Recently someone asked me why I loved the combination so much and I was taken aback slightly. My first thought was “well why wouldn’t I love this magic duo?” Then I realized that I’ve loved the flavors together since before I could remember. Since childhood two of my favorite foods have been chocolate and peanut butter, so it only makes sense that I absolutely adore them combined!
I’m actually surprised I’m not utterly sick of either of these flavors, let alone enjoying them together. I literally eat peanut butter everyday. I eat chocolate ALMOST everyday (like probably 360 days out of 365). And yet I’m still obsessed with the two, which is good for you because it leads me to share recipes like these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.
These cookies are ridiculously big, thick, and chewy yet soft and have just amazing flavor. They are 1000% perfect with a glass of cold milk. Best part? You don’t even need a stand mixer to make these, they’re so easy. Check out the notes below because I’ve tried to answer all your questions and give you a perfect understanding of how the recipe works.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Tips
How to Make CHEWY Cookies
The recipe is adapted from my Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies, a recipe I worked very hard to perfect. The high ratio of brown sugar and the extra egg yolk help contribute a rich, chewy, and thick texture with lots of flavor.
Be sure to measure your flour correctly (by weighing or with the spoon and level method) to avoid creating cakey, dense, or tough cookies that don’t spread.
If you don’t measure your flour correctly, YOU COULD END UP WITH CRUMBLY DOUGH!
Please follow the recipe as written, I craft my recipes carefully so you can have the best results possible!
The Best Peanut Butter for Baking
For best results, use a standard commercial brand of creamy peanut butter. I used Skippy for this recipe. Avoid any “natural” peanut butters where the oil separates. The dough won’t come together nicely if you don’t use commercial peanut butter with an added oil.
Size and Shape
These are large cookies, just the way I like ’em! I used my beloved OXO large cookie scoop to make these babies which is a 3-tablespoon sized scoop. You can make smaller 2 tablespoon-sized balls of dough and shave off about 2 minutes from the baking time, if you’d like.
The peanut butter in cookie recipes does prevent normal spreading. After you shape the dough into balls, flatten the balls well with the palm of your hand. This will encourage them to spread more while they bake. Don’t forget this!
Baking Perfect Cookies
I ALWAYS use a heavy duty unlined aluminum half sheet pan for baking cookies. Never use dark colored pans to bake cookies, they tend to overly brown or even burn the bottoms of the cookies. Additionally, I always use parchment paper for baking cookies. I find silicone baking mats produce less of a crunchy exterior crust and are just one extra thing to clean.
Chilling the Dough and Making Ahead
For best results, chill the dough overnight in the fridge. Why on earth would I recommend you delay your cookie satisfaction?
Well chilling chocolate chip cookie dough is very similar to marinating meat – things just get so much better. The texture becomes chewier and thicker and the flavor intensifies. If you don’t have time, no worries. You can bake the dough off after it’s made.
To freeze: I like to scoop my dough balls out, freeze them until solid, then remove them to a ziptop bag to store in the freezer. You can defrost the dough overnight in the fridge, or for an hour or so at room temperature before baking. You can bake from frozen, but note that with this recipe the cookies won’t spread as much.
Get all of my tips for freezing cookie dough here.
Everyone loved the cookies
THE G.O.A.T COOKIE RECIPE!!!!! this cookie recipe turned out to be amazing the first time id made it and now whenever I’m craving cookies it’s my go-to recipe!! ive made it about 6 times and i did recently make 2 batches of this the other day since my family and friends love it! Thank you tessaaaa. i hope who evers reading this you give this recipe a try its WORTH IT!!.
How would you make these for high altitude?
Hi Tessa!
I’m making your Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookie recipe (https://handletheheat.com/peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-cookies/), but would like to try a larger version (maybe about a 5 inch cookie – I’m hoping to use a #12 or #10 scoop. Can you recommend a temperature and cook time for this size cookie?
Is there any way to portion the cookies into a smaller size ? Does that affect the baking time ? I was thinking of making these cookies with a small portion scooper does it affect the chewiness of the cookie ?
I made them smaller with a 1 tbsp scooper and baked total of 8 minutes. I turned the tray halfway at four minutes. Cookies were a little soft but definitely not chewy. This recipe is not chewy.
I made these and my neighbor said they were delicious. I actually do not like PB at all. I used SKIPPY creamy PB and not the natural stuff or almond butter. Can I add an extra yolk to make this chewy?
This peanut butter cookie with chocolate is the best I’ve ever made. My whole family loved them. This will be the recipe I will continue to use. Thank you for sharing g with all of us!
