Dinosaurs are a big deal around here. I have always been a fan of dinosaurs and was quite happy to learn that my son turned out to be as well. We’ve taken special trips to museums just to see fossils. We play a lot of Ark: Survival Evolved together. You could say we’re dinoholics. Naturally, ( being peanut butter-o-holics as well) I had to come up with a fun recipe for peanut butter dinosaur fossil cookies.
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This is a great recipe to make with kids. It comes together with just a few ingredients and it’s totally fun to make! Who wouldn’t love stomping around in cookie dough with toy dinosaurs?
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How to Make Peanut Butter Dinosaur Fossil Cookies
If you’re not a fan of peanut butter you can grab my favorite sugar cookie recipe here or even my snickerdoodle cookie recipe here. Either of these cookies would be a great base to add dinosaur “fossil” footprints to.
You can also use any nut butter alternatives that you prefer here. Even tahini would work great in this cookie!
3/4 granulated sugar
3/4 C light brown sugar
2 medium eggs
2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract ( I prefer to use this one for baking )
Combine the peanut butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed until it becomes smooth and fluffy.
Add the eggs to the bowl of the stand mixer one at a time and then add the vanilla. Blend until everything is combined.
Sift the dry ingredients together in a separate mixing bowl and use a whisk to stir lightly until everything is just combined.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the peanut butter mixture in the bowl of the stand mixer and blend until everything is combined.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or a reusable beeswax wrap and let it chill in the fridge for about 30 to 45 minutes.
Turn the dough out onto a flour or powdered sugar-covered surface and roll out to about 1 and a half-inch thickness.
Having trouble trying to determine how thick 1.5 inches is? Using a silicone pastry mat can be a great way to begin to learn the size your dough should be to get 1 and a half inch cookies!
Use a round cookie cutter to cut cookies from the rolled out dough. Then take a ( properly cleaned!) medium-sized dinosaur toy to press footprints down into each of the cookie rounds.
Place the cookies into a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cookies begin to turn a light golden brown around the edges.
Let the cookies cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
How to Store Peanut Butter Dinosaur Fossil Cookies
These cookies store best on the counter in an airtight container, but you can also store them in the fridge if you prefer. I find that they tend to get crunchy a little bit faster in the fridge.
This cookie recipe will last for about a week on the counter. If you want them to last a little bit longer you can put them into the freezer for about a month or two.
Peanut Butter Fossil Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 C natural peanut butter
- ¾ C granulated sugar
- ¾ C light brown sugar
- 2 med eggs
- 2½ C all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine the peanut butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium until smooth and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time followed by the milk and vanilla extract.
- Sift the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl and stir lightly with a whisk until just combined.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl of the stand mixer and blend until everything is combined. ( Be careful not to overblend here)
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375° F when you have about 15 minutes left in the chilling time.
- Turn the dough out onto a powdered sugar-dusted surface once the chill time has elapsed and roll out to a 1½ inch thickness. Cut circle-shaped cookies out using a round cookie cutter.
- Use a (sanitized) toy dinosaur to press footprints down into each cookie. You can also use things like shells or plastic bugs to make unique fossil shapes.
- Place cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and cook for 10-12 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes and then move to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
- You can use a cookie decorating brush and a little cinnamon to darken the footprints slightly or add a sandy texture to the cookies. ( Just don't overdo it because cinnamon can get a little overpowering quickly!)
