Sumbitches Cookies (Peanut Butter Chocolate and Caramel Cookies)
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What I Love About My Sumbitches
I have to admit the name catches people off guard the first time they hear it. These cookies get their nickname from a scene in How I Met Your Mother. I had to make these cookies after I saw one of the finale episodes back in 2014! In the episode, Lilly insists that she does not care if the cookies may be poisoned, peanut butter, chocolate, and caramel is reason enough to keep eating, and I totally get it. It’s been one of the family favorites ever since.
- The caramel bits hold their shape in the oven instead of melting into one sticky puddle, so every bite gets its own soft pocket of caramel.
- You get a real caramel and chocolate combination without unwrapping a single piece of candy, since the caramel bits and chips fold straight into the dough.
- No need for chilling the dough, so from mixing bowl to oven takes about 20 minutes.
- The name alone makes these a fun cookie to bring to a party, since people usually ask about it before they ask for the recipe.
Table of Contents
Key Ingredient Notes
- Peanut butter: use creamy, shelf-stable peanut butter here. Natural peanut butter has a different oil content, and that can make the dough a little more oily. I’ve tried using both, natural and regular, and they both work and doesn’t harm the cookies. The dough with natural peanut butter may look a little more oily, but cookies will still work great.
- Dark brown sugar: Dark brown sugar carries more molasses than light brown sugar. That extra moisture is part of why these cookies stay soft instead of turning crisp.
- Caramel bits: These are sold in the baking aisle, right near the chocolate chips, and that is genuinely the easiest form to use here since they hold their shape well in the oven. If you cannot find them, chopped soft caramel candies, like Werther’s, are the option I’d go with instead. Those are usually shelved in the candy aisle rather than the baking aisle. They run stickier than caramel bits and can spread a little more in the oven, so the cookies may lose a bit of their shape. You can always order caramel bits on Amazon, I’ve done it a few times.
- Mini chocolate chips: These spread more evenly through the dough than regular size chips. You get chocolate in nearly every bite instead of a few concentrated pockets.
How to Make Sumbitches Cookies
- Preheat and get your pan ready. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Cream the butter and sugar first. Beat them together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. This step is what gives the finished cookie a lighter texture, not a dense one.
- Mix in the peanut butter on low speed. Beating it in gently, rather than on high, keeps the dough from turning greasy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. Beat well after each egg and scrape down the bowl, so the batter stays smooth instead of curdling.
- Add the dry ingredients on low speed. Mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt just until no streaks of flour remain.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and caramel bits. Use a spatula to fold the goodies in. Folding by hand keeps the dough from overmixing and cookies from turning tough.
- Scoop, shape, and space the dough. Scoop the dough with a #40 cookie scoop for even sizing, then roll each portion into a ball, flatten it slightly, and space the cookies about 2 inches apart. You will get close to 24 cookies from one batch.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. The exact time depends on how large you scooped the dough. Look for edges that are set and just barely golden. The centers can look slightly soft when you pull the tray, and that is normal here.
- Let the cookies rest before moving them. Leave them on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes so they firm up enough to handle, then transfer them to a wire rack with a spatula.
CHEWY COOKIES TIP: For a chewier center, I pull the tray out around the 7 to 8 minute mark and give it a firm smack on the counter, then slide it back in for another minute or two, longer for bigger cookies. Smacking the tray knocks out the air bubbles that built up as the dough puffed, and that is what keeps the center chewy instead of cakey.
Success Tips for Sumbitches Cookies
- If you only have salted butter, skip the 1/4 teaspoon of salt in the recipe. Salted butter already has enough salt in it to balance the caramel and chocolate.
- Give the butter and sugar a full 2-3 minutes to cream together. That is what makes the difference between a light cookie and a dense one.
- Mix in the peanut butter on low speed and stop as soon as it is incorporated. Overmixing at this stage is what causes the oil to separate and the dough to turn greasy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one, so the batter stays smooth instead of curdling. Scrape down the bowl as you go so everything mixes in evenly.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and caramel bits by hand rather than with the mixer, so the dough does not get overmixed and turn tough.
