Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies baked to perfection. No chilling, freezer-friendly, and can easily be made dairy free and vegan with swaps.
Two delicious cookie combos have come together for the ultimate peanut butter chocolate chip cookie! Our tried and true chocolate chip cookie recipe with added peanut butter makes for a delicious treat! And if you love our mini chocolate chip cookie recipe you can also make this recipe into mini peanut butter chocolate chip cookies easily too.
If you’re allergic to peanut butter you can use any type of creamy nut butter, but we do not recommend using a natural style that has the oil separated as it will not produce the same results.
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Salted Butter – I’m dairy-free, and our son is allergic to dairy so we use country crock plant-based butter or earth balance. We find that this recipe works well with both regular and dairy-free butter. If you use unsalted butter, you’ll need to add about 1 teaspoon of salt. Always use softened butter.
- Sugar – As much as we like cane sugar, we find that it has a harder crystal than regular granulated sugar so, for these cookies, we recommend only using granulated sugar.
- Light brown sugar – Make sure you’re using light and not dark brown sugar. Dark brown sugar has more molasses and a stronger flavor.
- Peanut Butter – We recommend using creamy, not natural, peanut butter with oil separation. You can also use a creamy with chunks too! Allergic to peanuts? Use your safe creamy nut butter.
- Vanilla – We recommend using a good quality vanilla extract, not imitation.
- Eggs – We use large eggs and take them out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before making the chocolate chip cookie dough. If you cannot have eggs, you can also use a 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce.
- All-Purpose Flour – Regular old all-purpose flour is what works best for these cookies.
- Cornstarch – Using cornstarch in cookies helps give the cookies a softer consistency.
- Baking soda and baking powder – Both baking agents are a must for chocolate chip cookies and help the cookies rise.
- Chocolate Chips and Chocolate Chunks – It wouldn’t be a chocolate chip cookie without chocolate chips! We use a combination of chocolate chips and chocolate chunks. You could also add in white chocolate, nuts, or dried fruit.
How to make Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
For the full ingredient amount and full instructions on how to make peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough see the recipe card below.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
In a stand mixer, cream the butter, light brown sugar, peanut butter, and sugar together it’s nice and creamy.
Add in the eggs and vanilla and beat until just combined.
Now add the dry flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar mixture.
Using a spoon, mix in the chocolate chips and chunks.
You could also add in pieces of peanuts too!
Use a cookie scoop to drop the cookie dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Top the cookies with more chocolate chips and chunks.
Bake for 9-11 minutes in a preheated oven.
Place a towel on the counter and then remove the baking sheet from the oven. Carefully drop the cookie sheet onto the towel a couple of times to create a rippled texture. Gently use your spatula to push the cookie into a circle and create more ripples on the edge of the cookie. (This step is optional)
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to fully cool before enjoying the cookies.
Recipe tips and variations
- For softer and chewier cookies, aim for about 9 minutes. If you like a crunchy cookie, go for 11 minutes.
- If you’re using a dark baking sheet, the bake time may be best at 8-9 minutes as dark pans absorb more heat.
- Carefully dropping the cookie sheet onto a towel-lined counter after baking is our best cookie trick! After that, you can let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack. This step is optional, but we find it gives the cookies the best texture. Be cautious doing this on a fragile counter. You can also allow the cookies to sink naturally on their own as they cool.
- Wait until the oven is preheated. To ensure your oven is cooking at the correct temperature, we suggest using an oven thermometer to check.
- Don’t worry you won’t overbake the cookies. They will continue to cook after you remove them from the oven. Don’t take longer than 12 minutes if your oven temperature is correct.
- Add a few chocolate chips or chunks to the tops of the cookie dough balls before baking. This will make your cookies pretty when they come out and look full of chocolate chips on the top, not just inside.
- Don’t have creamy peanut butter? Crunchy also works well!
Frequently asked questions
If you want an ooey-gooey cookie, 375 degrees F is the sweet spot for cookies. Read more about the perfect cookie temperatures over at Food Network.
Cookie dough should last 8-12 months in a freezer-safe container or freezer-safe bag.
You’ll start to see a slightly golden brown edge to the cookies, and the cookies will appear fluffy and look almost done. If you want, until they look completely cooked and edges are darker brown, they will be overcooked.
Homemade cookies should last about 5 days at room temperature in a cookie jar.
I take my butter out about 30 minutes to an hour before baking this ensures the butter is the right consistency. If it’s too soft, it can cause the cookies to spread too much.
We like to add a piece of bread into the cookie container to keep the cookies soft. The moisture from the bread will keep the cookies from becoming hard, just like it softens brown sugar.
Pan banging or dropping cookies isn’t a new technique; many bakers have been doing it forever. When you bang the baking sheet, the cookies will deflate immediately and release air that caused them to be puffy. Now you will have a gooey center and more ripples on your cookies.
Baker’s secret, add chocolate chips to the tops of the cookies in addition to adding them into the cooking dough.
Use vegan butter, and instead of 2 eggs, you’ll use a 1/2 cup of applesauce.
more chocolate chip cookie recipes
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Print Pin Recipe 🖤 SaveIngredients
- 1 cup salted butter
- 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips and chunks to add to the top of cookies before baking
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl mix the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer, cream the butter, light brown sugar, peanut butter, and sugar together until creamy, about 2 minutes. Then add in the eggs and vanilla and beat for another 20 or so seconds until combined. Set aside.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until just combined, do not overmix.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and chocolate chunks using a rubber spatula.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, place about two tablespoons of dough on the baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. Add extra chocolate chips to the top. Then bake in a preheated oven for 9-11 minutes.
- Place a towel on the counter and then remove the baking sheet from the oven. Carefully drop the cookie sheet onto the towel a couple of times to create a rippled texture. Gently use your spatula to push the cookie into a circle and create more ripples on the edge of the cookie. (This step is optional)
- Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Remove cookies from the baking sheet and cool on a wire rack.
Nutrition
The nutritional information is automatically calculated and can vary based ingredients and products used. If the nutrition numbers are important for you we recommend calculating them yourself.
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