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.
AMAZING recipe! I do cookie trays as gifts for the holidays and have been searching for a chocolate cookie to add for years. After several not-so-good recipes in the past I tried this one and we have a winner!
THANK YOU AMANDA!
Everyone is obsessed with this recipe! I used this recipe and subbed the peanut butter chips with peppermint chips and AMAZING! I’ve also switched out the flour for 1:1 gluten free flour and that was amazing as well.
Thanks, Kali, I’m so glad to know the cookies have been well enjoyed! I actually have a peppermint chip version of the recipe coming out for the holidays. Try adding a little peppermint extract to the dough as well!
Wonderful, delicious cookies! Being diabetic, I made a few adjustments…50/50 white and whole wheat flours, and I replaced the white and brown sugars with stevia substitutes. Oh, and zero sugar Reese’s chips. I wish I could post a picture, because they look as good as they taste! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Worst cookies I have ever baked and in my lifetime. I have baked thousands. They were dry tasteless and crumbly. I kept checking to see whether I had missed an ingredient, but nope, just exactly as printing. Awful cookies.I’m
Dear Jan,
Being declared the worst cookies you’ve ever baked in your lifetime is certainly a distinction.
Respectfully, it seems likely that something went off track in your particular batch. Crumbly, dry, and tasteless definitely aren’t outcomes I’ve experienced myself in the numerous batches of these cookies I’ve baked, and I haven’t received that feedback from other readers, including those who commented below.
In baking, even a small mismeasurement or substitution can change the end result, whether it’s too much flour (I recommend weighing), using a different type of butter than the recipe specifies, or even a little too much time in the oven. I’m sorry your batch didn’t turn out, and I would’ve been happy to help you troubleshoot what went wrong.
In any case, perhaps this just isn’t the right cookie recipe for you, though in my experience, nothing tastes better than kindness.
Hands down amazing flavor! My family devoured them. Unfortunately, my cookies came out flat and not as poofy as yours. They still tasted good, but flat.
Hi Kelli, I’m so glad your family enjoyed the cookies! Regarding the texture, this recipe isn’t designed to make thick, poofy cookies, but if they spread more than expected, the usual culprits are: 1 – Butter that’s too warm to start (room temperature for baking should be around 65–67°F), 2 – Overcreaming the butter and sugar, 3 – Using less flour than needed. For the most consistent results, I always recommend weighing your flour — it really makes a difference! Hope that helps you troubleshoot if you make them again.
Beautiful recipe! Thank you! 🙏💕🍪
Delicious combination. Everyone loved them!!
they turned out really well. so yummy!!!
Taste amazing if you like the chocolate and peanut butter combo you’ll love theses cookies.
I couldn’t find my old recipe so I tried these- and they were better!! Mine were always a little too flat and these are fluffy and so moist! Love it! Thanks for sharing.
I baked these on 2 different baking sheets for the same amount of time (10 1/2 minutes). They look really good. And the inside is super chewy and soft!
About how big do you make the cookies–tablespoon size or bigger?
Hi Paula, as detailed in the article, I use a #40 cookie scoop, filled 3/4 full.
Fuc*ing delicious. 5 stars.
I made these cookies for my family this weekend and they devoured them. My granddaughter tagged you in picture of the platter on Instagram. Great flavor and texture. A new family favorite!
This is the perfect chocolate cookie with peanut butter chips! Soft, chewy, chocolatey deliciousness. Made it exactly as directed and wouldn’t change a thing.