Outrageously Delicious Peanut Butter Caramel Truffle Cookies: A Sinful Delight!

Imagine biting into a soft, chewy peanut butter cookie, perfectly golden on the outside, only to discover a warm, gooey, molten caramel core melting in your mouth. That, my friends, is the experience awaiting you with these Outrageous Peanut Butter Caramel Truffle Cookies. These aren’t just any cookies; they’re an indulgent escape, a truly sinful treat that combines the irresistible comfort of homemade peanut butter cookies with the luxurious surprise of a rich caramel truffle center.

What makes them so outrageous? It’s the luscious Lindt Lindor Caramel Truffles, known for their smooth, melting caramel chocolate filling, snugly nestled within a soft-baked peanut butter cookie. Each bite delivers a harmonious blend of sweet, salty, and utterly decadent flavors that will leave you exclaiming, “OMG!”

Why These Peanut Butter Caramel Truffle Cookies Are a Must-Try

If you’re searching for a dessert that goes beyond the ordinary, these stuffed peanut butter cookies are it. Here’s why they’ll become your new favorite:

• Unforgettable Flavor Combination: The classic pairing of rich peanut butter and sweet caramel is elevated by the luxurious chocolate shell of the truffle. It’s a symphony of flavors that hits all the right notes.
• Melt-in-Your-Mouth Gooey Center: The warm, melting caramel truffle at the heart of each cookie is a delightful surprise, creating an incredibly rich and gooey texture that contrasts beautifully with the soft cookie.
• Perfectly Balanced Texture: These cookies boast a tender, chewy peanut butter base that cradles the soft, molten truffle, ensuring every bite is a textural masterpiece.
• Impressive Yet Surprisingly Simple: While they look like they came from a gourmet bakery, these caramel stuffed cookies are remarkably easy to make, making them perfect for impressing guests or simply treating yourself.
• Pure Indulgence: There’s no holding back with these cookies. They are truly an indulgent experience, offering a moment of pure bliss with every bite. You need to try these – they taste even better than you could imagine!

The Secret to Their Outrageousness: Lindt Caramel Truffles

The magic truly happens with the choice of truffle. We specifically recommend Lindt Lindor Caramel Truffles. Why Lindt? Their caramel truffles are renowned for their exquisitely smooth, melting center, encased in a delicate chocolate shell. This quality ensures that when baked inside the peanut butter cookie, the truffle transforms into a warm, flowing caramel river, creating that signature gooeyness that elevates these cookies from delicious to truly outrageous. The rich Swiss chocolate adds another layer of depth, complementing the peanut butter perfectly without overpowering it.

Of course, if you’re feeling inspired by truffles, you might also love recipes like Pumpkin Oreo Truffles and these Chocolate Maple Cream Truffles, which are equally awesome!

Essential Ingredients for Your Stuffed Peanut Butter Caramel Cookies

These jumbo-sized caramel stuffed cookies use a tried-and-true peanut butter cookie dough recipe, similar to beloved favorites like Reese’s Pieces Peanut Butter Blast Cookies. Gathering your ingredients is the first step to creating these incredible treats.

• Unsalted Butter (softened): Provides richness and tenderness to the cookies. Softened butter creams easily with sugars for a smooth dough.
• Brown Sugar: Contributes to the cookies’ chewiness and adds a delightful molasses flavor.
• Granulated Sugar: Ensures a crisp edge and helps with the spread of the cookie.
• Creamy Peanut Butter: The star flavor! Choose a creamy, processed peanut butter for the best consistency and taste in this recipe.
• Large Eggs: Act as a binding agent, providing structure and moisture to the dough.
• Vanilla or Almond Extract: Enhances the overall flavor profile of the cookies. Vanilla is classic, while almond adds a unique twist.
• Salt: A crucial ingredient that balances the sweetness and brings out the nutty flavor of the peanut butter.
• Baking Soda: A leavening agent that helps the cookies rise and achieve their soft texture.
• All-Purpose Flour: Provides the necessary structure for the cookies.
• Lindt Caramel Truffles (unwrapped): The glorious secret ingredient that creates the molten caramel center. Make sure they are unwrapped and ready to be tucked into the dough.

Crafting Your Perfect Peanut Butter Cookie Dough

Making the dough for these peanut butter caramel truffle cookies is straightforward, ensuring a delicious and pliable base for your decadent stuffing.

