I finally perfected my Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies recipe that’s freezer friendly and packed with peanut butter chips, and I’m sharing the small trick that makes them come out reliably every time.

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I can’t stop making Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies because they come out thick, chewy and a little dangerous. I fold in creamy peanut butter, then toss in heaps of peanut butter chips so every bite is molten and crunchy at once.

They’re the Peanut Butter Chip Cookies you hide for later, the kind you swear you’ll only have one of, and then dont. Freezer friendly and seriously stashable, these are the grab-and-go fix for when you need a sweet hit fast.

Try one straight from the freezer and tell me it didn’t ruin your willpower, I dare you.

Ingredients

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Unsalted butter: Adds rich fat and flavor, mostly saturated fat, helps cookies spread a lot.
Peanut butter: Gives protein and fiber, lots of healthy fats but can be calorie dense, tasty.
Granulated sugar: Pure carbs, provides sweetness and crisp edges, no real nutrition, use less maybe.
Brown sugar: Adds moisture and caramel notes, still sugar so extra calories, makes chewiness.
Cocoa powder: Gives chocolate flavor, low fat, has antioxidants and some fiber, slightly bitter.
Eggs: Bind ingredients and add moisture, supply protein and structure, helps rise.
Peanut butter chips: Extra peanut punch, sweet and melty, mostly sugar and fat, optional flaky salt.

Ingredient Quantities

1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup (240 g) creamy peanut butter smooth or chunky is fine

1 1/4 cups (250 g) granulated sugar

1 cup (220 g) packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups (280 g) all purpose flour

3/4 cup (75 g) unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 to 2 cups (240 to 320 g) peanut butter chips

Flaky sea salt for sprinkling optional

How to Make this

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1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats, set aside.

2. In a large bowl beat the softened butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together until light and a bit fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes; scrape the bowl, then add the eggs one at a time and mix, finally stir in the vanilla.

3. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt so there are no lumps.

4. Add the dry mixture to the wet in two additions, mixing on low just until combined, dont overmix or the cookies will be tough.

5. Fold in 1 1/2 to 2 cups peanut butter chips, reserving a few to press on top if you want the cookies to look extra chip-packed.

6. Chill the dough 30 minutes to 1 hour if you have time; chilling firms the dough and helps make thick chewy cookies. If you are in a hurry you can skip or chill for 10 minutes.

7. Scoop dough into balls about 2 tablespoons each (or a slightly larger scoop for bakery-size cookies), place 2 to 2 1/2 inches apart on the prepared sheets, and gently press the tops so theyre slightly flattened but still thick.

8. Bake 9 to 12 minutes until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly soft and glossy; bigger scoops may need up to 13 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a few reserved peanut butter chips into the tops and sprinkle flaky sea salt if using.

9. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes so they set, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely; they firm up as they cool and stay chewy inside.

10. To freeze: flash-freeze scooped dough on a tray then bag for up to 3 months, bake from frozen adding 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time. Baked cookies freeze great too, layer with parchment in an airtight container.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven plus 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats
2. Large mixing bowl and a medium bowl for dry ingredients
3. Electric mixer (stand or hand) or a sturdy wooden spoon if you want to do it by hand
4. Whisk for the flour and cocoa so there are no lumps
5. Rubber spatula for scraping and folding, and a wooden spoon for tougher mixing
6. Measuring cups and spoons, and a kitchen scale if you have one
7. Cookie scoop (about 2 tbsp) or tablespoon for portioning dough
8. Wire cooling rack to let cookies cool properly
9. Oven mitts and a small bowl or plate to hold reserved peanut butter chips

FAQ

Q: Can I use natural peanut butter or crunchy instead of creamy? A: Yes you can. Crunchy adds great texture. Natural peanut butter is ok but stir it well first because the oil seperates, and that extra oil can make the dough looser so chill the dough a bit before baking.

Q: How do I make these cookies chewy instead of cakey? A: Use more brown sugar and slightly underbake by 1 to 2 minutes, make sure you dont overmeasure the flour, and scoop slightly larger balls. Brown sugar holds moisture so it helps chewiness.

Q: My cookies spread too much or not enough, what gives? A: If they spread too much your butter was probably too soft or warm, or the dough wasnt chilled. To stop spreading chill the dough 30 minutes. If they dont spread enough flatten balls gently before baking. Also check your oven temp because wrong temps change spread.

