Chewy Peanut Butter Miso Cookies made with brown butter. You can expect sweet and salty caramel-like cookies with crispy edges and a soft, buttery centre. No electric mixer needed!
I ❤️ these cookies. Like seriously LOVE. My husband declared them the best peanut butter cookies ever – and I couldn’t agree more.
If you can eat peanut butter with a spoon and think anything ‘sweet and salty‘ is magical, you’ll go mad for these Peanut Butter Miso Cookies.
Using miso paste adds a salty umami taste, and when you pair it with the nuttiness of toasted brown butter, the creaminess of peanut butter and the sweetness of cookie dough, you have something other-worldly.
While you do have to chill the dough (only for two hours!), you don’t have to get out the electric mixer, so it’s a low effort cookie. And you will love the buttery texture of these cookies, promise!
Why you will love these cookies
- Quick and easy: The cookie dough comes together fast – no electric mixer needed.
- Sweet and salty: Expect a salty caramel-like flavour with peanut butter nuttiness.
- Perfect thickness: These cookies spread just the right amount – not too thick and not too thin.
- Make-ahead: You can make the cookie dough ahead of time and just bake as needed.
These cookies are AWESOME! One of my favourite aspects is the texture, chewy on the inside with a nice crispy exterior. Will definitely be making these again!
– Kally
Recipe testing
It is no secret that I’m a BIG fan of The Great British Bake Off. It provides me with great baking inspiration.
It’s been the inspo behind my Lemon Drizzle Cake, my Chocolate Cake Roll and my Almond Raspberry Cake.
So all you GBBO fans out there won’t be surprised to hear that miso has been on my mind since one of the contestants, Crystelle, seemed to put it in everything. While it’s traditionally used in Japanese cuisine, I’ve been seeing it more and more in baked goods due to it’s sweet umami flavour.
A few weekends ago, I went to one of my favourite bakeries here in Melbourne and they had a Peanut Butter Miso Cookie. I bought it, ate it, and honestly it was one of the best cookies I’ve ever had. So I knew I had to recreate it.
I first tried adapting my White Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe which starts with room temperature butter. I added peanut butter and miso to the dough, but the cookie was so thick, it didn’t spread at all.
I played around with the amount of flour and sugars, but the cookies got worse. They were more and more doughy and I had major issues with my cookies not spreading.
As usual, I documented the process, including all my failures, on Instagram Stories. One of my lovely readers suggested I tried brown butter. Brilliant!
So for test five, I took inspiration from my Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe and went from there, adding in peanut butter and miso. The results were SO GOOD.
The toasty, nutty flavour from the brown butter not only bumped up the sweet and salty flavour, but it solved the spreading issues too!
I tested a couple of iterations and found my perfect cookie thickness (left). But I know many of you will prefer a thin and crispy cookie, so I’ve included instructions for slightly less flour for a flatter cookie too.
I hope you love these as much as me and my family! Don’t tell people the secret ingredient and see if they can guess! 😉 Next up, miso chocolate chip cookies – what do you think?
Ingredients
Apart from miso paste, this Miso Peanut Butter Cookie recipe only calls for very common ingredients. And nowadays, miso paste is available at many large supermarkets (or online) so hopefully it won’t be hard for you to track down.
Here’s a quick rundown of the key ingredients you’ll need:
- Butter: This recipe calls for brown butter which you can easily do on the stove using a saucepan. I usually use unsalted butter and I don’t add any salt to the dough as miso is plenty salty! I prefer to add sea salt flakes to the top of the cookies after they’ve been baked.
- Sugars: After testing this recipe using only brown sugar, I found using BOTH caster sugar (or granulated sugar) and brown sugar (light brown sugar not dark brown sugar) produced the best results. Caster sugar helps create those crispy edges, while brown sugar enhances the caramel flavours at play and contributes to the cookie’s chewy texture.
- Peanut butter: I tested this recipe using processed peanut butter like Bega, Skippy or Jif. However, I do think that a natural peanut butter would also work. I used smooth peanut butter here, but crunchy peanut butter is ok too if you want more texture.
- Miso paste: These Peanut Butter Miso Cookies have white miso paste in them. This soybean paste offers the perfect balance of saltiness. I haven’t tested them with any other type of miso paste like red miso or yellow miso. I used Tasty Miso brand of white miso.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to make Peanut Butter Miso Cookies
You don’t need an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer to make these cookies. Once you brown the butter, you’ll mix together all the ingredients simply using a medium bowl.
