Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Why I Made Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cookies are important to me. They’re my favorite thing to bake and I want to provide the best cookie recipes I can for you. My favorite type of cookie is chocolate chip so I wanted to make sure I also had a version for those peanut butter lovers out there. I’m more than thrilled that these peanut butter chocolate chip cookies turned out exactly how I wanted them to. Soft centers, chewy edges, and just enough peanut butter to make them extra cozy without being too overwhelming. They mix up in minutes, chill quickly, and bake perfectly every time.

Ingredients

Here’s a list of all the ingredients you’ll need with a few notes about each.

• Unsalted butter – make sure butter is room temperature and unsalted so you can control the amount of salt.
• Dark brown sugar – light brown sugar works as well, but dark offers the most flavor.
• Granulated sugar – to help sweeten the cookie
• Creamy peanut butter (not natural style) – use a peanut butter that has structure, like Jif or Skippy, and isn’t runny. You can substitute chunky peanut butter for texture if you’d like.
• Egg and egg yolk – eggs help bind the ingredients together and the extra yolk helps make a chewy cookie.
• Vanilla extract – for warmth and aroma.
• All-purpose flour – helps give the cookie structure.
• Baking soda – helps the cookies rise and brown on the bottom and edges. It also helps provide that chewy texture.
• Baking powder – helps the cookies rise.
• Salt – enhances the flavor of the cookie.
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips – semi-sweet chocolate chips are the perfect balance to the cookie. Feel free to use mini chocolate chips or even milk chocolate. Milk chocolate will make for a sweeter cookie.
• Flaky salt for sprinkling – a must for that sweet, salty bite.

Tips for Success

I want to ensure you have all the details you need to make these peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Here are several tips I’ve learned about baking these peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.

• Use creamy peanut butter. Natural peanut butter can make the dough oily and cause flat, spread-out cookies.
• Chill the dough for 20-30 minutes. This step is not absolutely necessary, but it does help develop flavor and prevents the cookie dough from being too warm when baked. Cookies can spread too much if the dough is too warm.
• Don’t overbake. Pull them out when the center still look slightly soft – they will finish setting on the pan.
• Avoid over-mixing the dough. Once the flour goes in, mix just until combined. Too much mixing can cause tough cookies.
• Press extra chocolate chips on top before baking for that bakery-style look.
• Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper. This helps the bottoms stay soft and prevents over-browning.
• Add a little extra flour, about 2 tablespoons, if the dough seems too sticky. Peanut butter brands vary. I used Skippy peanut butter for reference.
• Use room temperature butter for this recipe. Cold butter won’t cream properly and melted butter can make the cookies greasy.
• Don’t over-crowd the pan. The cookies need space to spread evenly.
• Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. They need time to set.

Storage

Cookies will last in an airtight container for 3-5 days. If they start to dry out, place a piece of bread inside the container. The cookies will absorb the moisture from the bread and become soft again.

Cookie dough can be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator for 3 days until you’re ready to bake them.

Cookie dough can also be frozen for up to 3 months. I suggest scooping the dough into balls and chilling on a baking sheet for 30 minutes until they’re firm. Then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag. If baking frozen, expect baking time to increase.

Baked cookies can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Or enjoy them frozen – there’s nothing like a cold, chewy cookie! I do this all the time with this chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Jess’ Final Thoughts

So, are you ready to bake some peanut butter chocolate chip cookies? I sure hope so! I am obsessed with this recipe, and I’m excited for you to try it. This recipe has been tested twice and turned out beautifully both times. I’m confident that you’ll enjoy these – they’re perfect to add to your holiday baking list!