Q: Can I freeze the dough or baked cookies? A: Absolutely. Freeze scooped dough balls on a tray then transfer to a bag for up to 3 months, bake from frozen adding 2 to 4 minutes. Baked cookies freeze well too, store in an airtight container up to 3 months.

Q: Any easy ways to punch up the chocolate or peanut butter flavor? A: Add a teaspoon of instant espresso powder to the batter to boost chocolate, or fold in extra peanut butter chips and chopped roasted peanuts. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt right after baking makes the flavors pop.

Q: How should I store them and how long do they last? A: Keep cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temp for 3 to 5 days, add a piece of bread or paper towel to keep them soft. Refrigerate up to a week or freeze up to 3 months.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Unsalted butter: swap with salted butter, same amount. Cut the recipe salt to about 1/2 teaspoon. Cookies might spread a little more and taste a bit saltier, but still great.
Peanut butter: use almond or cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter 1:1 (sunflower is perfect for nut allergies). If the sub is runnier warm it then chill the dough so it doesn’t get too soft.
Eggs: replace 2 large eggs with 2 flax “eggs” (2 tbsp ground flax + 6 tbsp water, let sit 5 minutes) or use 1/2 cup applesauce for extra moist, slightly cakier cookies. Flax keeps structure better than applesauce.
All purpose flour: use a 1:1 gluten free all purpose blend (look for xanthan gum included) or swap up to half the AP flour with whole wheat pastry flour for a nuttier note. Full swap to whole wheat will make them denser so dont overmix.

Pro Tips

1. Soften the butter until it yields when you press it with your finger but is not oily, its the difference between a fluffy creamed base and greasy dough, dont microwave unless you watch it closely.

2. For a deeper chocolate punch add a teaspoon of instant espresso powder or strong coffee to the wet mix, you wont taste coffee but the cocoa will pop more.

3. If you want extra chew add one egg yolk or a tablespoon of light corn syrup, and if you have time chill the dough overnight — it concentrates flavor and makes the texture way better.

4. Use room temp cookie scoops or weigh them for even baking, dont crowd the sheet and bake one tray at a time on the middle rack so they brown evenly; press a few chips and flaky salt onto the tops right out of the oven for the best look and salty contrast.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

Recipe by Tessa Jones

0.0 from 0 votes

I finally perfected my Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies recipe that's freezer friendly and packed with peanut butter chips, and I'm sharing the small trick that makes them come out reliably every time.

Servings

servings

Calories

368

kcal

Equipment: 1. Oven plus 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats
2. Large mixing bowl and a medium bowl for dry ingredients
3. Electric mixer (stand or hand) or a sturdy wooden spoon if you want to do it by hand
4. Whisk for the flour and cocoa so there are no lumps
5. Rubber spatula for scraping and folding, and a wooden spoon for tougher mixing
6. Measuring cups and spoons, and a kitchen scale if you have one
7. Cookie scoop (about 2 tbsp) or tablespoon for portioning dough
8. Wire cooling rack to let cookies cool properly
9. Oven mitts and a small bowl or plate to hold reserved peanut butter chips

Ingredients

1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (240 g) creamy peanut butter smooth or chunky is fine
1 1/4 cups (250 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (220 g) packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups (280 g) all purpose flour
3/4 cup (75 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 to 2 cups (240 to 320 g) peanut butter chips
Flaky sea salt for sprinkling optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats, set aside.
In a large bowl beat the softened butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together until light and a bit fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes; scrape the bowl, then add the eggs one at a time and mix, finally stir in the vanilla.
In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt so there are no lumps.
Add the dry mixture to the wet in two additions, mixing on low just until combined, dont overmix or the cookies will be tough.
Fold in 1 1/2 to 2 cups peanut butter chips, reserving a few to press on top if you want the cookies to look extra chip-packed.
Chill the dough 30 minutes to 1 hour if you have time; chilling firms the dough and helps make thick chewy cookies. If you are in a hurry you can skip or chill for 10 minutes.
Scoop dough into balls about 2 tablespoons each (or a slightly larger scoop for bakery-size cookies), place 2 to 2 1/2 inches apart on the prepared sheets, and gently press the tops so theyre slightly flattened but still thick.
Bake 9 to 12 minutes until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly soft and glossy; bigger scoops may need up to 13 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a few reserved peanut butter chips into the tops and sprinkle flaky sea salt if using.
Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes so they set, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely; they firm up as they cool and stay chewy inside.
To freeze: flash-freeze scooped dough on a tray then bag for up to 3 months, bake from frozen adding 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time. Baked cookies freeze great too, layer with parchment in an airtight container.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.