Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies bring a comforting combination of creamy peanut butter and rich chocolate chips, making them a perfect treat for any gathering, especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas. These cookies have a soft, dense texture that pairs well with a glass of milk or warm cocoa, adding a cozy touch to chilly days.
What You’ll Find On This Page
The best part? They’re quick and simple to make, using basic ingredients and minimal effort, yet they deliver that bakery-quality taste right at home. Perfect for both beginners and seasoned bakers, these cookies are ideal for holiday sharing, gifting, or enjoying fresh from the oven. They’re a great choice for Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations, making them a crowd-pleaser every time.
Ingredients and Substitutions Overview
To make these tasty Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, you’ll need a few basic baking ingredients that are easy to find at most grocery stores. Here’s a detailed list of everything you’ll need.
- Peanut Butter: Choose creamy peanut butter for a smooth, nutty flavor that helps keep the cookies moist and gives them a chewy texture. Avoid natural peanut butter, as its oil separation can lead to crumbly cookies that don't hold together as well.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: These classic chocolate chips add bursts of sweetness to the cookies. Feel free to experiment here—milk or dark chocolate chips bring a richer taste, while white chocolate or even butterscotch chips offer a fun twist.
- All-Purpose Flour: This flour is essential for structure, helping the cookies hold their shape while staying soft. Make sure to measure accurately to avoid dense or dry cookies.
- Leavening Agents (Baking Powder and Baking Soda): These two work together to make the cookies soft and chewy. Baking powder helps them rise, while baking soda adds that nice golden color. If you enjoy a slightly crispy edge, baking soda will give you just that!
- Unsalted Butter: Butter gives these cookies that rich, buttery flavor we all enjoy. Using unsalted butter lets you adjust the salt level to your taste.
- Brown Sugar: This sugar not only sweetens but also adds moisture and chewiness, giving a mild caramel flavor and golden color.
- White Sugar: It adds sweetness without altering the texture too much.
- Eggs: Eggs hold everything together, giving the cookies structure and a soft, chewy texture. They’re a must for that classic cookie feel.
- Vanilla Extract: Just a little vanilla adds a lot of flavor. It goes well with the peanut butter and chocolate, adding a hint of sweetness to the cookies.
- Salt: It balances out the sweetness, bringing out the peanut butter and chocolate flavors for a well-rounded taste.
How to Make Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies at Home?
Let’s make these delicious peanut butter chocolate chip cookies together. We’ll go step-by-step—starting with mixing the wet and dry ingredients, preparing the dough, and finally shaping and baking them to the perfect texture. I’ve included detailed images and a video to guide you along the way, making it as easy as possible. Let’s get started!
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- Shortbread Cookies
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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Enjoy the perfect blend of creamy peanut butter and rich chocolate chips in these easy-to-make Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. They’re a fantastic treat for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any festive gathering—a true crowd-pleaser!
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Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Salt, or to taste
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- ½ cup White Sugar
- 2 Eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups Peanut Butter, creamy
- 1½ cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, plus few extra chocolate chips to press while the cookies are warm
Instructions
Preparing Dry Ingredients
- Start by sifting the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. This step helps remove any lumps, creating a smooth, even texture in your cookies. Sifting also aerates the flour, which can make the cookies lighter. After sifting, whisk the ingredients together to combine well, then set the mixture aside.
Preparing Wet Ingredients
- In a separate bowl, cream room-temperature butter, brown sugar, and white sugar using an electric beater on medium speed. Aim for a light and fluffy consistency, which should take about 3-5 minutes. This step incorporates air, creating a smooth, creamy base for your cookies.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture, beating on low speed. This gently incorporates the eggs without losing the airiness from creaming. Mix until everything is well-combined and creamy, taking care not to overbeat.
- On low speed, gently blend in the creamy peanut butter until it’s fully combined with the butter, sugar, and egg mixture. This step adds a rich, nutty flavor and creates a smooth, creamy consistency in the dough.
