Chocolate chunk peanut butter cookies (video)

The best chocolate chunk peanut butter cookies. These fantastic cookies are made with peanut butter and two types of chocolate (you can also add chocolate chips). They are thick, slightly crumbly, soft/chewy in the middle, and full of peanut butter flavor.

These cookies are so delicious, it’s super easy to eat too many! You’ll love these cookies.

If you love all things chocolate peanut butter like we do, try also these chocolate peanut butter pretzels, chocolate peanut butter smoothie, or 7-layer magic bars.

Ingredients:

Have you ever wondered if you can add peanut butter to chocolate chip cookie dough? The answer are these delicious cookies! This is basically chocolate chip cookie dough with peanut butter added to it.

Peanut butter – use creamy peanut butter. Make sure it’s unsweetened! I’m also quite sure that these cookies would be great with almond butter. If you want to use homemade peanut butter dilute it a little bit with water – homemade peanut butter is a little bit thicker than store-bought peanut butter which is more runny. I used store-bought peanut butter in this recipe.

Chocolate – I used dark and milk chocolate. You can also use bittersweet chocolate. Instead of chocolate bars, you can use chocolate chips. I prefer to use chopped chocolate for my cookies, I just love these puddles of melted chocolate! Also, chocolate bars just taste so much better than chocolate chips, even those good-quality chips. Chocolate chips are coated in substances that ensure they are holding their shape, so they just don’t taste as good as a good-quality pure chocolate bar. I like to use Lindt chocolate for my cookies (this is not sponsored).

Flaky sea salt – absolutely necessary for the best flavor. Salt enhances the sweet flavor, without it the cookies can taste ‘flat’, just sweet and rich. Salt in the dough and flaky/crunchy salt on top of the cookies cut through this richness, making these cookies so much better.

Sugar – we use granulated ‘white’ sugar and light brown sugar for these cookies. They can not be swapped for one another, we need these two sugar types for these cookies. Brown sugar adds caramel flavor to the cookies.

Other ingredients are pretty standard for cookies and I think don’t require further explanations.

How to measure flour:

How to measure flour: if you use a kitchen scale to measure out all the ingredients, it all goes easy breezy! But if you’re using measuring cups, remember that 1 cup of flour can weigh 120-150g, depending on how you’re filling your cup. Don’t scoop the flour directly into the measuring cup, which can compact it! 1 cup of flour in my recipes weighs 125g. To correctly measure the flour, you need to:

1. Fluff the flour by stirring it in the bag/flour container with a spoon.
2. Spoon the flour and sprinkle it into your measuring cup.
3. Sweep off the excess flour with the back of a knife.

How to make it step by step:

These homemade, bakery-style chocolate chip peanut butter cookies are really easy and quick to make!

This is a complete recipe, scroll down for a printable recipe card and the ingredient list.

STEP 1: Add 1/2 cup (115g) softened butter to the mixing bowl, beat it for a minute (you can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer, if using a stand mixer use a paddle-shaped attachment).

STEP 2: Add 1/2 cup (130g) peanut butter and beat it with butter for a minute.

STEP 3: Add 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar and 2/3 cup (135g) light brown sugar to the mixing bowl.

STEP 4: Mix over medium-low speed for about 3 minutes, until light, fluffy, and well-combined.

STEP 5: Add 1 large egg and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

STEP 6: Mix over medium-low speed for another 2-3 minutes, until well-combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl from time to time with a spatula.

STEP 7: Stir 1 3/4 cup (220g) flour with 3/4 teaspoon baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt together. Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl. Mix over low speed until half combined (you should still see flour here and there and the dough will be rather clumpy).

STEP 8: Roughly chop 5 oz (140g) dark chocolate and 4 oz (110g) milk chocolate, set aside. Reserve about 1/5 of the chocolate to be put on top of the cookies for a nicer presentation (optional). Add the chopped chocolate to the bowl. Mix until the chocolate is evenly distributed and the flour fully incorporated (but don’t mix for too long).

STEP 9: Scoop the dough with a 3-tablespoons-ice cream scoop or just with your hands/spoon (optionally, you could weigh your dough, each ball of dough should weigh 47g). Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches (5 cm) apart, don’t flatten the cookies.

Bake the cookies in batches for about 14 minutes at 350°F / 180°C / Gas Mark 4, no fan. The baking time may slightly vary depending on the oven. The cookies should have golden edges but will be completely soft.

STEP 10: While the cookies are still soft and hot, put 2-3 chunks of chocolate on top of each cookie, and press them slightly in. Sprinkle the cookies with flaky sea salt.

Take the baking tray out of the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes (they will continue to set up from the residual heat on the pan after they come out of the oven). Always use a cold baking sheet for the next batch of cookies.

