Glazed Brown Butter Peanut Butter Cookies

I’m here once again to revolutionize the way we make peanut butter cookies! These are just delectable. Like a classic peanut butter cookie but with enhanced nutty notes from brown butter and a thick glaze that just drives those nutty flavors home. I can’t wait for you to make them. 

Recipe Origins

While I use the ‘smash’ technique that I originally started in these peanut butter chocolate cookies, the actual base recipe for these is this four thick & chunky chocolate chip cookie recipe. The original goal was to make you a ‘bakery style chocolate pb cup cookie’ and though I did get there eventually, and one day I’ll share that recipe (it incorporates peanut butter and makes humongous cookies, packed with pb chocolate cups) but… 

Maybe it was to avoid repetition, but I felt like I needed to do these without chocolate. So instead of doing a final test on my ‘bakery style pb cookies’, I tweaked the recipe and made these instead. 

I browned the butter and when they came out, did the smash. I said, I’ll do a glaze because these apple cookies came to mind: they’re also smashed and they’re wonderful with that glaze. And haven’t I always said that brown butter and peanut butter go so well together? Plus, plus, why have peanut butter cookies never gotten a glaze before? I knew it would be good. 

Recipe Ingredients

Butter: unsalted butter, cold is fine. European or american style butter will work (the former will make for a more moist cookie). 

Brown sugar: light or dark brown sugar. 

Sugar: fine granulated sugar. 

Salt: fine sea salt. 

Vanilla: pure vanilla extract. 

Peanut butter: use a conventional brand like Skippy or Jiff. And while I love using crunchy peanut butter in cookies, for this recipe we’ll use creamy to ensure an even balance of fat in the cookie dough. 

Egg: one whole egg. 

Flour: all purpose flour of a medium protein content (above 10.5% but less than 12%).  

Baking soda & baking powder: to leaven the cookie dough. 

Powdered sugar: for the glaze. I prefer powdered sugar made with tapioca starch. 

Milk: this helps replace some of the moisture lost in the browning process and helps to hydrate the flour. We’ll also need some to thin out the glaze. 

How to Make Brown Butter Glazed Peanut Butter Cookies

Brown the butter 

Set the butter in a small skillet over medium low heat. 

Once the butter melts it will start to sputter – this is when the milk solids are separating from the liquid (they look like panko bits and drop to the bottom of the pan).  

Once it goes quiet it will begin to foam – this is when those milk solids ‘toast’ and turn brown. 

Stir so the butter browns evenly; once all the milk solids have turned a warm brown, remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl, let cool. 

Separate the butter: you need 57g for the dough (measure it into the bowl you’ll be using to make the cookie dough) and about a tablespoon for the glaze. Try to make sure that the butter for the dough has both brown butter bits and the yellow liquid. For the glaze we mostly want the brown butter bits. 

Make the peanut butter cookie dough 

To the bowl with the brown butter for the dough, add the milk, brown sugar and granulated sugar, salt and vanilla. 

→ If the butter has cooled too much, gently warm it in the microwave. 

Whisk just to combine, then add the milk and whisk. The mix should turn thick and shiny. 

Add the peanut butter to the bowl and whisk well, it will be loose. 

Add the egg and whisk vigorously for 30 seconds. 

Add in the flour, baking soda and baking powder and stir until there are no unmixed bits. 

Cover the bowl and set in the fridge for about an hour. 

Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

Scoop the dough onto the prepared pan in about 2-3 tablespoons of dough per cookie. These don’t spread too much but you want about half an inch between each mound of dough. 

Bake the cookies until the edges are golden; depending on the size of the cookies this can take between 12-14 minutes. 

Out of the oven, use a measuring cup to press the cookies down to flatten: 

Let cool completely. 

Make the glaze 

To the bowl where you have the tablespoon of browned butter (mostly bits of browned milk solids), add the peanut butter, a pinch of salt and a dash of vanilla (if desired). Whisk then add the milk and whisk. 

Add the powdered sugar and whisk – if it’s too thick add another tablespoon of milk. 

If the glaze has gotten too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add a bit more milk. 

Drizzle the glaze over the cookies. Alternatively, dollop some glaze into the middle of a cookie and spread it around. 

Storing the Cookies 

This glaze actually does well and the cookies keep for a few days. Once the glaze has set completely (after a few hours at least), you can stack the cookies and store the leftovers in an airtight container. 

Brown Butter Glazed Peanut Butter Cookies

Chewy peanut butter cookies made with brown butter, smashed after baking to produce a thick fudgy texture and topped with a brown butter peanut butter glaze.

Yields: 10 cookies

5 from 5 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

Brown Butter

• 113g or ½ cup unsalted butter to be browned

Peanut Butter Cookie

• 57g or ¼ cup browned butter from above
• 100g or ½ cup fine granulated sugar
• 50g or ¼ cup brown sugar light or dark
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 1 large egg
• 80g or ⅓ cup peanut butter creamy (use a conventional brand that doesn’t not easily separate like Jiff or Skippy’s)
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 180g or 1 ¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour if measuring by cup, shake the flour over the measuring cup and level it so as not to overpack the cup

Brown Butter Peanut Butter Glaze

• 1 tablespoon browned butter from above
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• Pinch fine sea salt
• ½ cup powdered sugar more as needed
• 1-2 tablespoons milk as needed

Method

Brown the butter

• Set a stick of butter in a skillet over medium low heat. Let the butter melt (stay close to it) and stir. Once it has fully melted it will begin to sputter as the milk solids separate. You’ll see cream colored bits at the bottom of the pan (they look like panko). Stir so the butter browns evenly; once all the bits are a deep brown color remove the butter from the heat.
• Divide the butter between two bowls; you’ll need 60g or ¼ cup for the cookie dough and a tablespoon of browned butter for the glaze. For the cookie dough’s brown butter get a mix of yellow liquid and brown butter bits, for the glaze aim to get mostly the brown butter bits. Let the butter cool for a few minutes.

Make the cookie dough

• To the bowl with the 60g of butter, add the sugars, vanilla and salt. Whisk well. Add the milk and whisk until the mixture is cohesive and shiny.
• Add in the peanut butter and whisk well then add in the egg and whisk until you have a loose runny mixture.
• Add the flour, baking soda and powder and switch to a rubber spatula. Stir until there are no unmixed bits. Cover the dough and set in the fridge for an hour. If you’ve doubled the recipe let it sit for two hours.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Scoop the cookie dough onto the pan in 1.5-3 tablespoons of dough per cookie; leaving about a half an inch between each mound of dough.
• Bake until the edges turn slightly golden (overbaking these will lead to more crunchy rather than chewy cookies); about 10-14 minutes depending on the size of the cookies. Use a one cup measuring cup to press down and flatten the cookies. Let cool completely before glazing.

Make the glaze

• In the bowl with the tablespoon of browned butter (mostly brown butter bits) add the peanut butter, pinch of fine sea salt and a dash of vanilla, if desired. Whisk then add a tablespoon of milk and once that is incorporated, add the powdered sugar.
• If the glaze is still too thick add another tablespoon of milk, if it’s too thin you can add more powdered sugar. Find the balance you want for the glaze but ideally this glaze is thick and sits on top of the cookie without running down the sides.
• In a zigzag motion, gather some glaze into the bottom of the whisk then drag it over the cookies to coat. Alternatively spoon the glaze over the cookies.
• Let the glaze set fully before stacking or covering.

Notes

Recipe makes about 8 large cookies or 12 medium sized cookies.
If doubling or tripling the recipe consider using a hand mixer or a stand mixer.

Did you make this recipe?

Share & tag me on instagram @buttermilkbysam

8 comments