Chubby Hubby Cookies

These chubby hubby cookies are my deliciously fun twist on one of our favorite ice cream flavors, and absolutely irresistible with an ice cold glass of milk. Made with the flavors of vanilla and malt, chunks of chocolate peanut butter pretzels in the cookie dough, plus a drizzle of peanut buttery chocolate on top, and with even more crushed chocolate peanut butter pretzels, this chubby hubby cookies recipe is definitely a cookie lover’s dream!

Freshly baked and no freezer required

We all love ice cream in our family, and when the summer season is in full swing, it's one of our favorite ways to beat the heat!

While I would consider myself a little more boring when it comes to ice cream flavors, forgoing all the bells and whistles available as extras and toppings, my hubby loves to go all out with unique flavors, mix-ins and sauces, even opting for a chocolatey waffle cone as his preferred ice cream vessel.

While we try to limit our ice cream consumption these days ("try" being the operative word—haha!), there was a time when we always had a couple cartons on hand...

One of the flavors my hubs really liked was Ben & Jerry's Chubby Hubby: a vanilla malt base filled with fudge-covered pretzels, peanut butter, and fudge swirls—wowee!

Of course, that got my little recipe creating gears going, and I thought it would be a really fun twist to make cookies inspired by that decadent ice cream flavor for the ultimate cookie experience!

My chubby hubby cookies are made with a vanilla and malt cookie dough base loaded up with chunks of chocolate peanut butter stuffed pretzels, then baked off and topped with a drizzle of peanut buttery chocolate and even more chunks of chocolate peanut butter stuffed pretzels on top.

Decadent? Absolutely! And so, so irresistible with a tall glass of ice cold milk. And the bonus? No freezer required!

So if you love Chubby Hubby ice cream like we do, or just love a fun, unique and over-the-top take on cookies, then my chubby hubby cookies recipe is definitely for you.

And if you really want to go all out? Grab two of these cookies, put a big scoop of Chubby Hubby ice cream in between, and make a mouthwatering ice cream sandwich out of 'em!

My recipe for chubby hubby cookies

Recreating an ice cream flavor in cookie form is a really, really tough job... just kidding, of course! 😉

Playing around with recipes like this is one of my favorite activities. And the best part? The results are sweet, delicious, and so fun to enjoy and share with loved ones.

To recreate the flavors in this beloved ice cream (as closely as possible), I add lots of vanilla and malted milk powder to the base of these cookies. This gives rich, warm, milky notes, which we love. I also use both granulated and brown sugar, for sweetness and warmth.

Since the ice cream has chunks of fudge-covered peanut butter pretzels, I use the same for the cookies, chopping them into chunks that can be folded into the batter.

To really drive the flavors home, once the cookies are baked off and cooled, I drizzle a combo of melted chocolate chips and peanut butter chips over top. I then sprinkle on a little more crushed chocolatey peanut butter pretzels to take them to the next level.

They really do taste a lot like chubby hubby ice cream, only in chewy, rich and delicious cookie form!

Here's a sneak peek at my chubby hubby cookies recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I mix together the dry ingredients and set those aside.
2. Next, I cream together the butter and the sugars, then add in the eggs, followed by the vanilla and the malted milk powder.
3. I then add in the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
4. Next, I add in my chopped, chocolate peanut butter pretzels (reserving some for the topping), and gently fold them into the cookie dough.
5. Then, I chill the dough for 30 minutes, and finally scoop generous tablespoon-size portions of the dough.
6. I then prepare my baking sheets, and bake the cookies at 350° for about 12 to 14 minutes.
7. While the cookies bake, I melt together my chocolate and peanut butter chips.
8. Once the cookies are cooled, I apply the finishing touches, and allow everything to set before enjoying the cookies.

Recipe

Chubby Hubby Cookies

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

These chubby hubby cookies are flavored with malted milk, and loaded with chocolate-peanut butter pretzels then drizzled with chocolate!

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Yield: 36 cookies

Nutrition Info: 174 calories (per cookie)

Prep Time: 45 minutes (includes chill time for cookie dough)
Cook time: 13 minutes
Total time: 58 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups plus ¼ scant cup, all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temp
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temp
• 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup malted milk powder
• 2 cups roughly chopped chocolate peanut butter-filled pretzels, divided use
• ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons peanut butter chips

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. In a small/medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and pinch of salt to aerate and combine. Set these dry ingredients aside for a moment.
3. To the bowl of a standing mixer fitter with a paddle attachment, add the butter and the two sugars, and cream them together just until incorporated and fluffy.
4. Next, add the eggs in one at a time, allowing each to fully incorporate before adding the next one. Then, mix in the vanilla.
5. Next, sprinkle in the malted milk powder and allow that to fully incorporate.
6. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the batter, and once fully incorporated, sprinkle in 1 ½ cups of the chopped chocolate-peanut butter pretzel pieces, and briefly allow those to incorporate.
7. Chill the dough for about 30 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°, and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats.
9. When dough chilled, scoop out generous tablespoon-size portions of the dough and place onto your prepared baking sheet(s). Bake for about 12 to 14 minutes, or until golden. Place onto wire racks to cool completely.
10. Prepare the drizzle by melting the chocolate chips and the peanut butter chips in a bowl in the microwave, or set over boiling water.
11. Once melted, gently swirl the two together using a fork, and drizzle over the fully cooled cookies. Then, sprinkle some of the remaining ½ cup of chopped chocolate peanut butter-filled pretzel pieces over the drizzle, and allow to cool and set up before serving.

Tips & Tidbits for my chubby hubby cookies recipe:

• Malted milk powder and vanilla for flavor: To create that malted milk and vanilla flavor, use good quality malted milk powder and pure vanilla extract. You can readily find malted milk powder in the markets (or on line), and use a good quality, aromatic vanilla as well.
• Chocolate covered, peanut butter filled pretzels: For that classic add-in, I like to use peanut butter filled pretzels that are chocolate covered (I like the ones from Trader Joe's—they look like pretzel nuggets), and give those a rough chop to keep some larger chunks and some smaller. Reserve ½ cup full for the topping after the cookies are baked for added texture.
• Make an ice cream sandwich as an extra decadent treat: Really want the best of both worlds? Take a couple of these scrumptious chubby hubby cookies and add a scoop of chubby hubby ice cream between them to make a ridiculously delicious chubby hubby ice cream sandwich!

Craving more sweet and cozy cookies? Check out my recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies with Roasted Hazelnuts, Brownie Cookies, Pumpkin Oatmeal Cream Pies, Pancakes 'n' Bacon Cookies, or my recipe for Oatmeal Scotchies with Chocolate Chips!

Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2014, and has been updated with even more love!