These simple peanut butter heart cookies are dipped in chocolate and glammed up for Valentine's Day, but perfect for any time of year!
This post was sponsored by Ghirardelli. As usual, all opinions are my own!
I’ve said it a million time before, but I freaking love Valentine’s Day. Tell me I’m a sucker, I don’t care. To me, February 14th is all about hearts, love, flowers, pink, red, and CHOCOLATE. AKA happiness. How can you not love that??
No matter if you have a significant other or not, you likely have some sort of love in your life and though you should appreciate that every day, Valentine’s Day just gives you an extra reason to. So, let’s celebrate that, OK? Stop fighting it.
Plus, this holiday of love is the perfect excuse for heart-shaped cookies, which is always a good thing. However, in my world, it wouldn’t be Valentine’s Day unless you dipped those cookies in chocolate and covered them with fun sprinkles and other decorations…. So, I did. This is my world, after all. At least in my kitchen it is. And on my blog.
If I could only eat one kind of cookie for the rest of my life, I would have a horribly difficult time deciding what that cookie would be. I mean, oatmeal raisin cookies are my life, but I couldn’t live a life without chocolate in my cookies.
Peanut butter cookies are one of the greatest inventions of all-time and unlike oatmeal raisin, peanut butter always goes with chocolate. For Valentine’s Day, I opted to make a heart-shaped peanut butter cookie. And dip it in chocolate. And yes, I think I could be happy eating this cookie for the rest of my life.
Also, all cookies should be heart cookies.
CHOCOLATE -DIPPED PEANUT BUTTER HEART COOKIES RECIPE
I dipped these peanut butter heart cookies in Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate (affiliate link). While Ghirardelli is the sponsor of this post, you’ve probably noticed they’ve long been my baking chocolate of choice here on this blog. They’re the only chocolate chip that I’ll use for melting because they melt so smoothly, unlike many other chips.
I'm a fan of this peanut butter heart cookie recipe because it’s a simple one, but is totally customizable and fun no matter what you do. I like a good soft peanut butter cookie, so my recipe is just that. SO peanut buttery and it basically just crumbles in your mouth.
Start by pre-heating your oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a stand mixer (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer), cream together the stick of butter and two kinds of sugar.
Add the peanut butter and vanilla and blend together.
Mix in the flour mixture until just combined (taking care not to over mix).
Place dough on a large sheet of parchment paper. And then place another sheet of parchment paper over the top. Roll the dough out until it’s about ยผ-inch thick. And put it in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.
Once it’s chilled, place dough on counter and remove top layer of parchment paper. Cut hearts (or whatever shape you want!) out of the dough with a cookie cutter.
You may have to take the scraps and re-roll them to maximize the number of heart cookies you get. You should chill the dough again once you do this. In total, you should get about 24 hearts.
On a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, place hearts about one inch apart.
And bake at 350 degrees for about 7-9 minutes, until cookies are lightly golden at edges.
Remove from oven, let cool a bit on baking sheet, and then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once they’re cooled completely, you can dip them! First, melt that chocolate.
Put the chips in a double boiler or in a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan filled with water) and bring the water in the bottom to a boil.
Stir the chocolate with a wooden spoon until it's nicely melted.
Now for the dipping! I dipped each of the heart cookies in the chocolate, covering about half of each of them. Then I immediately dipped the chocolate side in sprinkles.
I also used a really tiny heart cutter to cut out baby hearts out of larger marshmallows. Not all perfect, but totally adorable.
I used those little baby hearts to decorate some of my cookies. So fun!
Everyone loves chocolate-covered strawberries, but wouldn’t you so rather have a chocolate-dipped peanut butter cookie? Be honest. I'd much rather have cookies!
I couldn't decide if I liked the sprinkles-covered cookies better. Or the marshmallow-topped cookies. I had to eat several of both to make my grand decision, but I’m still stuck. Guess I need to bake another batch?
The chocolate-dipped peanut butter heart cookies? They won’t likely last for long in your house. Or your loved one’s house. Because, uh, you should obviously be making cookies for your loved ones and not for yourself this Valentine’s Day. Right??
But maybe you live WITH your loved ones? Or maybe you accidentally baked too big a batch (oops!) or maybe, just maybe you are your own Valentine this year. And you totally deserve a batch of chocolate-dipped peanut butter heart cookies. You really do.
