Snickers Peanut Butter Cookies with Salted Caramel Buttercream

These Snickers Peanut Butter Cookies with Salted Caramel Buttercream are next-level delicious! They’re the perfect way to use up leftover Halloween candy or to serve as a fun dessert for the non-pie lovers at Thanksgiving. Each cookie has the most irresistible layers: a soft peanut butter chocolate chip base, homemade salted caramel buttercream, and a topping of chopped candy bars. Every bite is sweet, salty, and absolutely decadent!

When I first made these cookies, they started as simple peanut butter cookies topped with a chocolate glaze. I kept them that way for the farmers markets, and they were always a hit. One day, I had some leftover homemade salted caramel from topping a batch of brownies and a big bag of Snickers bars from Halloween, so I decided to throw together a new cookie for the fall market. I added chopped Snickers and chocolate chips into the peanut butter cookie dough, then folded the salted caramel into buttercream for a rich, creamy topping. To make them extra pretty, I finished each one with more chopped Snickers and peanuts on top.

Not only did they look beautiful, but the flavor combo was one of the best I’ve ever had on a cookie. It’s for the peanut butter and caramel lovers: the ones that pick out the Snickers in a bucket of Halloween candy first! It tasted like the perfect mix of peanut butter, caramel, and fudge with a little crunch from the Snickers. They’re amazing chilled too. We’ve been enjoying them straight from the fridge this week! These cookies were the first to sell out at the fall market, and I ended up boxing up dozens more to sell for Thanksgiving that year!

Even if you just need a solid peanut butter cookie recipe, this one is perfect on its own! It’s my go-to base for peanut butter cookies, and I’ll definitely make a separate blog post for it soon. Maybe even add the chocolate glaze recipe for the original version I used to sell at the markets.

You can make these cookies mini or jumbo, like I did. I figured I’d bake a big batch so I could share the recipe for the blog, but also because my husband was so excited to bring a big bakery box of them into the office. Luckily, I always have places (and sometimes neighbors!) to drop off the extras. We keep a few for ourselves, but there’s no way I can have dozens of these sitting around, especially not with pregnancy cravings!

One of the best parts about baking is having a little toddler who loves it just as much as I do. It’s the only reason I actually get the time to bake these days! Whenever I ask, “Want to bake something?” he goes running to his toddler tower, ready to help, and asks which ingredients he can grab. I have a feeling he’s going to be a pretty darn good baker one day with how much he enjoys it. He already knows how to use the KitchenAid mixer!

I try to use baking as a little learning lesson with counting, measuring, and recognizing the letters on ingredients.

I have so many cookie recipes from my market days that I want to get up on the blog this fall, especially my cranberry orange frosted almond cookies and the peppermint mocha chocolate cookies for Christmas! Now that I’m feeling so much better in my pregnancy, I’m more excited about getting back into kitchen to bake and cook!

But I had to start with this recipe because I’ve never had so many messages on Instagram after a story before! The people wanted it…so here it is!

Peanut Butter Cookie Ingredients:

1 Cup Unsalted Butter (cold & cut into cubes)
1 Cup Light Brown Sugar (Packed & Heaping)
3/4 Cup Cane Sugar
1 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
2 Large Eggs
2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
2 Cups Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips (OR – 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips & 1 cup chopped Snickers!)

Homemade Salted Carmel Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Cane Sugar
3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
3/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt

Salted Caramel Buttercream Ingredients:

4-5 Cups Powdered Sugar (start with 4)
1/4 Cup Semi-Melted Butter
3-5 Tablespoons Cold Milk (or heavy cream)
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1/2 Cup Homemade Salted Caramel

How to Make Peanut Butter Snickers Cookies:

Step One: Add the cubed butter and both sugars to an electric mixer. Blend until smooth and creamy.

Step Two: Add the peanut butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.

Step Three: On a low speed, fold in the sifted flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt until just combined.

Step Four: Mix in the chocolate chips and chopped Snickers (if using).

Step Five: Weigh each dough ball to about 75–80 grams, then roll them into perfectly round balls. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart.

