Half-way to Heaven Peanut Butter Cookies
I first made these Half-way to Heaven Peanut Butter Cookies one rainy afternoon when I needed a quick, comforting bake that would disappear fast at the office — and they did. Think soft, slightly chewy peanut-butter-oat rounds sandwiched with a light, sweet peanut butter filling. They’re ideal for lunchboxes, bake sales, or a no-fuss weekend cookie swap when you want something nostalgic with a little grown-up honey-roast twist.
Why you’ll love this dish
These cookies hit a sweet spot: sturdy enough for sandwiching, tender enough to melt in your mouth, and quick to pull together. The use of quick oats gives body and chew without long soaking. Honey-roasted peanut butter adds a subtle caramelized sweetness that lifts the whole cookie. Make them for potlucks, kid-friendly parties, or a weekend treat — they travel well and keep their shape.
“A perfect balance of crunchy oats and pillowy peanut butter filling — a new favorite for tea-time.” — happy baker review
If you enjoy nut-forward cookies, you might also like the texture and richness of Heavenly Butter Pecan Cookies for more inspiration.
How this recipe comes together
Step-by-step overview:
- Dry mix: combine quick oats with flour, leaveners, and salt.
- Wet mix: cream butter, sugars, egg, vanilla, and the honey-roasted peanut butter.
- Combine: fold dry into wet until just mixed to keep cookies tender.
- Bake: drop small rounded spoonfuls and flatten slightly; a short bake keeps them soft.
- Filling: whisk confectioner’s sugar with smooth peanut butter until airy.
- Assemble: sandwich cooled cookies with a generous tablespoon of filling.
This gives you a quick sense of the workflow so you can prep and bake efficiently.
Gather these items
- 1 1/2 cups quick oats
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (substitute a 1:1 gluten-free blend if needed)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup honey-roasted peanut butter (freshly ground honey-roasted peanuts work beautifully; regular peanut butter is fine if you prefer)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
- 1 cup smooth peanut butter (for the filling; natural styles can be used but may need extra beating or a touch of powdered sugar if runny)
Substitution notes: swap the honey-roasted peanut butter for plain peanut butter plus a tablespoon of honey if you don’t have the specialty jar. If you need dairy-free, use a vegan butter and ensure your sugar and peanut butters are vegan-friendly. For inspiration on combining peanut butter with other sweets, see this peanut butter cup dump cake idea.
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment or use an ungreased sheet.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups quick oats, 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter with 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar until creamy. Add 1 egg, 1/2 cup honey-roasted peanut butter, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; mix until smooth.
- Pour the oat mixture into the wet bowl. Stir gently until just combined — don’t overmix. The dough will be slightly sticky.
- Using a rounded teaspoon, drop mounds about the size of small walnuts onto the baking sheet. Leave roughly 2 centimeters between each mound.
- Use your finger to gently pat each mound into a small flattened circle. This helps them bake uniformly.
- Bake for 8 minutes. The edges should be set but centers still soft. Remove and let cookies cool completely on the baking sheet. Cooling on the sheet prevents breakage and helps them set.
- While cookies bake, whisk together 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar and 1 cup smooth peanut butter by hand or with a mixer until light and airy, about 5 minutes. This becomes your sandwich filling.
- On a work surface, flip half of the cooled cookies upside down. Whisk the filling again to loosen it. Dollop about 1 tablespoon of filling onto each upside-down cookie. Top with the remaining cookies right-side up and press gently until the filling reaches the edges.
Pro tip: for neater sandwiches, chill the filling briefly if it seems too soft before dolloping.
For additional texture and bake-time tips, check the way similar cookie recipes manage timing in this butterscotch chocolate chip method.
Best ways to enjoy it
- Serve with cold milk or a café au lait for a classic pairing.
- Pack a couple in a lunchbox with fresh fruit for a portable treat.
- Plate them on a cookie tray with a variety of textures — add crisp biscotti or chewy chocolate cookies for contrast.
- For a dessert platter, dust lightly with extra confectioner’s sugar or drizzle with melted dark chocolate for a grown-up finish.
How to store & freeze
- Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Keep parchment between layers to prevent sticking.
- Refrigerator: If your kitchen is warm, refrigerate for up to 7 days in an airtight container. Let cookies come to room temperature before serving to soften.
