Let me be clear up front: I am not Amish, nor do I plan to be. I enjoy modern conveniences like indoor plumbing and the internet, and I photograph food for a living—things that wouldn’t fit an Amish lifestyle. Still, I live in an old farmhouse in an area with many Amish families, and I’ve become close friends with several of them. We talk about the usual things—weather, family, gardens, health—and almost always food. I buy fifty-pound bags of flour from them, which naturally leads to recipe conversations. When they visit or borrow our phone, there’s often something tasty exchanged. It’s a friendly give-and-take that has enriched my pantry and my waistline.
Ada and Anna know I cook and look out for recipes they think I’ll love. The Amish often share standout dishes from large community meals, and when one delights them, they ask for the recipe and pass it along. That’s how I got this one: perfect peanut butter cookies with a miniature Snickers bar baked inside. I asked if the candy dissolved during baking and they assured me it didn’t—the candy softens and melts slightly, but remains identifiable. From the outside you can’t tell; when you bite in, the Snickers is a delicious surprise.
The Amish do eat candy bars, pizzas, soda, burgers, tacos, and fries. They’re not limited to an idyllic, all-organic diet. As Ada and Anna pointed out with a laugh: why not enjoy candy bars? They’re good.
I hurried home and made a double batch—lesson learned: don’t double Amish recipes without thinking it through. These recipes are designed to feed large households and call for generous amounts of butter, peanut butter, and sugar. Still, the outcome was worth it: these cookies keep beautifully at room temperature for a full week. If you plan to store them longer, freeze them within a day or so for the best texture and flavor.
These cookies are, simply put, perfect. A peanut butter dough encases a Snickers bar—peanut, caramel, and nougat trapped inside a tender cookie. Eat one warm and the caramel and nougat will be gooey and melty. Eat one cold and the caramel stays soft, the nougat is chewy, and the peanuts provide a satisfying crunch. In my house there’s an ongoing debate about which version is superior, and both sides are passionate. Which will you prefer?
Cook’s Notes:
- The oven temperature is intentionally low: 300°F. Most cookie recipes call for higher temperatures, but this lower heat produces evenly baked peanut butter cookies without burned bottoms or overcooked edges.
- Because the temperature is lower, bake the cookies longer—don’t rush them.
- They won’t brown as much at this lower temperature. Check doneness by touching the edges: if they’re set, the cookies are done.
- I used a mix of creamy and crunchy peanut butter when I ran out of creamy. The cookies still turned out great. All-crunchy could make wrapping the candies more difficult, so creamy or a mix is recommended for ease.
Snickers Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies {Amish Recipe}
Rebecca Lindamood
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter 1 cup, softened
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 13-16 ounces miniature Snickers bars NOT fun size!, unwrapped
Instructions
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In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer or a sturdy spoon), cream together the butter and sugars until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until combined. Beat in the peanut butter and vanilla until the mixture is smooth, creamy, and slightly lighter.
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Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat on medium speed until evenly mixed. Cover the dough and chill for 2 to 3 hours.
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Preheat the oven to 300°F. Portion the dough into generous 1 tablespoon balls. Flatten each ball, place a miniature Snickers in the center, and wrap the dough around the candy, sealing well and making sure there are no cracks on the bottom. Place the balls on a parchment- or silpat-lined (or well-greased) baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
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Bake for 12–18 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the edges are set and the cookies look puffy. Let them cool on the pan for 3–5 minutes (they will deflate and crack slightly as they cool—this is normal), then transfer with a spatula to a cooling rack. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using your specific ingredients if needed.
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