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Soft and thick peanut butter chocolate chip cookies that will blow your mind and bring everyone back for MORE! Ultra large chunks on top just seal the deal.

There might be a picture of me from college, on a random Saturday night, dressed up for a luau, curled hair, make up done, and me sitting on the couch with my girl friends ready to go out, with a bag of chocolate chips and me dipping a spoonful of peanut butter directly into the bag. It wasn’t my finest moment… but there is something about the allure of peanut butter and chocolate chips that just can’t be beat.

And I am 37 and I can’t say that I have grown out of it. Yes, the dipping the spoonful of peanut butter directly into the bag of chocolate chips thing I have grown out of – but the peanut butter and chocolate chips combo is here to stay. A couple months ago one of my coworkers did me a HUGE solid at work, and to pay him back for it I offered to bake him and the crew a batch of cookies, his choice. The request was for peanut butter chocolate chunk. And I DE-LIVERED. And it’s been a long time coming for me to share them here with you, but here they finally are.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies Ingredients

The ingredients here are super simple and likely stuff you already have in your pantry. But I definitely encourage you to use some quality ingredients in your chocolate! Chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, or baking bars that have been chopped up are always a great change.

  • Flour
  • Baking Soda
  • Salt
  • Unsalted Butter
  • Brown Sugar
  • White Sugar
  • Creamy Peanut Butter
  • Egg
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Chocolate Chips – or Chocolate Chunks
  • Sea Salt Flakes, optional

Soft & Thick Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients

The ingredients here are super simple and likely stuff you already have in your pantry. But I definitely encourage you to use some quality ingredients in your chocolate! Chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, or baking bars that have been chopped up are always a great change. 

  • All Purpose Flour
  • BakingSoda
  • Salt
  • Unsalted Butter
  • Brown Sugar
  • White Sugar
  • Creamy Peanut Butter
  • Large Egg
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Chocolate Chips – or Chocolate Chunks
  • Sea Salt Flakes, optional

How to Make Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

  1. Preheat oven to ensure that it reaches 350 well in time to bake your cookies. An under temperature oven will not yield the results you want! 
  2. In a bowl, mix together the dry ingredients and set aside. 
  3. In a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter until light and fluffy. Follow this by beating in the sugars until well mixed and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Be sure to scrape down the bowl before adding in next ingredients to ensure that all are mixed properly. Add in the egg, and vanilla extract. 
  4. Lastly add in the dry ingredients, in thirds, allowing it to mix in almost completely before adding in more. 
  5. Finally add in the chocolate chips, or chocolate chunks, mixing in slowly until just combined. Be sure to save one third of them for pressing into the top of the cookies to give them the best presentation when baking.
  6. Line the cookie sheets or baking sheets with parchment paper. If you were making traditional peanut butter cookie recipe, you would use a fork to make a criss cross pattern or fork marks on top. Here you will lightly press some of the additional chocolate chips or chocolate chunks into the top of the cookies. 
  7. Bake them one sheet at a time for about 9-10 minutes.
  8. Allow them to rest on a wire rack on the counter to cool completely, on the baking sheet before removing. 

What Kind of Peanut Butter Should I Use?

No, because of the easy separation of natural peanut butter it is not recommended to use it in peanut butter cookies. I know that it is a favorite for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but the oil separation during baking will not yield the best peanut butter cookies you are hoping for, so steer clear and use the good old fashioned homogenized Jif, Skippy, or other similar brands. 

What Kind of Chocolate Should I Use for Cookies?

For this recipe I used semisweet baking bars, chopped into chunks. Semisweet chocolate has a good all around cocoa content that is not too sweet and not too bitter or rich. It’s my go to favorite for all chocolate chip cookies. You can use chocolate chunks, or chocolate chips. Whatever you have on hand is best. 

Use approximately 2 cups, or 10 ounces by weight of chocolate. 

Can I make Peanut Butter Cookie Dough In Advance?

Absolutely! Another popular question is “Can I Freeze Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies?” Totally! Whether you make your cookies in advance and let the dough rest in the refrigerator, or freeze the cookie dough balls for baking later this is a great option. 

Making the dough in advance does a couple of different things. It allows the flour to hydrate and plump up with the moisture from the wet ingredients in the dough. It also allows the leavening ingredients to activate. You will get a fluffier cookie! 

I love to freeze my cookie dough as well. You can use my How to Freeze Cookie Dough .That way I can freeze them and bake only a few at a time, or it saves time when I’m in a hurry.

Tips for the Best Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

  1. Use high quality semisweet chocolate. It’s worth it for the best flavor!
  2. Let the dough rest, and sit in the fridge – if you have time – before baking the cookies. 
  3. Press a few extra chunks or chocolate chips into the top of the peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough balls before baking so you can see the chunks poking out the top after they bake! It makes them look extra divine.
  4. Use a giant round cookie cutter to swirl around the cookies straight out of the oven to create the perfect round circular cookies. 
  5. Sprinkle a little extra sea salt on top, right out of the oven, for a little extra kick of salt and depth of flavor! Chef’s kiss. 

More Inspired Homemade Recipes To Try

Bourbon Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Dark Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Coconut Cookies

Black Forest Chocolate Chunk Muffins

Chocolate Chip Coconut Peanut Butter Cookies

Triple Chocolate Chunk Brownie Cookies

Print
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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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  • Author: Megan Keno
  • Prep Time: 20 Minutes
  • Chill Time (optional): 1 Hour
  • Cook Time: 10 Minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 24 1x
  • Category: Cookies
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 1/4 cup Flour
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 3/4 tsp Salt
  • 1 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 Tbsp Vanilla
  • 2 cups Chocolate Chips, or chocolate chunks (10 ounces)
  • Flake Sea Salt, optional

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle of the oven. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. 
  3. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Beat in the brown and white sugar until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl at least one time to ensure it is combined completely. Beat about 2-3 minutes total. Add in peanut butter, and beat until combined and smooth. 
  4. Add in egg and vanilla and beat until combined. 
  5. With the mixer on low, stir in the flour until just combined. Do not over mix. 
  6. Add in 2/3 of the chocolate chips, or chocolate chunks. Set aside the other 1/3 for later. 
  7. If possible, cover the bowl and place the dough into the fridge for 1 hour to allow the dough to chill and rest prior to baking. This is optional. 
  8. Using a cookie scoop drop 8 dough balls onto one cookie sheet. Press a few semi-sweet chocolate chips, or chocolate chunks on top of each cookie dough ball, pressing gently on top so that they adhere. 
  9. Bake for 9-10 minutes, rotating the sheet 180 degrees on the rack halfway through baking.
  10. Remove and place baking sheet on a wire rack to cool completely. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cookies.
  11. When the cookies come out of the oven, you can sprinkle lightly with flakes sea salt. This is optional, but utterly delicious.