Kicking off the World Cup with these sweet earth soccer cookies that are perfect no matter who you are cheering for – we are all on this planet together!

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Today marks the first day of the 2026 World Cup and to celebrate the occasion I whipped up these soccer ball cookies last night after seeing the Pillsbury soccer balls cookie dough at the grocery store. Nothing like a last minute recipe to keep the blog alive. But sometimes spontaneity is necessary for my creative baking juices to flow. Although in this case spontaneity also paired with a desire to be quick and easy as this bake was not part of my regularly schedule program last night.

Originally I thought I would make a chocolate chip cookie cake topped with the soccer cookies but then I remembered I basically already did that with my skillet football cookie cake. Further brainstorming brought me to cupcakes topped with green frosting piped to resemble grass but I had zero desire to process two separate bakes, let alone to make frosting and deal with a piping bag. So I decided to make a World Cup version of my double decker cookies.

I had hoped the patriotic Pillsbury Funfetti cake mix would be available in stores since Memorial Day just past and July 4th is on the horizon but alas it was not. Halloween decor has been spotted but not patriotic Funfetti? Maybe they aren’t coming out with it this year? Either way I decided it was for the best because even with the sprinkles, Funfetti cake mix cookies would have been too similar in color to the soccer cookies on top. I wanted a pop of color and a pop is what we got!

Dyed to resemble our sweet Earth (round) instead of just one country to honor all of the humans living on this planet together – which also means they are perfect no matter which team you are supporting. I considered using matcha and blueberry pea flower to dye them instead but again I wanted something easy. Maybe you will appreciate that as well when you go to make these for yourself!

Looking for ideas for a USMNT watch party that are more patriotic/red+white+blue themed? Feel free to dye these red and blue instead. My USA soccer ball cake is also super fun but does take a bit more skill as it has a surprise inside. To take advantage of all those seasonal summer berries you could made red white and berry shortcakes or hand pies.

Alternatively, if you are already sweltering in the heat this week and don’t want to turn on your oven, some great no-bake options are a patriotic dessert lasagna or patriotic rice krispie treats. And I even have a recipe for a red white and blue sangria!

WORLS CUP SOCCER COOKIES

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Yield: 20 cookies Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 10 Minutes 10 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 box (15.25 oz.) white cake mix
• 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder*
• 2 eggs, room temperature and lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• Green and Blue food coloring
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 (9.2 oz.) package of Pillsbury soccer ball shaped cookie dough

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, lightly mix together the cake mix, cocoa powder, eggs, and vegetable oil. Divide evenly into two bowls, add a few drops of green food coloring to one and blue food coloring to the other. Blend dough until thoroughly mixed and no dry pockets remain.
3. In a small bowl, place the granulated sugar; set aside.
4. Portion the dough into 3/4-inch balls (I used a small cookie scoop, size 60) then combine one of each color into one medium-sized dough ball.
5. Roll dough balls in sugar, shaking of excess, and place on the prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart. Using the bottom of a glass, flatten each cookie to about 1/2-inch thick. Place a soccer ball cookie dough ball on the top of each.
6. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until just barely golden on the edges. Let cool 5-10 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

*This helps the food coloring be richer/darker rather but it is optional.

Source: Adapted from my Red Velvet Thumbprint Cookies and Holiday Double Decker Cookies.

If you love Dubai chocolate bars you’re going to fall even more in love with this Dubai chocolate tart with a thicker crispy filling and creamy ganache topping.

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Originally I had a sloppy joe pot pie planned for today and my husband thought it was a stretch. But “pie” is in the name and to celebrate pi day you truly just need round food. However, that was before I discovered sloppy joe day is March 18th so I postponed it a few days. I did not change it because of my husband :-P.

Dreaming up this Dubai chocolate tart also helped in the decision otherwise I would have left it. Yes yes, it’s a tart not technically a pie but it’s still round so it still works! I was dreaming of a Dubai chocolate bar but with a buttery crust, a thicker layer of filling, and a softer milk chocolate ganache layer on top that you can literally sink your teeth into. But how is that accomplished?