Preparing Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
- Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, mixing on low speed to prevent overworking the dough. Mixing gently helps avoid excessive gluten formation, which can make cookies tough. Stop mixing as soon as no dry flour is visible.
- Add the semi-sweet chocolate chips and mix on low speed. Then, use a spatula to gently fold the chips in, distributing them evenly without crushing them or overmixing the dough.
- Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap, making sure it’s well-sealed, and refrigerate for an hour. Chilling is important as it allows the flavors to meld and the fats to solidify, leading to a more flavorful and chewy cookie.
- Use a medium-sized cookie scoop to portion the dough into 3-tbsp-sized balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking tray. Space them 2-3 inches apart to allow room for spreading. Lightly flatten the tops with a spoon or your palm, as peanut butter cookie dough tends to spread less during baking.
Baking the Cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and bake the cookies for 14-15 minutes. Watch for the edges to turn golden brown while the centers remain soft—this is key to achieving that perfect combination of a slightly crisp edge and a chewy middle. If the cookies seem a bit underbaked in the center, that’s okay—they’ll continue to set as they cool.
- Once baked, let the cookies rest on the baking tray for 5-10 minutes. This cooling period allows the cookies to firm up and set, making them easier to handle without breaking. Moving them too soon can cause them to crumble, as the cookies are still delicate while hot. After resting, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely if you’re not serving them right away.
Serving
- Enjoy these warm cookies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a cold glass of milk. The warmth of the cookies melts the ice cream slightly, making each bite extra tasty. For more fun ideas, check out our Serving Suggestions section below!
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Chef's Notes and Tips
Here are some expert tips to perfect your Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies:
Preparation of Ingredients:
- Quality Ingredients: Using fresh, high-quality ingredients makes a noticeable difference. Freshly opened brown sugar, for instance, has more moisture, adding to the cookies' chewiness, while good-quality chocolate chips melt better, creating rich, gooey pockets. Choosing premium ingredients gives your cookies a flavor boost.
- Accurate Measurements: Precision is essential for consistent results, especially with flour. Too much can make cookies dense, while too little can cause them to spread too much. Weighing ingredients with a scale provides accuracy, but if you’re using measuring cups, scoop the flour and level it off with a butter knife to avoid overpacking.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Room temperature butter, eggs, and vanilla extract help ingredients blend smoothly, giving the dough a uniform consistency. Cold butter doesn’t mix as well, leading to unevenly textured cookies. Let your butter sit out for about 30 minutes before using, and crack eggs into a bowl and let them rest for a few minutes to warm up.
- Unsalted Butter: Using unsalted butter allows you to control the salt level in your cookies. If you only have salted butter, consider reducing the added salt to avoid an overly salty taste.
Preparation Tips:
- Chilling for Flavor: Chilling the dough for at least an hour helps enhance flavor and prevents the cookies from spreading too much during baking. For even more flavor, you can chill the dough overnight—this is especially useful if you’re prepping the dough ahead of time.
- Cookie Size Options: The recommended size is 3 tablespoons per cookie for larger, bakery-style cookies. For smaller cookies, use 1.5 tablespoons for a more bite-sized treat. Adjusting the size affects baking time slightly, so keep an eye on them if you make smaller cookies, as they may bake a bit faster.
- Flatten the Dough: Peanut butter cookie dough tends to be dense, so it doesn’t spread much on its own. Lightly flattening each dough ball helps them bake more evenly. Use a spoon or your hand to press down gently; this small step helps you achieve a nice, even cookie shape.
Baking Techniques:
- Parchment Paper Use: Line your baking tray with parchment paper to prevent sticking and burning, promoting even baking of the cookies.
- Oven Temperature Accuracy: Even a small temperature difference can impact your cookies' texture. Proper preheating and consistent temperature control are key for even baking. Keep an eye on your oven’s temperature to avoid over- or under-baking. For added precision, you might consider using an oven thermometer to monitor the actual temperature inside.
