Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Posted Dec 29, 2023
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This is the best peanut butter chocolate chip cookies recipe ever. They have chewy edges, soft centers, lots of peanut butter and chocolate chips!
The peanut butter & chocolate is my all-time favorite flavor combination, so naturally I had to take my recipe for the best peanut butter cookies and add chocolate, resulting in these peanut butter chocolate chip cookies!
These peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are easy to make with simple ingredients. They have the perfect texture, a rich peanut butter flavor and plenty of chocolate chips!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Salted Butter. Unsalted butter or ghee are good substitutes.
- Peanut Butter. I recommend using peanut butter that is solid at room temperature You can use natural peanut butter, but be aware that the cookies may spread more and be more on the crispy side than the soft side. Also, many natural peanut butters are unsalted, so you may need to increase the amount of salt in the recipe by ¼ tsp.
- Whole Milk. you can substitute 2% milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half.
- Light Brown Sugar. If you like a little bolder, molasses taste use dark brown sugar.
- Granulated Sugar. White sugar or organic cane sugar are both great options.
- Cinnamon. I think the touch of cinnamon is the chef’s kiss in this recipe, however you can omit it if you prefer.
- Sea salt. I only bake with pure, fine sea salt. If you are using iodized salt I recommend decreasing the amount of salt by half.
How to Make Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
This is a simple cookie recipe that’s easy to make. We’ll walk through the process step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Begin by creaming the butter and peanut butter together in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, or in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Then, add the sugars and beat until combined.
Next, add the eggs, vanilla and milk and beat for 30-60 seconds on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and the sugar is dissolved.
Then, add the dry ingredients to the wet peanut butter mixture and mix on low speed until combined.
Stir in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Chill the dough in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.
After the dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper and set aside.
Then, use a cookie scoop to measure 1 ½ to 2 Tablespoon portions of dough and roll them into balls. Repeat until all the dough has been used.
Place 12 cookies on each large baking sheet.
Then use a fork to gently press a crisscross pattern into the top of each cookie.
Bake in preheated oven for approximately 9-10 minutes. Take them out when they are just barely starting to turn brown, puffed and just start to crackle.
All Ovens BAke Differently
Invest in an inexpensive oven thermometer to check the temperature and ensure it’s heating properly.
If using a convection oven, decrease the baking temperature by 25 degrees F.
Then, let the peanut butter chocolate chip cookies sit on the baking pan for 5 minutes before removing to cooling rack.
Cool completely on a wire rack before serving or storing.
Store
Store peanut butter chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.
To freeze
Freeze baked cookies for up to 1 month in an airtight container in the freezer.
Freeze the cookie dough by rolling it into balls and placing it in an airtight, freezer-friendly container for up to 1 month.
To bake, thaw cookie dough to room temperature and follow recipe instructions on pressing the tops with a fork and baking.
Recipe FAQs
They are done with the edges look set, the cookies are slightly browned, and they have puffed up a little bit and begun to crack slightly.
Yes, but be aware that the cookies may spread more and be more on the crispy side than the soft side. Also, many natural peanut butters are unsalted, so you may need to increase the amount of salt in the recipe by 1/4 tsp.
The dough is denser than other cookie dough due to the fact that there is double the amount of peanut butter as there is butter – making it harder to bake all the way through.
Pressing the cookie dough down with a fork while making a criss cross pattern flattens the cookie dough and makes them bake more evenly.
Since there is double the amount of peanut butter as there is butter in this peanut butter chocolate chip cookie recipe, chilling helps solidify the fat (peanut butter and butter) and keeps the cookies from spreading too much when baking. It also makes for a chewier cookie that holds up better after it has cooled.
Store these soft peanut butter cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days. You can also put them on a plate wrapped with plastic wrap to give to friends as a gift for the holidays.
If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 cup peanut butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 Tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 ¼ cups flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- In the bowl of a standing mixer, or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, cream together butter and peanut butter until smooth.
- Add sugars and beat until combined.
- Add eggs, vanilla and milk and beat for 30-60 seconds on medium-high speed until the mixture is light in color and sugar is dissolved.
- Add the flour, baking soda, sea salt, baking powder and cinnamon, then beat until incorporated.
- Add the chocolate chips and stir until combined.
- Transfer the dough to an airtight glass container with a lid and chill in the refrigerator for at least 60 minutes, and up to overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper and set aside.
- Use a cookie scoop to measure 1 ½ to 2 TBS dough and roll it into a ball. Repeat until all the dough has been used.
- Place 12 cookies on each large baking sheet.
- Use a fork to gently press a crisscross pattern into the top of each cookie.
- Bake in preheated oven for approximately 9-10 minutes. Take them out when they are just barely starting to turn brown, puffed and just start to crackle.
- Let the cookies sit on the baking pan for 5 minutes before removing to cooling rack.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before serving or storing.
Video
Notes
- Salted Butter. Unsalted butter or ghee are good substitutes.
- Peanut Butter. I recommend using peanut butter that is solid at room temperature You can use natural peanut butter, but be aware that the cookies may spread more and be more on the crispy side than the soft side. Also, many natural peanut butters are unsalted, so you may need to increase the amount of salt in the recipe by ¼ tsp.
- Whole Milk. you can substitute 2% milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half.
- Light Brown Sugar. If you like a bolder, molasses taste use dark brown sugar.
- Granulated Sugar. White sugar or organic cane sugar are both great options.
- Cinnamon. I think the touch of cinnamon is the chef’s kiss in this recipe, however you can omit it if you prefer.
- Sea salt. I only bake with pure, fine sea salt. If you are using iodized salt I recommend decreasing the amount of salt by half.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hello Laura, where do I start, other than to say you’re the Best! I’m an old guy that cooks just occasionally; I like to try new things, but I get fed up with Internet recipes that simply don’t work. No names; enough about that… but I don’t think it’s always me..?
While browsing, I saw your chocolate chip cookie recipe recently – it sounded reasonable, and besides, you claimed it was the best!
Your corresponding text was at first daunting, until I discovered it was ALL useful information. (As some sites carry on about their new bowls, or the color of their new apron… blah blah… Okay, I digress; back to Laura – nice job!).
I gave the recipe a go.
Those first cookies were wonderful! Exactly as pictured and described! And the entire process was well documented; I stumbled over nothing! Nothing complex, but complete.
I have since tried several of your cookies recipes, and they’ve all turned out great! I’m liking my own cooking for a change. And I’m putting on a bit of weight. Oops. The shortbread, oatmeal cookies, peanut butter, chocolate, & on – ALL have turned out perfect; they taste great, & they look good enough to present to guests!
So thank you so much! I don’t usually write reviews, but your website is worth writing one!