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The best homemade Peanut Cookies for Lunar New Year. This easy peanut cookies recipe calls for six (6) ingredients, so crumbly and yummy!
Peanut Cookies Recipe
Peanut cookie is one of my favorite Chinese New Year cookies.
I grew up helping my late aunt making hundreds of peanut cookies…shaping them into round balls.
Next, I used the cap of a toothpaste to form the circle pattern on top of each cookie.
The last step was brushing the top of the cookies with egg wash, using a Chinese calligraphy brush.
Peanut cookies are crumbly and absolutely addictive. Once I start eating, I just can’t stop.
Ingredients For Peanut Cookies
Peanut cookie is a traditional Chinese New Year cookie in Malaysia. This peanut cookie recipe was contributed by Ho Siew Loon.
The recipe calls for only six (6) main ingredients:
- Ground roasted peanut
- All purpose flour
- Peanut oil
- Powdered Sugar
- Shortening
- Egg yolk or egg wash
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Make Peanut Cookies
Combine the ground peanuts with flour, sugar and peanut oil to make the dough.
Form the dough into small balls and decorate the top and brush with egg wash.
Frequently Asked Questions
Peanut cookies are obviously not a very healthy snack but they are too good.
As it is for the Lunar New Year celebration, just indulge and enjoy them with a cup of Chinese tea.
This recipe is only 308 calories per serving.
Chinese New Year Sweet Treat Recipes
In Malaysia, there are many popular Chinese New Year recipes. Here are some of my favorites and must-have during the festivities:
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Peanut Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 cups ground roasted peanuts
- 1 cup powdered sugar, icing sugar
- 1 cup peanut oil
- 2 tablespoons shortening
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 egg yolk, beaten slightly for egg wash
Instructions
- Mix the ground peanuts, sugar, oil, shortening, and flour together until well combined. Shape the mixture into small balls and arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- You can add a small circle pattern to the top of the peanut cookies by using the cap of your toothpaste. Just press the cap gently onto each cookie to create the circle.
- Brush the tops with egg wash and bake the peanut cookies at 350°F (180°C) for 20 minutes or until they are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool. Store the peanut cookies in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
In response to a question regarding the use of lard, you said to “skip it”. How would it change the cookies? I’d rather not use it, but if it will negatively affect the outcome, I will.
Also, is it important to use peanut oil? I have canola and avocado oil. You had mentioned that peanut oil provides a fragrance that other oils don’t.
Skipping the shortening is fine, though the cookies may be a bit denser. It’s best to use peanut oil, as its natural roasted peanut aroma infuses the dough while baking and gives the cookies their signature flavor. Other oils won’t provide the same aroma.
Thank you for your response. I will use both lard and peanut oil. Another question: How “ground” do the peanuts have to be? “Ground” as in finely chopped or “ground” as in powdery? The images show smooth looking cookies, so I’m thinking coarse powdery?
Yes, coarse powdery.
I made the cookies following the directions carefully. They turned out very light and crumbly and delicious but they were flat not round like your beautiful images. What did I do wrong?
If they spread and look flatter, the dough was likely a bit warm or had slightly too much oil.
Hi! I’m planning on making these cookies, around how many cookies does this make?
30–35 small cookies.