Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bites

These Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bites are incredibly simple and easy to throw together. Almost all of the time involved is chill time for the bars in the fridge. And I won't lie to you...it's pretty difficult to have to wait that long to dive in there, but I promise it's worth it!

The bites are a mix between cookie dough and fudge. I knew I didn't want the bites to be stiff or crumbly when cold (if not brought to temperature), so I decided to add sweetened condensed milk to replicate the process of making fudge! This also allows them to be enjoyed straight out of the fridge and they're totally soft, chewy and perfect! Let's just say these turned out pretty epic.

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• Unsalted butter. This needs to be at room temperature, and preferably not toooo room temperature.
• Light brown sugar. For that classic cookie dough flavor.
• Granulated sugar. Also ^.
• Vanilla paste or extract. I always mention vanilla paste because I truly notice a huge difference vs. using extract. Here's the vanilla paste I always use.
• Creamy peanut butter. Jiff, Skippy, Peter Pan, etc. Do not use natural peanut butter, it contains too much oil.
• All-purpose flour. IT MUST GET HEAT TREATED (aka baked) first. You cannot skip this step or you could make people sick.
• Sea salt. Normal for the dough, flaky for the garnish.
• Sweetened condensed milk. This makes the cookie dough resemble fudge and keeps everything soft and moist.
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips. Use normal or mini! Really whatever types and flavors of chips sounds good to you in the moment.

PSA: You CANNOT eat raw flour! Flour can host quite a bit of bacteria, so if it is not heat treated, it cannot be consumed. When people say "don't eat raw cookie dough," this is the reason! It's actually not the eggs, contrary to popular belief. Eggs in the U.S. are pasteurized, making them mostly safe to eat raw. It's the flour that's a no go!

To treat your flour before adding it to the cookie dough, place a piece of parchment paper to cover a full-sized sheet pan. Spread the flour evenly over the pan, then bake in a fully pre-heated 350F oven for 8 minutes. Allow the flour to cool completely, then sift it into a bowl before adding to the dough. The flour has a tendency to clump up during the baking process, so this helps to get a totally smooth cookie dough.

• Preheat the oven to 350F and spread the flour evenly over a parchment lined baking sheet. Once preheated, bake the flour for 8 minutes then allow to cool completely. Once cool, sift the flour into a bowl. The flour has a tendency to clump up during baking, and we want to make sure we can have a super smooth cookie dough fudge!
• Throw the chocolate chips in the freezer before starting to make the dough. This step helps to keep the choccies in tact when they get mixed into the dough.
• Cream the butter and sugars in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or with a handheld mixer) for about 3 minutes on medium high. It will look much fluffier. Then, add the vanilla and peanut butter and mix to combine, then scrape down the sides.
• Add the sifted flour with the mixer on low speed until just combined. Then, with the mixer on low, stream in the sweetened condensed milk. You will see a change in consistency of the dough, and it will take on a bit of sheen. Finally, add in the chocolate chips on low speed until evenly dispersed.
• Line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper slings and press the dough evenly into the pan. Be sure to get the dough the whole way into the sides and corners. I like to do this with a rubber spatula and my hands, but you can also use the bottom of a dry measuring cup. Place it in the fridge for 1 hour to chill and firm up.

• Once firm, microwave the chocolate and peanut butter in 20 second increments, stirring after every 20 seconds, until completely smooth. Spread evenly over top of the peanut butter cookie dough fudge and chill for one more hour.

• Before serving, add flaky sea salt (optional), then cut into 36 pieces and enjoy!

YES! These freeze super well. Wrap the bites in plastic wrap, then place into a ziplock bag or Tupperware container. Store them for up to 6 months. Transfer to the fridge for 2 hours before enjoying.