Look, we love our local bakeries. In the past, we’ve done taste tests of chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and blueberry muffins, and loved the entries from all the spots below. So, we had high expectations when we set up a peanut butter cookie tasting in anticipation of National Peanut Butter Day (January 24, in case you didn’t know).
Unfortunately, the consensus among our 16 tasters was that these cookies didn’t quite hit the mark. Some had qualms about off flavors that took away from the punch of peanut butter we were looking for — I mean, isn’t that the point of a peanut butter cookie? — while other cookies suffered from textural issues. Across the board, as one taster said, “nothing really stood out as being the best,” and several of us “would have been happier with a jar of creamy Skippy and spoon.”
Still, if you’re looking for a peanut butter cookie to brighten up this smoldering Monday, we’ve got four options for you below.
Fourth Place: Bread & Cocoa
This Larchmont bakery is one of our favorite spots for Belgian waffles, but we can’t say it’ll be our new go-to for peanut butter cookies. Studded with peanuts and bits of chocolate, tasters felt “chocolate chips were a good addition,” but felt the cookie suffered from “not much peanut butter flavor” and a “dry” texture.
Third Place: Baked by Susan
These cookies that “look like homemade” scored high marks for “great taste” and “nice peanut butter flavor,” despite being a bit sugary. Still, many tasters remarked that the cookies were “too crumbly” and scored them accordingly.
Second Place: Lulu Cake Boutique
We were split on these oversized (and gluten-free!) cookies, which had an “all-around nice softness” that some tasters described as “like fudge.” Unfortunately, several tasters felt the cookies had a “burnt,” “caramel-like flavor” that distracted from the peanut butter. One editor summed it up perfectly: “Not much peanut butter flavor, but still a good cookie.”
The Winner: The Kneaded Bread
Of the four we tried, the cookies from this Port Chester bakery had the best peanut butter flavor (even if it was quite mild). Mostly, tasters liked the old-fashioned feel of these cookies that “smelled freshly baked” and reminded us of “mom’s Christmas cookies.”
