Peanut Butter Nests was a fun project to make. I needed to make something fun and silly to make it feel like the holidays. I had these bags of Cadbury mini eggs I wanted to do something with, and peanut butter cookies came into my head. I love peanut butter blossoms at Christmas. I thought, why not try using the recipe for this idea.
I love the chewy peanut butter cookie with the chocolate kiss in the center. The same chewy cookie with the crunch of the candy shell is fantastic. These Peanut Butter Nests are perfect for a fun project to make for Easter. That is if you can get the mini eggs from the store! My next-door neighbor was going to try and make them with jellybeans and some chocolate candies. I bet the jelly beans would be fun.
These cookies are easy to make, and if you have a cookie scoop, you can portion them very quickly. If you don’t have one, you can use the link here for one from amazon (I get a tiny portion of commission if you use the links on this page) I use the cookie scoop for many different things. There are several sizes that I find useful, but the 1-inch size is the one I use the most. And the cookie sheets are here if you need some great ones. Investing in excellent cookie sheets that last is worth seeking out. I used the Cadbury Royal Dark mini eggs for this recipe but the milk chocolate ones are also fantastic.
A little story about the bunny in these photos. Long ago, in another life, I lived in Los Angles for about five years. During that time, I met a group of three guys that became like a little family as our actual family was all miles and miles away. We did everything together, trips to northern California to a ranch, Disneyland, and even rodeo. For several years we were inseparable. During that time, one of us, Walter (a Los Angles Detective), had a relative make each of us one of these bunnies. We were having a sleepover and Easter egg hunt on Easter Sunday. Each had a different color. They were sitting in huge baskets he had snuck into the living room. Walter knew I loved green, so he made sure to have his aunt make a green one just for me. Our group has moved on; one of them is in Chile; one still lives in LA, and sadly, Walter passed on from injuries he sustained during the big Northridge earthquake in LA in 1994. I treasure this bunny and always have a drink in Walter’s name every Easter as one of the sweetest men I’ve ever known. Thanks for letting me share. Here’s to Walter!
- ½ cup butter 1 stick softened
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar plus more for rolling
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt if using salted butter for this recipe, use ¼ teaspoon salt.
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 10 oz bags of mini chocolate eggs Cadbury milk or royal dark
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Preheat oven to 375°.
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Line 2 baking sheets with Silpat, parchment paper, or lightly grease them.
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In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and the peanut butter.
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Add the brown sugar and the granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl as necessary.
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Add the egg, baking soda, salt, and vanilla. Beat until thoroughly combined, scrape down the sides of the bowl again.
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Gradually mix in the flour and mix until thoroughly blended in. You can do this by hand if you like.
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Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. A cookie scoop works perfectly here. Roll them smooth and then roll them into the remaining granulated sugar.
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Place the rolled cookies about 2 inches apart.
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Bake each tray for 10 minutes, the cookies should be puffed up and spread out a bit. But not more than just slightly golden brown. It may be easier to bake each baking sheet separately, so you have time to place the eggs on top before the cookies cool.
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When the cookies come out of the oven, immediately press 2 or three chocolate mini eggs into the center of each cookie, creating the nest.
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Let cool briefly to firm up and then using a spatula remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