What's your favorite part about Valentine's Day? Would Peanut Butter Heart Cookies make your heart sing?
If you're looking for more fun recipes to make this Valentine's Day, check out my Very Berry Cheerios Marshmallow Treat Pops and my Conversation Heart Cookies with Marshmallow Fluff. And I'm obsessed with these adorable Pink Champagne Cupcakes from Kickass Baker!
๐ Recipe
Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Heart Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ยผ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- ยฝ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ยฝ cup granulated sugar
- ยฝ cup packed brown sugar
- โ cup peanut butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 10 oz. Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Chips
- Sprinkles or other cookie decorations
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer), cream together stick of butter and two kinds of sugar.
- Add the peanut butter and vanilla and blend together.
- Mix in the flour mixture until just combined (taking care not to over mix).
- Place dough on a large sheet of parchment paper. And then place another sheet of parchment paper over the top. Roll the dough out until itโs about ยผ-inch thick. And put it in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Once itโs chilled, place dough on counter and remove top layer of parchment paper. Cut hearts (or any shape) out of the dough with a cookie cutter. If you re-roll dough, be sure to chill the dough between parchment paper again.
- On a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, place hearts about one inch apart (youโll need multiple baking sheets).
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 7-9 minutes, until cookies are lightly golden at edges.
- Remove from oven, let cool a bit on baking sheet, and then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Put baking chips in a double boiler (or a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan filled with water) and bring water in the bottom of boiler to a boil.
- Stir the chocolate with a wooden spoon until it's evenly melted and smooth.
- Dip half of each cookie into the chocolate and immediately dip in sprinkles or cover in other decoration. Let rest on baking rack or parchment lined baking sheet until chocolate hardens.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic says
The tiny marshmallow hearts are adorable! I wish I were eating one of these cookies right now!
Ashley | Spoonful of Flavor says
Ghirardelli really is the best type of baking chocolate! I love these chocolate dipped cookies and definitely have to stop at the store and get a package of those Valentine impression candies!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
These cookies are gorgeous, Sues! Love that they're peanut butter and dipped in chocolate! I could eat a whole plate of these right about now!
Jenny Flake says
We both had chocolate dipped peanut butter cookies on the brain today! Love these fun festive cookies!! xo
sarah k @ the pajama chef says
these are so cute! sprinkles make me happy ๐
Mary says
So delicious so adorable - my girls will love these!
Mary
Kimberly Ann @ Bake Love Give says
Absolutely adorable!!! Love these! ๐
Alyssa @ My Sequined Life says
These are so cute Sues! I LOOOOVE Valentine's Day too. I might make it my mission to eat everything heart shaped. Love those baby hearts!
Tandy | Lavender and Lime says
yours look amazing! A friend also posted peanut butter cookies yesterday - we must all be in synch ๐
Dedy@Dentist Chef says
Simply damn delicious and fancy looking heart cookies!!!
Dedy@Dentist Chef
Susan says
I love Ghirardelli chocolate and have it well stocked in my pantry. Adorable cookies!
Pam says
So fun, festive, and tasty! My kids would love these cookies.
Monica says
I am so with you - love, love Valentine's Day! : ) Your cookies not only look beautiful but I know they taste amazing with the PB and chocolate combination. What a great idea! And 60% Ghirardelli is one of my faves.
Beth says
These are soooo cute and you make it look soooo easy!
sue|theviewfromgreatisland says
ADORABLE!
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says
These are so cute! I love the way you decorated with the dipped chocolate and sprinkles!
Daisy says
adorable pretty much sums these up! and i love how much you love valentines day. I have always been a fan for the same reason - any excuse to celebrate love!
Juliana says
These cookies in heart shape look so cute...and I love the little marshmallow hearts...adorable...perfect for the occasion.
Have a great week ๐
Odetta says
These are so lovely. And delicious too!
Joanne says
Any excuse to eat cookies...especially chocolate and PEANUT BUTTER cookies sounds good to me!! I am so into these!
Kevin @ Closet Cooking says
Yum! Chocolate and peanut butter! Perfect for V-Day!
Meagan @ A Zesty Bite says
What a fun cookie recipe and perfect for my daughter.