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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.
Just finished baking these delectable cookies. Easy to follow recipe, I used butter instead of shortening and very happy. :)
Hi Karen. Thank you for your comment. So glad you like the peanut cookies.
Whan can I substitute for the shortening? Not sure if it’s readily available in Australia.
Skip.
You can use Copha at the butter section at Coles and Woolies.
Hi, is the ground roasted peanut salted (like the ones in Costco, then i grind them up?)
Yes salted is fine.
Hello,
What can I substitute Shortening with?
Lard, but you can skip.
Noted thank you! When you measure the peanuts is it before you grind them ( whole peanuts) or after?
Ground peanut.
I’m excited to make this recipe! Are ground peanuts the same as peanut butter?
No ground peanuts are not the same as peanut butter.
Thank you! Followup question: how fine should the peanuts be ground?
Ground but still with texture.
I’ve tried many of your recipes! I tried this also – to no surprise, the peanut cookies turned out so good. It reminds me of Chinese NY in KK where i was born and raised. Such good memories of family! Thanks again.
Thanks Jackie.
Thank you for this lovely recipe. I tried two other recipes before this, but none gave me the crumbly melt in mouth feel. Yours did ! The only addition i made was to add 1tsp salt. Thank you so much! Now my greatest challenge is to stop eating them before CNY comes !
Thanks.