Nothing quite brightens the kitchen like crafting these charming little treats, and that’s exactly what you get with the Chocolate Peanut Butter Penguin Cookies Recipe. They’re playful, delicious, and seriously fun to make, perfect for sharing smiles alongside their rich peanut butter and chocolate flavors.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients & Why They Work
- Make It Your Way
- Step-by-Step: How I Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Penguin Cookies Recipe
- Top Tip
- How to Serve Chocolate Peanut Butter Penguin Cookies Recipe
- Make Ahead and Storage
- Frequently Asked Questions:
- Final Thoughts
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Penguin Cookies Recipe
Why You'll Love This Recipe
I remember making these adorable penguins with my niece last winter—it turned into one of our favorite kitchen traditions. They’re not just cookies; they’re little edible art pieces that bring out everyone’s creativity and smiles.
- Delightful Presentation: These cookies’ penguin shapes make them stand out on any dessert table or kid’s party.
- Perfect Flavor Blend: The mix of creamy peanut butter and rich dark chocolate is a match made in heaven, every time.
- Kid-Friendly Fun: Decorating these cookies is half the joy, encouraging hands-on involvement from little helpers.
- Make-Ahead Magic: They keep well in the fridge or freezer, so you can prep them ahead for stress-free entertaining.
Ingredients & Why They Work
The magic of the Chocolate Peanut Butter Penguin Cookies Recipe comes down to some simple, well-chosen ingredients that combine textures and flavors beautifully without fuss.
- Dark chocolate chips: Using dark chocolate balances sweetness with a rich depth, and melts smoothly when combined with butter and peanut butter.
- Creamy peanut butter: It adds that signature nutty flavor and helps give the chocolate mixture a velvety, spreadable texture.
- Salted butter: Adds richness and a touch of saltiness to enhance all the flavors.
- Nutter Butter cookies: Their peanut butter flavor makes them the perfect penguin bodies with a sturdy base for decorating.
- Mini Nilla Wafers: These serve as the penguin’s tummy, adding contrast and sweetness.
- Brown Reese’s pieces: Used for the wings, their chocolate flavor complements the cookies perfectly.
- Orange Reese’s pieces: Cut in half for the tiny penguin noses and feet—bright pops of color and chewy texture.
- Candy eyes: Bring your penguins to life with these whimsical details.
Make It Your Way
I love tweaking this recipe depending on mood and the occasion. Sometimes I swap the dark chocolate for milk chocolate to dial up the sweetness, or add a sprinkle of sea salt on top for a salty-sweet kick.
- Variation: My niece and I once made these with white chocolate instead of dark—for a super festive, snowy look. It was a big hit with the kids!
- Dietary tweak: For a dairy-free version, almond or sunflower butter and dairy-free dark chocolate work beautifully, keeping the texture just right.
- Seasonal twist: Swap the candy eyes for mini marshmallows and the orange Reese’s pieces for red or green candies to turn these penguins into holiday mascots.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Penguin Cookies Recipe
Step 1: Melt the Magic Mix
Start by combining dark chocolate chips, creamy peanut butter, and salted butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 30 seconds, then stir. Keep microwaving in 10-15 second bursts, stirring each time, until everything is silky smooth and combined. Going slow here helps avoid scorching your chocolate, which can be a total bummer.
Step 2: Dipping and Decking Out the Penguins
Grab a Nutter Butter cookie and dip it fully into your yummy chocolate-peanut butter mixture, then use a fork to gently shake off any extra drips. Place it on parchment paper or a wire rack. While the coating is still wet, add a mini Nilla wafer to the bottom half for the penguin's tummy, stick on candy eyes near the top, and position half an orange Reese’s piece for the beak. Use two more orange Reese’s halves for feet, and add brown Reese’s pieces as wings on each side just under the cookie’s indent. Repeat until you’ve created your whole penguin army.
Step 3: Chill and Set
Pop your penguin cookies into the fridge for at least 3 hours—or even overnight if you’re planning ahead. This step is key because it lets the chocolate set nicely, keeping everything in place when you bite in. You can serve these chilled or at room temperature; just know that room temp means softer chocolate that might get a little melty — but isn’t that part of the fun?
Top Tip
After making these a few times, I’ve learned that prepping all the small decorating pieces first is a game changer. It makes the assembly so much smoother and more enjoyable—no scrambling to cut candy or hunt for eyes mid-process.
- Prepare candies ahead: Sort the brown and orange Reese’s pieces, halving the orange ones, before you start dipping to keep things moving fast.
- Manage melting: Don’t rush melting the chocolate and peanut butter – low heat prevents grainy texture and keeps the mixture glossy.
- Use parchment or wire rack: Both work great, but a wire rack lets any excess chocolate drip off evenly, which makes your penguins neat and tidy.
- Keep extras close: Have some extra candy eyes and wafers handy to replace any that get damaged or lost during decorating.
How to Serve Chocolate Peanut Butter Penguin Cookies Recipe
Garnishes
I like to keep garnishes fun but simple — a dusting of powdered sugar feels like fresh snow around the penguins, and a few fresh mint leaves add a pop of green that makes your spread feel festive without competing with the cookies.
