These Slice and Bake Buckeye Cookies combine a rich chocolate exterior with a tender, melt-in-your-mouth peanut butter center. They’re an excellent make-ahead cookie that will delight any chocolate-and-peanut-butter fan.
I love buckeye-inspired desserts. If you enjoy these cookies, consider trying other buckeye-style treats such as Buckeye Brownie Bites or Buckeye Thumbprint Cookies. For fans of the classic version, there is also an original Buckeye Recipe that focuses on the traditional peanut butter-chocolate combination.
Buckeye Cookie Ingredients
This recipe uses pantry-friendly ingredients that are easy to find. The recipe makes two doughs: a creamy peanut butter dough for the center and a chocolate dough for the outer layer.
Peanut butter dough
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Chocolate dough
- 10 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips, melted and cooled
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
How to make Slice and Bake Buckeye Cookies
These cookies are assembled as a slice-and-bake log: a peanut butter dough rolled inside a chocolate dough, chilled, then sliced and baked. The most time-consuming part is chilling, which makes these perfect for preparing ahead.
- Make the peanut butter dough: In a medium bowl, beat the butter and creamy peanut butter with a hand mixer until fully combined and smooth. Add the vanilla, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar; beat until incorporated. Add the flour and salt and mix on low until most of the flour is combined, then increase to medium and beat until the dough is fully combined. The dough will be sticky. Set aside.
- Make the chocolate dough: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the milk chocolate chips in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until fully melted. Let the chocolate cool about 10 minutes. Add the softened butter to the melted chocolate and beat on medium until smooth and lump-free. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, then the egg and vanilla; mix just until incorporated. Add the cocoa powder, cornstarch, flour, and salt. Mix on low until most dry ingredients are incorporated, then on medium just until a sticky, workable chocolate dough forms.
- Form the log: Place a sheet of parchment paper on your counter. Scoop the chocolate dough onto the parchment and cover with a second sheet of parchment. Roll the chocolate dough into a rectangle roughly 11 × 15 inches, trimming or repositioning edges as needed to keep it even. Remove the top parchment.
- Add the peanut butter filling: Scoop the peanut butter dough down the center of the chocolate rectangle, stretching it along the full 15-inch length and forming it into a long mound.
- Roll and seal: Starting from one of the shorter (11-inch) sides, use the parchment to roll the chocolate dough around the peanut butter, forming a log. Keep the parchment wrapped around the log and roll the log back and forth to smooth the outer dough, remove air pockets, and bond the two doughs together.
- Chill: Transfer the parchment-wrapped log onto a baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator until firm, preferably overnight.
- Slice and bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Unwrap the chilled dough and, using a sharp knife, cut the log into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place the slices about 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet. Bake for 14–15 minutes, until the edges are set. Remove from oven and allow cookies to rest on the hot sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely; their centers will be very tender and need this resting time.
Pro tip: Use the parchment paper to help shape the sticky peanut butter dough and to keep the log neat while rolling.
How to Store Buckeye Cookies
Store fully cooled cookies in an airtight container or resealable bag at room temperature for up to 5 days for best freshness.
Can I Freeze Buckeye Cookies?
Yes. These are classic icebox-style cookies and freeze very well.
- To freeze unbaked dough: Once the log is formed and wrapped in parchment, wrap it in two layers of heavy-duty foil and place it in a freezer container, or chill until firm, cut in half, and place pieces in freezer bags. The dough keeps up to 3 months.
- To bake from frozen: Allow the log to sit out 5–10 minutes to soften slightly, slice into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, and bake as directed.
- To freeze baked cookies: Cool completely, stack in a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature for 10–20 minutes before serving.
Recipe Details
Author: Miranda Couse
Summary: These buckeye slice-and-bake cookies are a wonderful make-ahead holiday treat. They feature a soft, creamy peanut butter center wrapped in a chocolate cookie shell for a satisfying contrast of textures.
Prep time: 1 hour (plus chilling time)
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: about 9 hours 15 minutes (including overnight chill)
Yield: about 32 cookies
Notes
To speed up chilling, wrap the parchment-wrapped dough log in foil and place it in the freezer for 2½ to 3 hours instead of refrigerating overnight.
Nutrition (per cookie)
Calories: 226 kcal | Carbohydrates: 27 g | Protein: 4 g | Fat: 12 g | Saturated Fat: 6 g | Sugar: 15 g
This post was originally published November 19, 2013, and updated in December 2021 with recipe tweaks and additional information.