Giant Butterfinger Cookies have that bakery-style heft that everyone loves, plus chewy edges, soft centers with streaks of melted Butterfinger candy bars. Their jumbo size and chunky mix-ins make each one a generous, giftable treat.
I’ll admit, posting this recipe feels a little like giving away a secret. Because if I ever hoped to start a bakery, this cookie would be first on the menu. The dough is thick and chunky with peanut butter morsels and semisweet chips, along with a generous measure of dry-roasted peanuts. Then, each 7 oz. dough ball gets a coarsely chopped smashed into the center. This all bakes together to create a GREAT BIG cookie that is browned on the edges with a soft middle holding canyons of chewy, melted Butterfinger candy.
As a Butterfinger fanatic, these are pretty much my cookie dream-come-true!
These Giant Bakery-Style Butterfinger Cookies are for sure going on my holiday cookie trays this year, because they feel like a statement of good-spirited abundance. Each cookie has real heft, so just one packaged in a cellophane bag feels like a gift. One batch yields 14 cookies, so that could go a long way filling stockings or gifting around.
Make the Cookie Dough for Giant Butterfinger Cookies
Start with a large stand mixer because the dough is high yield, It’s also substantial, and benefits from steady, even mixing with a paddle attachment. The dough will almost completely fill a 5 quart KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer bowl.
Cream the butter and sugars until they’re fluffy, then mix in the eggs and vanilla. After that, fold in the flour mixture. The flour content is mostly all-purpose flour. But it has 1 cup of whole wheat flour added to give the cookies body, chewiness, and nutty flavor. Then, add the trio of mix-ins: chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and salty dry-roasted peanuts. Blend well so everything is dispersed. The finished dough should feel sturdy rather than sticky, which helps the cookies hold their bakery-style height in the oven.
How to Portion Bakery-Style Butterfinger Cookies
To keep the cookies evenly sized (and ensure that profesh bakery look), portion each mound to a level 3/4 cup. Or weigh out 7 ounces on a scale. Using a scale takes a little longer but eliminates guesswork and helps the cookies bake consistently. However, if I’m looking to work quickly, I press the dough in my 3/4 cup measure. The dough isn’t sticky so it pops right out of the cup.
Add Chopped Butterfingers to Your Giant Cookies
Work with one cookie dough ball at a time. Chop a fun-size Butterfinger into rough pieces, flatten the dough ball on top of the pile, then gather the dough around the candy into a ball so it’s tucked neatly into the center. Any stray shards should be pressed right back into the dough, because you want every bit of that caramelized peanut buttery crunch.
Space on Baking Sheet
Use your largest sheet pans, and cover them with parchment. Place six cookies on a full 12×18 baking sheet, or four on a 10×15 pan. These spread just a little bit, but mostly keep their thick shape. The extra space allows the edges to brown beautifully while the centers stay soft and slightly glossy. For a bakery-finish, press on a few extra chips or peanuts before baking. I always do this.
Sprinkle with Flaky Sea Salt
I don’t consider this step optional. A pinch of flaky sea salt is the kind of finishing touch pastry chefs rely on to bring balance and brightness to all sorts of desserts, especially anything involving chocolate. Because the crystals are so light and delicate, you can add a generous pinch without worrying about over-salting. signature pyramid-shaped flakes break with a soft, whispery crunch, adding texture and a pop of flavor. I think a box of this salt makes a great little gift or stocking stuffer – so I added it to this year’s gift guide for bakers ().
Make-Ahead Instructions
These cookies are wonderfully make-ahead friendly, which is a gift in itself during the busier baking weeks.
To chill the dough:
Once the dough balls are formed with the Butterfinger center, you can cover them and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. The chill time actually deepens the flavor! (A practiced cookie baker’s secret!) If you refrigerate them, allow the dough to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before baking so they spread properly.
To freeze the dough:
Line a baking sheet with parchment and place the portioned dough balls on top. Freeze until firm, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. They keep beautifully for up to 8 weeks. For the best bake, place frozen dough balls on a prepared sheet pan, let them thaw for about 30 minutes, and then bake as directed. The edges will brown while the centers stay soft and craggy, just as they should.
Freezing baked cookies:
If you prefer to bake everything at once, the cooled cookies freeze well too. Wrap each individually, then store in an airtight container for up to 6 weeks. The Butterfinger candy pockets may become sticky with the moisture from freezing. Warm in a low oven for a few minutes to revive their texture and coax the Butterfinger pockets back to life.
These Giant Bakery-Style Butterfinger Cookies feel like the kind of treat that makes the whole season a little brighter. They’re fun to bake, generous in size, full of texture, and proudly over-the-top. I hope you love them as much as I do!
Related recipe:
Giant Bakery-Style Butterfinger Cookies
Equipment
- large baking sheets
- parchment paper
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Cover your largest baking sheet with parchment paper. I used 12×18 sheet cake pans.
- In an extra-large mixing bowl, combine the flours, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk together until combined.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Mix together on medium speed until fluffy. Scrape down bowl and return to medium speed; add eggs one at a time while the mixer runs. Add the vanilla extract.
- Add the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough begins to come together. Add semisweet chips, peanut butter chips, and peanuts to the batter. Mix again until the ingredients are well dispersed. The finished dough should not be sticky.
- Scoop cookie dough by the level 3/4 cups, or using a kitchen scale weigh dough into 7 oz. portions.
- Place 6 cookies well-spaced on 12×18 baking sheets, or 4 cookies on 10×15 sheets. Top each dough mound with extra chips and peanuts if desired. (This is optional, but makes the cookies look profesh.)
- Bake cookies for 20-22 minutes, or until they are fragrant and lightly golden around the edges. The centers should look shiny and underdone with pools of melty candy bar. Let cool on pans 5 minutes or until the centers are firm enough to move.
- Sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of flaky sea salt while the candy centers are still melty. Transfer to a wire cooling rack. Cool completely before packaging.
- Store cookies in an airtight container.
Notes
Make-Ahead Instructions
Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/SprinkleBakes
