Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft, chewy, and they turn out perfect every time! Start with an amazing peanut butter cookie recipe and add chocolate chips to take these cookies to the next level!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies have become a staple around my house since I discovered this recipe. I know, I know. Everyone says that their cookie recipe is the best and that doesn’t always mean much, but I promise that this is the BEST peanut butter cookie recipe you have ever tried.
It is my absolute favorite peanut butter cookie recipe. I can say this because I have tried dozens and dozens of peanut butter cookie recipes and was never very excited about any of them. Until I tried this one. It seems like a lot of the peanut butter cookie recipes turn out really crumbly and dry. Not this one!
This recipe is not only my favorite Peanut Butter Cookie recipe, but my favorite cookie recipe. Period. It is really that good. Just try it! I always add chocolate chips to mine, but they are good without also…totally up to you! And call me strange, but I usually prefer mini chocolate chips to the regular sized ones. I think it’s because I actually prefer cookie dough to baked cookies, and I like just a hint of chocolate mixed with the cookie – I don’t like my cookie dough to be overshadowed by too much chocolate!
How do you make homemade peanut butter cookies?
Making homemade peanut butter cookies is easy! Here are a few tips to getting perfect cookies every time!
- Make sure you use softened butter – DON’T melt it! One of the most common errors in cookie making is using butter that is either really cold and hard, or using butter that is too warm and melted. If you have time, just leave butter out on the counter for about 1-2 hours before making your cookies. If you are like me and don’t plan your cookie cravings that far in advance, just place the butter in your microwave and soften in 5 second intervals, being very careful to pull it out before it melts. I actually like to use the defrost setting on my microwave to soften butter- I don’t know the technical reasons behind it, but it seems to soften the butter more evenly and takes a little bit longer so I’m less likely to start melting it!
- Most cookie recipes require that you mix the dry ingredients separately before adding the wet ingredients. This is an important step! And be sure not to over mix the dry and wet ingredients together. Just mix until combined and then stop! To mix cookies, I usually use an electric mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Make sure to slightly press peanut butter cookies on the top with a fork before baking.
Why do peanut butter cookies always have fork marks on the top?
Peanut butter makes cookies more dense, so they need to be slightly flattened before baking so that they can cook more evenly. There is nothing worse than a cookie with burnt edges and a doughy middle! My kids like to help make the criss-cross pattern on the tops of the cookies, but if you don’t like the pattern, you can just use the back of a wooden spoon to slightly flatten the tops before placing the peanut butter cookies in the oven.
Ingredients in Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut butter: For best results, use a regular peanut butter. Every time I have made these cookies I have used a regular creamy peanut butter (like Jif or a store-brand alternative). Several readers have commented that the cookies do not turn out as well when using a natural style peanut butter.
Butter: I use salted butter, but you can use unsalted if you prefer. No margarine! Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature, but not melted before adding to the recipe.
Sugar: Can’t leave this one out – kind of an important ingredient in cookies!
Brown sugar: Also an important cookie ingredient. Make sure your brown sugar isn’t dried out or stale.
Egg: We only need 1 large egg, but it helps to bind the dough together so that the cookies cook properly and don’t crumble.
Milk: Just a little bit of milk, but it is needed to add a bit of moisture to the cookie dough. Any type of milk will work just fine!
Vanilla: I suggest using a good quality vanilla extract or a Vanilla Bean Paste.
Flour: I usually use all purpose flour, but you can use bread flour, or even pastry flour in this recipe.
Baking powder: Leavening agent in the cookies. Make sure your baking powder isn’t old or expired for best results.
Salt: Just a little bit, but don’t leave it out!
Chocolate chips: I usually use semi-sweet chocolate chips, but milk chocolate chips are fantastic as well. Or dark chocolate. Or throw in some peanut butter chips. A combination of chocolate works too! I like to swap out the regular sized chips for mini chips sometimes too! Or you can leave them out completely – peanut butter cookies are great on their own too!
How to make Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies?
With a hand mixer on medium speed, cream together the peanut butter, butter, white sugar and brown sugar until blended. Beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla.
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Add flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and mix together.
Stir in chocolate chips at this point if desired. Scoop tablespoonfuls of dough and roll into balls.
Place the balls of dough 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets or cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Press each cookie ball once with a fork.
Bake for 8-10 minutes at 375°. Don’t overcook! These cookies are much better soft and just barely cooked all the way through!
THE BEST PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 3 Tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- With a hand mixer, cream together the peanut butter, butter, white sugar and brown sugar until blended.
- Beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla.
- Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.
- Add flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and mix together. Stir in chocolate chips at this point if desired.
- Scoop tablespoonfuls of dough and roll into balls.
- Place cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets (I used parchment paper since my cookies tend to burn on my darker pans). Press each ball once with a fork.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes at 375. Don’t overcook! These cookies are much better soft and just barely cooked all the way through! Enjoy!
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Can you freeze peanut butter cookies?
Peanut butter cookies are easily frozen, either before or after baking them. I prefer to form the cookie dough balls and freeze those so that I can pull them and bake them whenever I need them. This way the cookies will be warm and fresh every time!
FREEZING COOKIE DOUGH
To freeze the cookie dough, place the balls on wax paper on a cookie sheet and freeze for about 30-45 minutes. Then you can place all of the frozen cookie dough balls in an airtight container or Ziplock freezer bag. When you are ready to bake them, just pull them out and place on a cookie sheet, let them thaw for about 10-15 minutes and then bake as usual.
