These chewy Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies are a decadent treat for cookie lovers of all ages. Easy to make and great for snow days, the holidays, or any time you’re craving a sweet peanut butter-chocolate treat.
I started working on this recipe when I was baking for Christmas and found a couple of bags of peanut butter chips leftover in my pantry from Halloween. I was looking for the bittersweet chocolate chunks, but the peanut butter chips were a welcome find!
When I flipped one of the bags over, I saw a recipe for cookies that combined a simple chocolate cookie dough with the peanut butter chips. I loved the idea–chocolate and peanut butter has always been one of my favorite flavor combinations.
I noticed that the recipe had more total sugar than I typically use in a chocolate cookie base, and called for all granulated sugar instead of a mix of sugars. So, I decided to add the peanut butter chips to the dough for my Double Chocolate Cookies in lieu of chocolate chips. We loved the results.
These soft, fudgy cookies are sweet and rich with a texture reminiscent of brownies. They’re just begging to be served alongside a cold glass of milk or a hot cup of coffee.
Love the chocolate-peanut butter combo? Don’t miss my recipe for Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispie Treats!
Cookie-Making Ingredients You’ll Need
This Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip cookie recipe mostly uses pantry and baking staples. For the dry ingredients, you’ll need all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur), cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt (I use Diamond Crystal Kosher). For the wet ingredients: egg and vanilla extract.
The only things I don’t regularly stock in my pantry for this recipe are peanut butter chips. You’ll find them in the grocery store in the baking aisle, near the chocolate chips.
I’ve tested this recipe with both unsweetened natural and Dutch process cocoa powder. While I rarely call anything “too chocolatey,” I found the Dutch process batch to be quite rich. I couldn’t eat more than a few bites of a single cookie.
Natural unsweetened cocoa powder (such as Hershey’s) added the right amount of chocolate flavor for me and my taste tester. If you prefer an intensely chocolatey cookie, go with Dutch process (such as Droste).
I love to use European butters in my baking, and these Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies are no exception. European butter has higher butterfat and less water than American, yielding richer baked goods with a more buttery flavor. My favorite brands are Kerrygold and Plugra.
Tips for Making The Best Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
The process for making this recipe is pretty straightforward as cookies go! Cream the butter and sugars in a stand mixer (or in a bowl with an electric hand mixer), add the vanilla and egg, and mix in the dry ingredients. Here are a few tips for the best results:
- Use a cookie scoop for evenly-sized and evenly-baked cookies. I use this #40 (medium) cookie scoop from OXO Good Grips {affiliate link}, filled about 3/4 of the way.
- If baking more than one sheet at a time, rotate the cookie sheets in the oven halfway through baking. If baking one sheet, place it on the oven’s center rack.
- Don’t over-bake! We like these cookies to be soft and chewy, with slightly-crisp edges when they’re freshly-baked. (The entire cookie will soften as it sits.)
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheets for 5-8 minutes before moving them to wire racks to cool completely. I find that sometimes, the peanut butter chips need a few more minutes than chocolate chips to re-solidify.
Wondering the difference between cookie sheets and baking pans? Check out Baking Sheets 101 from Martha Stewart.
Storing Your Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
Store the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container. I find that they’re at their best texture on the second day. When I asked for an update from my taste tester on Day 3, his report was, “still perfect.” On Day 4 and beyond, I find that they can start to dry out a bit.
I recommend enjoying these Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip cookies within 3 days of baking. That is, of course, if they last that long in your house!
For longer storage, tightly-wrap the cooled cookies, place them in a freezer-safe bag or container, and freeze for up to a month. Defrost the cookies at room temperature and enjoy. For warm cookies, refresh them in a 300 degree F oven for 3-5 minutes after thawing.
More Of Our Favorite Cookie Recipes:
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- White Chocolate Chai Shortbread Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cup Skillet Cookies
- Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 grams)
- ⅔ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder (such as Hershey's)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted European butter , softened to room temperature (such as Plugra or Kerrygold)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar , lightly packed
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups peanut butter chips (plus additional for decorating, if desired)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Beat in vanilla and eggs, one at a time. Scrape the bowl.
- Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing on low speed until combined. Scrape the bowl occasionally. Mix in peanut butter chips by hand with a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Scoop the dough into 24 portions onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spaced 2-inches apart. Bake for 8-12 minutes, until the center is set, but still fudgy.* For the best results, don't overbake.
- Let cookies cool for 5-8 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring with a thin spatula to wire racks to cool completely. If desired, press a few extra peanut butter chips into the tops of the cookies while they're warm for decoration. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
Variation:
For a cookie with more chocolate and less peanut flavor, use 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips and 1 cup peanut butter chips.Nutrition Estimate
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Please note that our recipes have been developed using the US Customary measurement system and have not been tested for high altitude/elevation cooking and baking.
I feel this recipe is incomplete I had a similar recipe I lost and it called for peanut butter.
these are not chocolate peanut butter cookies these are chocolate cookies with peanut butter morsels.
following the same recipe I added a cup of peanut butter cooked it 2 minutes longer than it mentions here and they came out perfectly fine.
I think somebody forgot to include the peanut butter?
Hi Shawn, I would agree if this recipe were called Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies, but I think you’ve misread the title. It’s called Chocolate Peanut Butter CHIP Cookies, indicating a chocolate cookie dough mixed with peanut butter chips. There’s intentionally no peanut butter in the dough. That said, I’m glad to hear your version turned out well!
Thank you so much for this recipe! The cookies turned out EXACTLY as I imagined they would. I also find the recipe on the back of the chip bag to be one-note (sweeeeeet) with a disappointingly mushy texture. This one is PERFECT. I did use Dutch cocoa because that’s the cocoa I had, but I appreciate your warning about the intensity of that flavor. I kept my dough balls on the petite size for that reason. Also, the regular bag of peanut butter chips no longer contains 2 cups worth! It’s more like 1.75 cups. I added some dry roasted peanuts to fill up the volume, but it probably would have been OK without them. I baked one tray and will be portioning these out and freezing so I don’t inhale all of them within 24 hours.
OMG SOOOOOOO DELICIOUS 😻😻😻 definitely saving this recipe for the future.
AMAZING recipe Litterly reminds me of subway style cookies! So delicious, I did have to add a little wetness to the batter to mix well due to not having a hand mixer which in return my cookies were loose. Other then being a little wet they have amazing flavor and are still doughy and super soft the next day😍 10/10