Despite Dubai chocolate going viral sometime around late 2023 this is the first time I have ventured into making something inspired by it myself. Honestly, I was a little bit intimidated by finding and using chopped kataifi pastry dough, especially since many recipes call for frozen versions that you thaw and chop yourself. I am sure it’s fresher and better tasting but when I found dried kataifi I finally took the dive.

Then I discovered that you have to toast the kataifi. Not just because it results in the characteristic crispy crunchiness that is the inside of a Dubai chocolate bar but because, just like raw cookie dough, it contains raw flour and may be contain harmful bacteria like E. coli or Salmonella. So both both reasons please toast the kataifi! And make sure you used a large skillet with high sides. You need to stir it constantly and it will fly everywhere if you are not careful. I have to admit it was still a bit messy but this Dubai chocolate tart was well worth the cleanup.

Then I ran into another dilemma: pistachio butter or pistachio cream? I originally planned on making homemade pistachio butter but discovered that again many recipes use pistachio cream which its more like chocolate hazelnut spread (Nutella) in that it is heavily sweetened and has a thinner consistency than nut butters. So I bought myself my first jar of pistachio cream and already knew I was in trouble because it’s delicious!

After managing to not eat all the pistachio cream by itself I had enough to make this Dubai chocolate tart. All that was left was buying some good quality milk chocolate (because most commercially available milk chocolate in this country is chocolate candy sugar garbage) to make the ganache on top and I was on my way to making what I hoped would be one fantastic dessert.

Sure enough when I brought this Dubai chocolate tart into work almost none of it made it home. Even the nut and chocolate-averse person didn’t hate it. The crispy sweet and salty pistachio kataifi filling was perfectly sandwiched between the chocolate pie crust and sweet milk chocolate ganache topped with chopped pistachios. Happy pi day indeed.

Bonus points is that this would also be a great option for St. Patrick’s Day. This might not be the most vibrantly green option but it’s naturally green and that deserves credit too. After all, I have passed off less vibrantly but naturally green things in the past including pesto deviled eggs, matcha rice krispie treats, coconut-pistachio pie, pistachio baklava bars, spinach pizza, and key lime Greek yogurt pie – what’s one more?

One year ago: Portuguese Egg Tarts
Four years ago: One Skillet Corned Beef Pot Pie with Potato Chip Crust
Five years ago: Irish Cream Pie with Pretzel Crust & Whiskey Caramel
Seven years ago: Lucky Lemon Cream Pie
Eight years ago: Coconut Chess Pie
Nine years ago: Shepherd’s Pie Pizza
Ten years ago: Shepherd’s Pie Potato Skins
Eleven years ago: Coconut-Pistachio Pie
Twelve years ago: Crustless Ginger Blueberry-Pear Pie
Thirteen years ago: Banana Pudding Pie
Fourteen years ago: Flower Bouquet Cake Pops
Fifteen years ago: Cookies and Cream Peanut Butter Pie

DUBAI CHOCOLATE TART

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Yield: 12 Servings Prep Time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 30 Minutes 30 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

CRUST

• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder*
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup cold shortening (or unsalted butter)
• 1/4 cup cold milk

FILLING

• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 6 oz. chopped kataifi pastry dough (about 2 1/2 cups), thawed if frozen
• 1-1/2 cups pistachio cream
• 2 Tbsp well-stirred tahini
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

GANACHE & TOPPING

• 6 oz. good quality milk chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 Tbsp chopped roasted pistachios