- If you swap in chopped soft caramel candies for the caramel bits, lightly grease the parchment paper before you scoop the dough. Chopped caramels are a lot stickier than caramel bits, and the greased paper makes it much easier to lift the cookies off the pan.
- Pull the cookies when the edges are set and the centers still feels soft. Cookies pulled slightly underdone turn out softer and chewier once they cool.
- For an even chewier center, I pull the tray out around the 7 to 8 minute mark and give it a firm smack on the counter, then slide it back in for another minute or two longer for bigger cookies. Smacking the tray knocks out the air bubbles that built up as the dough puffed.
How to Store and Freeze Sumbitches Cookies
- Store: in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. The caramel bits stay soft as long as the container seals well.
- Freeze the dough: Scoop the dough into balls and freeze them on a tray until solid, about 2 hours. Transfer the frozen balls to a freezer bag, then bake straight from frozen, adding about 2 minutes to the bake time.
- Freeze the baked cookies: Cool them completely, then freeze them in a single layer until solid. Transfer to a freezer bag, where they will keep for up to 2 to 3 months.
Sumbitches Cookies Recipe FAQs
These cookies are also known as How I Met Your Mother cookies (or HIMYM cookies) because they are features in that TV show.
The Scene: In Season 9, Episode 1, Tracy McConnell (the “Mother”) gives these cookies to a stressed-out Lily on a train to Farhampton.
The Reaction: Lily takes a bite and exclaims, “There’s chocolate, peanut butter, and caramel in these sumbitches!”
The Name: Tracy replies, “Yes, I call them sumbitches!”
This batch makes about 24 cookies when you scoop with a #40 cookie scoop, which is the size I use and recommend. Rolling the dough into larger balls will get you fewer, bigger cookies instead.
Chopped soft caramel candies work, but they run stickier and can spread more in the oven. Unfortunately, no substitute is perfect.
They are usually in the baking aisle, right around the chocolate chips. If your store does not carry them, check Target or Walmart. One year, I’ve even ordered caramel bits on Amazon when my store was out and I needed them. There are a couple of options for brands.
I’ve noticed that with some brands of peanut butter. If the peanut butter is overly oily, make sure to mix it very well before adding to the batter. It does not seem to hurt the cookies dough though, so don’t feel like you have to start over.
One note, make sure you butter is not too soft! It should have a yield when pressed but not so soft you can completely mash it flat with not resistance.
More Recipes From Me
- Easy Peanut Butter Cookies
- Soft and Gooey Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies
- Dulce de Leche Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
- Dulce de Leche Apple Caramel Oatmeal Cookies
- Sweet and Salty White Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
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Sumbitches Cookies Recipe (Peanut Butter Chocolate and Caramel)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 1/4 cup caramel bits
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350℉ and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Beat butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. It will take a couple of minutes.
- Lower speed and add the peanut butter. Beat on lower speed until incorporated.
- Add the eggs, one at the time, beating until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Mix in the vanilla extract.
- While on low speed, add flour, baking soda and salt, mix until all incorporated.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and caramel bits.
- Use a cookie scoop to get even amounts of cookie dough. (I usually use #40 cookie scoop.) Scoop out the cookie dough with a cookie scoop, shape (into a ball and then slightly flatten) and place about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, depending on how big you made your cookies.Chewy cookie center trick: I love soft cookies with chewy center and if you love it too, here is what you do. After about 7-8 minute mark, take the cookie tray out of the oven and smack it on the counter. Pop the baking sheet back in for another couple of minutes. (For larger cookies, it will take a minute or so longer.) Smacking the tray on the counter, will pop the air bubbles created while raising in the oven. This will create a chewier texture.
- Take out of the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes and then carefully take them off with a spatula and let them cool on a wire rack.
Video
Nutrition
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in December, 2013.
