Peanut Butter Pizza

I adore making cookies. I love mixing the dough, watching the cookies bake and, of course, eating cookies fresh from the oven. The one step I have always loathed, however, is scooping and rolling the dough. That’s why skillet cookies and cookie bars are for me. They have the same great taste without the hassle of portioning the dough. This peanut butter pizza recipe is a family favorite.

This recipe begins with what is essentially a giant peanut butter cookie. After mixing the dough, you pat it into a 12-inch pizza pan and bake it. Generous amounts of chocolate chips and marshmallows top the pizza, and the whole thing continues baking until the crust turns golden, the chocolate gets a little melty, and the marshmallows are nice and toasty. Recipe contributor Bernice Arnett of Marshfield, Missouri, says kids and adults love this easy dessert. And because the recipe features basic pantry staples, you can make it on the fly whenever the craving for something sweet strikes.

Peanut Butter Pizza Ingredients

• Shortening: Using shortening for the peanut butter cookie base yields a denser, softer, more tender crust that does not spread as much as a butter-based cookie.
• Peanut butter: While you can use natural peanut butter for baking, we find that no-stir peanut butters, stabilized with added sugars and other emulsifiers, yield a moister, softer cookie crust.
• Sugar: A combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar sweetens the dough, promotes browning and adds moisture to the peanut butter pizza base.
• Eggs: Whether you’re baking cookies, cookie bars or a peanut butter pizza, make sure to use room-temperature eggs. They will help ensure your dough mixes smoothly for the best bake.
• Vanilla extract: A kiss of vanilla extract adds depth and complexity to the soft and chewy cookie base.
• All-purpose flour: Flour provides vital structural properties, ensuring the cookie crust holds together once baked.
• Miniature marshmallows: A cloud of fluffy, gooey, sweet toasted marshmallows replicates the pull of cheese in this dessert pizza recipe.
• Semisweet chocolate chips: Everything is better with chocolate—even pizza. A generous sprinkle of semisweet chocolate chips makes this pizza with peanut butter every chocolate lover’s dream.

Directions

Step 1: Make the cookie base

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cream the shortening, peanut butter and sugars until light and fluffy, five to seven minutes.

Beat in eggs and vanilla.

Add flour and mix well.

Step 2: Bake the base

Pat dough into a greased 12-inch pizza pan. Bake 16 minutes.

Step 3: Add the toppings and return to the oven

Sprinkle the crust with the marshmallows and chocolate chips. Bake until the marshmallows are lightly browned, three to five minutes longer.

Peanut Butter Pizza Variations

• Chocolate choices: You can use any type of chocolate chips you enjoy on this chocolate peanut butter pizza recipe, such as dark, milk, white, or a combination of one or more varieties.
• Flavored chips: The chocolate chip aisle has grown to include so many other flavors. Add mint, butterscotch, caramel, cinnamon or peanut butter baking chips to create your own flavor twist.
• Nutty crunch: For a nutty, crunchy texture, try adding a few handfuls of toasted almonds, honey-roasted peanuts, pecans, walnuts, pistachios or hazelnuts to the pizza just before serving.
• Chopped candies: This chocolate peanut butter pizza recipe is a great way to use up extra Halloween candy. Chop Snickers, Reese’s, Twix, Butterfingers or other candy bars, and sprinkle them over the pizza before serving. A handful of M&M’s candies is a nice way to add color too.
• Drizzle decorations: For a sinfully sweet finish, add a drizzle of chocolate ganache, homemade caramel sauce, hot fudge, butterscotch, Nutella or melted chocolate over the pizza before serving.
• Banana bliss: Try topping this peanut butter pizza with sliced banana just before serving.

How to Store a Peanut Butter Pizza

Store peanut butter pizza at room temperature in an airtight container. It lasts four to five days.

Can you make the peanut butter pizza crust ahead of time?

To make the peanut butter crust ahead of time, fully bake the cookie in the oven without any toppings and let it cool completely. Wrap the crust tightly in a layer of storage wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil, and store in the freezer. As when freezing any type of cookie, it will last up to three months in the freezer. To use, thaw overnight at room temperature, add toppings and bake until the marshmallows are golden.

Peanut Butter Pizza Tips

Can you make a peanut butter pizza with another cookie base?

You can definitely use other cookie doughs as your base for this dessert pizza. Think of our top-rated pizookie or these M&M cookie bars.

What should you serve with a peanut butter pizza?

Since this peanut butter pizza recipe does not require refrigeration or heating, it is a fantastic treat to tote to any potluck, cookout or game-day celebration. Serve alongside an array of potluck salads or as a sweet end to a feast of all your favorite tailgating recipes.