Butterfinger Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Halloween is coming up, and you know what that  means…candy everywhere!!  What a great holiday.  I’ll take any excuse I can to eat more sugar.   I have the perfect recipe today to use up some leftover Halloween candy, or to take advantage of the Halloween candy sales that are all over the stores.  This cookie uses one of my favorite candy bars – Butterfinger.  Butterfinger Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies.  There is a lot going on in this cookie! 

Oats keep the cookies moist and chewy, and give them a really nice texture.  There is a great peanut butter flavor from ½ cup of peanut butter.  Don’t use natural in this recipe – good ‘ol original peanut butter (I like JIF) bakes up so much better.  And of course, the star of the show, the Butterfinger!

They add a great crunch to the cookie, and of course have such a delicious chocolate peanut butter-y flavor. I added mini chocolate chips to some of my cookies, just for fun! You can never have too much chocolate.

The original recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction uses Reese’s PB Cups, which would also be delicious. Or try this cookie with any candy bar that you like. Candy mixed with an oatmeal peanut butter cookie can only result in good things.

Butterfinger Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction
(makes about 20 cookies)

Ingredients
¾ cup (95 grams) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup (115 grams) unsalted butter, melted
½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
½ cup (100 grams) dark brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
½ cup (125 grams) creamy peanut butter (I use JIF)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups (160 grams) quick oats
1 ½ cups chopped Butterfinger (3 full sized bars)
½ cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 2 large cookie sheets by lining them with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugars, until the mixture is completely smooth. Add the egg and whisk until combined. Then add the peanut butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Whisk in vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix together just combined. Fold in the oats, and then the Butterfinger. If desired, fold in the chocolate chips (you can also place chocolate chips on top of each cookie dough ball before they go in the oven)

Using an ice cream scoop or your hands, roll dough (about 3 tablespoons each) into balls. Place 8 on each cookie sheet, spacing them 2- 3 inches apart. Bake for 11 – 12 minutes. The cookies will look underbaked, but will continue to bake on the cookie sheets. Remove from the oven, and let them cool for 10 minutes on the sheet. Then transfer to a rack to cool completely.