Name: Thick and Chewy Peanut Butter Butterfinger Cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 32 min
Yield: 18 cookies
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened—but salted is fine if that’s what you grabbed; 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (chunky works if you want extra texture! My grandma loved Jif, but I’ve used no-name); 1 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark—I swap back and forth, honestly can’t tell a huge difference); 1/4 cup granulated sugar (I’ve skipped this in a pinch, makes them a little less crispy); 1 large egg (sometimes I use two smaller ones if that’s all I have, works fine); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (I tried whole wheat once, but that batch wasn’t invited back); 3/4 teaspoon baking soda; 1/4 teaspoon salt (skip if your butter is salted, or just leave it—life’s short); 1 1/2 cups chopped Butterfinger bars (I break mine up in the wrapper—less mess on the counter); Optional: 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (or regular, or whatever you’ve got lying around)

If You’re Craving Something Sweet & Chunky, Read On

Oh boy, I’m almost embarrassed by how often I make these thick and chewy peanut butter Butterfinger cookies. The first time? It was a Thanksgiving break where I, apparently immune to portion control, dumped in an indecent amount of chopped Butterfingers just to see what would happen. Well, the result was these dense pillows of joy, bursting with salty peanut butter flavor and crunchy, melty candy bits. I usually make a double batch because my cousin Pete can demolish ten in a sitting (no kidding, it’s legendary—maybe alarming).

Why You’ll Love These (Or At Least Crave Them Every Week)

Here’s the deal: I bake these when I want to win friends and bribe my kids into chores—they’re that irresistible. My family loses their minds over the texture; it’s all chunky, craggy edges and gooey middles, plus the Butterfinger pieces get all caramelized on the bottoms which is, in my humble opinion, the real chef’s treat. I used to hate creaming the butter and sugar (arms like spaghetti, honestly), but with a mixer it’s easy—or I just give up and do it by hand with questionable enthusiasm.

What You’ll Need (I Sub Stuff All the Time)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened—but salted is fine if that’s what you grabbed
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (chunky works if you want extra texture! My grandma loved Jif, but I’ve used no-name)
1 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark—I swap back and forth, honestly can’t tell a huge difference)
1/4 cup granulated sugar (I’ve skipped this in a pinch, makes them a little less crispy)
1 large egg (sometimes I use two smaller ones if that’s all I have, works fine)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (I tried whole wheat once, but that batch wasn’t invited back)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt (skip if your butter is salted, or just leave it—life’s short)
1 1/2 cups chopped Butterfinger bars (I break mine up in the wrapper—less mess on the counter)
Optional: 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (or regular, or whatever you’ve got lying around)

How to Make Them (With My Ramblings Thrown In)

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment or just grease them a bit if you can’t be bothered. I always forget parchment until I realize I’m peeling sticky cookies off old pans, oops.
In a large bowl, cream the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together. Use a mixer if you want—if not, good luck and use those biceps.
Add in the egg and vanilla. Mix until it’s pretty smooth—I sometimes get lazy and there are spots of unmixed peanut butter, which, honestly, taste great in the final cookie.
Sprinkle in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir until just combined—don’t overdo it or you’ll get weirdly tough cookies. This is the point where I taste the dough; yeah, I know about raw eggs, but sometimes you just gotta live.
Fold in the chopped Butterfinger bars and the chocolate chips if you’re using them. It will look chunky and a little messy. That’s the vibe.
Scoop large heaping spoonfuls (about 2 tablespoons, or golf ball size) onto your prepared sheets, leaving room—they spread a bit. If you like giant bakery-style cookies, make ‘em even bigger. (I’ve done this. No regrets.)
Bake 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers look just a hair underbaked. Trust me, take them out then—they’ll finish on the tray. If you wait for them to look totally cooked, you’ll miss out on peak chewiness.
Let cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack. Or just eat them straight off the pan if you don’t feel like washing something else. Up to you.

A Few Notes from All My Failed Experiments

Too much Butterfinger gets weirdly sticky—don’t go overboard, even if you’re tempted.
The cookies look a bit puffed up at first but settle as they cool; don’t panic if they seem too tall out of the oven.
If you chill the dough, they bake thicker, but sometimes I just can’t wait (patience is not my forte).

Stuff I’ve Tried (The Good, the Bad & the Ugly)

I tossed in pretzel bits once. Honestly, not my favorite, but if you love salty-sweet, go for it.
Swapped peanut butter for almond butter. Not bad! Kind of nutty and less classic, but still tasty.
Skipped chocolate chips—actually, turns out I missed them, but maybe you won’t.

What You Might Need (And Some MacGyver Fixes)

Mixer—honestly makes life easier, but you can use a whisk and elbow grease (just go slow so flour doesn’t explode everywhere. Trust me).
Parchment paper—nice, but greased foil works in a pinch, or nonstick spray all over your sheet pans. I use whatever’s lurking in my drawer.
Cookie scoop—makes tidy rounds, but a couple spoons or even your hands work. I’ve shaped lumpy ones and nobody complained.

How to Store Them (But They Don’t Stick Around Long)

I put these in an airtight tin. Room temp, about 4 days—though honestly, they vanish way before then. You can freeze the dough balls for up to a month if you want to bake just a few at a time, which is handy if you’ve got no self-control (like me).

How We Serve Them (Our Little Ritual)

We do them slightly warm, with milk. If it’s a weekend, sometimes I sandwich a scoop of vanilla ice cream between two—seriously decadent, and it turns any normal evening into a mini celebration. Once, I served them at a BBQ and they went faster than the burgers!

My Don’t-Skip Pro Tips (Learned the Hard Way)

Don’t overbake, ever—I once got distracted scrolling my phone and they got too crisp. It’s just… not the vibe. Also, let them sit a few minutes before moving. I tried rushing, lost half a cookie to the tray, and my dog offered to ‘clean up’ the mess (helpful, but not ideal).

FAQ Time—Real Questions I’ve Heard

Can I use crunchy peanut butter?
Yeah, go for it. The chunks are nice!

Do I have to have Butterfingers, or can I use something else?
I think you could use Snickers or Reese’s—just chop ‘em up. Haven’t tried everything, but candy bars are pretty forgiving.

Why did my cookies spread too much?
Could be your butter was too soft, or the dough too warm. Chill it for 20 minutes next time, or add a spoonful more flour.

Can I freeze these?
Yes! Freeze the baked cookies or the dough balls, then bake straight from the freezer (add a minute or two to the bake time).

Do I need a stand mixer?
Honestly, no. Use what you’ve got. A bowl and a spoon work, it’s just a bit more ‘rustic’.

Right, so that’s everything I know about thick and chewy peanut butter Butterfinger cookies—plus a few detours for good measure. If you make them, don’t blame me if your family never asks you to bake anything else!