This post was created as in partnership with Imperial Sugar . All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
Swirls of rich chocolate baked into soft peanut butter cookies make these Peanut Butter Chocolate Whirligigs both hypnotizingly delicious and fun to eat. The classic combo of peanut butter and chocolate makes for one irresistible cookie.
Each month I partner with Imperial Sugar to bring you a delicious and fun recipe. They actually mentioned this fun version of a pinwheel slice-and-bake cookie to me and I was game to try it because who doesn’t love peanut butter and chocolate together?
After doing a bit of research, it looked like a common problem people have with this cookie is the chocolate swirl, which gets too hard while chilling in the fridge and makes it difficult to slice and get pretty swirls. I did some recipe testing and came up with my own version that uses my softer fudge center from my oatmeal fudge bars to give a rich, chocolate swirl that holds its shape while still being easy to slice!
Peanut butter and chocolate just might be one of the best flavor combos of all time. Some of our other favorite recipes with these flavors are our No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie , Ultimate Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies , and Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies !
Why this recipe works
- The peanut butter cookie dough is based off my popular peanut butter blossoms so the cookies stay soft and chewy for days!
- The chocolate filling stays soft enough to slice easily from the fridge.
- Because the cookies are “slice and bake” style, you can make a roll of dough and just slice and bake off as many cookies as you like so they are always warm and fresh!
- These are perfect for bake sales and holiday parties because they are simple but eye-catching and different from a lot of other cookies you might see!
Ingredient Notes
- Peanut butter: Be sure to use regular creamy peanut butter, not the natural kind, which separates and has to be stirred together. I’m pretty sure you could get away with chunky peanut butter as well and the cookies would turn out just fine, but I haven’t tried it yet myself.
- Sweetened condensed milk: This goes into the chocolate fudge swirls and keeps them soft enough to slice, even when chilled.
- Sugar: A combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar gives the best depth of flavor and balances the saltiness of the peanut butter in these whirligig cookies.
How to Make This Recipe
Start out by creaming softened butter together with the peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. This can be done with a hand mixer or stand mixer and will be kind of granular, but still creamy after a couple of minutes.
Mix in the egg and vanilla extract, followed by the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. The dough will be sticky, but manageable.
In a separate bowl, combine the chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and butter. Heat in the microwave using short 20-30 seconds bursts, stirring between each burst of heat until the chocolate is melted and everything combined into a thick, spreadable fudge.
Roll out the cookie dough into a large rectangle on a large piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper until it is 1/4-inch thick. It’s important to use the plastic wrap or parchment paper not only to prevent the dough from sticking to the counter but because you will use it in a minute to roll up the dough.
Spread the chocolate filling into a thin, even layer on top of the peanut butter cookie dough. I just used the back of the spoon I used to stir the chocolate as it was melting to do this. Roll up the cookie dough into a tight log, just like cinnamon rolls, using the plastic wrap or parchment paper to help you roll.
Wrap up the log of dough in the plastic wrap or parchment paper and secure the ends, then stick the dough in the refrigerator to chill. It needs at least 30-45 minutes for the dough to firm up enough to slice, but you can make this a day or two (or even 4-5) in advance.
Once the log of cookie dough has firmed up enough to hold it’s shape, unwrap it and use a sharp knife to slice it into 1/4-inch discs. Space them a couple of inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Don’t worry if the cookies get a little misshapen! You can squish them back into circles a bit before baking if you want, but honestly they spread enough as they back that I almost always ended up with perfect circles even when I didn’t reshape imperfect cookies.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until set and lightly browned around the edges. Let cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Freezing and Storage Instructions
These cookies freeze beautifully! Just transfer the cooled cookies to an airtight container and they will freeze well for up to 3 months. Let them thaw on the counter or warm individual cookies in the microwave before eating.
The cookies will stay soft and fresh on the counter in an airtight container for about 5-7 days before they start tasting stale.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overmix the dough. Overmixing the dough when you add the flour can result in dry, tough cookies instead of soft, chewy cookies. Making sure to scrape down the bowl after adding the egg and vanilla before introducing the dry ingredients can help avoid this problem.
- Avoid overmeasuring. A common mistake bakers make is adding too much flour. I recommend using the spoon and sweep method of first whisking your flour, then spooning it into a measuring cup and leveling it off with a knife to get an accurate measurement if you have had trouble with inconsistent baked goods in the past.
- Be sure your oven temperature is correct. Many ovens run hot or cold (mine is typically 25 degrees F lower than what I set it too). An inexpensive oven thermometer that just lives in the oven takes away the guesswork and ensures you are baking at the correct temperature, always.
- Variation: I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m dying to give these cookies a try with a white chocolate swirl by simply swapping out the semisweet chocolate chips for white chocolate ones. If you give it a go, let me know what you think in the comments below!
More Cookie Recipes
- Big Blue Monster Stuffed Cookies
- Almond Joy Cookies
- Copycat Levain Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Soft Banana Pudding Cookies
Peanut Butter Chocolate Whirligigs
Ingredients123
Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
- ▢ 1/2 cup salted butter softened
- ▢ 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- ▢ 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ▢ 1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar
- ▢ 1 large egg
- ▢ 1 1/2 cups (212g) all-purpose flour
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
Chocolate Swirl
- ▢ 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ▢ 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
- ▢ 1 Tablespoon salted butter
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamy. ½ cup salted butter, ½ cup creamy peanut butter, ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar, ½ cup (100g) brown sugar
- Add egg and beat until combined. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl. 1 large egg
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until combined. Set aside. 1 ½ cups (212g) all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and butter. Melt for 60-90 seconds, stopping every 30 seconds to stir until smooth. 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, ½ cup sweetened condensed milk, 1 Tablespoon salted butter
- Roll out cookie dough 1/4-inch thick between two large pieces of plastic wrap or waxed paper. Remove the top layer of plastic wrap and spread melted chocolate on dough in an even layer.
- Use plastic wrap or waxed paper to roll cookie dough into a tight log from the long side. Wrap tightly and chill in the fridge for 30-45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Once dough has chilled, unwrap and slice into 1/4-inch discs using a serrated knife. Arrange on a baking sheet spaced 2-3 inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned around edges. Cool on a wire rack.
Nutrition
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Peanut Butter Chocolate Whirligigs
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup salted butter softened
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 cups (212g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Chocolate Swirl
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 Tablespoon salted butter
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamy. 1/2 cup salted butter, 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar, 1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar
- Add egg and beat until combined. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl. 1 large egg
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until combined. Set aside. 1 1/2 cups (212g) all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and butter. Melt for 60-90 seconds, stopping every 30 seconds to stir until smooth. 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk, 1 Tablespoon salted butter
- Roll out cookie dough 1/4-inch thick between two large pieces of plastic wrap or waxed paper. Remove the top layer of plastic wrap and spread melted chocolate on dough in an even layer.
- Use plastic wrap or waxed paper to roll cookie dough into a tight log from the long side. Wrap tightly and chill in the fridge for 30-45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Once dough has chilled, unwrap and slice into 1/4-inch discs using a serrated knife. Arrange on a baking sheet spaced 2-3 inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned around edges. Cool on a wire rack.
Nutrition
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