Here’s a quick snapshot of how to make them. The full method and instructions are included in the recipe card below.
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Step 1: Add butter to a light coloured saucepan and place on medium heat. Whisk occasionally until milk solids separate, turn golden brown and butter smells nutty.
Step 2: Transfer brown butter to a mixing bowl and leave to cool for 5 minutes. Add peanut butter and miso paste. Stir using a whisk until smooth and combined.
Step 3: Add egg and vanilla extract.
Step 4: Whisk gently by hand until combined and smooth.
Step 5: Add sugars, flour and baking soda. Stir gently using a spatula until combined.
Step 6: Cover cookie dough with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for AT LEAST one hour, preferably two.
Step 7: Scoop and roll cookie dough balls (approximately 1.5-2 tablespoons each). Place on prepared baking sheet, leaving room for them to spread.
Step 8: Bake cookies for approximately 12 minutes or until golden on the edges. Leave to cool completely on a cooling rack. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes.
How do I brown butter?
Why use brown butter in cookies? Brown butter, also known as beurre noisette, adds incredible flavour to baked goods. It is simply the art of toasting butter over medium heat until the milk solids separate and caramelise.
This technique imparts a rich, nutty, caramel-like flavour and can be used in place of regular butter as a flavour enhancer.
One thing to note when browning butter is that there will be some water evaporation, so once you’ve browned your butter, you will end up with less weight. I’ve taken this into account in this Peanut Butter Miso Cookie recipe.
So while you will start with 115 grams of butter, you will likely only end up with 95-100 grams of butter for the cookie dough.
Here’s how to brown butter in three simple steps:
- In a light-coloured saucepan, add chopped butter. Place on medium heat and swirl pan occasionally as the butter melts.
- Continue to watch as butter bubbles and starts to turn golden brown. Keep whisking as the butter develops a foam on top.
- Once the milk solids have separated, turned golden brown and the butter smells nutty, remove butter from heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl to cool slightly.
Jess’s tips for success
I’ve made these cookies more than 12 times in the last couple of weeks, so I’ve learnt what to do (and what not to do! 😂). Here are my expert tips:
- Use a baking scale: To achieve the perfect Peanut Butter Miso Cookie that spreads just the right amount, you will need a baking scale. Not only will it help you measure the right amount of flour (too much flour and your cookies won’t spread), but you’ll also be able to double check the weight of butter after it’s been browned.
- Chill your cookie dough: Be sure to chill your cookie dough for 1-2 hours for best results (or even overnight). This not only helps the flavours to develop but it ensures the butter firms and prevents the cookies from over-spreading.
- Consider the bake time: If you are like me and prefer a chewy peanut butter cookie, take the cookies out when they still look a little under-done. They will firm up slightly as they cool. If you love a thin, crispy cookie, bake them for a few extra minutes – and consider adding slightly less flour as noted in the recipe below.
Frequently asked questions
Sorry no! The peanut butter is a key element to this recipe. But you could try my Tahini Cookies which are similar.
Absolutely! Adding 1/2 cup of chocolate chips to the cookie dough would be a very good thing. Or you could use chopped dark chocolate.
Store Peanut Butter Miso Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
Absolutely! You can make the dough and keep it in the fridge for up to three days. Then simply roll and bake as per instructions below. Or you can roll the cookie dough into balls and freeze them. Then let them defrost for 15 minutes at room temperature before baking.
More cookies to love
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Let’s Bake
Peanut Butter Miso Cookies Recipe
Brown butter Peanut Butter Miso Cookies made from scratch.
Ingredients
- 115 grams (1/2 cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter
- 24 grams (3 level teaspoons) white miso paste
- 60 grams (1/4 cup) smooth peanut butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 175 grams (1 and 1/4 cup) plain flour or all purpose flour (see notes)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 100 grams (1/2 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 90 grams (1/2 cup) brown sugar
- Sea salt flakes, for serving
Instructions
- Brown the butter
Add butter to a medium-sized saucepan (see notes), and place on medium heat. Gently stir or swirl the pan occasionally as the butter melts. - From here, use a whisk to continually stir the butter and watch as it starts to brown and go foamy. Keep whisking so you can see underneath the foam and watch as little flecks of milk solids appear.
