🍪 Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies: A Classic with a Nutty Twist
If you're a die-hard chocolate chip cookie fan, brace yourself—because this peanut butter version might just knock your all-time favorite off its throne.
These cookies strike that perfect balance: soft and chewy inside, with those irresistibly golden edges. Add the sweet-salty magic of peanut butter and melty chocolate chips, and you've got something dangerously addictive.
💬 "I didn’t think I’d ever find a cookie that could rival my go-to chocolate chip recipe… but here we are."
🥜 Why You'll Love These Cookies
These cookies aren’t your everyday bake-sale treat. They’re:
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Thick, soft, and chewy
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Packed with smooth peanut butter (no gritty textures here)
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Speckled with gooey chocolate chips
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Slightly salty, totally sweet, and just the right amount of indulgent
🧪 How the Recipe Came Together
Swapping butter for peanut butter? Sounds risky, right? But surprisingly, it worked like a charm. A simple substitution—part butter, part peanut butter—transformed the classic into something bold, rich, and utterly satisfying.
⚠️ A Quick Note About Peanut Butter
Not all peanut butter is cookie-friendly.
Skip the natural or homemade varieties for this recipe. They’re just too oily, and your cookies will spread like pancake batter.
✅ Use a standard, shelf-stable peanut butter (like Kraft or Jif).
✅ Go for smooth, unless you want a bit of crunch.
❌ Avoid natural brands—they'll throw off the texture.
🍫 Add-ins: Chocolate Chips, or Not?
We went full throttle on chocolate chips here (because who wouldn’t?). But if you’re a peanut butter purist, feel free to scale back or skip them altogether.
Pro Tip: Want extra crunch? Swap the chocolate chips for chopped roasted peanuts—or go half-and-half.
❄️ Chill. Your. Dough.
Yes, we know it’s hard to wait. But chilling the dough is non-negotiable.
Because of the peanut butter, this dough is softer than your typical cookie dough—and without some time in the fridge, you’ll end up with flat, greasy puddles.
Chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight for best results.
🔥 Baking Tips for Perfect Results
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Use a cookie scoop: Aim for about 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie.
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Spacing matters: Leave at least 3 inches between cookies—they spread!
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Don’t overbake: Pull them when the edges are golden and the center looks slightly underdone. They'll finish cooking on the sheet.
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Rest before moving: Let them cool for 10 minutes on the tray before transferring to a rack.
🍪 Texture Goals
You’re aiming for:
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Golden, slightly crisp edges
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Soft, chewy centers
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And those signature crinkles on top that make cookies look extra dreamy
🧪 Silicone Mat vs. Parchment: A Nerdy Note
During testing, we noticed cookies spread more on Silpat mats than on Fat Daddio’s silicone sheets. If you’ve been struggling with spreading cookies, your mat thickness might be the culprit.
🧁 Recipe: Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Servings: 15 large cookies
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Chill Time: 3 hours
Bake Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: ~3.5 hours
Calories per cookie: ~265
📋 Ingredients
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1¼ cups all-purpose flour
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½ tsp baking soda
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¼ tsp sea salt
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½ cup smooth peanut butter (not natural)
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½ cup unsalted butter, room temp
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½ cup granulated sugar
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½ cup packed light brown sugar
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1 large egg, room temp
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1 tsp vanilla extract
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1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
👩🍳 Instructions
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Mix dry ingredients:
Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. -
Cream fats:
In a stand mixer, beat butter and peanut butter together until smooth. -
Add sugars:
Add granulated and brown sugar. Beat until fluffy (about 3 minutes). -
Egg & vanilla:
Mix in egg and vanilla. Scrape the bowl as needed. -
Add dry mix:
Lower speed, then gradually mix in flour mixture until just combined. -
Chocolate chips:
Stir in chocolate chips by hand or with the mixer on low. -
Scoop & chill:
Using a large (3 Tbsp) scoop, portion into 15 dough balls. Slightly flatten each.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. -
Bake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.
Bake cookies 5 at a time, spaced 3 inches apart, for 10–12 minutes—edges should be lightly golden, centers glossy. -
Cool:
Let cookies rest on the tray for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack.
💡 Final Thoughts
These cookies were an unexpected hit—even with peanut butter skeptics. They’re rich, flavorful, and have that perfect chewy texture that every great cookie needs. Whether you're baking for a crowd or hoarding them for yourself, this recipe’s a keeper.