Peanut Butter Miso Cookies

Although a dessert, peanut butter miso cookies are almost savory. They start off as any normal chocolate chip cookie (hold the chips) with butter and the quintessential mix of granulated and brown sugars. But white miso paste and creamy peanut butter create something of an umami bomb, adding lots of nutty, funky depth to every bite that is present but not overpowering. A touch of corn syrup makes the cookies chewy and tender, and a handful of chopped peanuts adds a satisfying crunch.

Even with all the juxtaposing flavors and textures, miso peanut butter cookies are just as easy to make as any cookie recipe—no fancy tools required. And if you’ve never tried miso before, any miso recipe makes a fantastic introduction to the ingredient, but these cookies take the cake.

Ingredients for Peanut Butter Miso Cookies

• Butter: Soften one stick of butter to room temperature so it creams easily with the peanut butter and sugars. It should be soft enough to press down, but not so soft that the edges melt.
• Peanut butter: Look for a jar of creamy, no-stir peanut butter, and avoid natural peanut butters where the oil easily separates. Since it’s so integral to the recipe, buy the best peanut butter from the store.
• Sugars: There’s granulated sugar and dark brown sugar in these cookies. They both sweeten the cookies, but granulated sugar helps the outside crisp while dark brown sugar creates a deep, complex, caramel-like flavor.
• Miso paste: Buy white miso paste for these cookies, not red or mixed miso paste. White miso paste has the mildest, most delicate flavor of the three, and it pairs best with dessert recipes like cookies.
• Corn syrup: Light corn syrup helps create a fudgy, chewy, tender texture for the cookies. Don’t use dark corn syrup or molasses as a replacement—their flavors are too overpowering for these cookies.
• Egg: One egg binds all the ingredients together. Bring the egg to room temperature so it blends into the cookie dough easily and creates a nice emulsion.
• All-purpose flour: Measure the flour properly by spooning the flour into a measuring cup, then using a butter knife to scrape off the excess so the flour is level. This is a great way to ensure you’re not packing flour into the cup, which creates tough cookies.
• Peanuts: Finely chopped unsalted peanuts add a nice texture to the cookies. Buy roasted peanuts to toast the nuts yourself. Doing so brings out the nuts’ natural sweetness and lends a pronounced toasty flavor.

Directions

Step 1: Create the cookie dough

Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream the softened butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, miso paste and corn syrup together. Beat in the egg, then scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

In a small bowl, stir together the warmed water and baking soda. Beat the mixture into the creamed mixture, then beat in the all-purpose flour. Switch to a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, and stir in the finely chopped peanuts.

Step 2: Refrigerate the dough

Scoop the cookie dough by the tablespoonfuls, and place them 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate the cookie dough, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Step 3: Prepare the cookie dough balls

If desired, flatten the tops of the cookie dough balls with a fork, creating a crosshatch pattern. Alternatively, roll the cookies in the extra sugar before baking.

Editor’s Tip: The crosshatch pattern yields cookies closer to traditional peanut butter cookies, while a sugar coating creates snickerdoodle-style cookies.

Step 4: Bake

Bake the cookies until the edges are set, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the cookies from the pans and place them on wire racks to cool completely to room temperature.

Recipe Variations

• Include chocolate chips: There are so few inclusions that would work in miso peanut butter cookies, and semisweet chocolate chips are one of them. Splurge on the best chocolate chips for a quality flavor. Anything overly waxy will detract from the nuanced flavors and tender texture.
• Try another nut butter: Not a fan of peanut butter? Use almond butter or cashew butter here instead. Make sure it is the no-stir variety, as “natural” peanut butter separates over time.
• Use browned butter: There’s already such savory-sweet nuance in every bite of these cookies, but we can deepen the flavor further with browned butter. To brown butter, melt 1/2 stick plus 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat, continuously stirring until the milk solids are nicely toasted. Pour the butter into a heatproof bowl, then refrigerate it until solid. Finally, bring the butter to room temperature and use it in this recipe.

How to Store Peanut Butter Miso Cookies

Allow miso peanut butter cookies to cool to room temperature, then store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. You could also keep them in the fridge for up to five days.

Can you freeze peanut butter miso cookies?

Yes, you can freeze peanut butter miso cookies, baked or unbaked. To freeze baked cookies, allow them to cool to room temperature, then transfer them to an airtight container with parchment between layers to prevent sticking. Freeze for up to two months, and thaw on the counter whenever you’re ready to enjoy them.

To freeze cookie dough, scoop the cookie dough into balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, uncovered. Pop the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze the cookie dough balls until they’re solid, 30 to 60 minutes. Transfer the cookie dough balls to a zip-top bag and freeze for up to two months. Bake from frozen using the baking directions in this recipe, adding extra time as needed.

Peanut Butter Miso Cookie Tips

Do I need to chill the cookie dough?

Yes, you need to chill the cookie dough. Chilling helps the fats solidify so the cookies can bake tender and chewy. Otherwise, they’ll bake super flat and crispy. Honestly, I love to chill cookie dough for 24 hours for the best texture. Also, the flour has time to hydrate, which concentrates the flavors.

Can I make peanut butter miso cookies gluten-free?

Yes, you can make peanut butter miso cookies gluten-free. Swap all-purpose flour for one of the best gluten-free flour blends. Cookies don’t need a lot of gluten development, so it’s an easy swap that shouldn’t ruin their integrity. Make sure all other packaged ingredients are certified gluten-free, too, for those who are especially sensitive.

What can I do with leftover miso paste?

There are lots of creative ways to use miso paste, both sweet and savory. Use it for tonight’s dinner by making miso salmon, vegetarian carbonara or juicy miso chicken thighs. Of course, miso ramen is always a winner. I love it with roasted vegetables, too, particularly miso carrots, caramelized miso eggplant or miso cabbage salad.

For other sweet uses, make miso blondies, miso caramel or miso caramel apple desserts. You could also use miso for other types of cookies, not just peanut butter ones. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of miso to chocolate chip or butterscotch cookies after creaming the butter and sugar.