- The butter and the milk solids will turn golden brown, and eventually a deeper amber colour (see photo below). You’ll know your butter is ready when it has a nutty aroma. It might also have quite a thick head of foam by this point. The whole process can take up to 10 minutes.
- Once your butter is browned, transfer the butter (and ALL the milk solids) to a medium-sized mixing bowl and set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Make cookie dough
Use a baking scale to measure the butter. With moisture-loss, you should now have between 95-100 grams of butter. - Add miso paste and peanut butter to brown butter and whisk to combine. Then add egg and vanilla and whisk again until smooth.
- Swap whisk for a spatula or wooden spoon. Add flour, baking soda and sugars. Gently mix until you have a soft cookie dough. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for AT LEAST 1 hour.
- Bake cookies
Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Line two baking trays with baking or parchment paper. - Scoop out cookie dough using a medium cookie scoop (roughly 1.5-2 tablespoons of dough per cookie) and place balls on prepared oven trays, leaving room for the cookies to spread.
- Bake cookies for 12 minutes (see notes) or until golden brown. Leave cookies to cool completely on a wire rack. Generously sprinkle cookies with sea salt flakes before serving.
Notes
Saucepan: A light coloured saucepan is best so you can see clearly when the butter is browned.
Browning the butter: Don’t rush this step. If you take butter off too early, it won’t have that deep, caramel-like flavour we are looking for. On the other hand, if you leave it too long or have the heat too high, you can accidentally burn the butter. Remember to keep stirring and watch your butter closely.
Miso paste: I used white miso paste which can found at local supermarkets in the Asian aisle or online. I used Tasty Miso brand.
Peanut butter: I tested this recipe using processed peanut butter like Bega, Skippy or Jif. However, I do think that a natural-style peanut butter would also work. I used smooth peanut butter but crunchy would also work if you want more texture.
Thinner cookies: If you prefer a thinner cookie, use 140 grams (1 cup) plain flour or all purpose flour. Everything else can remain the same.
Cook time: For a softer, chewier cookie bake for 12 minutes, for a crispier cookies, go for 14 minutes. Remember cookies firm up as they cool.
Storage: Store Peanut Butter Miso Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
Make-ahead: You can make the dough and keep it in the fridge for up to three days. Then simply roll and bake as per instructions above. Or you can roll the cookie dough into balls and freeze them. Then let them defrost for 15 minutes at room temperature before baking.
Nutrition Information
Laurie says
These were OK. I expected more of a peanut flavour and I assumed salt was left out of the mix b/c miso is salty but I thought they could use salt. I used whiskey instead of vanilla.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Laurie, thanks for your feedback. You are right, I didn’t add salt to the cookie dough because of the saltiness of both the miso and the peanut butter. Also, I prefer to go heavy handed with the sea salt flakes on top as mentioned in the recipe. Not sure how whiskey would have changed the flavour but perhaps it overpowered the pb.
Brittany says
This cookie is amazing. Each time I make a peanut butter miso cookie I try a different recipe to see which I like best. This one is definitely at the top. It really has the perfect balance of flavor. I topped some with flaky sea salt. Others I rolled in Demerara sugar before baking. It as a HIT with my co-workers. Every time we ate one we would say, “It’s just so good! It’s the perfect cookie!” LOL I recommend giving this recipe a try.
Jessica Holmes says
How cool! I’m so glad you loved this one Brittany. It’s one of my favourites as well!
Sarah says
Omg YUM!! This cookie is just wow. As soon as I saw this recipe being created I knew I had to bake it!
These are so tasty, chewy, flavoursome and a real treat. I can’t decide if it’s the browned butter or the miso that’s the hero, but either way these are a hit. My husband hasn’t stopped eating them. Always a pleasure to bake one of your recipes Jess!
Jessica Holmes says
Wow! I’m so glad you enjoyed them as much as we did Sarah! It is hard to describe like you said, but altogether it’s just one moreish cookie. Thank you for your kind review.
Kally says
These cookies are AWESOME!!! They are so well balanced, the miso lends a subtle salty flavor and the peanut butter is not overpowering. One of my favorite aspects is the texture, chewy on the inside with a nice crispy exterior. Will definitely be making these again! (They’re also very easy, small pot and one bowl, no mixer needed!)
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed them Kally! I’m with you – the texture is so moreish!
Josh says
These were excellent!
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed them Josh!