If a peanut butter cup could become a cookie it would be this cookie! Smooth, creamy peanut butter stuffed in a soft and fudgy brownie-like cookie and secretly made healthy! This Peanut Butter Stuffed Brownie Cookie is a peanut butter and chocolate lovers dream (but easily made nut free too!). This healthy cookie recipe is paleo-friendly (gluten/grain/dairy free) and refined sugar free.

What Do These Healthy Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Cookies Taste Like?

These cookies are deeply chocolatey with a soft and fudgy center and crispy edges, just like a brownie! And stuffed with a smooth and creamy, just lightly sweetened peanut butter center. Then, rolled in a coarse sugar dusting to give them a perfect cracked top (although this is totally optional).

Here’s why you will LOVE these cookies!

Peanut butter and chocolate is always a winning combination!
A brownie-like cookie filled with creamy goodness.
Easily made nut free.
Made with better-for-you ingredients!
Surprisingly quick and easy to make and super fun to eat!

What Ingredients Are Used to Make These Peanut Butter Filled Brownie Cookies?

These PB Stuffed Brownie Cookies are better-for-you as they contain no refined sugars, flours, or oils. This healthy cookie recipe is paleo-friendly meaning it is gluten free, grain free, and dairy free. The cookies are easily made nut-free to suit any dietary restrictions or preferences.

Here’s a look at the ingredients you’ll need and some possible variations:

Coconut Sugar – The best granular sweetener for refined sugar free baking. I use and love Nutiva’s Coconut Sugar for the reasonable pricing and excellent quality.
Tahini – Tahini gives these cookies a perfect dense and chewy texture. My favorite tahini to bake with is Whole Foods’ 365 Brand, it’s organic and reasonably priced. Sub for any other nut/seed butter you like, preferably with only one ingredient. I recommend a more neutral flavored one that will not overshadow the chocolate cookie or filling. Be sure to always stir the jar well before you measure. Do not use the compacted paste at the bottom of the jar for baking.
Avocado Oil – In combination with the tahini, avocado oil gives the cookies the perfect texture. I use Chosen Foods Avocado Oil (great pricing at Costco). Sub for olive or melted and cooled coconut oil.
Egg – Help the cookies puff up.
Vanilla – For flavor!
Cassava – An unprocessed flour that is gluten, grain, and nut free. I use and love Otto’s.
Tapioca Flour – Helps thicken the cookie dough without making it too floury.
Cocoa Powder – Gives the cookies the perfect deeply chocolatey flavor. Use unsweetened, dutch process cocoa powder, not cocoa mix or cacao powder.
Baking Soda – The perfect leavener for this cocoa based chocolate cookie.
Salt – To balance the sweetness.
Peanut Butter – For the PB filling! Use any single ingredient nut/seed butter you like! I use this peanut butter. Sunflower seed butter would also be delicious and make this nut free and strictly paleo.
Maple Syrup – Adds just a bit of sweetness to the peanut butter filling.

How Do You Make These Peanut Butter Stuffed Brownie Cookies?

This fun and healthy peanut butter and chocolate cookie recipe is SO quick and easy to make! The brownie cookie dough comes together in just one bowl and is surprisingly easy to stuff with the peanut butter filling! No chilling is required for these cookies and they bake up in just about 10 minutes.

Here’s an overview of the steps:

Make the Cookie Dough. Mix the wet ingredients together, then add the dry, and stir until a dough forms. Place in the fridge while you make the filling!
Prepare the Peanut Butter Filling. Just mix everything together!
Stuff the cookies. I find the most efficient way to stuff these is by using two cookie scoops, a 40 mm scoop for the cookie dough and a small 25 mm scoop for the peanut butter filling. Make a ball of cookie dough and flatten it down into a flat disc in the palm of your hand. Add a scoop of the peanut butter filling into the center of the dough, then wrap the cookie dough over the peanut butter filling. See photo guide below!
Roll the stuffed cookie dough into an even ball.
Coat in coarse sugar such as turbinado, demerara, or organic cane sugar if you like! Then place on the baking sheet.
Flatten the cookie dough balls into short discs, about 1/4 inch tall.
Bake the cookies in a slightly-hotter-than-normal oven. This gives the cookies the perfect crispy edges while keeping the cookie center soft. Let cool and enjoy.

Storage Tips: These cookies will keep at room temperature, in an airtight container, for 2-3 days. Then move to freezer for longer storage!