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Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
If I use salted butter do I stll add the 1/4 tsp salt? Can’t wait to try them
I would not add the salt if you used salted butter! Let me know how they turn out!
Look good
Thank you!
OMG! What a great cookie. I followed the instructions exactly except added a cup of chopped pecans. 😋. I got about 34 cookies out of one batch.
Good call on the pecans! Yum! Glad you liked them!
How many does this recipe make?
Hi Betty!
That actually depends on how big you make them. I usually roll each dough ball that’s between 1 and 1.5 inches in diameter and that makes me about 20-22 cookies.
I’m wondering if i use caramel candy, cut up to pieces if that would work?
Hi Angele,
I have used the soft caramel candy chopped in cookies before and the only problem I noticed is that it’s much stickier that the caramel bits and melts more so cookie might loose some form.
I hope you enjoy them!! 🙂
With the caramel bits, where do you get the caramel from? Do you make the caramel yourself or buy a certain brand?
Hi Diane!
I buy the caramel bits at the store, in the baking isle. It is usually right around the chocolate chips.
I am going to try them today, too, for the finale tomorrow. My grocery store didn’t have caramel bits so I’ll try Target today. If not I bought mini rolos that I’ll chop up and then reduce the amount of chocolate chips I use. Can’t wait to see how they are! Thanks for the creation!
Great idea with mini rolos, Joan! I could also suggest Werther’s soft caramels that you can chop. I’ve used those before and the only con is that they can be sticky, so grease your parchment paper.
I’m planning to make these for the series finale next week. Where do you find caramel bits? I was just looking in our local grocery store, in the baking aisle, and I couldn’t find them. Now I’m on a quest! 🙂
Awesome idea, Megan! I’ll make them too 🙂
Caramel bits are in a baking isle. Check right around the chocolate chips and other goodies you can throw in cookies. I’ve found them in pretty much every grocery store but check Target and WalMart.
How much baking soda? Is that 1/2 tsp? I think I read it as tbs and added too much but they turned out yummy. I was snowed in and didn’t have caramel bits so I diced up Rolos and caramels. The large chunks are delish! Thanks for sharing the recipe. I can’t wait to try the coconut lime cookies. Maybe on my next snowday.
Yes, Christina, it was teaspoon. I’m sorry for the type. Half of tablespoon would be quite a bit too much but I’m glad you liked the cookies anyway 🙂
Thank you!
Oh yum! Of course, when I read Sumbitches, I automatically thought of The Walking Dead & Darryl, lol! 😉
Thank you so much for sharing at Marvelous Mondays this week- Pinned!
Haha, I haven’t really seen that show but I hear everyone raving about it!
Thank you!
I didn’t even have to read the post to know where these came from! HIMYM is my favorite and these cookies look really good! Pinning for later, I must try them!
Awesome 🙂 Thank you, Rebecca!
haha–I love making recipes based on their names because more often than not, they live up to them! (Have you TRIED slutty cheesecake bars? I posted those a while back and oh. my. gawd.). These are next on the list, awesome way to kick in the new year!
I believe I did see your slutty cheesecake bars and they sound like I need to make them! I also still want to make the “better than sex cake” I’ve seen a while back but I have to find it 🙂
Thank you, Ala!
These look amazing! I know when I make them I will have to share to keep myself from eating all of them!
Thank you, Amy!
Lyuba, thank you SO much for posting this recipe JUST in time for me to make and eat them before my healthy eating plan starts up again next week. You’re a gem! 🙂
Haha, yeap, just in time 🙂
Thank you, Becca!
Okay Lyuba, I have got to have these! It’s everything that I LOVE! The texture looks beyond delicious…soft and gooey…just like I love a cookie! Have a great rest of your time relaxing. (=
Oh yessss….definitely need to! Thank you, Gloria!
Where’s the carmel part/carmel chips?
It was a typo, instead of “chocolate bits” it should be “caramel bits.” It’s fixed now.