Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Bunny

Milk chocolate stuffed peanut butter bunny cookies are the ultimate treat when you want to wow at spring gatherings or simply cheer up a rainy afternoon. These cookies are two layers of rich, peanutty dough filled with silky milk chocolate and decorated with dainty white chocolate details. Shaping them into bunnies makes them irresistible for kids and grownups alike but you can improvise shapes if you are baking outside of Easter.

I made these cookies the first time for an Easter party my niece attended and they instantly disappeared from the platter. Now they are a non negotiable spring tradition and a favorite for cookie exchanges too.

Ingredients

• Salted butter: provides a rich base flavor and keeps the cookies soft. Choose high quality butter for best results
• Light brown sugar: gives caramel notes and deepens the peanut butter flavor. Make sure it is fresh and moist
• Creamy peanut butter: ensures a smooth style dough and enhances the cookies’ tenderness. Go for a no stir brand
• Pure vanilla extract: brightens the dough and perfumes every bite. Look for real vanilla not imitation
• Egg: binds everything and adds structure
• All purpose flour: forms the backbone. Aim for a flour with moderate protein content
• Baking soda: offers gentle lift and keeps the cookies tender
• Salt: balances the sweetness and highlights the peanut flavor
• Milk chocolate: melts perfectly for the filling. Choose a smooth bar or chips you love to eat on their own
• White chocolate: is for dipping or decorating. Use one that melts smoothly without seizing
• Coconut oil: gives the white chocolate an extra glossy finish. Refined coconut oil has no flavor
• Granulated sugar: is an optional dusting for sparkle and crunch

Step-by-Step Instructions

Mix the Wet Ingredients:

Cream room temperature butter with brown sugar peanut butter and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. This should take about two minutes and creates the base of your cookies

Add the Egg:

Crack in the egg and beat again until the mixture is creamy and cohesive. Make sure it is at room temperature or the batter may curdle

Add the Dry Ingredients:

Sprinkle in one and three quarter cups flour plus baking soda and salt. Mix gently until no streaks remain. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl and form a slightly sticky ball. If too dry sprinkle with a touch of water. If too wet add a spoon of flour up to a total of two cups

Shape and Chill the Dough:

Generously flour your counter. Divide dough in half and press each half into a disk shape. Dust the top lightly with flour and roll out to a quarter inch thickness. This helps you get cookies that are tender not tough

Cut and Prep the Cookies:

Use a bunny shaped cutter or a round cutter for egg shapes. Lift shapes with a spatula onto a lined baking sheet. For half the cookies use a pairing knife to cut small ovals for ears and feet details. Re roll scraps and repeat until all dough is used

Bake the Cookies:

Slide cookies into a preheated three hundred fifty degree oven. Bake ten to twelve minutes or until just golden at the edges. Let them rest for five minutes on the tray before moving to a rack

Dip and Decorate:

Mix melted white chocolate and coconut oil. Dip the detailed top cookies in to get white faces. Lay on clean parchment and let chocolate set until firm. For extra sparkle you can sprinkle sugar on top while it is wet

Stuff with Chocolate:

Spread thick milk chocolate over the base cookies with no cutouts. Gently top each one with a decorated half and press together. Use extra milk chocolate in a zip bag to pipe eyes noses and whiskers

Let Set and Enjoy:

Leave the assembled cookies at room temperature for an hour or pop into the fridge for a quick set. If making eggs or cinnamon sugar cookies shape the dough into ovals or sprinkle hot cookies with a blend of cinnamon and sugar

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Peanut butter really shines in this cookie dough and is my favorite part. I have memories of my mom letting me lick the mixing spoon straight from the peanut butter jar as a little kid and these always bring me back to her kitchen. Every Easter my nephews call these the bunny cookies with secret chocolate.

Storage Tips

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. If you want to freeze the dough shape it into disks wrap tightly and freeze for up to three months. Baked cookies can be frozen after assembly just defrost at room temperature before serving.

Ingredient Substitutions

Crunchy peanut butter can replace creamy for more texture. For a nut free version use sunflower seed butter both for dough and filling. If you dislike white chocolate skip the dipping and just dust tops with powdered sugar.

Serving Suggestions

These cookies are amazing with a cup of milk or afternoon tea. You can also tuck them into Easter baskets or wrap for sweet springtime gifts. Arrange on a platter with pastel candies or fresh strawberries for a party ready treat.

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Cultural Context

Bunny cookies are a playful riff on classic sandwich cookies and take inspiration from Easter traditions where bunnies and eggs symbolize renewal and new beginnings. Getting kids involved in decorating is half the fun and makes for lively family memories.

Recipe FAQs

→ Can I use crunchy peanut butter instead of creamy?

Creamy peanut butter gives these cookies a smooth texture, but crunchy peanut butter can be substituted for added nuttiness and a slight crunch.

→ Why roll the dough before cutting shapes?

Rolling the dough ensures an even thickness for uniform baking, which helps the bunny shapes look and bake their best.

→ How do I keep the dough from sticking during rolling?

Dust your work surface and rolling pin generously with flour. Chilled dough also helps minimize sticking.

→ What's the best way to melt the chocolates?

Use a microwave in short bursts, stirring between intervals, or melt using a double boiler for smooth, lump-free chocolate.

→ Can these cookies be made ahead?

Yes, bake and cool the cookies, then fill and decorate them a day or two in advance. Store in an airtight container for freshness.

→ How do I decorate if I don’t have a bunny cutter?

Cut dough into circles or ovals for egg shapes, then decorate with melted chocolate dots and lines for a festive look.