Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

Take your peanut butter cookies up a notch with these Chunky Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies. So chewy and chocolatey, these easy cookies come together easily and are incredibly delicious!

Chocolate chip peanut butter cookies

Chocolate + peanut butter = love. My recipes for chocolate peanut butter Whoopie Pies, Ice Cream, Peanut Butter Blossoms, and Oatmeal Bars would have to agree that these two together are pure perfection!

I wanted to take traditional peanut butter cookies up a notch and the best way to do that is to add in chocolate! My Chunky Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies are sweet, nutty, and seriously addictive. Try stopping after just one, I dare you!

All we’re doing is taking a classic peanut butter cookie batter and mixing in chocolate chips. In the end, these delicious snacking cookies are moist and nutty with a fun chocolate surprise on the inside.

How to make ​​peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies

These homemade cookies are easy to make using pantry-staple ingredients. The cookie dough comes together in no time and they’re done baking in less than 15 minutes! Here’s how it’s done:

Use a standing or handheld mixer (I use this) to beat the butter, peanut butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla together until creamy.

Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda to a separate bowl.

Slowly combine the dry mixture into the wet, being careful not to over mix. To finish, use a spatula to fold the chocolate chips into the cookie dough.

Use your hands to roll 1-inch balls of cookie dough and place them on your prepared baking sheet. Press each ball down with a fork to make a criss-cross pattern. Sprinkle each cookie with a little sugar.

Bake the cookies until the edges look golden brown. 

Take them out of the oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack, then enjoy!

Tips and variations

• Double chocolate – Add 1/3 cup of cocoa powder to make double chocolate peanut butter cookies.
• More add-ins – Instead of or in addition to the chocolate chips, you can use white chocolate chips, raisins, chocolate chunks, dried cranberries, peanut butter chips, or chopped nuts.
• Crispy cookies – Leave them in the oven for an additional 1 to 3 minutes if you prefer a crispier cookie.
• Peanut butter – Smooth peanut butter from a new jar is the best and easiest to work with. You can also use chunky peanut butter or replace it with any nut or seed butter you like.
• Melted vs. soft butter – I recommend using softened butter for these cookies because it helps them taste thicker and chewier. Melted butter will cause the cookies to spread slightly in the oven, but it isn’t the end of the world if that’s what you use.
• Vegan – Make my vegan peanut butter cookies and fold in vegan chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate at the end!
• Gluten free – Try my flourless peanut butter cookies instead. They would pair nicely with chocolate chips!

Do I need to chill the dough before baking the cookies?

It isn’t completely necessary for this recipe, but chilling the peanut butter cookie dough before baking the cookies will give you a more flavorful and chewy cookie. Why? Because baking cold dough prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven and gives all of the flavors time to meld together.

Make the cookie dough with the chocolate chips, cover the bowl, and place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Afterward, roll the cookies into balls and bake!

But in the end, if you don’t have the extra time, that’s totally ok and you can make them without chilling.

Can I freeze chocolate chip peanut butter cookies?

You can freeze both the unbaked and baked cookies. Here’s how it’s done:

• To freeze the unbaked cookie dough, roll the balls of dough, place them on the prepared baking sheet, and freeze. Once they’re frozen solid, transfer the balls to a sealed ziploc bag or container and freeze. The cookies can be baked from frozen but may need a few extra minutes in the oven.
• To freeze baked cookies, let them cool completely and store them in an airtight container or ziploc bag. They freeze nicely for up to 2 months.

Hungry for more peanut butter and chocolate goodness?

• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
• Chocolate Chow Mein Noodle Cookies
• Peanut Butter Protein Powder Cookies
• Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
• Baked Chocolate Donuts with Peanut Butter Frosting
• Chocolate Oreo Peanut Butter Popsicles
• Chocolate Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

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