I have so many great memories of making holiday cookies with my mom and then with my own kids. It's one of the best things about Christmas, really.
AND, these peanut butter Rolo cookies make some of the best memories ever - because they're unforgettable!
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- Chewy peanut butter cookies stuffed with oozy chocolate and gooey caramel are always a win.
- Super easy to make and even the smallest kids can help by unwrapping candies or rolling the dough in the sugar.
- The caramel keeps the cookies moist on the inside so they're great for sending to loved ones.
I love Christmas cookies! They're fun to make and decorate plus I like the feeling of tradition when I'm making them.
After all, some of these recipes have been part of the holidays my whole life. SO many memories!
These peanut butter Rolo cookies have been a family favorite for decades. If you haven't tried them you're missing out.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Mix the butter, peanut butter and sugar then add the eggs and vanilla.
- Stir in the all purpose flour and baking soda.
- Roll the dough around an unwrapped Rolo candy.
- Roll in colored sugar and bake.
🥫 Storage
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for a week or so.
You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months. Layer them in a freezer container with parchment between the layers.
Unbaked Rolo cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months as well. Just remove from the freezer and bake as directed. You may need a minute or two more baking time.
📖 Variations
- You can use my easy sugar cookie dough instead of peanut butter dough if you prefer.
- Try rolling the dough around small peanut butter cups.
- If you're pushed for time you can use cookie dough from the refrigerated section of the store.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Be sure to cover the Rolo candy completely with dough so that it's sealed in or the caramel will leak out of the cookie.
- The cookies will look slightly underbaked when they're done. They'll firm up as they cool.
- Be careful biting into a still-warm cookies! The caramel can be super hot.
- I like to use parchment paper for these so if there does happen to be some caramel leakage it's easy to clean up.
👩🍳 FAQs
I didn't. The dough is quite firm and my kitchen was chilly so there was no problem. If the the first batch of your cookies spreads too much you can go ahead and try refrigerating before baking the next batch.
No. See the section on storage to learn how to store these yummy cookies.
📚 Related recipes
- These old fashioned peanut butter blossom cookies are a must have during the holiday season.
- Santa's Whiskers are a slice and bake cookie recipe we love during the holidays.
- Cranberry pecan cookies have all the flavor of the season.
🍽️ Serve with...
These are so good on a holiday cookie tray!
- Sugar cookie cutouts always come out just right and there's no spreading in the oven.
- Gingerbread snowball cookies without nuts are perfect for those allergic to nuts!
- Vanilla brownies are super cute when cut and decorated to look like Christmas trees.
🥄 Restless Chipotle recommends
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📞 The last word
Although these cookies are good warm or cooled off, there was some debate out our house about the exact perfect temperature.
One of my children liked them really warm (be careful, the insides are hot) so that the caramel and chocolate are a liquid and drip out with every bite.
Another thinks they are perfect at warm but not hot so that the caramel is gooey, and another liked them cold so that the caramel and chocolate are more solid.
The texture and flavor changes in this cookie as it cools so you really are forced to try it at each temperature.
Forced, I'm telling ya.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Peanut Butter Rolo Cookies
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Ingredients
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with silpat or parchment.
- Cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars in the mixer until well blended. It will look grainy at first but keep beating and stop every few seconds to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Continue beating until it's a smooth mass.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
- Beat in vanilla.
- Stir in flour and baking soda.
- Using a well rounded teaspoon of the dough wrap it around a Rolo candy, encasing it completely.
- Roll in Turbinado sugar. Don't flatten! Place on baking sheets.
- Bake 8 to 9 minutes.
- Cool. Cookies will flatten out a little as they cool.
Notes
- The cookies will look slightly underbaked when they're done. They'll firm up as they cool.
- Be careful biting into a still-warm cookies! The caramel can be super hot.
- Be sure to cover the Rolo candy completely with dough so that it's sealed in or the caramel will leak out of the cookie.
- I like to use parchment paper for these so if there does happen to be some caramel leakage it's easy to clean up.
Nutrition Facts
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We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.First published November 30, 2015. Last updated December 17, 2022 for better images, readability, and more tips.
Julie C Whitmore
Do you freeze it after you bake or do you freeze the dough first and then put it in a freezer container? How long can you store in the freezer?
Marye
Either way is fine - It's fine for 3 months but I've frozen it for as much as 6.
Jolene Hampton White
I'm confused by the amount the recipe makes with over 3 cups of flour...it only makes 4?
Marye
48. sorry that was a typo.
Nicole Taggart
I like how the rolo is a fun surprise inside
Jennifer @NourishedSimply
Love the hidden rollo in these cookies. They look like simple butter cookies, but then "hello" out comes the gooey surprise. Yum!
Patricia @ Grab a Plate
What a treat! These are like a double whammy of delicious! Love this idea!
Marye Audet
Thanks Patricia! They are a favorite!
Susan | LunaCafe
Wow, totally decadent. Who could resist these? 🙂
Healing Tomato
What an ingenious idea! I would never have thought of putting rollo in a cookie. This is my idea of a comfort cookie
Emily
What a genius cookie idea! Rolos were a favorite of mine as a kid and I get nostalgic just thinking about making these cookies!
heather @french press
I currently have TWO boxes of lucky charms cereal minus the marshmallows on top of my fridge :)and I would go right for the center of these babies
Mandy @Mandy's Recipe Box
Such fun cookies! I love the surprise middles 🙂
Katie @ Recipe for Perfection
Rolos! One of my childhood favorites! I like how you're "forced" to try them at different temperatures. 🙂
rose casanova
Oh my! These look so good. I used to love Rolo candy. I haven't had one in years. I forgot they existed. This brings back memories because I remember when they first came out and my sister's and I going to White Hen Pantry to purchase them and of course, fighting over them as well.
maryeaudet
🙂 you will love these.