Why You’ll Love This Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

• They have the most incredible texture. We’re aiming for a cookie that’s soft and chewy in the center with just a hint of crispness around the edges. The combination of brown sugar and a careful hand with the flour makes all the difference.
• The peanut butter flavor is front and center. Unlike some recipes where the peanut butter gets lost, this one uses a generous amount to ensure every single bite is packed with that toasty, nutty aroma we all love.
• They’re incredibly simple to make. This is a one-bowl, no-chill recipe—you honestly can go from craving to cookie in under 30 minutes. No fancy equipment or complicated steps, just straightforward, delicious baking.
• The chocolate-to-cookie ratio is perfection. We’re using a mix of chocolate chips and chunks, so you get those lovely pools of melted chocolate alongside the classic chip experience. It’s a little thing, but it really elevates the whole cookie.

Ingredients & Tools

• 1 cup (250 g) smooth peanut butter (not natural style)
• 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup (150 g) light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups (160 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup (175 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup (85 g) semi-sweet chocolate chunks

Tools: A large mixing bowl, a hand mixer or stand mixer, a baking sheet, parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, and a cooling rack.

Using a standard, shelf-stable peanut butter is key here—the kind where the oil doesn’t separate. It creates a more stable dough and a better texture. And don’t skip the room temperature ingredients! They emulsify so much better, giving you a cookie that spreads just the right amount.

Serves: 18 cookies | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 10-12 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes

Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes

• What’s the deal with peanut butter? For this recipe, I strongly recommend using a conventional, creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. Natural peanut butters, which are just peanuts and salt, have a different oil content and can make the cookies greasy and cause them to spread too much.
• Why both baking soda AND baking powder? It’s a little baking hack! The baking soda helps with spread and browning, while the baking powder gives a little lift for a softer, more tender crumb. Using both gives us the best of both worlds.
• Room temperature ingredients are non-negotiable. Seriously, it makes such a difference. Your butter should be soft enough that you can press a finger into it easily, but not melted. Room temp eggs incorporate evenly into the butter and sugar, creating a smooth, emulsified dough that bakes up perfectly.
• Don’t overmix the flour. Once you add the dry ingredients, mix just until the flour disappears. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, which can lead to tough, cakey cookies—the opposite of what we want!

How to Make Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Serving Suggestions

Complementary Dishes

• A cold glass of milk — It’s a classic for a reason. The cool, creamy milk is the perfect contrast to the rich, warm cookie. Honestly, it’s a match made in heaven.
• Vanilla bean ice cream — For the ultimate indulgence, sandwich a scoop of high-quality vanilla ice cream between two slightly warm cookies. The contrast of temperatures and textures is absolutely divine.
• A fresh fruit platter — If you’re serving these at a gathering, a platter of berries, sliced apples, and grapes offers a bright, fresh counterpoint to the decadent cookies.

Drinks

• Dark roast coffee — The bitterness of a strong cup of coffee cuts through the sweetness of the chocolate and peanut butter beautifully, making for a very sophisticated afternoon treat.
• Chilled oat milk — A great dairy-free alternative that still provides that creamy, cooling effect that pairs so well with the cookies.
• A rich stout beer — For the adults, the roasted, coffee-like notes in a stout beer complement the chocolate and nutty flavors in a surprisingly wonderful way.

Something Sweet

• A simple berry crisp — The tartness of the berries would be a lovely follow-up to the rich, nutty cookies, keeping the dessert course balanced and not overly heavy.
• Dark chocolate truffles — Double down on the chocolate theme! A few small, intense dark chocolate truffles would be a perfect, elegant little bite after the homestyle comfort of the cookies.
• Lemon sorbet — This is my go-to for cleansing the palate. The sharp, bright citrus is a fantastic way to end a meal that started with these rich, decadent cookies.

Top Mistakes to Avoid

• Mistake: Using melted butter. This is a common one! Melted butter will cause the cookies to spread way too much in the oven, resulting in thin, greasy cookies. We want softened butter for structure and chew.
• Mistake: Overbaking. I know it’s tempting to wait for a golden-brown center, but trust me, take them out when the centers still look soft. They continue to cook on the hot baking sheet, and this is the secret to a soft, chewy center instead of a dry, crunchy one.
• Mistake: Skipping the pan tap. That firm tap on the counter right when the cookies come out of the oven isn’t just for fun. It creates those beautiful cracks and helps settle the cookie, giving it a more professional look and ideal texture.
• Mistake: Measuring flour incorrectly. The best way is to use a kitchen scale. If you don’t have one, fluff your flour with a spoon, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level it off with a knife. Scooping directly with the cup packs in too much flour, leading to dry, cakey cookies.

Expert Tips

• Tip: Brown your butter for a nuttier flavor. If you have a few extra minutes, melt your butter in a saucepan over medium heat and continue to cook it, swirling the pan, until it turns a golden amber color and smells nutty. Let it cool and re-solidify before using. It adds an incredible depth of flavor.
• Tip: Add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Right when the cookies come out of the oven, while they’re still hot, sprinkle a tiny bit of flaky sea salt on top. The salty-sweet combination is absolutely next-level.
• Tip: Make the dough ahead. You can scoop the dough balls onto a baking sheet, freeze them solid, and then transfer them to a freezer bag. Then you can bake frozen cookies anytime—just add 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
• Tip: Use a cookie scoop. This isn’t just for neatness. Using a scoop ensures all your cookies are the same size, which means they’ll bake evenly. No more burnt small ones and doughy large ones!

FAQs

Can I use crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth?
Absolutely! Using crunchy peanut butter will give you the same great flavor with the added bonus of little peanut bits throughout the cookie for extra texture. Just be aware that it might change the spread very slightly, but the results will still be delicious. It’s a great way to personalize the recipe to your taste.

Why are my cookies flat and greasy?
This usually points to two possible issues. First, your butter might have been too soft or even melted. Secondly, it could be the type of peanut butter—natural peanut butters have a different oil content that can lead to greasy, over-spreading cookies. Stick with conventional peanut butter and properly softened (not melted) butter for the best results.

Can I make these cookies gluten-free?
Yes, you can! I’ve had great success using a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur). The texture might be a tiny bit more crumbly, but they’ll still be wonderfully soft and chewy. Just make sure your blend contains a binder like xanthan gum.

How should I store these cookies to keep them soft?
The key to soft cookies is keeping them in an airtight container at room temperature. I like to add a piece of bread to the container—the cookies will draw moisture from the bread, staying soft for days (the bread will get hard, but that’s a sacrifice worth making!). They’ll keep well for up to 5 days.

My dough seems really sticky. Is that normal?
Yes, it is! Peanut butter cookie dough is typically thicker and stickier than a standard chocolate chip cookie dough. This is due to the peanut butter itself. Don’t be tempted to add more flour, as that will dry them out. The stickiness is what contributes to that fantastic chewy texture once they’re baked.