FREEZING BAKED COOKIES
You can also freeze the cookies once they have been baked. Just make sure they have cooled all they way to room temperature and then place them in an airtight container in the freezer. I like to wrap them in plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer bag or airtight container to make sure to prevent freezer burn. If stored properly, peanut butter cookies will stay good in the freezer for 2-3 months.
How do you keep peanut butter cookies soft and fresh?
If you don’t eat all the peanut butter cookies within the first day or two, you can keep them soft and fresh by placing half a slice of white bread with the cookies in an airtight container or Ziplock bag. Make sure the bag or container is sealed well. The cookies will absorb moisture from the bread and stay softer for a longer amount of time this way!
More favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes:
- Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
- Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Mrs. Fields White Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Peanut Butter Fudge Brownies
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft and chewy, and they turn out perfect every time! Add chocolate chips to this classic peanut butter cookie recipe to take these cookies to the next level!
More favorite recipes to try:
- Smoked Chicken Drumsticks
- Recipes with Jello Mix
- Smoked Meatloaf Recipe
- Garlic Butter Pasta
- Chocolate Donut Glaze
- Raspberry Jello Salad
Laura says
What measurement for the mini chocolate chips??
Jessica Williams says
Laura- you use 1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips- or regular size- whatever you'd like! Sorry about that- I updated the post! 😉
Paula says
Do you use salted or unsalted butter?<br />
Nellie says
I usually use unsalted when baking, but if I only have salted on hand, then I usually reduce the amount of salt that I add to the cookies.
Amelia Mae :) says
Very good! Boyfriend and I loved them 🙂 Thanks for sharing the recipe, didn't change a thing!
Ashley Darling says
Kind if flavorless <br />Roll in sugar before you bake <br />But other wise very good.
avery says
I just wasn’t impressed for some reason. They weren’t very sweet and I couldn’t taste a big PB taste either. Not my favorite cookie recipe.
BakingMommy says
I just made these and they are very crumbly. If anything, I underbaked them because I like gooey cookies, but these are far from that. In your first picture, it looks like there is a cup of butter in the mixing bowl and recipe calls for 1/2 cup. Could this be the difference?
Nellie says
There is actually only 1/2 cup butter in the recipe. In the picture above, I actually had doubled the recipe since I needed a lot of cookies that day for a party. I'm not sure why your cookies turned out crumbly…I often end up adding a little bit of extra flour because often my dough is a little bit too gooey! I have made this recipe dozens of times and never had them be crumbly, and I&#
Kerran Lane says
BakingMommy, did you set your oven to 375 Celsius? I'm going to assume the poster of the recipe in Fahrenheit, give this same recipe a go on 190 Celsius 🙂
Allyson Azar says
Can I substitute almond milk?
Jessica Williams says
Allyson- I haven't specifically swapped in Almond milk in this recipe, but I have in many other recipes and it works beautifully! So I say try it- let me know how it goes!!
Lydia Hebbert says
How many cookies does this recipe make?
mari says
My batch made 42, I do make them smaller though. That way in my head I eat alot but really they r just small portions, always trying to trick myself.
Kristin says
Mine were crumbly too, I wonder why?
JoEllen says
How many cookies does this yield?
Nellie says
About 36, depending on the size of the cookies.
Liz says
I love these cookies! I followed the recipe and they were perfect. I even froze individual cookies and store them in a gallon freezer bag. The frozen cookies bake perfectly at 325 for 15 minutes. I’ve gotten a ton of compliments on them and they are so easy to make. Thanks for a wonderful recipe 🙂
Jessica says
So glad you enjoyed the cookies Liz!!
Sacha says
Made these today and they are really good! My kids loved them!
Rebecca says
I used 1C flour + a couple of tablespoons, which I might reduce further. I might have overbaked them because they weren’t chewy as prescribed. But I will definitely make them again! My friends said they taste like a popular Filipino candy called chocnut (it’s literally a choco-nutty crumbly bar) and they loved it. I love that they produce a huge batch or huge cookies.
I’m trying to raise funds for my family and these cookies are the perfect thing. Would you mind very much if I sold them to my friends, but didn’t claim the cookies or the recipe as my own? I would direct anyone who asked for the recipe to this exact page.
Jessica says
Go ahead Rebecca!
Rebecca says
thank you so much!!!!! your cookies are the best!!!!!
Luciana says
May I have the ingredients in grams, please?? Thank you very much in advance!!
Kbella says
Wow! I made these today and they were just amazing!! Delicate but chewy, and just the right balance of peanut butter + chocolate chips. This will be a staple recipe for me from now on, thank you!
Jessica says
So glad you enjoyed them!!
tori says
I used half tsp vanilla and half tsp almond extract and man did that really pump up the flavor! Try it!!
Jessica says
I absolutely LOVE almond extract- I’m going to have to try that!! Thank you!
Laura Wilson says
I followed the directions as followed and the centers were completely raw. Super disappointed.
Niamh says
I also found that they were too uncooked but I just left mine in the oven for an extra 2 or 3 mins
Magaret says
My husband said these were the best PBCC cookies I ever made and I am a baker so I have made a few. I did add about 2T of extra flour as I thought they were a bit wet but the flavor was perfect. Thank you 🙂
Jessica says
I’m so happy to hear that you (and your hubby!) enjoyed them!!