Directions

1. For the crust: In a food processor or a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa, sugar, and salt. Add shortening by pulsing in a food processor or cutting in with a knife until it resembles coarse wet sand.
2. Add milk to flour mixture and mix until distributed. With hands, form dough into a round flattened disc, wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes or overnight.
3. Roll dough out on a floured surface to fit to a 10-inch tart pan (or pie plate). Transfer to the pan and fold over any excess crust, carefully pressing the dough evenly into and up the sides of the pan. Using a fork pork holes evenly over the bottom surface, and chill for 15 minutes.
4. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Line the crust with parchment lightly coated with non-stick spray and fill with pie weights**. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and pie weights and bake another 5 minutes or until the crust is no longer shiny. Remove to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.
5. For the filling: Melt the butter in a large skillet with high sides over medium heat. Add the kataifi, stirring to coat in the butter, and cook while stir frequently until golden brown and toasted, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cool to room temperature.
6. In a small bowl stir together the pistachio cream, tahini, and salt. Evenly pour over the chilled kataifi and stir until distributed. Transfer mixture into the cooled tart and spread evenly; set aside.
7. For the ganache: Place the chocolate in a small heat-proof bowl. In another small heat-proof bowl, microwave the heavy cream for 1 minute or just until it starts to boil. Immediately pour over chocolate and cover bowl with saran wrap for 5-7 minutes. Whisk until smooth, pour over the top of the tart, then smooth evenly with an offset spatula. Decorate with chopped pistachios and chill until set, at least 1 hour.
8. When ready to serve, remove tart from pan, slice and enjoy!

Notes

*Since it’s not a leavened recipe, you can substitute Natural cocoa powder but the crust will have a lighter color. **Or dried beans

Source: Crust from my Chocolate Blackberry Pear Tart, Filling adapted from The Kitchn and Food Network, Ganache adapted from my Dark Chocolate Peanut butter Cup Cake.

Make hearts literally melt with these chewy chocolate blossom cookies coated in festive sprinkles and topped with Reese’s mini hearts peanut butter cups.

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After successfully finding the Reese’s mini trees shaped unwrapped peanut butter cups for the holidays, I failed to ever make a fun recipe utilizing them. So when the Reese’s mini hearts hit the shelves I made sure to grab them and whip something up in time for Valentine’s Day.

While a peanut butter blossom cookie would have been a classic option, I have done something similar with the full-sized Reese’s hearts on peanut butter cookie bars in the past. With Valentine’s coming up I figured chocolate blossom cookies were in order.

February is also Chocolate Lovers Month so it seemed fitting to make a chocolate version of a classic blossom cookie even if I technically do not consider myself to fall into the category of a “chocolate lover”. The addition of peanut butter is what gets me through life as made evident by my many peanut butter cup creations.

I also ended up rolling these chocolate blossom cookies in three different types of sprinkles and everyone who tried them had their own preferences between them as some sprinkles were a bit crunchier than others. Yes that means they tried all three. It was like the Golidlocks of sprinkles.

Do I have to roll the chocolate blossom cookies in colorful sprinkles or sugar?

Not at all! While myself and many who tried them loved the texture of the sprinkles in contrast to the chewy cookie, that may not be you. Regular granulated would work as well for slightly less texture but if you prefer these cookies to be as soft as can be you can skip it altogether. They will spread a tad more – just fair warning.

REESE'S MINI HEARTS CHOCOLATE BLOSSOM COOKIES

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Yield: 4 dozen Prep Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 8 Minutes 8 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 2-1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1-1/2 cups + 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• 1 Tbsp milk
• 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup festive sprinkles, or coarse sugar
• 1 (7.6 oz.) bag Reese's mini hearts unwrapped peanut butter cups

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
2. In a stand mixer or large bowl with electric hand mixer, blend together the butter and cream cheese until incorporated. Add sugar and beat for 2 minutes. Add egg, egg yolk, milk, and vanilla, beating until incorporated. Slowly add the dry flour mixture and mix until combined.
3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls (I used a medium cookie scoop). Roll in sprinkles to coat and place on a wax paper-lined tray. Cover and chill dough in refrigerator for one hour or overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper; set aside.
5. Place cookie dough balls on prepared cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 minutes.
6. Immediately after removing from oven, lightly press a Reese's mini heart-shaped candy into the center of each cookie.
7. Let cool slightly before transferring to wire rack to cool completely (2-3 hours)*. Once the chocolate is set, enjoy or store in an air-tight container.