Make Ahead: Cookie dough can be made up to 2 days ahead, kept covered in the the fridge.

These healthy cookies are a peanut butter and chocolate lovers dream! A soft and fudgy, deeply chocolatey, brownie-like cookie with crispy edges and filled with a creamy peanut butter filling. But easily made nut free to suit any dietary preferences or restrictions. These cookies are so absolutely mind blowing and easy to prepare that you should probably run to your kitchens immediately, because you NEED to make these!

paleo friendly (gluten/grain/dairy free), refined sugar free, easily nut free

More Healthy Cookie Recipes!

Cherry Cacao Nib Cookies (paleo)
Healthy Thin Mints (paleo, vegan option)
Healthy Brookies (Chocolate Chip + Brownie Cookies)

SHARE THE LOVE!

If you make this recipe, please spread the love by leaving a review or rating down below. And I’d LOVE to see and share your creation! Take a picture and tag me on Instagram @freshlydafna in your feed or stories and I will share on my account!

5 from 1 vote

Peanut Butter Stuffed Brownie Cookies

If a peanut butter cup could become a cookie it would be this cookie! Smooth creamy peanut butter stuffed in a soft and fudgy brownie-like cookie and secretly made healthy! This Peanut Butter Stuffed Brownie Cookie is a peanut butter and chocolate lovers dream (but easily made nut free too!).

paleo (gluten free, grain free, dairy free), refined sugar free, easily nut-free

Servings 13 cookies

Ingredients

Cookie Dough

3/4 cup (114 grams) coconut sugar
1/4 cup (65 grams) tahini* sub other thin & drippy nut/seed butter
1/4 cup (61 grams) avocado oil sub olive oil or melted & cooled coconut oil
1 egg ideally room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup (31 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder not cacao powder or cocoa mix
1/4 cup (36 grams) cassava flour
1/4 cup (30 grams) tapioca flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt

Peanut Butter Filling

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp (96 grams) peanut butter sub other creamy nut/seed butter (almond, sunflower seed, cashew, etc)
3 tbsp (42 grams) maple syrup sub honey or coconut nectar
1 tbsp tapioca flour

Sugar Dusting (Optional)

3 tbsp coarse sugar such as organic cane sugar, turbinado, or demerara

Instructions

Heat oven to 375 degrees and prepare baking sheet by lining with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Make the cookie dough. In a large bowl, if mixing by hand, or in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the coconut sugar, tahini, avocado oil, and egg until well combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Add the vanilla and beat on medium high until the mixture is thick and glossy, about 2 minutes.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the cocoa powder, cassava, tapioca, baking soda, and salt and stir on low until just fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl once more during mixing to ensure ingredients are well distributed without overmixing. Place the cookie dough in the fridge or freezer while you prepare the filling.
Make the peanut butter filling by mixing all the ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined.
Stuff the cookies. (A 40 mm scoop and small 25 mm scoop are helpful for this step). Make a ping pong sized ball of cookie dough (with the larger scoop). Flatten it down into a disc in the palm of your hand, add a scoop of the peanut butter mixture into the center of the dough (with smaller scoop), then wrap the cookie dough over the peanut butter filling. Gently roll into a ball. (See step-by-step photos in the original post!)
Coat the cookie dough balls (optional). Place coarse sugar in a small bowl and roll the cookie dough in the sugar until coated.
Place dough balls on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. With the palm of your hand evenly flatten the cookie dough into a short round about 1/4 tall.
Bake in the center of the oven for 9-11 minutes or until tops have puffed and edges are cracked and just slightly darker in color.
Let cookies cool on baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Helpful Kitchen Tools (affiliate links): silicone baking mat, silicone spatula, 40 mm scoop, small 25 mm scoop, kitchen scale

Make Ahead: Dough can be made ahead and kept, covered, in the fridge 2-3 days in advance.

Storage: Store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Afterwards move to the freezer for longer storage.

Ingredient Subs/Variations:
Tahini - The tahini should be thin and drippy. Sub tahini for any other single ingredient nut/seed butter like a natural almond or sunflower seed butter. I recommend a more neutral flavored butter that will not detract from the chocolate or filling flavors. For best results, be sure to mix the nut/seed butter in the jar well before measuring. Do not use the compacted paste at the bottom of the jar for baking. My favorite tahini for baking is the 365 brand from Whole Foods.

Filling - Use any thick and creamy nut/seed butter you love! Sunflower seed butter would be a great substitute and also make this nut free and strictly paleo.

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