Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Published Dec 11, 2020•Updated Oct 10, 2024
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Looking for the best peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies? Look no further. Soft, chewy cookies full of peanut butter flavor and studded with melty chocolate chunks. I tested these nearly 10 times to make sure the texture was just right, and they have earned themselves many fans since they were first published in 2013.
Sandra says: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I made these, and froze them. They are so delicious. They didn’t last long, as I used the freezer cookies in my sons lunch!”
These cookies were first added to our cookie archives back in 2013, but they are such a staple (and always such a hit at our house) that it felt like time to bring them back to your attention with some fresh new photos. They are completely classic and by far the best peanut butter cookies I’ve ever tasted. A salty and sweet peanut butter base studded with chocolate chunks – what’s not to love?
Peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies are great for freezing, so I wanted to share these now in case you wanted to tuck some in the freezer to bake a few on a chilly winter night.
Looking for more easy, well-reviewed dessert recipes? Be sure to check out my chewy chocolate chip cookies (with 1,000+ positive reviews), easy chocolate cake (perfect for a weeknight), or oatmeal chocolate chip bars (that readers call “nostalgic and easy”).
Ingredients for Peanut Butter Chunk Cookies
- All-Purpose Flour – Just regular AP flour needed for these cookies. I’ve also made these with a gluten-free 1:1 flour sub (I like King Arthur’s) with great results.
- Creamy Peanut Butter – I have always made these with conventional creamy peanut butter (like JIF), but I’m sure they would be great with crunchy peanut butter as well. If you try them with natural peanut butter, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
- Unsalted Butter – As with most baking recipes, it’s a great idea to use unsalted butter and then add measured salt to your recipe for consistent results.
- Sugar – You’ll need both white (granulated) sugar and light brown sugar to give these cookies that tender, chewy texture.
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch helps the cookies to bake up thick and stay and soft and tender for longer after baking.
- Baking Soda, Kosher Salt, Pure Vanilla Extract, Large Eggs – Standard cookie baking ingredients.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate – They’re also great with M&Ms, chocolate chips, or a combo of chocolate chips and M&Ms. Pick your favorite!
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How to Freeze Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies
To Freeze: Prepare dough as directed. Line cookie dough balls up on a sheet pan and transfer to the freezer. When dough balls are frozen solid (3 to 4 hours), transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 6 months.
To Bake from Frozen: Bake on a prepared sheet pan directly from the freezer at 300°F for 15 to 17 minutes.
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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Stand or Handheld Mixer
- Half Sheet Pan
- Wire Cooling Rack
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (1 cup of butter = 2 regular sticks / 16 Tbsp)
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter (use conventional peanut butter like JIF; not natural)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 11 ounces chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, or M&Ms (you can also use a mix of these)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 177°C. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.
- Using a standing mixer or hand mixer, beat butter, both sugars, and peanut butter until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and mix on low-medium until evenly combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl all at once and mix on low just until combined.
- Mix in the chocolate just until combined. (See note.)
- The cookie dough will be very soft. In order to make it easier to handle, you can refrigerate it for up to 30 minutes, but you can also proceed immediately by using a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop or a spoon to drop balls of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet. Leave a few inches between the cookies – they will spread out as they bake.
- Bake just until the edges darken slightly. The centers should still look very pale and soft, 9 to 12 minutes.
- As soon as you remove the pan from the oven tap it firmly on the counter a few times to deflate the cookies. (This will compress the centers, making them soft and chewy.)
- Let the cookies cool on the sheet pan for at least 5 minutes. (Note: When they come out of the oven, these cookies will be very tender and break easily. Leaving them on the hot sheet pan helps them to hold their shape while still staying very soft and tender.) Enjoy!
- Store cookies in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi! I make these cookies a few times a year and they’re always amazing.
The last two times I’ve made them the texture has been a little lighter than usual. Did anything change with the recipe when you updated it? We loved the old ones and I’m not sure what I’m getting wrong 🙁
Oh no Steph! I’m so sorry to hear that. I didn’t change a thing about the recipe when I updated it. Measurements and instructions are just the same as they’ve always been. Is there any chance you’re using a new brand of butter or peanut butter? This is random, but I recently made some of my go-to cookies with a generic grocery store brand butter and they came out totally different than usual. (Just a thought since it’s fresh on my mind.) The other thing that sometimes messes with the texture of cookies is the temp of the butter. If it’s too melty / soft you might get flatter, lighter cookies.
These cookies are very good. Nice combination of peanut butter and chocolate chips. I made a little smaller cookie so they only took 10 minutes to bake. I also used milk chocoolate chips
I’m so excited to make these cookies! I am going to try to make them today.