Notes

*Place in the refrigerator to speed up the process of the chocolate resolidifying.

Source: Adapted from my Double Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies.

No matter how you slice it this buckeye banana bread is a winning combination for breakfast, snack, or dessert.

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Will I ever run out of peanut butter and chocolate recipe ideas? Who knows but today is not that day!

Inspired by my Buckeye Bundt cake, this buckeye banana bread has a chocolate banana bread base and a peanut buttercream cheese filling that when sliced resembles a buckeye. Of course I had to also drizzle the top with peanut butter and mini buckeye candies while I was at it.

I have actually been waiting to make this recipe for over a week as the bananas at the grocery store were all very underripe and it took that long for them to finally ripen enough to make this buckeye banana bread of my dreams. But some dreams are worth waiting for, and banana bread made with underripe bananas is not worth rushing it.

Speaking of waiting, even though banana bread is usually considered a breakfast item, the peanut butter cream cheese filling pushes it into the dessert category in my mind. But no judgement if you cannot wait and want to eat it for breakfast before the game.

Speaking of the game (not to be confused with THE game next week), Ohio State’s last home game of the season is today against Rutgers. Unfortunately two of our star receivers are out but I have a feeling we will do just find in their absence. Sorry Rutgers.

Once todays game is over it is officially the start of Beat *ichigan Week! Which means I have to have something extra special up my sleeve for the last game of the regular season. Especially since family will be in town for the holiday weekend to help us eat it!

Six years ago: Cut Out Sugar Cookies

Eleven years ago: Buckeye Brownie Cookies

Twelve years ago: Stuffed Shells with Pumpkin Sage Cream Sauce

Thirteen years ago: Individual Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

Fourteen years ago: Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup (2011)

Fifteen years ago: Veggie Lasagna

BUCKEYE BANANA BREAD

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Yield: 1 loaf Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 1 Hour 1 Hour

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

FILLING

• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 Tbsp milk

BREAD

• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup mini Buckeye candies

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and set aside.
2. For the filling: In a medium bowl, blend together the peanut butter filling with a hand mixer until smooth. Scoop the filling into a pastry bag (or a zip top bag with the corner snipped off*). Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
3. In a large bowl, combine mashed bananas with melted butter and sugars, mixing well. Add the egg and beat well.
4. Stir in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until incorporated. Be careful not to over mix!
5. Spread 3/4 of the batter evenly in prepared pan. Using the pastry bag that has the peanut butter mixture, carefully pipe a thick line of the filling over the center of the chocolate batter. Pour the remaining batter on top.
6. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs (but no batter).
7. Allow to cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Heat peanut butter in a small microwave safe bowl for 10 seconds. Drizzle over cool bread, decorate with mini buckeyes, and let set before slicing and serving.

Notes

*No piping tip necessary as we want a nice big opening.

Source: Adapted from my Banana Peanut Butter Cup Muffins and Buckeye Bundt Cake.

Chocolate pecan pie bars are delicious but so is peanut butter and chocolate so why not combine all three? Seems only logical.

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Over the last 2 months about half of the new recipes I have shared involve peanut butter and chocolate. I apologize to anyone who does not like this combination but my primary motivation for this is the continuation of #PBchocSat in the post-season College Football Playoffs.

True, today is Friday not Saturday, but tonight Ohio State battles Texas in the Cotton Bowl semifinals! Depending on how tonight goes there could be one more unofficial #PBchocSat recipe until the 2025 season in the fall. I dislike that Texas is basically getting a home-team advantage but hopefully it won’t be a factor.

Continuing my trend of taking over the state desserts of the teams we are playing (Indiana/Tennessee/Oregon), today I am Buckeye-ing a pecan pie. Just like buckeyes and the buckeye trees on which they grow on in Ohio, pecans and pecan trees are the state nut and tree of Texas, respectively.

