Home » Cookies » Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Close-up collage of thick peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, featuring gooey melted chocolate chips and creamy peanut butter swirls, with one cookie broken in half on a blue plate and another cookie shown in a detailed texture shot. Bold text overlay reads “Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies,” perfect for baking and dessert inspiration.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

You might already have a peanut butter cookie recipe.

You might also have your go-to chocolate chip cookie.

But you might not have this cookie—one that lives between the two, with no need to choose a side.

This recipe marries the gentle richness of peanut butter with the confidence of melted chocolate, all tucked into a cookie that holds its shape without losing its chew. It’s a cookie I make when I want something that feels like an old favorite but gives me something new.

Tall collage showing a neat stack of peanut butter chocolate chip cookies loaded with large chocolate morsels and swirled peanut butter topping, paired with a halved cookie on a plate. Text overlay highlights this rich cookie recipe on a marble backdrop.

Why This Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Works

A good cookie doesn’t just happen. It needs balance. Soft centers. Golden edges. A dough that doesn’t dry out or overspread.

This one has all that. The extra swirl of peanut butter on top is more than decoration—it deepens the flavor and gives every bite a double note.

I’ve tested dozens. This is the one I kept making.


How the Ingredients Shape the Final Cookie

Flat lay of individual cookie ingredients on a white marble background, including flour, butter, peanut butter, chocolate chips, brown sugar, white sugar, an egg, vanilla extract, and baking soda—organized for baking preparation.

Flour, baking soda, and salt hold structure and help control spread. You want just enough flour to hold the butter and sugar in check.

Butter and peanut butter do more than bring richness. Together, they soften the dough and make it bend toward chewy. I use creamy peanut butter—the no-stir kind. It gives consistency, every time.

Stainless steel mixing bowl filled with flour and baking soda being whisked with a metal whisk on a marble countertop, capturing the dry ingredient preparation stage for homemade cookies.

The blend of brown sugar and white sugar gives both softness and caramel edges. Brown sugar helps the centers stay chewy. White sugar helps the edges crisp just right.


What Makes This Cookie Dough Easy to Work With

Once the butter, sugars, and peanut butter are creamed, the egg and vanilla go in to bring everything together.

Mixing in the dry ingredients slowly helps you avoid overmixing, which can make cookies tough.

Then the chocolate chips. Stir them in gently. This dough is soft and slightly sticky, just as it should be.

Thirty minutes of chill time firms it up enough to scoop easily. No mess, no fuss.

Peanut butter cookie dough in a stainless steel mixing bowl topped with a heap of chocolate chips, with a blue spatula resting on the side, illustrating the mixing step of the cookie recipe process.

Why the Peanut Butter Swirl Matters

Before baking, you press each dough ball with a spoon and add a little peanut butter.

It’s not just a visual trick. That swirl sinks slightly as it bakes, creating a soft pocket of extra peanut flavor.

Use the tip of a knife or a skewer to swirl it just enough. Don’t overdo it—you want the contrast.


Tips for Baking These Cookies with the Best Texture

Stack of thick peanut butter chocolate chip cookies on parchment paper, with a halved cookie on a gray plate in the foreground showing melted chocolate and smooth peanut butter center. Crumbs scattered on marble surface create a cozy baking vibe.

Bake them at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. They should look slightly underbaked in the center when you pull them.

The carryover heat finishes them gently. That’s how you keep them tender in the middle.

Five minutes on the tray, then move to a rack. Let them cool completely if you can wait.


How I Serve and Store These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I serve them just as they are, with a little sea salt sprinkled on top if I’m feeling generous. They go quickly.

Store them in an airtight container for up to four days. They stay soft.

Or freeze the shaped dough balls. When I want just a few cookies, I bake them straight from frozen, swirl the peanut butter on top, and add a couple extra minutes.

That trick has saved me on days when I need a quick bake for last-minute guests.


If You Like This, You’ll Probably Love These Too:

Try my Chocolate Chip Cookies if you want the classic, clean version without peanut butter.

Or these White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies—they’ve got a similar richness but with a completely different bite.

And if you want something nostalgic but with a twist, my Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies will surprise you.


Let Me Know If You Try It

Vertical collage showcasing stacked peanut butter chocolate chip cookies with rich chocolate chunks and peanut butter ribbons, paired with a halved cookie on a blue plate. Marbled surface and glass of milk in background, overlaid with bold text promoting this indulgent dessert idea.

If this cookie made it into your rotation—or if you swirled in something new—drop a note in the comments.

Save this to your cookie board on Pinterest so you can find it the next time you want something soft and bold. I’d love to know how it turned out for you.


Yield: 18

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Close-up collage of thick peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, featuring gooey melted chocolate chips and creamy peanut butter swirls, with one cookie broken in half on a blue plate and another cookie shown in a detailed texture shot. Bold text overlay reads “Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies,” perfect for baking and dessert inspiration.

These soft and chewy peanut butter chocolate chip cookies blend rich peanut butter with melty chocolate chips in a classic, balanced cookie dough. The cookies bake up with crisp edges and tender centers, with a swirl of extra peanut butter on top for an added layer of flavor. They’re easy to prepare and bake beautifully every time.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 57 minutes

Ingredients

  • DRY INGREDIENTS
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • WET INGREDIENTS
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (plus extra for swirling on top)
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • MIX-INS
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. PREPARE THE DRY INGREDIENTS: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Set the bowl aside.
  2. CREAM THE BUTTER AND SUGARS: In a large mixing bowl, use a hand or stand mixer on medium speed to beat the softened butter, creamy peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  3. ADD EGG AND VANILLA: Add the egg and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture and mix until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed.
  4. COMBINE WET AND DRY INGREDIENTS: Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a mixer on low speed or a spatula. Mix until a soft, cohesive dough forms, taking care not to overmix.
  5. FOLD IN THE CHOCOLATE CHIPS: Use a spatula to gently fold the chocolate chips into the dough until evenly distributed. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes.
  6. PREHEAT AND PREP BAKING SHEETS: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  7. SHAPE AND ADD PEANUT BUTTER SWIRL: Scoop about 2 tablespoons of chilled dough and roll into balls. Place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Use the back of a spoon to press a shallow dent into the center of each dough ball, then add about 1/2 teaspoon of creamy peanut butter to the center. Swirl the peanut butter slightly using the tip of a knife or a skewer.
  8. BAKE THE COOKIES: Bake the cookies for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers look just set. Avoid overbaking to maintain a chewy texture.
  9. COOL AND TRANSFER: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

To freeze, shape the dough balls and freeze them unbaked. When ready to bake, add the peanut butter swirl and bake from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the bake time.

Nutrition Information

Yield

18

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 200Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 24mgSodium 106mgCarbohydrates 22gFiber 1gSugar 14gProtein 3g

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