- Freezing: Freeze assembled sandwiches for up to 2 months. Wrap individual cookies in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for 30–60 minutes before serving.
- Food safety: Because these are shelf-stable ingredients (no raw fillings), refrigeration is optional but helps texture and shelf life. Discard if you see mold or off smells.
Pro chef tips
- Soften the butter at room temperature but don’t melt it; this keeps the creamed mixture aerated.
- Work quickly when combining wet and dry ingredients to avoid over-developing gluten (which leads to tougher cookies).
- Use a cookie scoop for uniform size; consistent cookies bake more evenly.
- If the filling feels dense, beat it longer; extra air makes it lighter and easier to sandwich.
- For perfectly even sandwiches, pipe the filling with a pastry bag instead of dolloping.
For ways to adjust spice and chew in cookie dough (useful if you want a cozier holiday spin), the soft gingerbread cookie technique has helpful tips you can adapt.
Flavor swaps
- Chocolate-hug: Add 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips to the cookie dough for bursts of chocolate.
- Nut swap: Use almond butter for the filling to change the flavor profile (reduce any added sugar slightly).
- Jam + PB: Spread a thin layer of raspberry jam under the filling for a classic PB&J sandwich cookie.
- Spiced: Stir 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon into the dry mix for warmth.
- Vegan: Use vegan butter and a flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water) and ensure peanut butter has no added dairy.
For more creative peanut-butter-chocolate combinations, see this playful peanut butter and chocolate-caramel mashup.
Your questions answered
Q: Can I use crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth?
A: Yes. Crunchy peanut butter will add texture to both dough and filling. If the filling is too chunky to pipe, stir a bit longer or fold in a tablespoon of powdered sugar to firm it.
Q: How long do these take from start to finish?
A: Active prep is about 15–20 minutes. Bake time is 8 minutes per sheet, plus cooling and assembly — plan on 45–60 minutes total depending on batch size.
Q: Can I make the cookie dough ahead of time?
A: Yes. Refrigerate the dough for up to 24 hours tightly wrapped, then scoop and bake. You can also freeze baked cookies and assemble later.
Q: Is there a gluten-free option?
A: Replace the 1/2 cup flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour and ensure oats are certified gluten-free. Texture may be slightly different but still delicious.
Q: My filling seems oily/runny — what happened?
A: If your peanut butter is oil-separated or very runny (common with natural peanut butter), beat the filling longer or chill it briefly. Alternatively, add 1–2 tablespoons of confectioner’s sugar to stabilize.
Conclusion
These Half-way to Heaven Peanut Butter Cookies are an easy crowd-pleaser with minimal ingredients and big flavor. They’re forgiving, travel well, and the sandwich filling elevates them beyond an ordinary drop cookie. For the original inspiration and a slightly different take on the concept, see the recipe at Halfway to Heaven Peanut Butter Cookies – Broma Bakery. If you want a buttery, sandwich-style peanut cookie in another style, try the take at Buttery Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies – A Farmgirl’s Dabbles.
Half-way to Heaven Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients
For the cookie dough
- 1 1/2 cups quick oats
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour Substitute a 1:1 gluten-free blend if needed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup honey-roasted peanut butter Regular peanut butter is fine if you prefer
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
For the filling
- 1/2 cup confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
- 1 cup smooth peanut butter Natural styles can be used but may need extra beating
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment or use an ungreased sheet.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups quick oats, 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter with 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar until creamy. Add 1 egg, 1/2 cup honey-roasted peanut butter, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; mix until smooth.
- Pour the oat mixture into the wet bowl. Stir gently until just combined — don’t overmix. The dough will be slightly sticky.
Baking
- Using a rounded teaspoon, drop mounds about the size of small walnuts onto the baking sheet. Leave roughly 2 centimeters between each mound.
- Use your finger to gently pat each mound into a small flattened circle.
- Bake for 8 minutes. The edges should be set but centers still soft. Remove and let cookies cool completely on the baking sheet.
Making the Filling
- While cookies bake, whisk together 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar and 1 cup smooth peanut butter until light and airy, about 5 minutes.
Assembly
- On a work surface, flip half of the cooled cookies upside down. Dollop about 1 tablespoon of filling onto each upside-down cookie. Top with the remaining cookies right-side up and press gently.
