Recipe for peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips

Q: What makes cookies stay soft and chewy?

Its all about moisture. To keep it simple, cookie recipes that contain a lot of butter, brown sugar or egg yolks are going to yield soft and chewy cookies, because those ingredients add moisture and retain it for a longer amount of time.

This popular soft & chewy peanut butter chocolate chip cookie recipe will cure your cookie cravings! With the perfect mix of chocolate and creamy peanut butter, they are melt-in-your-mouth delicious!

Table of Contents Show

The Best Type of Peanut Butter for Cookies
Tips for Making Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
Recipe Notes
What is the secret to moist cookies?
How do you make peanut butter cookies taste better?
What makes cookies stay soft and chewy?
How do you keep peanut butter cookies from falling apart?

Christine graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France, and she has worked at Cook's Illustrated and CHOW.com. She lives in San Francisco and loves teaching cooking classes. Follow her latest culinary escapades on Instagram.

published Aug 3, 2022

Jump to recipe

Page URL

Comments

Credit: Photo: Julia Gartland; Food Stylist: Jessie YuChen

As someone who is lukewarm about chocolate, the best way I can think to turn classic chocolate chip cookies into something I’m excited about is to merge it with a peanut butter cookie. Chewy, sweet peanut butter cookies that have just a touch of savory flavor are the perfect base for chocolate chips — it’s a marriage of flavors I whole-heartedly embrace.

These hearty peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are great tucked into a lunch box, packed up for a picnic or party, or wrapped up for bake sales. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself snacking on the dough as you’re scooping it out; the combo is downright irresistible.

The Best Type of Peanut Butter for Cookies

For the best peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, stay away from natural or old-fashioned peanut butters that separate easily. They have a thicker texture that makes for a drier cookie. I prefer brands like Skippy or Jif, which have a very smooth, easily spreadable texture that blends very well into cookies and gives them a really nice consistency. (Fun fact: Did you know that peanut butter can help remove sticky labels?)

Credit: Photo: Julia Gartland; Food Stylist: Jessie YuChen

Tips for Making Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

To get a nice, chewy texture in these cookies, there are two things you should do.

Refrigerate the dough. Chill the scooped dough balls just until they’re firm enough to make an indentation into but not so cold that they’re brittle, about 40 minutes. This gives some of the water time to evaporate.
Do not overbake the cookies. Pull them out of the oven just as the edges start to turn light golden-brown, then let them sit on the baking sheets to cool for at least five minutes so that they can set up. Moving them around too soon while hot can result in broken cookies (something nobody wants!).

Comments

1 Rating

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Print Recipe

Peanut butter and chocolate once again join forces in this soft, buttery cookie.

YieldMakes 24 (about 3-inch) cookies

Prep time 20 minutes

Cook time 13 minutes to 15 minutes

Show Nutrition

kidney-friendly
fish-free
alcohol-free
low-potassium
vegetarian
shellfish-free
pork-free
pescatarian
tree-nut-free
soy-free
low-sodium
red-meat-free

Per serving, based on 24 servings. (% daily value)

Calories 173
Fat 9.9 g (15.3%)
Saturated 4.5 g (22.5%)
Carbs 20.1 g (6.7%)
Fiber 1.0 g (3.9%)
Sugars 13.3 g
Protein 2.9 g (5.8%)
Sodium 86.1 mg (3.6%)

Ingredients

8 tablespoons
(1 stick) unsalted butter
1
large egg
1 1/3 cups
all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon
baking soda
1/2 cup
granulated sugar
1/2 cup
packed light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon
kosher salt
1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
2/3 cup
smooth or chunky peanut butter, preferably Skippy or Jif
1 cup
semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (6 ounces)

Instructions

Place 1 stick unsalted butter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl if using an electric hand mixer). Place 1 large egg on the counter. Let both sit at room temperature until the butter is softened. Meanwhile, place 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt to the bowl of butter. Beat with the paddle attachment on medium speed until lightened in color and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.
Add the egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until combined, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add 2/3 cup peanut butter and beat on medium speed until combined and fluffy again, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
With the mixer on the lowest speed, gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined with no streaks of flour remaining, about 1 minute total. Add 1 cup chocolate chips and use a flexible spatula to fold them in by hand until just combined.
Line a rimmed baking sheet or 9x13-inch baking dish with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Scoop out the dough with a 1-ounce ice cream scoop into 24 portions (2 tablespoons each). Place on the baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart.
Refrigerate for 40 minutes (do not refrigerate longer or the dough will be hard to make a pattern into). Meanwhile, arrange 2 racks to divide the oven into thirds and heat the oven to 350ºF. Line 1 to 2 rimmed baking sheets with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper (line 2 if you used a baking dish to chill the dough balls).
Arrange all the cookie dough balls on the two baking sheets, spacing them evenly apart. Use the back of a fork to press a crosshatch pattern into and flatten each dough ball to about 1/2-inch thick and about 2 1/2 inches wide; it’s okay if the cookies crack at the edges or where the chocolate chips are.
Bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets between racks and from front to back. Bake until light golden brown around the edges, 4 to 5 minutes more. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Recipe Notes

Make ahead: The flattened cookie dough balls can be refrigerated for up to 1 day and baked for the same amount of time. They can also be frozen: Freeze until solid on the baking sheet, then store in a zip top bag for up to 2 months. The cookies can be baked from frozen and will take 1 to 2 minutes minutes more baking time after the baking sheets are rotated.

Storage: Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw frozen cookies at room temperature.

What is the secret to moist cookies?

Baking cookies quickly in a hot oven – at 375 degrees F as opposed to a lower temperature – will make for soft results. They'll bake fast instead of sitting and drying out in the oven's hot air. Ever so slightly underbaking your cookies will give you softer results than cooking them the full amount the recipe says.

How do you make peanut butter cookies taste better?

How to Make Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie Mix Better.

Swap Vegetable Oil for Butter..

Swap Water for Milk..

Use Brown Sugar..

Add Vanilla Extract..

Don't Forget Mix-Ins..

Add a Topping..

Chill the Dough..

What makes cookies stay soft and chewy?

It's all about moisture. To keep it simple, cookie recipes that contain a lot of butter, brown sugar or egg yolks are going to yield soft and chewy cookies, because those ingredients add moisture and retain it for a longer amount of time.

How do you keep peanut butter cookies from falling apart?

Be sure to measure your flour exactly. This recipe calls for just the right amount of flour to allow the cookies to hold their shape during the cooking process. Less flour will result in a chewier cookie but it might spread more. More flour than what I recommend will result in a drier, more crumbly cookie.