As expected, the state dessert of Texas is pecan pie. Unfortunately in Ohio we cannot make a pie out of buckeyes as they are poisonous, so instead the Ohio state dessert is buckeye candies. Hence my favorite cheer – Go killer nuts!

I have made pecan pie bars with nutella before, so it was a pretty easy swap to use peanut butter instead. Then I made the crust chocolate and added a little drizzle of both peanut butter and chocolate on top to really get the point across. You can’t be subtle if you’re going to live up to the name of peanut butter chocolate pecan pie bars.

Hopefully tonight the Buckeyes play as well as these pie bars taste!

Ten years ago: DIY Hair Ties

Twelve years ago: Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells

Thirteen years ago: Peanut Butter Fudge Brownie Bricks

Fourteen years ago: English Muffins

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE PEACAN PIE BARS

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Yield: 2 Dozen Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 50 Minutes 50 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

CRUST

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

FILLING

• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 3/4 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cups light corn syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
2. For the crust, mix together the flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, butter and brown sugar until crumbly. Press into the baking pan and bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly brown.
3. For the filling, melt butter in a metal bowl set in a skillet of water that is just below a simmer (or use a double boiler). Remove the bowl and from the water when butter is melted, whisk in sugar and salt. Whisk in eggs, corn syrup and vanilla. Place bowl back into the water and whisk until hot and the temperature of the mixture registers 130 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the heat and whisk in pecan pieces.
4. Into the bottom of the pre-baked crust, smear the 1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter over the bottom evenly. Pour filling evenly over the baked crust and bake for 25-30 minutes or until set.
5. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cool completely and cut into bars. Store in an airtight container at room temperature (or in the refrigerator if you live in a warm/humid area with no air conditioning).

Did You Make This Recipe?

I want to see! Tag me on Instagram at @TheSpiffyCookie and hashtag it #TheSpiffyCookie.

Source: Adapted from my Nutella Pecan Pie Bars.

Buckeye cookie cups are chewy chocolate sugar cookies baked in a mini muffin pan, topped with peanut butter frosting!

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Not to be confused with my peanut butter mousse cookie cups or brownie peanut butter cups, while these buckeye cookie cups are baked in a mini muffin pan, they are made with chocolate sugar cookie dough instead of chocolate chip cookie dough or brownies, respectively, and topped with peanut butter frosting.

Originally I had wanted to fill them with peanut butter mousse but unfortunately lacked one of the ingredients and didn’t feel like dashing to the store. Thankfully I pretty much always have the ingredients to make peanut butter frosting and was able to improvise.

The end goal was to create something that resembles a buckeye candy – chocolate on the outside and peanut butter on the inside/ It may not be mousse but these buckeye cookie cups still earn their name in appearance. For extra spirit I added some scarlet and gray sprinkles on top.

Why the worry about resembling a buckeye? Because today is THE GAME against that team up north! It may not be as even of a match up as in recent years but a big game like this is hard to predict sometimes. So I’ll be stuffing my face with these before heading to the shoe!

BUCKEYE COOKIE CUPS

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Yield: 2 Dozen Prep Time: 45 Minutes Cooking Time: 8 Minutes 8 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

COOKIE CUPS

• 1 batch chocolate sugar cookie dough

FROSTING

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• Pinch salt
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp heavy cream or milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease two mini muffin pans.
2. Please a tablespoon of prepared cookie dough in each cup. Bake for 8 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes (middles will sink slightly) before removing from pan to cool completely on rack. Repeat with remaining dough.
3. While the cookie cups cool, prepare the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter, and salt together until smooth. On low speed, mix in the powdered sugar until just incorporated, followed by the vanilla and cream. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and whip until light and very fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add more powdered sugar or heavy cream if necessary to reach desired consistency.
4. When the cookie cups have cooled, pipe frosting on top of each cookie cup and top with sprinkles if desired. Serve immediately, or refrigerate and remove 5-10 minutes before ready to serve.