1. Cream Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and creamy peanut butter. Use an electric mixer to beat these ingredients together until they are light, fluffy, and well blended. This creaming process incorporates air, which contributes to the cookies’ tender texture.
2. Incorporate Eggs and Extract: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in your chosen extract (vanilla or almond). Continue mixing until these wet ingredients are fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth.
3. Add Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add these dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the dough, as overmixing can lead to tough cookies. Stop as soon as you no longer see streaks of flour.

How to Perfectly Stuff Your Peanut Butter Caramel Truffle Cookies

The key to these outrageous cookies lies in properly encasing the caramel truffles. This step ensures that the truffle melts beautifully inside without oozing out excessively.

1. Prepare Your Scoop: Use a large cookie scoop (about 2-3 tablespoons in size) for consistent cookie portions. Scoop a generous amount of peanut butter cookie dough into the scoop, enough to form the bottom half of your cookie.
2. Nestle the Truffle: Gently press an unwrapped Lindt Caramel Truffle into the center of the scooped dough. Ensure the truffle is sitting securely within the dough.
3. Encapsulate the Truffle: Take another smaller amount of cookie dough and place it on top of the truffle. Carefully seal the edges, shaping the dough around the truffle until it is completely covered and no part of the truffle is exposed. Roll it gently between your palms to form a smooth, round ball.
4. Prepare for Baking: Place the stuffed cookie dough ball onto your prepared baking sheet. Leave ample space between each cookie, as they will spread during baking.

Baking Your Stuffed Cookies to Golden Perfection

Baking these caramel truffle cookies is quick and simple, yielding perfectly soft and gooey results.

1. Arrange on Baking Sheet: Place no more than 6 stuffed cookie dough balls per standard cookie sheet. This prevents overcrowding and allows the cookies to bake evenly without running into each other.
2. Bake: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the cookies for 12 minutes. The edges should be lightly golden, and the centers should still look slightly soft and puffy. Overbaking will result in a less gooey truffle center.
3. Cooling Process: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. This allows them to set up and prevents them from breaking when transferred. After 5 minutes, carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps maintain their chewy texture and allows the caramel truffle to set just enough to be wonderfully molten, but not too liquid.

Expert Tips for Baking the Best Truffle Cookies

Achieving cookie perfection is easier with a few insider tricks. Follow these tips to ensure your Peanut Butter Caramel Truffle Cookies are nothing short of amazing every time:

• Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your butter and eggs are at room temperature. This allows them to cream together more smoothly, creating a uniform dough that bakes evenly.
• Don’t Overmix the Dough: Once you add the flour, mix only until just combined. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, leading to tough, dense cookies instead of soft and chewy ones.
• Use a Cookie Scoop: For uniform cookie size and even baking, a standard 2-3 tablespoon cookie scoop is your best friend. This also makes the stuffing process much easier and cleaner.
• Completely Cover the Truffle: It’s crucial that the caramel truffle is fully encased in dough. Any exposed truffle can melt out during baking, leading to sticky cookie sheets and less gooey centers.
• Parchment Paper or Silicone Mats: Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. This not only prevents sticking but also helps the cookies bake more evenly and makes cleanup a breeze.
• Don’t Overbake: These cookies are best when the edges are lightly golden and the centers are still slightly soft. They will continue to set as they cool on the baking sheet. Overbaking will result in a dry cookie and a less molten caramel center.
• Cool on the Baking Sheet First: Allowing the cookies to cool on the hot baking sheet for 5 minutes after coming out of the oven helps them firm up enough to be transferred without breaking.
• Lindt Truffles are Key: While substitutions are possible (see below), the specific smooth, melting quality of Lindt Lindor Truffles makes a significant difference in the “outrageous” factor of these cookies.

Creative Variations & Substitutions

While the classic Peanut Butter Caramel Truffle Cookie is divine, this versatile dough allows for endless creativity! Don’t you just love cookie dough that you can make different cookie variations? I’m Peanut Butter Cookie dreamin’!

• Different Truffles: If caramel isn’t your only love, try Lindt’s other flavors! Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, or even coffee truffles would be fantastic.
• Other Candy Centers: As mentioned in the original recipe, you can absolutely use other candies for your centers if you don’t have truffles. Think Snickers, Milky Way, Rolo, Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, or even a cube of soft caramel candy. Just ensure they are small enough to be easily encased in the dough.
• Nut Butter Variations: Experiment with different nut butters like almond butter or cashew butter. Be mindful that natural nut butters can have varying oil content, so you might need slight adjustments to your dry ingredients to maintain dough consistency.
• Extract Alternatives: Beyond vanilla and almond, consider a hint of coffee extract to complement the caramel and chocolate, or a touch of hazelnut extract for a different nutty note.
• Add-ins to the Dough: For an extra layer of texture and flavor, fold in mini chocolate chips, chopped roasted peanuts, or even crushed pretzels into the peanut butter cookie dough before stuffing. This adds extra crunch and a salty contrast.