Enjoy!

Storing cookie dough:

How do you store cookie dough? It needs to be stored in the refrigerator. Store it in a tightly-closed container or in a bowl wrapped with plastic foil.

How long is it safe to keep raw cookie dough in the fridge? Store it for up to 2-4 days (this is according to the USDA). It would probably be good even longer but I wouldn’t try that.

How to store cookies:

How long do these cookies last? I find that their texture remains similar for up to 3 days. They taste really amazing the next day, very similar to freshly baked! After that, they will become more dry. They are safe to eat for up to 2-3 weeks.

How do you store homemade chocolate chip cookies? Store them in a tightly-closed container – the best would be a cookie tin. Before putting the cookies in the cookie tin, make sure they are completely cooled. Store them at room temperature.

Freezing instructions:

How to freeze cookie dough: Make the cookie dough and form balls with your hands, then flatten the balls a little. Place them apart (the balls shouldn’t touch each other, otherwise they will stick to each other) on a baking sheet or a chopping board in the freezer. Leave them in the freezer until frozen – it will take about 1-2 hours. After they are frozen you can transfer them into zip-lock bags or tupperware containers.

How long can you freeze cookie dough: For best results, keep the cookie dough in the freezer for up to 3 months. It will be probably fine though, if you keep it longer.

How to bake frozen cookie dough: bake the cookies exactly like freshly-prepared cookie dough. You don’t need to thaw the dough, just bake the cookies straight from the freezer. The baking time may be a little longer, about 1-2 minutes. Keep an eye on the cookies – they should have golden edges but be completely soft and pale on top.

Other amazing cookie recipes you’ll love:

• Fresh cranberry white chocolate cookies
• Apple cinnamon oatmeal cookies
• Chocolate chip pecan cookies
• Cinnamon palmiers recipe – 3-ingredient puff pastry cookies
• Linzer Cookies
• Orange walnut rugelach
• 7-layer Magic Bars

Did you make this recipe? RATE THE RECIPE or tell me in the COMMENTS how you liked it! You can also add a photo of your dish. It would make me very happy and will help other readers. Thank you!!

Chocolate chunk peanut butter cookies

The best chocolate chunk peanut butter cookies. They are thick, slightly crumbly, soft/chewy in the middle, and full of peanut butter flavor.

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5 from 4 votes

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes minutes

Total Time 29 minutes minutes

Servings 19 cookies

Calories 234kcal

Author Aleksandra

Ingredients

• ▢ 1/2 cup (115g) soft butter
• ▢ 1/2 cup (130g) creamy peanut butter, unsweetened and unsalted
• ▢ 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar
• ▢ 2/3 cup (135g) light brown sugar
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 3/4 cup (220g) flour
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 5 oz (140g) dark chocolate
• ▢ 4 oz (110g) milk chocolate
• ▢ flaky sea salt to sprinkle

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Instructions

• Roughly chop the chocolate and set aside. Reserve about 1/5 of the chocolate to be put on top of the cookies for a nicer presentation (optional).
• Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C / Gas Mark 4, no fan (if you have a convection oven reduce the temperature by about 20° or follow the manufacturer's instructions).
• Add the softened butter to the mixing bowl, beat it for a minute (you can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer, if using a stand mixer use a paddle-shaped attachment).
• Add the peanut butter and beat it with butter for a minute.
• Add both types of sugar. Mix over medium-low speed for about 3 minutes, until light, fluffy, and well-combined.
• Add the egg and vanilla extract, mix over medium-low speed for another 2-3 minutes, until well-combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl from time to time with a spatula.
• Stir the flour with baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl. Mix over low speed until half combined (you should still see flour here and there and the dough will be rather clumpy).
• Add the chopped chocolate to the bowl. Mix until the chocolate is evenly distributed and the flour fully incorporated (but don't mix for too long).
• Scoop the dough with a 3-tablespoons-ice cream scoop or just with your hands/spoon (optionally, you could weigh your dough, each ball of dough should weigh 47g). Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches (5 cm) apart, don’t flatten the cookies.
• Bake the cookies in batches for about 14 minutes. The baking time may slightly vary depending on the oven. The cookies should have golden edges but will be completely soft. While the cookies are still soft and hot, put 2-3 chunks of chocolate on top of each cookie, and press them slightly in. Sprinkle the cookies with flaky sea salt.
• Take the baking tray out of the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes (they will continue to set up from the residual heat on the pan after they come out of the oven). Always use a cold baking sheet for the next batch of cookies.
• Enjoy!

Notes

• Instead of chocolate bars, you can use 1 1/2 cups of bittersweet chocolate chips.
• Calories = 1 cookie (1/19 of the recipe). This is only an estimate!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

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