Source: Inspired by my Peanut Butter Mousse Cookie Cups, adapted from my Chocolate Sugar Cookies and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cake.

Buckeye sugar cream pie is Ohio’s version of the Indiana Hoosier sugar cream pie made with a chocolate pie crust and sweet peanut butter cream filling.

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Sugar cream pie may be the unofficial state pie of Indiana, but today instead of a Hoosier sugar cream pie I made a Buckeye sugar cream pie! Shockingly Indiana has been climbing the ranks in college football this year and today it’s our turn to take them on – thankfully at home.

Obviously I had to take the opportunity to buckeye their state pie in honor of the occasion. Especially since today is also my dad’s 80th birthday! It’s the perfect pie to make for this day because he was born in Ohio but grew up in Indiana. It was just meant to be.

Despite the long history of this pie, The only ingredient that people can agree upon is that it has to contain sugar. Otherwise, the filling can be made with milk or cream (or anything in between), flour or cornstarch, sometimes butter, but definitely not eggs. This sweetened dairy mixture is then best thickened on the stove top and poured into a pre-baked crust for a more reliable consistency.

So how did I make this Indiana staple a Buckeye sugar cream pie? First I made a chocolate pie crust, which honestly takes the majority of the prep and cooking time of this recipe. I don’t pre-bake crusts often, but it’s always fun to pull out my pie weights for the occasion.

Once the crust was prepped and ready to go, all I had to do to the filling was substitute out the butter for peanut butter. I almost used powdered peanut butter but since this pie was born out “desperation”, using ingredients found in many Hoosier pantries, I figured most people don’t have powdered peanut butter lying around and opted for classic creamy peanut butter instead.

The end result was better than I imagined. A buttery, slightly chocolate crust, filled with a creamy peanut butter filling reminiscent of creme brulee, with a dusting of cinnamon and nutmeg on top. I even added a tiny buckeye candy on top.

Five years ago: Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cream Pie

Nine years ago: Chorizo Ragu Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Eleven years ago: Mini Razzle Dazzle Peanut Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Twelve years ago: Pumpkin Bagels with Cinnamon-Walnut Cranberry Cream Cheese Spread

Thirteen years ago: Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

BUCKEYE SUGAR CREAM PIE

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Yield: 8 Servings Prep Time: 6 Hours 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 35 Minutes 35 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

CHOCOLATE PIE CRUST

• 1/4 cup cold milk
• 1 tsp chocolate extract, optional
• 1/2 tsp white vinegar
• 1-1/4 cups flour
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1/4 cup cold shortening, cut into cubes
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten

FILLING

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 5 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 pinch of salt
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 5 creamy peanut butter
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract

TOPPING

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions

1. Make the crust: In a small bowl, combine the milk, vinegar, and chocolate extract (if using); set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter and shortening and cut into the flour mixture with a knife or pastry cutter (or pulse in a food processor).
3. Add milk mixture, stirring (or pulsing) until a dough forms. If needed add a little more flour or milk to form a dough that hold itself together without being sticky. Form into a smooth flattened disc of dough, wrap in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes or overnight.
4. Roll dough out on a floured surface and fit into a 10-inch pie plate. Trim excess or crimp edges as desired*, pierce the sides and bottom of  crust with a fork, and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes or overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place pie crust on a baking sheet. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
6. Bake the crust for 20 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and pie weights, brush the inside of the crust with egg white, then return to the oven and bake another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool while preparing the filling.
7. Make the filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add the cream and peanut butter, then set over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and begins to boil, about 5 minutes. Cook for 1 more minute, then remove from the heat. Immediately add the vanilla and whisk to combine.
8. Pour the filling into the pre-baked cooled pie crust and smooth to fill evenly. Let set for 30 minutes.
9. Preheat oven to broil with an oven rack 6 inches below the element. Drizzle melted butter over the top of the pie, tilting or using a pastry brush to distribute the butter evenly. Sift cinnamon and nutmeg over the top. Place the pie under the broiler until the butter bubbles and the surface browns, about 2 minutes.
10. Cool completely on a wire rack before refrigerating for 4 hours or overnight until fully set. 

