These sandwich cookies are the kind of thing I make when I want something nostalgic with a grown-up twist. Classic peanut butter cookies, soft and slightly chewy, get a quick upgrade with a Nutella-marshmallow-cream cheese filling. The result is familiar and a little bit indulgent.
I designed this recipe to be straightforward: no fancy techniques, just a reliable sequence that yields consistent cookies every time. You’ll notice the dough is forgiving, and the filling comes together in one bowl. If you want a bake that’s part weekday treat, part weekend show-off, this is it.
Read through the ingredients and the method once, then follow the steps in order. Small timing details matter—especially the bake time—so keep an eye near the end of the bake. These make about 32 sandwich cookies and travel well in a tin.
What You’ll Gather
Below are the exact ingredients and a short note about why each one matters. Read the method before you start so you understand the flow. Have your ingredients at room temperature where called for.
Ingredients
- 1cup unsalted butter, room temperature — provides richness, tenderness, and helps control salt level.
- 1cup brown sugar — adds moisture and a deeper, caramel-like flavor to the cookie.
- 1cup white granulated sugar — balances sweetness and helps with structure and slight crisping of edges.
- 1cup creamy peanut butter — the primary flavor; creamy gives a smoother texture in the dough.
- 2 large eggs — bind the dough and add lift and moisture.
- 1teaspoon pure vanilla extract — enhances flavor and rounds out the peanut butter notes.
- 2 1/2cups all-purpose flour — forms the cookie structure; measure accurately for consistent results.
- 1 1/2teaspoons baking soda — provides lift and contributes to the cookie’s chew.
- 1teaspoon baking powder — adds a gentle rise and helps balance texture.
- 1/2teaspoon salt — amplifies flavors; use less if your peanut butter or butter is salted.
- 1/2cup cream cheese — for the filling; gives tang and creamy body to the marshmallow-Nutella mix.
- 1/2cup marshmallow cream — adds sweetness and the fluffy, sticky texture that makes the filling special.
- 1/2cup Nutella — hazelnut-chocolate element that creates contrast with the peanut butter cookie.
Method: Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies With Nutella Marshmallow Cream
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare a non-stick cookie sheet (or line a baking sheet with parchment paper).
- In a large bowl, place 1cupunsalted butter (room temperature), 1cupbrown sugar and 1cupwhite granulated sugar. Beat for several minutes until the mixture is fluffy and pale in color.
- Add 1cupcreamy peanut butter to the butter-sugar mixture and beat for a few seconds until combined.
- Add 2large eggs and 1teaspoonpure vanilla extract and beat until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, sift together 2 1/2cupsall-purpose flour, 1 1/2teaspoonsbaking soda, 1teaspoonbaking powder and 1/2teaspoonsalt.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold until just combined—do not overmix.
- Form the dough into 1-inch balls and place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet.
- Press a grid (crisscross) pattern into each dough ball with a fork (press once in one direction, then once at 90°).
- Bake the cookies for 8–9 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers are still slightly soft.
- Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the filling: place 1/2cupcream cheese, 1/2cupmarshmallow cream and 1/2cupNutella in a bowl and beat until smooth and fully combined.
- Using a butter knife, spread the filling on the bottom side of one cooled cookie and top with another cookie to form a sandwich. Repeat to assemble remaining cookies.
- Makes about 32 sandwich cookies.
Why It Works Every Time
The method is built around reliable baking chemistry. Creaming butter and sugars traps air, which helps the cookie rise and gives a lighter crumb. Brown sugar brings moisture and chew; white sugar contributes to structure and edge crisping. Adding peanut butter into the creamed mixture helps disperse oil evenly, preventing greasy pockets in the dough.
Baking soda and baking powder together balance leavening. Baking soda reacts with the dough’s acidity and helps spread and brown, while the baking powder adds lift so the cookies don’t become flat and dense. The short bake time keeps the centers soft; cookies continue to set on the sheet as they cool.
The filling is intentionally simple: cream cheese adds tang and body, marshmallow cream provides structure and a sticky, airy texture, and Nutella brings a chocolate-hazelnut contrast. Beating them until smooth ensures the filling spreads nicely without tearing the cookie.
Allergy-Friendly Substitutes
- Peanut allergy: Use sunflower seed butter or soy nut butter in place of peanut butter. Be mindful of cross-contamination if allergies are severe.
- Dairy-free: Replace unsalted butter with a vegan stick butter and swap cream cheese for a dairy-free cream cheese alternative. Choose a dairy-free chocolate-hazelnut spread or tahini-chocolate blend for Nutella.
- Egg-free: Use a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons water per egg, let sit 5 minutes) for each egg, keeping in mind texture will be slightly different.
- Gluten-free: Substitute a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum. Measure by weight if possible to keep texture consistent.
Prep & Cook Tools
- Large mixing bowl and a separate medium bowl for dry ingredients.
- Electric mixer or sturdy whisk (an electric hand mixer speeds the creaming stage).
- Rubber spatula for folding the dough.
- Cookie sheet(s) lined with parchment or silicone baking mats.
- Wire cooling rack.
- Fork for creating the classic peanut-butter crosshatch.
- Measuring cups and spoons (or a kitchen scale for accuracy).
- Butter knife or small offset spatula for spreading the filling.
Don’t Do This
- Don’t overmix the dough after adding flour. Overworking develops gluten and makes cookies tough.
- Don’t bake longer than 9 minutes. Cookies will look slightly underbaked in the center—this is correct. They finish setting on the sheet.
