Chocolate Peanut Butter Volcanoes
Peanut Butter Volcano Cookies are soft, chewy peanut butter cookies with a surprise molten center of rich condensed milk fudge. As they bake, the peanut butter dough gently rises and cracks around the gooey filling—just like a lava flow! With the perfect balance of salty-sweet flavor and fudgy texture, these cookies are a fun twist on classic peanut butter treats and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Servings 28
Cost 5
Ingredients
Chocolate Fudge Lava
- 3 ounces ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips (84 grams) OR use 3 ½ oz bittersweet chips and omit the unsweetened chocolate
- ½ ounce unsweetened chocolate 14 grams
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk such as Eagle Brand, at room temperature or warm (155 grams)
- 1-½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Cookie Dough
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour 220 grams
- ¼ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 11 tablespoons 1 stick plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (155 grams)
- ¾ cup smooth peanut butter
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon lightly packed light brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Make the lava: Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler placed over simmering water. Alternatively, you may melt the chocolate in the microwave.
- Using a whisk, stir the melted chocolate vigorously into the room temperature or slightly warmed condensed milk until the mixture is smooth and well blended. Whisk in vanilla; Set aside.
- Make the cookie dough: Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together into a small bowl and set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the butter, peanut butter, both sugars, and the vanilla together in a medium-size mixing bowl until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Stop the mixer twice during the process to scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Add the egg and beat on medium speed until blended, about 1 minute. Scrape the bowl.
- Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until blended, about 15 seconds. Scrape the bowl and mix several seconds more.
- Measure out tablespoons (can use slightly more or slightly less) of the dough and roll them into balls with your hands, Place the balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Note: I found it very helpful to scoop the dough into portions, chill the scooped portions, then shape cold dough. It's much easier to work with when cold.
- Using your thumb, press a deep hole into the center of each ball, and plop a heaping teaspoon of the lava mixture into the hole. Pinch the opening together just a little bit so the lava will not overflow, but so that it is still visible.
- Bake the cookies until they are lightly golden -- check at 12 minutes, may need up to 16. Cool the cookies on the sheets or eat them while they are still warm for an extra- special treat.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 day. After that, store them in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Bring them to room temperature before eating.
- (Makes about 28)