Notes

*I used the excess to roll back out and cut out little circles to decorate the edges.

Did You Make This Recipe?

I want to see! Tag me on Instagram at @TheSpiffyCookie and hashtag it #TheSpiffyCookie.

Source: Adapted from Saving Room for Dessert and the crust from my Caramel Apple Pie.

These chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies have double the peanut butter with peanut butter mixed into the chocolate dough and also in the form of peanut butter chips.

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Another Saturday in fall means another #PBchocSat! You might think I would be running out of ideas by now but I promise you I have a long list to last me awhile. The trick is finding the things on that list that I am in the mood to make at the time. Thankfully it doesn’t take much convincing for me to make cookies.

Cookies are my favorite thing to bake. Some people don’t like the chilling step but I am a planner so I love cutting my efforts in half by making the dough one day and then just place and baking the next. Then once you master the base of your recipe, you can tinker with it and change up the flavors.

The only things that are different between these chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies and the peanut butter cup oatmeal cookie recipe from which I adapted them is the addition of unsweetened cocoa powder and swapping out the peanut butter cups for peanut butter chips. Of course you could absolutely still use chopped up peanut butter cups if you prefer. Or half peanut butter chips and half semi sweet chips.

But as I made them, these chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies are not just chocolate oatmeal cookies with peanut butter chips, but chocolate and peanut butter oatmeal cookies with peanut butter chips. The perfect pre-workout treat this morning before hot yoga, getting home in time to shower and settle on the couch to watch kickoff at noon!

Two years ago: Cranberry Chicken Salad

Five years ago: Buckeye Baked Oatmeal

Eight years ago: Holiday Cut-Out Brownies

Nine years ago: Root Beer Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ten years ago: Pita Breakfast Pizza for One

Eleven years ago: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Roulade

Twelve years ago: Tortellini with Guiltless Pumpkin Alfredo

Thirteen years ago: Butternut Squash Lasagna

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL COOKIES

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Yield: Approximately 3 dozen Prep Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 10 Minutes 10 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1-1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup old fashioned whole oats
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 egg + 1 yolk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 12 oz. (2 cups) peanut butter chips

Directions

1. In a medium microwave safe bowl, melt the butter and peanut butter in 30 second intervals until just melted. Allow to cool to room temperature.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, cocoa, and baking soda. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, add both sugars and the cooled butter mixture. Beat until light and fluffy. Stir in the egg, yolk, and vanilla extract.
4. Add the flour mixture and stir until just incorporated. Fold in the peanut butter chips. Refrigerate overnight, or at least 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cookies sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
6. Roll or spoon out golf ball sized balls* onto prepared cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until set. Allow to cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes

* I used a medium cookie scoop.

Source: Adapted from my Peanut Butter Cup Oatmeal Cookies.

Don’t knock it until you try it – these buckeye deviled eggs taste like tiny peanut butter pies!

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Oh yes, you read that title correctly. If you thought chocolate deviled eggs were weird, prepare yourself for peanut butter and chocolate buckeye deviled eggs. If The Ohio State Fair can make lemon meringue pie, s’mores and bubblegum deviled eggs, why not this?

I actually like these ones even better than the chocolate deviled eggs, but I think any chocolate recipe is improved by adding peanut butter. Buckeye deviled eggs are filled with a slightly sweet peanut butter filling and topped with a ring of chocolate-peanut butter filling to look like a buckeye nut.

The end result tastes like a tiny peanut butter pie with an egg white as the crust. You may think that sounds gross, but an egg white doesn’t have a strong flavor. It’s more of a vehicle for the peanut butter and chocolate filling which is made of creamy peanut butter, egg yolk, heavy cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar.

