Who knew miso paste worked so well in peanut butter cookies?
It might sound weird, but it’s true! These peanut butter miso cookies are the perfect balance of sweet and savory goodness. Coated in demerara sugar, every bite offer the perfect contrast of crisp exterior and chewy, peanut buttery interior. These have become my go-to peanut butter cookie and they’re sure to become yours as well!
A few notes:
- The peanut butter: Crunchy or creamy both work for these peanut butter cookies but I recommend using the unprocessed versions ( i.e. sugar and salt free). The miso actually acts as the salt in the recipe and there’s enough sugar in the dough and coating the outside of the cookie that any additional will be over kill.
- The miso: I typically use yellow miso since that’s what I’m able to find most often in my local grocery store. The original recipe recommends white miso and I’ve seen online that red works as well (note: the miso/umami flavor will be a little more intense with red miso.) Here’s a great article explaining the differences between the various pastes if you want to learn more.
- Yes, bang the baking sheet: These cookies are meant to be *thin.* Banging the baking tray on a flat surface and then letting the cookies bake a little longer releases any trapped air and ensures they bake nice and crisp.
Peanut Butter Miso Cookies
These Peanut Butter Miso Cookies are a delicious twist on the classic, combining the rich, nutty flavor of peanut butter with the umami depth of miso. Rolled in demerara sugar for a crunchy finish, each cookie has a perfect balance of sweet and savory, with a crisp exterior and a soft, chewy center. They're an unexpected treat that's sure to impress!
Equipment
- Hand or Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- 1¾ Cup Flour
- ¾ tsp Baking soda
- ½ tsp Baking powder
- ½ Cup Unsalted butter Room temperature
- 1 Cup Brown sugar
- ½ Cup Sugar
- ⅓ Cup Miso paste Preferably yellow or white
- ¼ Cup Peanut butter Preferably unsweetened and unsalted
- 1 Egg Room temperature
- 1½ tsp Vanilla
- ½ Demerara sugar plus more as needed
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.1¾ Cup Flour, ¾ tsp Baking soda, ½ tsp Baking powder
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).½ Cup Unsalted butter, 1 Cup Brown sugar, ½ Cup Sugar
- Add the miso paste and peanut butter, mixing until well combined. Then add the egg and vanilla, mixing again.⅓ Cup Miso paste, ¼ Cup Peanut butter, 1 Egg, 1½ tsp Vanilla
- Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing on low until just combined. Repeat twice more until all the flour has been incorporated, taking care not to over mix.
- Scoop out about a palm sized portion of dough (1.5-2 tablespoons) and roll into a ball. Coat in demerara sugar and then transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.½ Demerara sugar
- Once the dough has chilled, preheat your oven to 350℉. Arrange your dough balls on a parchment lined baking sheet with no more than 9 to a sheet.
- Bake for about 15 minutes until the edges start to crisp and the centers are slightly puffed. Remove from the oven, and hit the baking sheet against a flat surface. Place back in the oven and bake for another 3-4 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, hit the sheet one more time against a flat surface, and then let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Notes
- The peanut butter: Crunchy or creamy both work for these peanut butter cookies but I recommend using the unprocessed versions ( i.e. sugar and salt free). The miso actually acts as the salt in the recipe and there’s enough sugar in the dough and coating the outside of the cookie that any additional will be over kill.
- The miso: I typically use yellow miso since that’s what I’m able to find most often in my local grocery store. The original recipe recommends white miso and I’ve seen online that red works as well (note: the miso/umami flavor will be a little more intense with red miso.) Here’s a great article explaining the differences between the various pastes if you want to learn more.
- Yes, bang the baking sheet: These cookies are meant to be *thin.* Banging the baking tray on a flat surface and then letting the cookies bake a little longer releases any trapped air and ensures they bake nice and crisp.
