These chocolate peanut butter cookies are fudgy, soft-baked chocolate cookies loaded with gooey peanut butter chips and peanut butter cups. They’re easy to make and completely swoon-worthy. You’ll see!
If you love the flavor combination in these cookies, be sure to give these peanut butter buckeye cookies a try, next.
Soft and Chewy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Chocolate and peanut butter lovers, I’m sure you can relate when I say that I can’t resist a peanut butter cup. So, I’ve worked my favorite peanut butter candy into these soft, fudgy, chewy chocolate cookies that are loaded with peanut butter chips, too. You’ll find dozens upon dozens of cookie recipes on the site, but these chocolate peanut butter cookies are something special. They take a classic flavor combination to a whole new level!
Why I Love This Chocolate Cookie Recipe
- Rich and fudgy. The base for this recipe is actually my double chocolate chip cookies. I swap traditional chocolate chips for peanut butter chips and keep them fudgy and soft-baked. I couldn’t resist bringing peanut butter cups into the mix, too.
- Simple to make. This chocolate cookie recipe uses pantry staples. I make the dough with melted butter and amp up the brown sugar, for an extra chewy cookie.
- Adaptable. I love the peanut butter and chocolate combo, but you can swap out the peanut butter cups for any mix-ins you’d like.
Ingredient Notes
These cookies get their irresistible flavor and texture from a few key ingredients, which I’ll cover here. Scroll to the recipe card after the post for a printable ingredients list with the full recipe details.
- Butter – Salted or unsalted, melted before you start.
- Sugar – You’ll need light brown sugar (or regular brown sugar) and white sugar.
- Flour – Make sure that you measure the flour correctly. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, spoon the flour into the measuring cup before you level it off, to avoid adding too much flour to the dough.
- Cocoa Powder – My favorite is Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder. You can use any natural unsweetened cocoa powder, or even Dutch-processed cocoa powder for a darker, fudgier cookie. See my guide on the different kinds of cocoa powder.
- Peanut Butter Add-ins – I fill these chocolate peanut butter cookies with peanut butter chips and chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups. I find it’s best to use the mini (fun size) peanut butter cups and cut them into quarters.
How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Making perfectly fudgy peanut butter chip chocolate cookies takes only 3 steps. Follow along below, and scroll to the recipe card for printable instructions.
- Make the cookie dough. Start by creaming together melted butter with both sugars, then add vanilla and an egg. Meanwhile, combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Slowly add them to the dough, then fold in the peanut butter chips and peanut butter cup chunks.
- Scoop the cookies. Now, portion the cookie dough onto a lined baking sheet. Leave about 2” between each cookie to account for spreading.
- Bake. Bake your chocolate cookies at 350ºF for 9-11 minutes. Afterward, let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before you move them to a wire rack.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Melt the butter. Melt the butter and then allow it to cool for at least 5 minutes before combining it with the sugar.
- Rest the dough. The dough might also need to rest for a few minutes after mixing, so it stiffens up a bit for baking. You want the chocolate cookie dough to be stiff enough to hold its shape to avoid over-spreading.
- Get perfect scoops. I love using my large cookie scoop to portion cookie dough into balls. It ensures the cookies are the same size so that they bake evenly. Highly recommend!
- Line the baking sheet. Lining the cookie sheet with a silicone baking sheet helps to keep the cookies from over-spreading, and it also prevents the bottoms of the cookies from over-browning. If you don’t have a silicone mat, a piece of parchment paper works too.
- Don’t overbake. These chocolate peanut butter cookies should be slightly underbaked when they come out of the oven. This way, they set up into a soft-baked, chewy cookie, and not a dry, crunchy one. The cookies are done when they’re just set at the edges and still soft (but not gooey) in the middle.
- Try different add-ins. Change up the peanut butter cups or peanut butter chips. You can also use Reese’s Pieces, butterscotch chips, or regular chocolate chips.
- Finish the cookies with salt. I love adding a sprinkle of flaked sea salt to the tops of freshly baked cookies for a sweet-salty contrast. So good!
How to Store
- At room temperature. Store your baked cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4-5 days. Make sure they’re fully cool before you seal them.
- Freeze. You can freeze these chocolate and peanut butter cookies airtight for up to 2 months. You can thaw them to room temperature or heat them quickly in the microwave before serving (that being said, I’ve been eating these cookies straight from the freezer since I made them!)
More Cookies Recipes
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 10 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Description
These chocolate peanut butter cookies are fudgy, soft-baked cookies loaded with peanut butter chips AND peanut butter cups!
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113g) melted butter
- ½ cup (110g) packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (48g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (105g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (55g) Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup (45g) peanut butter chips
- 15–18 mini Peanut Butter Cups, chopped intro quarters
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl for 30-45 seconds. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Combine the melted butter with the brown and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until well combined, 2-3 minutes.
- Next add the egg and vanilla extract and continue beating until well incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda. Stir to combine and slowly add the dry ingredients into the dough, mixing on low speed until dough starts to form.
- Before the dough thickens, add the peanut butters chips and chopped peanut butter cups. Beat until incorporated.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a silicone baking sheet. Scoop the dough using a large cookie scoop and place on baking sheet, 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes. The center of the cookies should be slightly under baked but not too gooey. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cookie
- Calories: 259
- Sugar: 19.2g
- Sodium: 197.7mg
- Fat: 15.1g
- Saturated Fat: 8.4g
- Carbohydrates: 30.1g
- Fiber: 2.3g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 43.6mg
I had been looking for a perfect cookie recipe that incorporated chocolate and peanut butter and these were PERFECT!! So moist and delicious. They will definitely become a regular in my cookie baking rotation!
Amazing Michele! Thank you so much!!
What is the best way to freeze and thaw these? I would like to make them for my son’s birthday but I will have to make them about 10 days beforehand.
Prepare these and freeze flat on a cookie sheet, then place in an airtight container. Then you can thaw at room temperature.