Storing Your Delicious Creations

These cookies are best enjoyed fresh and warm, but they also store beautifully!

• Room Temperature: Store baked Peanut Butter Caramel Truffle Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. The caramel center will firm up slightly but will still be deliciously soft. For that fresh-from-the-oven molten center, a quick 10-15 second reheat in the microwave works wonders!
• Freezing Baked Cookies: For longer storage, place cooled cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe airtight container or bag for up to 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature or reheat gently in the microwave or oven.
• Freezing Cookie Dough: You can also prepare the stuffed cookie dough balls ahead of time and freeze them. Place the formed, unstuffed dough balls on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag. When ready to bake, place frozen dough balls on a baking sheet and add an extra 2-3 minutes to the baking time.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some common questions about making these incredible cookies:

• Q: Can I use natural peanut butter?
  A: For this recipe, creamy, processed peanut butter (like Jif or Skippy) is recommended as its consistent texture helps with the cookie dough’s structure. Natural peanut butter can be oilier and may require slight adjustments to the flour to achieve the right consistency.
• Q: Why are my cookies spreading too much?
  A: This could be due to several factors: your butter might have been too soft (almost melted), the dough was overmixed, or your oven temperature might be slightly off. Chilling the dough for 30 minutes before baking can also help reduce spread.
• Q: Can I make the cookie dough ahead of time?
  A: Absolutely! The cookie dough can be made and refrigerated for up to 2-3 days. If refrigerating, let the dough sit at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes to soften slightly before scooping and stuffing, as it will be quite firm.
• Q: How many cookies does this recipe yield?
  A: This recipe typically yields about 18 jumbo-sized cookies, depending on the size of your scoop and truffles.
• Q: What if I don’t have Lindt Truffles?
  A: While Lindt truffles offer a superior melting experience, you can substitute with other caramel-filled chocolates or even soft caramel candies (like Kraft Caramels, unwrapped). Just be aware that the melt and texture might vary slightly.

More Peanut Butter & Caramel Delights I’m Goo-Goo Over!

If you’re a fan of the peanut butter and caramel combination, you’ll love exploring these other irresistible recipes:

• Salted Caramel Pretzel & Peanut Dark Chocolate Brownies
• 17 Tempting Peanut Butter Cookies
• Peanut Butter Caramel Toffee Chocolate Chip Bars via Mom on Time-Out
• Gooey Caramel Chocolate Ganache Brownies
• Peanut Butter & Caramel Cookie Bars via Chelsea’s Messy Apron
• Turtle Caramel Truffle Brownies
• Peanut Butter & Caramel Cookie Bars via Baking Joy

For even more success with your baking, be sure to use my How To – Baking Perfect Cookie Tips and check out these Cookie Dough Brownie Cookies to get super delish cookies!

Recipe: Outrageous Peanut Butter Caramel Truffle Cookies

Outrageous Peanut Butter Caramel Truffle Cookies

Author: Kim Lange

These Outrageous Peanut Butter Caramel Truffle Cookies are stuffed with caramel chocolate covered truffles and are simply sinful as can be!

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 12 mins

Total Time: 32 mins

Course: Dessert

Servings: 18 Servings

Keyword: caramel, chocolate, cookies, peanut butter, stuffed cookies, truffles

Ingredients

• ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla or almond extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 18 Lindt Caramel Truffles, unwrapped

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, mix butter, sugars, and peanut butter together until well blended and fluffy.
2. Add eggs and vanilla extract, mixing until thoroughly blended.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together baking soda, salt, and flour. Gradually add these dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
4. Using a large cookie scoop (approx. 2-3 tbsp), scoop some dough into the scoop. Press an unwrapped caramel truffle down into the center of the dough.
5. Scoop a little more peanut butter dough on top of the caramel truffle, making sure it’s completely covered. Roll gently between your palms to form a smooth ball.
6. Place no more than 6 stuffed cookie dough balls per cookie sheet, ensuring adequate space for spreading.
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 12 minutes. The edges should be lightly golden, and the centers still slightly soft.
8. Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. This recipe makes 18 cookies.

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