I would never ever buy skippy or jiff Pb, it’s disgusting and unhealthy. Hydrogenated oils and corn syrup are straight up bad for you and have no place in food.
So, since I absolutely want to try this recipe, are there alterations you would recommend trying to keep the texture similar?
Best ever bickies, everyone loves them
Is it a big deal to use light brown sugar instead of dark brown?
Oh for yummy sake! The only thing I changed was to use 1/2 crunch 1/2 creamy PB cuz we like crunchy surprises 🙂 Excellent recipe! Oh….and it made 20 cookies not 24 so mine are probably a wee bit bigger than yours. this will not be a problem!!
I have an exchange student from Spain that LOVES cookies. Her and her friend ( exchange student from Belgium) have decided out of all of the cookies I have made this recipe is their favorite. Thank you for the delicious and easy recipe!
Hi! I made these today, and followed the recipe to a T! Has anyone else experienced a thick yet almost dry cookie?
I had the same problem.
I did too. And the batter was a little salty
Same problem. Dry and cake like. Not chewy like traditional cookie. I am an experienced baker.
Hi Peggy, I’m sorry your cookies didn’t turn out! Did you use a digital scale to measure all your ingredients? Dry, crumbly cookies are usually due to too much flour being added to the dough. And cakey cookies are usually due to overbeating the butter and sugar mixture or adding too many/too large of eggs. I hope you give these cookies another try – they’re one of my most popular recipes of all time!
I adapted it quite a bit, the adapted version is a 5 star for me.
I don’t get the ‘one egg yolk’ deal, why waste a white? So I cut it out and just added some milk at the end to bind the bind the dough, about 2 tablespoons.
Before that though, I never melt the butter. Just soften and cream the sugars, add the eggs and soften the peanut butter in then microwave. It all blended together and baked well.
Much less hassle, a normal cookie making process sans an egg yolk and plus some milk.
Delish
These turned out great !!! So easy, soft and chewy! I ran out of peanutbutter so only used 1/2 a cup but still great! Saved this recipe!
I consider myself a pretty good baker. I am not sure what’s going on with this recipe. But I followed it to perfection and when I took the cookie off the sheet it crumbles into dust? Is it because there’s only one egg?
I had the same issue, my dough was crumbly and the cookies fell apart. Granted they tasted amazing, it was a very crumbly mixture that I had to press together.
there should be 3 eggs, 2 whole plus 1 yolk.
How far apart do you space these on the baking sheet?
This is definitely the best peanut butter chocolate chip cookie I have ever made. I did make the smaller version so that I could share with more people. I love this flavorful, chewy ciookie. I will try the Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookie next.
Ridiculously good!
Made these for my Dad for his birthday – they came out deliciously! Great idea using the extra egg yolk and high ratio of brown to white sugar. Thank you! 10/10 will make again!
This recipe was amazing! The cookies were easy to make and came out well; they were soft in the middle and thick but evenly cooked. They were absolutely delicious; my family loved them and i did as well. Definitely making them again
FOLLOW RECIPE EXACTLY !!
I did put in fridge for a couple of hours–I find that works well for most all cookie dough prior to baking.
These were SO SO good. Approval from the Plumber and 2 grand-children ( little girls ages 7 and 15 )
This little ‘ole cookie baking Grand-Mama just tossed her old Peanut Butter/Chocolate Chip cookie recipe out and added this one to my Recipe Journal. Thank You Tessa.
These are perfection-my absolute favorite! BUT, I did substitute 1/2c of choc chips for pb chips because…well, peanut butter.
Not enough peanut butter taste and definitely not sweet enough. I followed recipe exactly except the refrigerate overnight part (no time). Very disappointed.
I made these for the May Baking challenge, and they were amazing, just the right balance of peanut butter and choolate. Another great recipe from Tessa!
These cookies are the perfect balance of peanut butter and chocolate! I used semi sweet chocolate chips and a Godiva milk chocolate baking bar for Ann extra chocolatey taste. They were a HUGE hit at work!!
Made this recipe twice this month already and can’t wait to make it again. I used the blue scoop from Volrath then flattened the cookies a bit as per the instructions 🙂
So easy. And quick. Oh yes, delish!!
Lovely recipe Tessa, explained very nicely with every detail…loved reading and watching the video. You are fabulous. Now coming to the cookies. Big, thick, chewy and yummy. Kids absolutely loved them.
In a word? Fantabulicious! Perfect cookies and perfect recipe! My family adored them while they lasted!
These were so easy to make! I used my 3 TBL scoop, so I was able to bake according to the directions. I got 20 big and amazingly delicious cookies. Thanks for another great recipe!
Excellent cookies! Will be a staple.
