Introduction

These Melted Snowman Peanut Butter Cookies are a delightful twist on classic peanut butter cookies, featuring a creamy white chocolate peanut butter cup topping and adorable festive decorations. They’re perfect for holiday gatherings or whenever you want a fun, flavorful treat with a touch of whimsy.

A stack of two light brown cookies with a rough texture, each topped and sandwiched with white frosting. On the top cookie, the white frosting is shaped like a snowman's face with two small black dots for eyes, an orange line for the nose, a black curved line for a smile, and two small black dots below for buttons, all on a white marbled surface. In the background, more similarly decorated cookies are visible, slightly blurred. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon corn starch
1/4 teaspoon salt
9 white chocolate peanut butter cups
2/3 cup white chocolate chips, melted
3 tablespoons black candy melts or semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
1 tablespoon orange candy melts, melted

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2: In a large bowl, cream together the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and well combined.
Step 3: Add the egg and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture and stir until fully incorporated.
Step 4: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, corn starch, and salt.
Step 5: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until the flour disappears into the dough.
Step 6: Using a large cookie scooper, portion out 9 equal cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet. Gently flatten each ball to about 3/4 inch thick.
Step 7: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 9 minutes.
Step 8: Remove cookies from the oven. Immediately unwrap one white chocolate peanut butter cup per cookie and place it upside down on each cookie, pressing gently so it adheres.
Step 9: Melt the white chocolate chips by microwaving in 30-second intervals, stirring between, until smooth. Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of melted white chocolate over each peanut butter cup on the cookies.
Step 10: Carefully tap the baking sheet up and down on the counter to spread the melted white chocolate evenly, creating the “melted snowman” effect.
Step 11: Melt the black candy melts and orange candy melts in separate containers using 15 to 30-second microwave bursts, stirring and massaging until smooth. Transfer each to a piping bag or a ziplock bag with a small tip cut off.
Step 12: Pipe eyes, a smile, and buttons on the white chocolate using the black melts. Use the orange melts to add a small carrot-shaped nose. Allow the decorations to set before serving.

Tips & Variations

Use creamy peanut butter for the best texture, but natural peanut butter works too—just expect a slightly different flavor.
Substitute candy melts with melted chocolate chips if preferred, though candy melts hold their shape better for decoration.
Try adding chopped peanuts to the dough for extra crunch.
If you don’t have white chocolate peanut butter cups, use regular white chocolate cups or mini peanut butter cups and adjust decoration accordingly.

Storage

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. To keep the decorations intact, avoid stacking cookies directly on top of each other. You can also refrigerate them for up to a week. Reheat gently in a microwave for a few seconds if desired, but be careful not to melt the decorations further.

How to Serve

A round cookie with a light brown base is held by a woman's hand with red nail polish against a green blurred background. The cookie has one layer of white icing smoothly spread on top, shaped like a snowman’s head. On the white icing, there are five small details made from colored icing: two black dots for eyes near the top center, one orange dot shaped like a small carrot nose to the left below the eyes, a curved black smile under the nose, and two black buttons near the bottom of the icing. The white icing is thick and smooth with small rounded edges. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I make these cookies gluten-free?

Yes, you can substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend designed for baking. Make sure it includes xanthan gum or add it separately to help the cookies hold together.

What can I use if I don’t have candy melts?

You can use semi-sweet chocolate or white chocolate chips instead. Melt them carefully and pipe the decorations, but note that traditional chocolate may not set as firmly as candy melts.