For the third week of Halloween candy inspired recipes, I’m taking on the Snickers bar! They were always one of my favorites in the trick-or-treating bag, but I haven’t had one in years. These Chocolate Peanut Caramel Cookies are made with a dark chocolate dough, chopped peanuts, and melty caramel pieces. With crisp edges and a soft middle, every bite is different and delicious!
How to Make Chocolate Peanut Caramel Cookies
Making the Dough
This dough is the simple, one-bowl kind, which is always my favorite. This dough is super straightforward, but there are still some things that you should keep in mind. To make the batter, start by mixing together the softened butter and sugars. Add the egg, vanilla, baking soda, and salt, stirring after each addition. Next, add the flour and cocoa powder, stirring to form a thick dough. I like to use a darker, Dutch-processed cocoa in all of my recipes for a more rich and fuller flavor. In this recipe, I used the Hershey’s special dark cocoa, but if you don’t have access to a dark chocolate cocoa, any cocoa will work. To finish making the dough, stir in the chopped peanuts and caramel pieces.
It’s important to use a softer caramel in these cookies, as harder, chewier caramels will become crunchy in the oven. I used Rolos when making this recipe, but any chopped chocolate covered caramel or caramel baking bits will work. If you use a chocolate covered caramel, I’d recommend freezing the candies before chopping and mixing into the dough. This will help prevent the caramels from sticking together and will help them distribute more evenly into the dough.
Baking
Scoop the cookie dough into 2 tablespoon measures onto a lined baking sheet. Bake the cookies at 350°F for about 10 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are crisp and the centers are soft but not wet to the touch. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely to set. Enjoy!
Serving and Storage
These cookies will store well in a sealed container at room temperature for 4-5 days. If you want to store them for longer, freeze individually rolled balls of cookie dough or fully baked and cooled cookies. To bake from frozen, heat oven to 350°F, place frozen cookies onto a cookie sheet, and bake for about 12 minutes, or until edges are crisp. Defrost fully baked cookies by leaving at room temperature for 30 minutes.
With gooey caramel, crunchy peanuts, and a rich chocolate dough, these cookies are a total crowd pleaser! If you love Snickers bars, definitely give this recipe a try. I’d love to know what you thought in the comments below!
Did you enjoy these cookies? Check out my other Halloween candy inspired recipes!
Chocolate Peanut Caramel Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp (4 g) vanilla extract
- 1 tsp (4 g) baking soda
- ¼ tsp (~1 g) salt
- ½ cup (30 g) cocoa powder
- 1 ½ cups (200 g) all purpose flour
- ½ cup ( 50 g) chopped peanuts
- ¾ cup (100 g) chopped soft caramels or chocolate covered caramels
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until smooth.
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Mix in the cocoa powder and flour.
- Stir in the chopped peanuts and caramels. Stir to distribute evenly throughout the batter.
- Scoop in 2 tbsp measures onto a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, until cookies are crisp around the edges.
- Let them cool and enjoy!
I loved these cookies! They were crispy on the outside and chewy inside, and the caramel, peanuts, and chocolate made for a perfect bite! I will definitely make these again!
I’m so glad you liked them! I love the combo of peanuts, caramel, and chocolate too!