Side Dishes
These penguins pair wonderfully with a bowl of cold milk (classic!) or a warm cup of coffee or hot cocoa. They’re also charming alongside a savory cheese board if you want to mix sweet and salty flavors at your party.
Creative Ways to Present
For holiday gatherings, I’ve arranged these cookies standing upright in shallow trays lined with faux snow or coconut flakes to look like a penguin gathering. Kids love the interactive aspect, especially if you let them “decorate” their own little friends right at the table.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Once chilled, I keep leftover penguins in an airtight container in the fridge. They hold up nicely for up to a week—just remember the chocolate will be firmer when cold, but soften pleasantly at room temp.
Freezing
If I’m making these for a big party, freezing is a lifesaver. I freeze them flat in a single layer inside a sealed container for up to 6 months, then thaw slowly in the fridge overnight. It preserves their shape and yummy flavor perfectly.
Reheating
Since these cookies are best served chilled or room temperature, I don’t recommend direct reheating. Just let frozen penguins thaw in the fridge and then bring to room temp for a few minutes—this keeps everything intact and delicious.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Peanut butter is essential for giving these penguin cookies their signature flavor and the creamy texture in the chocolate mixture. However, you can substitute with almond butter or sunflower seed butter if you have allergies or prefer a different nut butter flavor. Just be sure to pick a creamy, spreadable variety for best results.
When stored properly in an airtight container in the refrigerator, these cookies will stay fresh for up to one week. If you prefer a softer chocolate texture, you can leave them at room temperature for a day or two, but they may become messy as the chocolate softens.
Absolutely! These penguin cookies freeze wonderfully. Place them in a single layer inside an airtight container, freeze for up to 6 months, and thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before serving to preserve their flavor and decoration.
The key is to melt the chocolate mixture slowly, using short bursts in the microwave and stirring frequently. Also, prepping the candies ahead means you can work quickly to dip and decorate, reducing the time your hands are touching the warm chocolate, which helps keep the process neat and fun.
Final Thoughts
To me, the Chocolate Peanut Butter Penguin Cookies Recipe is pure joy wrapped up in a bite-sized bundle. They’re a wonderful way to make baking interactive and playful, especially when you want to bring a little whimsy to your kitchen table. I hope you enjoy making (and eating!) them as much as I do—trust me, these penguins turn any day into a celebration.
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Penguin Cookies Recipe
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 32 servings
- Category: Snack
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Peanut Butter Penguins are adorable, festive treats made by coating Nutter Butter cookies in a rich chocolate peanut butter mixture and decorating them to look like little penguins using candy pieces. Perfect for holiday parties or fun dessert tables, this recipe combines creamy peanut butter, dark chocolate, and colorful candies for a delightful and visually appealing snack.
Ingredients
Chocolate Coating
- 12 ounce bag dark chocolate chips
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoon salted butter
Penguin Base and Decorations
- 16 ounce package Nutter Butter cookies (32 cookies)
- 32 Mini Nilla Wafers
- 64 brown Reese’s Pieces
- 48 orange Reese's Pieces halved (24 whole pieces)
- 64 Candy eyes
Instructions
- Prepare Chocolate Mixture: Combine the dark chocolate chips, creamy peanut butter, and salted butter in a medium sized, microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir well. Continue heating in 10-15 second increments, stirring between each increment, until the mixture is completely melted and smooth.
- Coat Nutter Butter Cookies: Dip each Nutter Butter cookie completely into the chocolate mixture. Use a fork underneath to gently shake off excess chocolate. Place the coated cookie on a wire rack or a cutting board lined with parchment paper.
- Add Penguin Stomach: Press a mini Nilla wafer onto the center bottom half of each cookie to form the penguin’s stomach.
- Attach Eyes and Nose: Place two candy eyes on the top half of the cookie for eyes. Press half of an orange Reese’s piece, cut side down, underneath the eyes for the penguin’s nose.
- Make Feet: Position two orange Reese’s piece halves horizontally below the mini Nilla wafer on the bottom half, cut side down, to serve as the penguin’s feet.
- Add Wings: Attach two brown Reese’s pieces, one on each side just below the indent on the cookie, to create the wings.
- Repeat Decoration: Repeat these decorating steps for all 32 cookies.
- Chill to Set: Place the decorated cookies on the rack or board in the refrigerator. Chill for at least 3 hours or overnight to allow the chocolate to set completely.
- Serve: Serve the Peanut Butter Penguins chilled or at room temperature. Be aware that at room temperature the chocolate may smear slightly on fingers but will remain delicious.
Notes
- Store the Penguins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- The penguins can be frozen for up to 6 months; thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
- Prepare all Reese’s pieces, separating colors and halving the orange ones, before starting to decorate to streamline the process.
- Have the mini Nilla wafers and candy eyes open and ready before decorating.
- Be careful not to overheat the chocolate mixture to avoid burning; peanut butter and butter help make the melting more forgiving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 60 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg
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