut butter with only peanuts and salt in the ingredient list. If you are using Jiffy or Skippy peanut butter or similar, you will likely need to add 1-2 tablespoons more flour. I recommend making the recipe as is, make a test cookie batch, then add more flour as needed.
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
The cookies will last 2-3 days depending on the humidity and temperature in your home.
If You're Interested in More Dessert Recipes You May Love These:
If you've tried these Peanut Butter Oreo Cookies or any other recipe on my site, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I'd love to hear from you!
Peanut Butter Oreo Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅔ cup natural peanut butter
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
- 15 Oreos
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a large bowl combine the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar.
- Add the peanut butter and egg and combine.
- Add the vanilla extract, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour and combine.
- Add the Oreos to a sturdy quart or gallon-sized plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Add the Oreos to the dough and stir to combine.
- Scoop 2 tablespoons worth of dough for each cookie. If there are extra loose Oreo cookie crumbs at the bottom of the bowl that aren’t already incorporated into the dough you can press them into the tops of the cookies. Flatten the cookies slightly.
- Bake at 375°F for 8 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool fully before removing them from the baking sheet.
Notes
- Flatten Slightly: Peanut butter cookies do not spread as easily as say chocolate chip cookies do. To avoid poofy peanut butter cookies, flatten the balls of dough slightly with a spoon, fork, or your hand (anything) before baking. Those fork indentations on traditional peanut butter cookies have more than an aesthetic purpose!
- Baking Time: Peanut butter cookies need less time on average in the oven than other cookies. Bake them for slightly less time for a softer cookie (8 minutes instead of 10 minutes).
- Cooling: Allow the cookies to fully cool on the baking sheet before transferring them. As they cool the sugar helps to bind the cookies together better. Once they are fully cool they are much more sturdy and much less likely to fall apart when moved.
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