Peanut Butter Christmas Mice

Total Time

Prep: 35 min. + chilling Bake: 10 min./batch

Makes

about 5 dozen

Updated: Sep. 11, 2022
With their black licorice tails, candy noses and peanut ears, these chewy "mice" were always a hit at classroom parties. My children are in their teens now, but they still ask me to make these cookies for the holidays. —Nancy Rowse, Bella Vista, Arkansas
Peanut Butter Christmas Mice Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Ingredients

  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • DECORATIONS:
  • Peanuts, split in half
  • Brown M&M's minis
  • Miniature semisweet chocolate chips
  • Black shoestring licorice, cut into 2-inch pieces

Directions

  1. Beat peanut butter, butter and sugars until well blended. Beat in egg and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture (dough will be soft). Refrigerate until firm enough to shape, about 1 hour.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°. Shape dough into 1-in. balls; taper one side to resemble a mouse. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Add peanuts for ears, M&M's for noses and chocolate chips for eyes.
  3. Bake until set, 8-10 minutes. Immediately insert licorice pieces into warm cookies for tails. Remove from pan to wire racks to cool.

Nutrition Facts

1 cookie: 65 calories, 4g fat (1g saturated fat), 7mg cholesterol, 43mg sodium, 7g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 0 fiber), 1g protein.