Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are thick, chewy, and packed with rich peanut butter flavor. You can make them in 30 minutes with no chill, and they bake up with crisp edges and soft centers every time.

These cookies came from years of testing to get the texture just right. I wanted something that had the structure of a classic bakery chocolate chip cookie but with real peanut butter flavor throughout.

If you love cookies that stay thick and chewy, you’ll also want to try my cream cheese chocolate chip cookies or white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. Both use similar techniques for that same soft interior.

For a full chocolate moment, pair these with chocolate ice cream or go all in with chocolate pound cake and chocolate cupcakes.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• All-purpose flour: Provides structure without making the cookies tough.
• Baking soda & baking powder: Work together for lift and spread control.
• Kosher salt: Balances sweetness and sharpens the peanut butter flavor.
• Granulated sugar & brown sugar: The combination gives both structure and moisture.
• Butter: Use unsalted so you control the salt level.
• Peanut butter: Smooth, no-stir creamy peanut butter like jif or skippy works best for consistent texture. Natural peanut butter will work, but it may slightly change the texture. If peanut butter is your thing, don’t miss old fashioned peanut butter cookies complete with the classic crisscross pattern, or these soft and loaded reese’s peanut butter cookies.
• Large Egg: Adds richness and helps bind the dough.
• Vanilla extract: Enhances both the chocolate and peanut butter flavors.
• Chocolate chips: I like using semi-sweet chocolate chips in these and my New York Times chocolate chip cookies, with a few dark chocolate chips for balance.

See the recipe card below for full ingredients and quantities.

Variations for Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

• Make them into bars. Press the dough into a lined pan and bake like my peanut butter bars for a thicker, sliceable version.
• Add peanut butter cups. Swap the chocolate chips for chopped candies like in reeses peanut butter blondies or go classic with peanut butter cup cookies .
• Turn them into ice cream sandwiches. Sandwich them with vanilla bean ice cream or toasted marshmallow smores ice cream.
• Add oats for texture. Pull inspiration from the best oatmeal raisin cookies and mix in quick oats for a heartier bite, or top with chopped roasted peanuts for extra texture.

Professional Tips

• Don’t overmix the butter and sugar. Just bring them together into a smooth paste. More mixing equals more spread.
• Add flour gradually. This keeps the dough from getting dense and helps everything incorporate evenly.
• Press extra chips on top. It’s a simple bakery trick that makes every cookie look intentional.
• Bake just until set. The centers should look slightly underdone when you pull them. They’ll finish setting as they cool.

How do you make peanut butter chocolate chip cookies from scratch?

Use these instructions to make the perfect peanut butter chocolate chip cookies every time! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Whisk dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.

Step 2: Cream butter sugars. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed the butter and both sugars just until a smooth paste forms, about 1–2 minutes. Do not overmix.

Step 3: Add egg & vanilla. Beat in the egg and vanilla, scraping the sides of the bowl so everything is fully incorporated. Then mix in the peanut butter until smooth.

Step 4: Incorporate flour mixture. Add the dry ingredients in 5–7 small additions on low speed or by hand. Mix each addition just until incorporated before adding the next.

Step 5: Fold chocolate chips. Stir in the chocolate chips with a spoon or rubber spatula until evenly distributed. Reserve a handful to press on top later if desired.

Step 6: Scoop cookie dough balls. Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough into large balls, about 70g each (roughly the size of half a tennis ball).

Step 7: Chill or bake. Bake immediately or chill in the fridge. If chilling, scoop first. Dough can also be baked straight from frozen.

Step 8: Bake cookies. Place dough balls on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in the oven at 325°F for about 9–10 minutes from room temperature or about 15 minutes from frozen, until edges are golden brown and centers are just set.

Sprinkle your batch with flaky salts before baking for contrast.

Step 9: Cool and enjoy. Let cookies cool on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes before serving so the centers finish setting.

Recipe FAQs

Before You Go

For more technique-driven baking, browse all my cookie recipes or try something a little different like chocolate crinkle cookies. If you’re in the mood for more peanut butter treats, try peanut butter banana energy bites or go all in with this rich and tender peanut butter cake.