These Miso Peanut Butter Cookies are delicious chewy, nutty and sweet. While the miso paste isn’t detectable, it adds a delicious savoriness that is craveable. You can’t eat just one.
What Is Miso
Miso is a traditional Japanese fermented paste made from soybeans, salt and sometimes rice, seaweed and/or barley.
Some of the most common types of miso are as follows:
- white miso – this recipe calls for white miso and is pretty easy to find in most grocery stores. It has a mild and sweeter flavor since it has a shorter fermentation process.
- red or dark miso – is fermented for a longer period of time, resulting in a stronger, funkier flavor. I think it would also work great in this cookie as well.
Either option of miso will work in this recipe; it’s up to you! For the record, I used the white miso. It’s generally the one I have in my fridge since I tend to use this type of miso for cooking, making salad dressings, etc.
Miso In Cookies?!
It may seem like an ingredient that doesn’t have its place in something sweet, but I disagree. I’m definitely not the first to do this. Miso in baked goods and desserts has gotten pretty popular in the past couple years.
I love them in chocolate chip cookies and brownies. They add a delicious savory flavor to the baked good without really detecting its presence.
What Do These Cookies Taste Like
Honestly they taste like a chewy peanut butter cookie. BUT they have this undetectable savory flavor that makes you want to keep eating them over and over. I love rolling them in sugar and sesame seeds for some added texture.
The sugar really balances out the nuttiness from the peanut butter and miso. If you want to skip sesame seeds, feel free!
How to Make Miso Peanut Butter Cookies
- Whisk together the dry ingredients and set them aside.
- Beat together the softened butter, peanut butter and miso. You want it fully combined, so about 2 minutes. Add in the white sugar and brown sugar and cream once more for about 2 minutes.
- Add in the vanilla and egg; mix until fully combined. Pour in the dry ingredients and mix until you no longer see any speckles of flour.
- In a shallow bowl or plate, mix together the sugar and sesame seeds with your hands.
- Scoop out balls of cookie dough and roll them in between your palms to form a ball. Roll them in the sugar/sesame mixture and transfer to a baking sheet about 4-inches apart.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, just until the edges are lightly golden brown. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.
Tips and Tricks
- Finding miso – miso is pretty readily available in most grocery stores. The most common you’ll find is white/yellow miso. If you have trouble finding it, head to your local Asian grocery market.
- Weighing flour – for cookies, I like to weigh my flour because even 5 grams can give you a different consistency.
Looking for more recipes? Here are some favorites:
- Miso Chocolate Chip Cookies
- The Best Caesar Salad
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Honey Lime Wings
- Garlic Shrimp Bok Choy Stir-Fry
If you make these Miso Peanut Butter Cookies, let me know on Instagram!
Miso Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie Dough:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (180g)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (113g)
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (if there is any oil sitting at the top of the jar, stir before using)
- 3 tbls white miso (see note below about other types of miso)
- 1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar (100g)
- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar (50g)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
For Rolling:
- 1/4 cup white granulated (50g)
- 3 tbls black sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment and set aside. On a plate or shallow bowl, combine the sugar and sesame seeds. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and baking soda.
- In the bowl of a stand-up mixer with the paddle attachment (you could also do this in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer), add the butter, peanut butter and miso. Blend until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar, white sugar and vanilla; cream together for a full 2 minutes, until very creamy and a light pale brown color. Add in the egg and vanilla and blend one last time.
- Pour in the flour all at once and mix on low (so the flour doesn’t fly out) until you no longer see any speckles of flour. Using a medium (2 ounce) cookie scoop, scoop out balls of dough and roll them in between your palms to form a ball. Roll them in the sugar/sesame mixture and transfer them to the baking sheet about 5-inches apart.
- You’ll have to do this in batches. Using the tines of a fork, press down to flatten slightly and then turn the fork perpendicular and flatten them slightly again. This should form a criss cross pattern.
- Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for about 9-11 minutes. Just until the edges are lightly golden brown. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Finding miso – miso is pretty readily available in most grocery stores. The most common you’ll find is white/yellow miso. If you have trouble finding it, head to your local Asian grocery market.
- Weighing flour – for cookies, I like to weigh my flour because even 5 grams can give you a different consistency.
- *White miso – this recipe calls for white miso and is pretty easy to find in most grocery stores. It has a mild and sweeter flavor since it has a shorter fermentation process.
- *Red or dark miso – is fermented for a longer period of time, resulting in a stronger, funkier flavor. I think it would also work great in this cookie as well.
Will an 8×8 pan be big enough or do you recommend using a 9×13?
I am super intrigued by this recipe! I can’t wait to try it! And I’m with you on the whole wheat pasta. I think it tastes like the box it comes in!
What did you think about The Keepers?! I have so many theories!
The Keepers was crazy. I grew up Catholic so it was especially crazy for me. I honestly don’t ever remember any kid ever talking about this type of stuff happening, but I also wasn’t a vulnerable kid. Now, I’m like was this going on in my school?!?!?! Probably….
Made this over the weekend and it came out wonderful. I totally didn’t know what to expect with the miso-cheese combo, but I loved it. I think my garlic clove was bigger than average, and for people who don’t love garlic as much as I do, it might have been too much. I was really impressed with how well it reheated too. Normally baked mac and cheese gets kind of coagulated upon reheating for me (not that it keeps me from eating it!), but this time the texture was just as creamy and perfect as it was fresh from the oven. Maybe it was the addition of the blended cauliflower. Definitely going to check out the book. Thanks for posting this!
I think you mean panko breadcrumbs, instead of panic breadcrumbs. But panic breadcrumbs is pretty funny.
dang autocorrect! 🙂
I love the notion of “panic” breadcrumbs. Don’t you just love auto correct?
OMG hahah I love that. It’s so fitting.
I literally thought you’d coined a term for tearing up/toasting bread crumbs in a hurry if you’re out of them aka “panic” breadcrumbs
Hahah I wish I had been that smart!
Fascinating recipe but I’m very curious how the Miso tastes in Mac and cheese along with the cauliflower.
i’m digging this miso mac and cheese situation! i’m not sure about whole grain pasta either, but i gotta say that the fibre aspect of it is appealing LOL
i totally wanna cook this, maybe cauliflower only!??!