Peanut Butter Cream Cheese No Bake Cookies

Yes, it is still summer.

Yes, it is still 1,000,000 degrees outside.

Yes, I am still refusing to turn on my oven.

Yes, I still want to eat cookies.

What's a girl to do? Especially when I don't want to eat the usual haystack / oatmeal no-bake cookies. Don't get me wrong...those are delicious too...I just want something different. 

Something a bit prettier.

Come on....admit it.... the haystack type cookies look a little sketchy. I can't be the only one that thinks that.

Anyway, I decided to invent a new no-bake cookie to share with the world.

These turned out to be a cross between a peanut butter cup and cheesecake with graham cracker crust.

Hooray for no bake treats!

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese No Bake Cookies

Ingredients

1 8oz brick cream cheese

1 cup oreo cookie baking crumbs

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup peanut butter

3/4 cup icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup peanut butter chips

Directions

Line a cookie sheet with plastic wrap. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream cream cheese until smooth. Add in oreo crumbs and blend until smooth. Using a wooden spoon, stir in graham cracker crumbs until mixture comes together into a fairly firm dough.

Using a small cookie scoop, scoop dough onto prepared cookie sheet. (If you don't have a cookie scoop simply pinch off golf ball sized balls and place on cookie sheet.) Press a one teaspoon measuring spoon into each ball to make an indent. (Or use your thumb.)

In a medium bowl, mix together peanut butter, icing sugar, and vanilla. It will be fairly crumbly but should stick together if you squeeze a bit of it in your hand. (If it is too sticky simply add a bit more icing sugar until it is dry. If it is too crumbly and won't stick together, add a bit more peanut butter.)

Using your 1 teaspoon measuring spoon, scoop out 1 teaspoon of the peanut butter mixture and roll it into a ball. Place the ball in the indent in the cookie.

Now, simply press the cream cheese/graham cracker dough around the peanut butter center and press to seal. Gently re-roll into a ball. Repeat until all cookies are filled.

Using the palm of your hand, GENTLY press the ball until it is flattened.

Melt the 1/2 cup of peanut butter chips in the microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted. Spoon into a plastic resealable bag and snip a teeny tiny corner off.

Drizzle over the cookies on the cookie sheet.

Ooooooh! Pretty! Not haystack-y at all.

The fact that they taste kind of like cheesecake is an extra bonus.

These store best in the fridge. That is, if you can keep yourself from eating them all.

Good luck.

I mean, look at the peanut buttery goodness surrounded by that cheesecakey deliciousness.

AND, you didn't even have to turn on the oven.

I think these took me about 15 - 20 minutes to whip up, which is NOT a good thing if you are trying to eat vegetables and not cookies. If they had taken 6 hours to make then I probably wouldn't make them very often. As it stands, I will be enjoying these for the rest of the summer...until I can turn my oven on again.

Maybe someone can invent a vegetable that tastes like cookies and save me.

Visit Ms. enPlace for some cool links.

And, don't forget My Turn (for us) and The Comforts Of Home as well!