Step Six: Bake at 350 F for about 12 minutes. *Remember to take them out when they’re slightly underbaked so they can finish cooking on the pan. The edges should be just starting to turn golden and that’s when you know they’re perfect!

If you don’t like a super sweet cookie, you can leave them just like this, a peanut butter cookie with semi-sweet chocolate chips and chopped Snickers!

It’s so important to take the cookies out while they’re still slightly underdone so they can finish baking on the pan. That’s the secret to keeping them super soft and gooey in the middle with perfectly crisp edges. I do this with all the cookies and even cakes that I bake.

I promise you’ll never go back to store-bought caramel after making your own and realizing how easy and delicious it is!

How to Make Homemade Salted Caramel

Step One: Add the sugar to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir with a spatula every 20 seconds or so. The sugar will start to break down into small crystallized pieces before melting into a dark amber liquid (this takes about 3 minutes).

Step Two: Once the sugar reaches a rich amber color, turn off the heat and carefully mix in the butter. It will bubble up quite a bit but that’s a good sign!

Step Three: When the butter is fully melted, stir in the heavy cream and sea salt until smooth and combined. Remove from heat and let the caramel cool to room temperature before using.

Tip: Make the caramel sauce while the cookies are baking to save time!

To see this process, check out the video I inserted in this recipe blog!

How to Make Salted Caramel Buttercream

Step One: Add the melted butter, powdered sugar, and milk to an electric mixer. Start with four cups of powdered sugar, and if the frosting isn’t thick enough, add more from the extra cup until thick enough. Mix in the vanilla extract.

Step Two: Gently fold in the room-temperature salted caramel with a spatula. Make sure the caramel isn’t warm, or it will melt the frosting. If it does happen to melt, no worries place the buttercream in the refrigerator for a few minutes. *Don’t fully mix in the caramel this way you’ll see those beautiful caramel swirls throughout the frosting!

Step Three: Fill a piping bag (or plastic baggie) with the buttercream.

Step Four: Pipe the frosting in swirls onto the cooled cookie. Chop up the Snickers for garnish, and sprinkle them on top of each cookie. Add a few peanuts and a drizzle of extra caramel if you have some left for an extra-decadent touch.

Tip: These are BEST when chilled, so store in refrigerator if you can!

Use up the Halloween Candy with this Cookie Recipe:

If you have leftover Halloween candy bars, don’t just stick with Snickers. You can mix things up! Chop them up and add them to the cookie batter or sprinkle them on top. Imagine how good a Baby Ruth, Butterfinger, or even M&M’s would taste in this recipe!

Try these five amazing cookie recipes from Simply Taralynn:

The Best Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ever!
Oatmeal Cream Pie Cookies with Creamy Buttercream Filling
Chewy Frosted Orange Ginger Molasses Cookies
Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies with Marshmallow Buttercream
Frosted Lavender Ginger Molasses Cookies | Perfectly Chewy

How to Make These Cookies Gluten-Free:

1. Use a 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour Blend:
Swap the all-purpose flour for a high-quality gluten-free 1:1 baking flour (like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur). These blends already include xanthan gum, which helps the cookies hold their structure and stay chewy.

2. Check Your Candy Bars:
Most regular Snickers are gluten-free in the U.S., but always double-check labels if you’re serving someone with celiac or strong sensitivities. You can also use other certified gluten-free candy options like Reese’s or certain M&Ms.

3. Watch the Texture:
Gluten-free dough can sometimes be a bit softer, so chill the dough for 30–45 minutes before baking. This helps prevent spreading and gives you that perfect soft-and-gooey center.

4. The Buttercream & Caramel:
Both the salted caramel buttercream and homemade caramel sauce are naturally gluten-free, so no changes needed there!

Soft peanut butter cookies loaded with Snickers and topped with salted caramel buttercream. Perfect for fall, Thanksgiving, or leftover Halloween candy!

How to Store These Cookies

Store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They’re actually best when chilled because the texture stays soft and the caramel buttercream firms up perfectly (kind of like fudge!)

You can also freeze them too!

I would love to see you all make these cookies! Make sure to come back and give this recipe a review or send me a photo on Social media so I can see them!

What is your favorite candy bar?