Gordon Ramsay’s peanut butter and jam cookies are thumbprint-style pb and j cookies where you press a dip into each ball of dough and fill it with raspberry jam and a spoon of extra peanut butter before baking. You beat 200g of smooth peanut butter with muscovado sugar and butter, roll the dough with floured hands, and bake at 175°C (350°F) for 10 to 12 minutes.
Gordon uses a real vanilla pod instead of extract, and I thought that was fussy until I tasted the difference in something this simple. This pb and j cookies recipe makes 24, which sounds like a lot until you realise half the tray is gone before they cool down.
Try More Cookie Recipes:
- Gordon Ramsay Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
- Gordon Ramsay Shortbread Cookies Recipe
- Gordon Ramsay Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
Why Are These Thumbprint Cookies, Not Sandwich Cookies?
Gordon makes pb and j thumbprint cookies, not pb and j sandwich cookies. The difference matters: you press a dip into each ball before baking and fill it with jam and peanut butter, so the filling bakes into the cookie instead of just sitting between two layers.
I tried the sandwich version once and the jam slid out the sides every time I picked one up. The thumbprint style holds everything in place, and the filling goes slightly sticky in the oven which makes the texture better.
Peanut Butter and Jam Cookies Ingredients
- 185g (1½ cups) plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 125g unsalted butter, softened
- 200g (1 cup) smooth peanut butter, plus extra for filling
- 185g (1 cup) muscovado sugar (dark brown sugar)
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
- 1 large egg
- 100g raspberry jam, for filling
How To Make Gordon Ramsay Peanut Butter and Jam Cookies
- Heat the oven: Set it to 175°C (350°F) and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
- Sift the dry ingredients: Sift the plain flour and baking powder into a bowl and set aside.
- Cream the wet mix: Beat the butter, peanut butter, and muscovado sugar together until pale and fluffy.
- Add egg and milk: Drop in the egg, milk, and vanilla seeds, then beat until smooth.
- Combine: Fold the flour mix into the wet ingredients until just combined.
- Shape the cookies: Dust your hands with flour, roll the dough into golf ball-sized pieces, and place on the trays.
- Make the thumbprints: Press a shallow dip into the centre of each ball with your finger.
- Fill: Drop half a teaspoon of raspberry jam and half a teaspoon of peanut butter into each indent.
- Bake: Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until pale golden around the edges.
- Cool: Leave on the tray for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack.
What Kind Of Jam Works Best?
Gordon uses raspberry jam because the sharpness cuts through the peanut butter. I have tried strawberry and it works, but it is sweeter and the cookies end up almost too rich.
Whichever you pick, use a jam with seeds and chunks, not a smooth jelly. The texture holds up better in the oven and does not run out of the indent the way runny jelly does.
Can I Make These Without A Vanilla Pod?
Yes. Use 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract instead and you will get 90% of the way there. Gordon uses a real pod because the tiny seeds show up in the dough and the flavour is stronger, but extract is fine for a weeknight batch.
I would not skip vanilla altogether though. Without it, the cookies taste flat, just sweet peanut butter with no depth behind it.
What Do You Serve PB&J Cookies With?
A cold glass of milk is the obvious pairing, and it works because the milk cuts through the sticky peanut butter. I also like them with strong coffee, especially if the muscovado sugar comes through as a bit of toffee on the edges.
If you are building a dessert spread, put them next to the chocolate mousse or the banana bread. The apple crumble is another good match because the fruit and oat topping contrast nicely with the peanut butter.
Will These Stay Soft The Next Day?
Yes, for about 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature. The peanut butter keeps them softer than most cookies, but the jam filling can make the base slightly soggy after a week.
I freeze the raw dough balls without the filling, then thaw, indent, fill, and bake fresh when I want them. The dough keeps for 3 months in the freezer and tastes just as good baked from thawed.
FAQs
- Can I use crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth? You can, but the dough is harder to roll into balls and the indent cracks more easily. Gordon uses smooth, and I would stick with that for the filling too.
- What is the difference between pb and j sandwich cookies and thumbprint cookies? Sandwich cookies stack the filling between two flat cookies like a biscuit sandwich. Thumbprint cookies hold the filling in a pressed indent on top, which is what Gordon does here.
- Can I make these with kids? Yes, and it is one of the best recipes for it. Rolling the dough and pressing the thumbprints is easy, and filling the indent with jam is the part they enjoy most.
More Cookie Recipes:
- Gordon Ramsay Banana Bread Cookies Recipe
- Gordon Ramsay Cowboy Cookies Recipe
- Gordon Ramsay Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 175 kcal
- Total Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
- Sodium: 95mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 18g
- Protein: 4g
Gordon Ramsay Peanut Butter and Jam Cookies Recipe
24
servings20
minutes12
minutes32
minutesGordon Ramsay’s peanut butter and jam cookies are thumbprint-style pb and j cookies where you press a dip into each ball of dough and fill it with raspberry jam and a spoon of extra peanut butter before baking. You beat 200g of smooth peanut butter with muscovado sugar and butter, roll the dough with floured hands, and bake at 175°C (350°F) for 10 to 12 minutes.
Gordon uses a real vanilla pod instead of extract, and I thought that was fussy until I tasted the difference in something this simple. This pb and j cookies recipe makes 24, which sounds like a lot until you realise half the tray is gone before they cool down.
Ingredients
185g (1½ cups) plain flour (all-purpose flour)
1 tsp baking powder
125g unsalted butter, softened
200g (1 cup) smooth peanut butter, plus extra for filling
185g (1 cup) muscovado sugar (dark brown sugar)
3 tbsp milk
1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
1 large egg
100g raspberry jam, for filling
Directions
- Heat the oven: Set it to 175°C (350°F) and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
- Sift the dry ingredients: Sift the plain flour and baking powder into a bowl and set aside.
- Cream the wet mix: Beat the butter, peanut butter, and muscovado sugar together until pale and fluffy.
- Add egg and milk: Drop in the egg, milk, and vanilla seeds, then beat until smooth.
- Combine: Fold the flour mix into the wet ingredients until just combined.
- Shape the cookies: Dust your hands with flour, roll the dough into golf ball-sized pieces, and place on the trays.
- Make the thumbprints: Press a shallow dip into the centre of each ball with your finger.
- Fill: Drop half a teaspoon of raspberry jam and half a teaspoon of peanut butter into each indent.
- Bake: Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until pale golden around the edges.
- Cool: Leave on the tray for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack.
