Peanut Butter Crank Recipe

Peanut butter is a nutritious food spread with chunks of crispy nuts and creamy butter that you can enjoy without health worries. But if you grew up in the 90s, you must remember the famous peanut butter treat 一 Peanut Butter Crack. 

Not only are these butter cookies nourishing for balancing cholesterol, but also for overcoming snack cravings. Perfect for a healthy treat. It brings so many childhood memories, so you have to introduce them to your kids.

If you’ve tried to recreate this “old but gold” recipe but couldn’t figure out the perfect crunchy and crispy texture, we’re here to back you up with the simple Peanut Butter Crack recipe.

How to Make Peanut Butter Crank

Since there are intense variations of this Peanut Butter recipe on the web, it might not be charming to replace most of the original ingredients while the rest are almost there. 

What makes this recipe unique is the way the cookies bake. They turn out in barely brown color on the bottom with a crazy tender and crunchy texture that melts in your mouth. And the aroma is so mouth-watering you can’t stop taking a bite. 

We’ve tried, tested, and optimized the ingredients and textures to make this recipe a breath for you. 

Ingredients:

(5 servings)

• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ¾ cup dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 bag of peanut butter chips

Instructions

What you might like the most about this Peanut Butter Crack recipe is that it doesn’t require a whole day of rolling, butting, and baking. If you follow it correctly, it will become your fool-proof, unbelievably delicious cookie recipe.  

You must remember 3 things: technique, texture, and contrast. 

First and foremost, don’t try to bypass any instructions or make adjustments to the process since it will influence the outcome. Secondly, be careful with the proportions if you decide to scale the recipe. If you get it wrong, you’ll end us with a crumbly-weird texture.

And lastly, our ingredients list will help you achieve a more extensive flavor profile to keep your palate guessing. So if possible, try to use all of the ingredients, but we’ll also share some alternatives later. 

Without boosting your curiosity, let’s start making these peanut butter cookies. 

Step 1: 

Preheat an oven to 375°F. 

Step 2: 

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside. 

Take your electric mixer on low and cream together peanut butter, butter, and brown sugar in a larger bowl.

Step 3: 

Beat in the eggs, peanut butter chips, and vanilla extract. Then start incorporating your flour mixture slowly. 

Step 4: 

Take your cookie dough and start scooping. Place your cooked dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  

Note: Set the dough balls at least 2 inches apart. 

Pro tip: freeze the cookie dough for at least 3 hours or overnight for a richer flavor, but you can skip this step.

Step 5: 

Press the dough balls with a fork slightly and bake them for about 8-9 minutes, until they get golden brown on the bottom. 

Allow your cookies to cool on a baking tray for about 2 minutes once out of the oven. Then move them to a cooking rack for another 15 minutes. 

Enjoy your Peanut Butter Crack with any of your favorite sweet sides. It will taste amazing!

Ingredient Substitution

While it is essential to stick to the recipe for an ultimately delicious and authentic taste, you can still substitute a few things to make these cooked even better. 

However, it’s essential to follow the ratio tips and don’t go for something too strong not to overshadow the rest of the ingredients.

1. Almond flour

Almond flour is a nut-based flour made from ground war almonds. It is gluten-free, high in fiber, and low in carbs. Could there be any better substitute for all-purpose flour here? We doubt that.

However, some might argue it is a suitable alternative here. Nevertheless, substitute almond flour for all-purpose flour in a 1:1 ratio. You may also need to use an extra eff or more liquid to help almond flour bind the ingredients.

2. Honey

Although vanilla extract is standard in the kitchen, you might run out of it right when you feel like Peanut Butter Crack. At this point, honey will come to your aid. It is a liquid sweetener that will add bright and floral sweetness to your cookies.

You can easily substitute it in a 1:1 ratio for vanilla extract. However, since honey is sweeter than vanilla extract, you might need to reduce the amount of sugar slightly to compensate.

3. White sugar and molasses

White granulated sugar and molasses make up the brown sugar, so you can use these two separately to substitute brown sugar in this recipe. Molasses is what gives brown sugar its deep flavor and color, as well as the moisture content. 

If you decide to go for these alternatives, you can as well make brown sugar on your own. Just take one cup of granulate white sugar and combine it with 1 teaspoon of molasses.

What to Serve with Peanut Butter Crank

Peanut butter cookies are a great snack to serve at your next gathering or sneak before bedtime. However, it tastes wonderful when you start to play with the textures and pair it with some other sweet snacks.

Dunkaccino

What could be better than pairing a crunchy snack with a cup of dunkacchino? It is a perfect combination of strong brewed coffee and hot chocolate that will satisfy everyone with a sweet tooth. 

This drink’s perfectly balanced sweetness level will work well with mildly sweet peanut butter cookies. It is an ultimate comfort combo that could work well as a dessert item.

Grape salad

Grape salad is a refreshing and creamy alternative for soothing the crispiness of the Peanut Butter Crack. It features red and green grapes, cream cheese, pecans, and brown sugar. All that is required from you is to mix this weird-sounding combination together.

It is a perfect appetizer combined with crispy peanut butter cookies and a pairing you can’t resist. Besides, it is also healthy and nutritious.

Ice cream

We have all heard about the ice cream sandwich and maybe even tried some. But what you probably haven’t tried is making one at home. All you need is to use your freshly baked peanut butter cooked with a big dollop of chocolate ice cream or peanut butter ice cream. 

These two complement each other exquisitely. Plus, you can experiment with different flavor combinations without resorting to the good old milk-cookie pairing.

Chardonnay

We’re all used to pairing cookies with homemade ice cream, milk, and coffee. But we must admit they also pair surprisingly well with wine. That might sound like an impossible combination but let that sink in for a minute. 

Chardonnay is one of the top-selling wines that will work the best with these peanut butter snacks—the flavors of this white wine range from buttery and rich to fresh and fruity. Find your perfect pairing and enjoy with delicate and tangy cookies at your next party or sweet date.

How to Store Peanut Butter Crank

Storing peanut butter cookies to keep fresh depends on the cookies and the ingredients used. However, some tips will help you enjoy your cookies for longer. 

Our Peanut Butter Crack doesn’t have much moisture. It means they will stay fresher for longer. However, they can suck up moisture and lose their snap if they remain in the pantry. 

So here are a few secrets on how to prevent that. 

Store Peanut Butter Crank in the Fridge

Although cookies do fine when stored at room temperature, a fridge is an excellent option. Make sure they cook entirely before storing. Also, it is essential to note that you should use an airtight container or wrap the cookies with plastic. 

Peanut Butter Crack will store like that for about 3 weeks. 

Store Peanut Butter Crank in the Freezer

Put the peanut butter cookies in the freezer to keep them fresh for longer. Use a freezer bag and press out the air as much as possible. Cookies can last in the freezer for 2-3 months. 

But note that they won’t have that nice crispy texture once you thaw them. So the freezer is not an ideal option here.