- Rotate the Baking Tray: Halfway through baking, rotate the tray 180 degrees. This step helps prevent uneven baking, as ovens often have hot spots. Rotating helps all the cookies receive the same amount of heat, resulting in even color and texture across the entire tray.
- Cooling Rack Method: Once your cookies are baked, transfer them to a cooling rack immediately. This stops the baking process by allowing air to circulate around the cookies, preventing them from becoming too hard or chewy. Leaving them on the baking tray for too long can lead to overbaking due to residual heat. Plus, cooling on a rack keeps the bottoms crisp and prevents sogginess.
Customization Tips:
- Chocolate Chip Variety: Semi-sweet chocolate chips give a classic flavor, but you can experiment with dark, milk, or even white chocolate chips for different tastes. Or mix two types of chocolate for extra depth. Adding a few chopped chocolate chunks along with the chips also brings a delicious texture.
- Adding Nuts for Texture: Adding chopped nuts, like walnuts, pecans, or almonds, brings a crunchy texture that complements the soft cookie. Toasting the nuts briefly beforehand can add extra depth to the flavor.
- Personalize with Add-ins: Customize your cookies by adding a handful of shredded coconut for chewiness, oats for a hearty texture, or a pinch of cinnamon for warmth. These small changes can make each batch feel unique.
- Experiment with Sweetness: Adjusting the sugar allows you to control the flavor profile. Using a bit less sugar enhances the peanut taste while adding a bit more gives a sweeter, dessert-like flavor.
Nutrition Info
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 237kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 114mg | Potassium: 116mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 196IU | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg
Disclaimer
We're not nutrition experts, and the nutritional information provided is an estimate. Please use it as a guide. For precise details, it's best to consult a professional. To learn more, please view our Detailed Disclaimers.
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Serving Suggestions
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies pair beautifully with a variety of flavors. Here are some ideas that I think you’ll enjoy pairing with them:
- Classic Milk Pairing: Enjoy these cookies with a cold glass of milk—a classic combo that highlights the creamy peanut butter and chocolate flavors.
- With Vanilla Ice Cream: Try serving the cookies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an extra-special treat.
- Coffee or Tea: Pair the cookies with a cup of coffee or tea for a satisfying flavor contrast.
- Salted Caramel Drizzle: Add a twist by drizzling salted caramel sauce over the cookies, creating a delicious sweet-salty contrast.
- Cream Cheese Frosting Sandwich: For a rich treat, sandwich two cookies with a layer of cream cheese frosting. The creamy, tangy frosting adds an extra layer of flavor to the sweet cookies.
- Hot Chocolate: Cozy up with a warm cup of hot chocolate and a few cookies for the ultimate comfort treat.
Storage Suggestions
Here are some easy ways to keep your Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies and dough tasting fresh, whether you’re enjoying them now or saving them for later.
Storing Cookie Dough
- Long-Term Freezing: If you want fresh cookies anytime, freeze portions of the dough in an airtight container for up to 2-3 months. Just scoop out portions, freeze them on a baking sheet for an hour or two, then transfer them to a freezer bag or container. You can bake them directly from frozen—just add a few minutes to the baking time, and they’ll turn out great!
- Short-Term Refrigeration: Planning to bake soon? Keep the dough in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Chilling the dough can even boost the flavor, so your cookies will taste even richer when baked.
Storing Baked Cookies
- Room Temperature: Freshly baked cookies are best enjoyed within a week. Store them in an airtight container, and if you want them extra soft, add a slice of bread to the container. The bread will help keep them moist—just swap it out when it starts to dry.
- Freezing Baked Cookies: If you’d like to save some for later, freeze the baked cookies for up to 2-3 months. First, lay them out on a baking sheet to freeze briefly, then transfer them to a freezer bag or container. When you’re ready to enjoy, let them thaw at room temperature, then warm them in the microwave for a few seconds to soften the chocolate chips and boost the flavor.
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