Excellent recipe and so easy to make! I substituted dark chocolate chunks and homemade peanut butter. Less sugar was great for me and the dark chocolate could take center stage.
These were groan-inducingly good. So, so, soooo good! Definite keeper recipe for sure. I love how simple they are to mix & bake. I was also glad to see another person’s comment about them freezing extremely well – I will do this next time for sure (= perfect excuse to bake even more of these to keep on hand, heh heh heh!). I didn’t have any flaked sea salt left, but will try that another time! Thank you so much for an awesome recipe! 🙂
Delicious!!!! These were a huge hit with my friends at work! I will definitely be making these again!
Best cookie recipe ever! Made these yesterday and my boyfriend couldn’t keep his hands off them. This recipe is a keeper!
Very yummy but I think I may have flatten them more than I should have
These peanut butter chocolate chip cookies quickly made their way to one of the best cookies I have ever had in my life. Followed the instructions to the T (let the cookie dough sit for 24hours in the fridge) and THEY ARE INCREDIBLE. This was my 1st recipe by Tessa and I will definitely be coming back! SO, SO good. 12/10. Highly recommend.
Even my boyfriend (who for some ungodly reason does not eat ANY desserts) was hooked on these cookies. And we even fought over the last one. Never did I think I’d see the day!
These are such wonderfully chewy cookies! And the peanut butter is such a great complement to the chocolate chip. Perfect balance!
There’s a reason peanut butter cups are such a popular treat. Teaming peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips is brilliant! These cookies have definitely made it to my family’s special request list.
Totally loving this recipe! These cookies taste just like a peanut butter cup. Pretty easy to make and super delicious!
A perfect balance of chocolate and peanut butter. I took the cookies to work and people said they really liked the texture as well. The texture was actually my favorite part of the cookie.
These cookies are amazing! Peanut butter and chocolate are such a classic combo, u gotta love it! These went to fast, hardly any left to photograph lol! I used Skippy Honey Roasted peanut butter. So delicious! This recipe really makes a flavorful cookie with amazing texture!
These cookies came out wonderful. I love how it only required ingredients I already had in my pantry. I wouldn’t normally choose peanut butter over a classic chocolate chip, but isn’t choose this combo for sure!
Followed this recipe as written and they turned out perfectly! I will definitely make these again.
These cookies are so decadently delicious!
PB + Choc is one of my top flavour combos.
Yummy! I love chocolate and peanut butter. My first batch is cooling now, the rest will wait for tomorrow’s BBQ. My first taste? Bliss.
This recipe was easy and fabulous! Everyone lived it and wants me to make it again. It’s definitely a keeper!
They were good except that the dough was really thick and crumbled apart. I had added a variety of toppings and the dough wouldn’t hold them all together.
Great cookies. Mine turned out drier than expected despite using a kitchen scale. I used Kraft peanut butter so perhaps will make them again with a different peanut butter next time
This was my first time making chocolate chip cookies, I liked the recipe and found it easy! They are very tasty!!
They were a total hit. So soft and chewy. Definitely making these again.
These are so yummy! My peanut butter-loving husband loved them but complains that i will be giving him a muffin top soon. LOL
I went easy on the PB and Chocolate Chips. I’m really like this version.
Absolutely yummy cookies! I followed the recipe exactly (even used Skippy!) with one exception…I used bittersweet chips (Ghiradelli). They turned out so delicious. Usually my peanut butter cookies are super crumbly — not these. They have the best of both worlds: chocolate chip cookie texture AND peanut butter flavor. Also, I haven’t made cookies without a stand mixer in such a long time, I forgot what it was to stir up a batter by hand. It kinda felt like old times – mixing up a batter of cookies with my favorite wooden spoon!
Very easy to make. I only had crunchy PB, and they seemed a bit crumbly in the cookie scoop. I scooped into my hand, and rolled them. Then squished a bit. They turned out beautifully!
These where the best cookies that I ever made!! My kids loved them !! Thank you for a great recipe!! From now on I will only use this one.
Tessa,
These are spot on perfect! I “thought” I had the best PB cookie recipe, but since these are my hubby’s fave cookie I had to try your recipe. We now have a new fave in the house, THANKS!
Peggy
Cookiecarts.com
These were very good! The peanut butter flavor was not as overwhelming as I was afraid of; just enough to let you know it’s there. I only baked 12 of the cookies today, the rest of the dough is portioned out and in the freezer for later.
I love the ease of making these Pb choc chip cookies. Straight forward and simple…no need for fancy equipment. I just got tnem out of the oven so havent tried them yet but my mouth sure was watering as they backed. I have tried many of Tessas recipes with great satisfaction, but this is the first time to enter the contest.