Whip up a batch of these soft and chewy homemade Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies quickly and easily using a few pantry staples, regular peanut butter, and gooey chocolate chunks! Grab a cold glass of milk and enjoy!
Table of contents
Best Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
These delicious cookies are a cross between old-fashioned chocolate chip cookies and classic peanut butter cookies. I figure if I’m going to get cookie cravings for both of them, might as well cover all my bases at once! These are completely addicting and the ultimate combination of my two favorite cookies, so when I make a batch I sure to double it so that I can freeze some for later.
These are one of my favorite kinds of cookies to make on a whim. They’re simple so I usually have everything I need on hand, and they take so little effort. Fresh homemade cookies are a treat that I like to surprise my family with on occasion but that doesn’t mean they need to be complicated!
I’m showing you how to bake the perfect cookies with this easy one-bowl recipe and no stand mixer. The results are soft, chewy bakery-style cookies that are filled with ooey gooey chocolatey chunks!
Ingredients/shopping list
- Butter: Take the butter out ahead of time so that it is soft enough to cream. You don’t want it melted otherwise the cookies will spread too thin when baking.
- Brown sugar: Adds more flavor and moisture than white sugar does which is important when making soft cookies.
- Creamy peanut butter: Regular, processed peanut butter is best! You want to avoid using natural peanut butter as it tends to separate.
- Large egg: Needed for binding all of the ingredients together.
- Vanilla extract: A flavor enhancer used in plenty of baking recipes.
- All-purpose flour: The foundation of the cookies, giving it structure.
- Baking powder: Used to give these cookies a bit of rising and thickness so that they don’t fall flat.
- Chocolate: I love using dark chocolate chunks cut from a chocolate bar. I just love the unpolished, rustic look of irregular pieces of chocolate. You can definitely use chocolate chips if you prefer.
- Flaky sea salt: Adding a sprinkle of sea salt overtop these cookies is the best way to deliver a sweet and salty finish!
How to Make this Recipe
I’m breaking this easy recipe down into simple steps. It’s perfect for beginner bakers and experts alike!
Step 1: Beat the brown sugar and butter together in a medium mixing bowl. Use medium speed for 1-2 minutes until light brown and fluffy.
Step 2: Add the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla and continue beating until everything has combined, scraping down the sides as you go.
Step 3: To the same bowl, add the flour and baking powder and mix until just combined. Then, manually gently fold in the chocolate chips or chunks, using a spatula. Be careful not to overmix.
Step 4: Use a cookie scoop and scoop out about 1 ½ Tablespoons of dough and roll them into balls using the palms of your hands. Place each one on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer, leaving 2” of space in between each one.
Step 5: Press down slightly with a cup until they are ½” thick.
Step 6: Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove them from the oven and sprinkle with sea salt or press a few extra chocolate chips into the tops if desired.
Step 7: Cool cookies slightly before transferring them to a wire rack to continue cooling. Enjoy!
Variations/ Substitutions
1: Other possible add-ins that would add a bit more texture would be peanut butter chips or toffee (Skor) bits.
2: You could also swap for white chocolate chips if that’s what you like.
3: If you prefer milk chocolate chips instead of dark chocolate, use it instead!
4: Add ½ cup of cocoa powder and reduce flour to 1 ¼ cups to make chocolate peanut butter chip cookies.
Tips
- Be sure to measure the flour carefully. Using too much flour will result in a drier or flatter cookie.
- Regular no-stir peanut butter works best for these cookies. Natural peanut butter that requires stirring (with the oil on top, etc.) does NOT work well in this recipe.
- Chilling the dough for at least an hour will help ensure a less flat cookie. This is especially true if you make a cookie with melted butter!
- Underbaking these types of cookies (just a bit) is a great way to help them turn out nice and chewy. They’ll continue setting as they cool, but they won’t be overbaked and crispy.
- Use a cookie scoop for even amounts of cookie dough in each ball for even baking. Use a large cookie scoop or ice cream scoop for bigger cookies and adjust the cooking time by 3-4 minutes more.
- Make the gluten free by using one-to-one gluten free flour or oat flour.
FAQ’s
To keep them nice and moist, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days.
Once completely cooled, transfer the cookies to a freezer bag or container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You can make the dough and chill it overnight in the fridge and bake it the next day. You can also freeze them for later on!
Form the balls, lay them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and flash freeze them. Then, transfer the frozen balls to the freezer for storage for up to 3 months.
Doing the initial freezing just helps them from sticking together.
You can bake from frozen, tacking on some extra minutes. However, I recommend thawing them in the fridge overnight.
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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter softened (½ cup)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 4 ounces dark chocolate bar or chocolate chips, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 ° F
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the butter and brown sugar and beat together on medium speed for 1-2minutes until fluffy.
- Then, add the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla extract and beat until combined,. Scape down the sides of the bowl a few times.
- Next, add the flour and baking powder and mix until the flour is just barely combined.
- Gently fold the chocolate chips or chunks into the cookie dough, careful not to over mix!
- Scoop out 1 ½ tablespoons of dough with a cookie scoop and roll them into balls.
- Press down slightly with a cup until they are a ½” thick and place them on the baking sheet 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Sprinkle the cookies with sea salt if desired
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