- Don’t skip spacing the dough balls 2 inches apart. These cookies spread and need room.
- Don’t try to pipe the filling if it hasn’t chilled slightly; warm filling will slide out and make a mess.
- Don’t press the fork pattern too hard. You want a shallow grid that flattens the dough, not one that punches through.
Make It Your Way
- Swap crunchy peanut butter for creamy if you like texture in the cookie, but note the dough will be slightly more textured.
- Fold in a handful (1/2 cup) of chocolate chips into the dough for extra chocolate pockets inside the cookie.
- For a boozy adult version, stir a teaspoon of dark rum or coffee liqueur into the filling.
- Skip the fork grid and roll balls in coarse sugar before baking for a crisper, sparkly edge.
- Turn these into mini sandwich cookies by making smaller 3/4-inch dough balls and reducing bake time by a minute or two.
Notes from the Test Kitchen
I tested these on a few different baking sheets and parchment made the biggest difference—cookies baked on bare metal spread more. If your dough looks greasy, chill it for 15–20 minutes; that tightens the fats and slows spread. However, the recipe is written to be baked straight away, and that’s how I usually make them for convenience.
Beat the butter and both sugars until the mixture is pale and fluffy. This can take 3–5 minutes on medium speed with an electric mixer. When you add the peanut butter, a brief beat blends it in without losing aeration. When you add eggs, stop as soon as combined to avoid over-whipping air into a cookie that should remain somewhat dense.
The filling should be spreadable but not runny. If your marshmallow cream is particularly loose, pop the mixed filling in the fridge for 10–15 minutes to firm up before assembling. I prefer to spread the filling on the bottom side of one cookie; it gives a neater edge when you sandwich them together.
Store, Freeze & Reheat
Storage: Store assembled sandwich cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For best texture, place layers of parchment between stacks to avoid sticking.
Refrigeration: If you live in a warm climate, refrigerate the assembled cookies for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving for the best mouthfeel.
Freezing: To freeze, arrange unfilled cookies in a single layer on a tray and flash-freeze for 30 minutes, then transfer to a freezer bag. Freeze the filling in a separate airtight container. Thaw both in the fridge and assemble within 24 hours for best texture.
Assembled Freezing: You can freeze fully assembled sandwiches layered with parchment in an airtight container for up to one month. Thaw in the fridge, then sit at room temperature for 20–30 minutes before serving.
Top Questions & Answers
- Q: Can I make the dough ahead of time? A: Yes. Keep the dough refrigerated for up to 48 hours or freeze for up to one month. Thaw in the fridge overnight before scooping and baking.
- Q: My cookies spread too much—what went wrong? A: Check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer. Also make sure butter wasn’t overly soft or melted; chill the dough for 10–15 minutes if needed.
- Q: Can I use natural peanut butter? A: Natural peanut butter has more oil and can make dough looser; if using it, chill the formed balls before baking to reduce spread.
- Q: Will the filling hold up in warm weather? A: The filling is stable at room temperature but can soften in heat. Keep assembled cookies refrigerated if serving outdoors on a hot day.
- Q: How can I make these extra-soft? A: Slightly underbake by reducing the bake time by 30 seconds and allow cookies to finish on the baking sheet.
- Q: Can I double the recipe? A: Yes. Work in batches when forming and baking so cookies have adequate space and your mixer isn’t overloaded.
Hungry for More?
If you liked these, try swapping the peanut butter base for almond butter and pairing it with a dark-chocolate-espresso filling for a different but equally delicious sandwich cookie. Leave a comment with your variation—we read every one and love hearing what readers do differently. If you have questions while baking, tell me what step you’re on and I’ll help troubleshoot.
Happy baking. These sandwich cookies are easy to scale and forgiving, and they’ll disappear fast—so make extra if you want to save some for later.
Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies With Nutella Marshmallow Cream
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 cupunsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cupbrown sugar
- 1 cupwhite granulated sugar
- 1 cupcreamy peanut butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoonpure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cupsall-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoonsbaking soda
- 1 teaspoonbaking powder
- 1/2 teaspoonsalt
For the Filling
- 1/2 cupcream cheese
- 1/2 cupmarshmallow cream
- 1/2 cupNutella
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare a non-stick cookie sheet (or line a baking sheet with parchment paper).
- In a large bowl, place 1cupunsalted butter (room temperature), 1cupbrown sugar and 1cupwhite granulated sugar. Beat for several minutes until the mixture is fluffy and pale in color.
- Add 1cupcreamy peanut butter to the butter-sugar mixture and beat for a few seconds until combined.
- Add 2large eggs and 1teaspoonpure vanilla extract and beat until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, sift together 2 1/2cupsall-purpose flour, 1 1/2teaspoonsbaking soda, 1teaspoonbaking powder and 1/2teaspoonsalt.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold until just combined—do not overmix.
- Form the dough into 1-inch balls and place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet.
- Press a grid (crisscross) pattern into each dough ball with a fork (press once in one direction, then once at 90°).
- Bake the cookies for 8–9 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers are still slightly soft.
- Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the filling: place 1/2cupcream cheese, 1/2cupmarshmallow cream and 1/2cupNutella in a bowl and beat until smooth and fully combined.
- Using a butter knife, spread the filling on the bottom side of one cooled cookie and top with another cookie to form a sandwich. Repeat to assemble remaining cookies.
- Makes about 32 sandwich cookies.
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Cookie Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Rubber spatula
- Fork
- Wire Rack