While I admit they are slightly less sweet than a true peanut butter pie, they are still sweet enough that you know it’s dessert. I thought about making them sweeter, but I think I prefer them just moderately sweet. If you want more sweetness, by all means…

Two years ago: Instant Pot Mashed Cauliflower

Six years ago: Apples Aplenty: 15 Apple Recipes from Columbus Bloggers

Seven years ago: Slow Cooker Sweet & Spicy Wings

Nine years ago: Treacle Tart

Ten years ago: Cinnamon-Sugar Pumpkin Bagel Bites for One

Eleven years ago: Baked Choco-Peanut Butter Doughnuts

Twelve years ago: Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes with Chocolate Cheesecake Frosting

Thirteen years ago: Pumpkin Spice Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

BUCKEYE DEVILED EGGS

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Yield: 1 Dozen Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 15 Minutes 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 3 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch salt
• 1 tsp unsweetened dark cocoa powder

Directions

1. Place eggs in a sauce pan and cover with an inch of water. Bring to a boil, cover, remove from heat, and let cook for 12 minutes. When done, drain and let cool.
2. Peel and halve eggs lengthwise. Remove yolks and mash in a medium bowl.
3. Add peanut butter and beat until smooth. Add the heavy cream, sugar, and salt and continue to mix until well incorporated and smooth. Remove 1/4 of the filling, place in a small bowl, and add the cocoa powder, mixing until incorporated.
4. Fill the whites with the peanut butter mixture and a rim of the chocolate mixture. Serve immediately or chill until ready.

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Swap the strawberry for peanut butter in the classic Neapolitan trio and you get Peanut Butter Chocolate Neapolitan Cookies!

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Neapolitan ice cream is 2/3 good – I dislike the 1/3 that is chocolate. I know that’s a polarizing opinion, but I am picky about my chocolate. I don’t dislike it, but it has to be done right. The only time I’ve liked Neapolitan ice cream was actually when my brother convinced me to get the Neapolitan milkshake from In-N-Out.

With that lead in, you’d think that I would be introducing you to a version of Neapolitan ice cream that doesn’t involve chocolate. Au contraire, I kept the chocolate and instead replaced the strawberry component with the best chocolate pairing there is – peanut butter! Enter Peanut Butter Chocolate Neapolitan Cookies.

Using the base of my chewy sugar cookie recipe I divided the dough into thirds, adding cocoa powder to one 1/3, peanut butter powder to another 1/3, and keeping the final 1/3 plain vanilla. Then you scoop small tablespoons of each dough into balls, then combine one of each into a larger trio dough ball. Roll in sugar as per usual and chill until ready to bake.

Even though the raw peanut butter dough was significantly darker than the plain sugar cookie dough, when these Peanut Butter Chocolate Neapolitan Cookies baked up they were difficult to tell apart. Which made me worried that the peanut butter wouldn’t shine enough but I forget how much punch a little peanut butter powder packs. You might not be able to see the differences, but you can definitely taste it!

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE NEAPOLITAN COOKIES

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Yield: Approximately 2 dozen Prep Time: 45 Minutes Cooking Time: 10 Minutes 10 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour + 1 Tbsp, divided
• 1-1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to almost room temperature
• 1-1/2 cups sugar, plus more for rolling
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 Tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp powdered peanut butter
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp chocolate extract (optional)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, Whisk together 2 cups of flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg, milk, and vanilla and beat until combined. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing until just combined.
3. Divide dough into 3 equal portions in separate bowls. Add extra tablespoon of flour to one, powdered peanut butter to the second, and cocoa powder (and chocolate extract if using) to the third. Mix each until just combined.
4. Place extra sugar in a bowl; set aside.
5. Using a small cookie scoop, roll a scant tablespoon of each dough into balls. Combine a ball of each three doughs together by rolling in your hands to form one large cookie dough ball. Roll in the sugar, shake off any excess, place on a wax paper lined plate or tray. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
6. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats, about 2 inches apart.
7. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until edges of cookies are just starting to brown and centers are set. Let cool on sheets for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Adapted from my Chewy Sugar Cookies, Chocolate Sugar Cookies, and Butternut Bakery.