Lightly sweet and crisp on the outside but soft on the inside, these Easy Peanut Butter Cookies with Mexican Chocolate are an instant favorite!
Our tasty Mexican cookies are some of the best peanut butter cookies you will ever try, complete with masa harina and homemade Mexican chocolate made from cocoa powder.
What could be even more delicious than homemade peanut butter cookies? We have the answer: adding Mexican chocolate to your peanut butter cookie recipe!
Soft peanut butter cookies are even more delicious with the addition of Mexican chocolate made from cocoa powder. And, let’s not forget about the cinnamon!
What is Mexican chocolate?
Mexican chocolate is a variety of chocolate used in Mexican cuisine for making anything from Mexican hot chocolate to mole sauce, which is a traditional sauce recipe made from chocolate. To put it simply, it’s a mix of cocoa powder, sugar, and some spice; in this case, cinnamon.
Though you can purchase Mexican chocolate for Mexican hot chocolate or a mole recipe in solid chocolate disc form from the grocery store, you won’t need to for this peanut butter cookies recipe!
We recreate the flavor of Mexican chocolate through the use of cocoa powder, cinnamon, and sugar.
We also use masa harina to add an extra little special something to our Mexican chocolate cookies!
What is Masa Harina?
Masa harina is, to put it simply, corn flour! If you have ever enjoyed corn tortillas, then you have already had masa harina.
Masa harina comes from dried corn that soaks and cooks in limewater before it’s dried a second time and ground into flour. It’s perfect for making these delicious masa cookies.
Masa Harina Substitutes
Please note, cornmeal is not a good masa harina substitute. We also recommend you avoid using corn flour for a substitute. Because of the way masa harina is made, neither are comparable to masa harina, and the texture is totally different (masa harina is very similar to flour in texture).
A good masa harina substitute, however, would be canned hominy ground down in a food processor or blender. Ultimately, though, you’ll want to use masa harina for the flavor it adds to your Mexican cookies!
Where to Buy Masa Harina
Masa harina flour is an incredibly common cooking ingredient in Mexican cuisine, so you should be able to easily find it at any local grocery store or supermarket.
You can even find gluten free varieties, such as Maseca gluten free masa harina, which comes with the label of “instant corn masa flour”.
Ingredients to Make Mexican Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- An egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoons masa harina corn flour
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped lightly salted dry-roasted peanuts
These soft, chewy peanut butter cookies are lightly sweet and full of chocolate and peanut butter flavor. The masa harina and cinnamon give them a special Mexican flair, and thanks to sugar-coating, they have an irresistibly crisp outside layer.
The inside of these Mexican chocolate cookies are soft and almost cake-like. With the addition of lightly salty, chopped dry-roasted peanuts, there’s a bit of crunch to each masa cookie, too.
How to Make Peanut Butter Cookies with Mexican Chocolate
- In a large bowl, cream 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature, 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter, and 6 tablespoons sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add 1 large room temperature egg, 1 additional egg yolk, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract one at a time. Beat well after each addition.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 6 Tbsp. masa harina, 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp. salt.
- Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture, and beat until everything is moist.
- Stir in 1/2 cup chopped lightly salted dry-roasted peanuts.
- Cover dough with plastic wrap. Chill dough at least 2 hours or overnight.
- When ready to bake, heat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or non-stick liners.
- Place the remaining sugar (10 Tbsp.) on a small plate or in a shallow bowl.
- Scoop 1 heaping tablespoon of dough. Form into a ball. Roll ball in sugar to coat, then place ball on baking sheet.
- Repeat with remaining dough. Place balls at least 2 inches apart.
- Use the bottom of a 1-cup measure or glass to flatten balls to 2-inch rounds. You may need to dip the measure or glass in sugar between each cookie to keep the dough from sticking to it.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the middle of the cookie is set.
- Cool cookies on baking sheet for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
These simple peanut butter cookies are one of the easiest Mexican cookie recipes you can make, and are definitely one of our favorite easy Mexican desserts.
If you love a good soft peanut butter cookie recipe, we highly recommend giving these masa cookies a try. You will love their unique flavor!
What to Enjoy with Easy Peanut Butter Cookies with Mexican Chocolate
There are so many ways to enjoy these masa harina cookies alongside other recipes, but here are a few of our favorites:
- Serve these cookies with a little cinnamon whipped cream! Add a touch of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to whipped cream and serve it with these Mexican cookies for a tasty treat everyone will love.
- Try them with vanilla ice cream topped with a little homemade butterscotch sauce for a truly delectable treat!
- Sneak a couple of Mexican cookies alongside a slice of Carlota de Limón for two desserts that complement each other beautifully.
Add to your Mexican food menu!
Try our favorite easy Mexican food recipes, or browse our Mexican Cuisine section for even more ideas!
- Caramel Apple Empanadas | Caramel Apple Hand Pies
- Chicken Taquitos Recipe
- Elote Recipe (Mexican Street Corn)
- Chilaquiles Rojos (Chilaquiles Mexicanas)
Give these easy cookie recipes a try!
Browse through all of our cookies, or give these select few delicious easy cookie recipes a try for holiday baking season or any other time of the year!
- Traditional Kourabiedes – Greek Wedding Cookies
- Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Orange Cardamom Cookies
- Guava Coconut Cookies
- Double Peanut Butter Cookies
📌 Save this recipe on Pinterest to enjoy later!
Mexican Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
🥘 Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar divided
- 1 large egg at room temperatures
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons masa harina corn flour – see note
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped lightly salted dry-roasted peanuts
🔪 Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream butter, peanut butter, and 6 tablespoons sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla one at a time and beating well after each addition.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, masa harina, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture and beat until combined and dry ingredients are moistened.
- Stir in peanuts.
- Cover dough with plastic wrap. Chill dough at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Heat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or non-stick liners.
- Place remaining sugar on a small plate or in a shallow bowl.
- Scoop 1 heaping tablespoon of dough. Form into a ball. Roll ball in sugar to coat. Place ball on baking sheet.
- Repeat with remaining dough and placing balls 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
- Use the bottom of a 1-cup measure or glass to flatten balls to 2-inch rounds. You may need to dip the measure or glass in sugar between each to keep the dough from sticking to it.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until middle of cookie is set.
- Cool cookies on baking sheet for 1 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Masa harina is corn flour and commonly labeled as “Instant Corn Masa Flour” on the bag. We recommend you do not substitute corn starch or cornmeal for masa harina.
- Time stated does not include time for chilling dough (2+ hours).
Nutrition
Photos by Renee Dobbs.
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