Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

March 20, 2008

I often find myself with several bags of chocolate chips roaming freely in my cabinets. Today I found large milk chocolate chips, mini semi-sweet chips and white chocolate chips. When I bake cookies, I usually chop chocolate from a large bar of good chocolate, so it’s strange that I would find so many varieties of chips in my life. Well, life gave me chips, and I made cookies. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I also have a confession to make. I’ve been super busy adding great things to my life, not to mention the absolutely stellar weather in Los Angeles for the past few days. I wanted to just throw together a quick treat so I could get back outside to enjoy a good life.

These cookies are rich and buttery. They’re soft the day they’re baked, and have a nice crisp crunch the next day. The chocolate, whether you add one kind or three, is a lovely compliment to the peanut butter.

Go on… have a cookie and enjoy your life!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

adapted from Baking

Print this Recipe!

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup peanut butter- crunchy or smooth, but not natural

1 cup light brown sugar (packed)

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cup chocolate chips, whatever kind you have on hand

1/2 cup granulated sugar for rolling cookies

Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat to 350 degrees F . Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed for a minute or two, until smooth and creamy. Add the peanut butter and beat for another minute. Add the sugars and beat for 3 minutes more. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and, on low speed, add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they just disappear. Mix in the chocolate chips. You’ll have a soft a pliable dough.

Pour the 1/2 cup sugar into a small bowl. Working with a level tablespoonful of dough for each cookie, roll the dough between your palms into balls and drop the balls, a couple at a time, into the sugar. Roll the balls around in the sugar to coat them, then place on the backing sheet, leaving 2 inches between them. Dip the tines of the fork in the sugar and press the tines against each ball first in one direction and then in a perpendicular direction- you should have a flattened rough of dough with crisscross indentations.

Bake the dough for 12 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and from front to back at the midway point. When done, the cookies will be lightly colored and still be a little soft. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a minute before transferring them to a cooling rack. Cool to room temperature.

Repeat with the remaining dough, making sure to cool the baking sheets between batches.

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{ 52 comments… read them below or add one }

Mike March 20, 2008 at 4:40 am

Peanut butter is my secret (shh!) weakness…I could just eat it from the jar and call it a dessert. Any baked goods with peanut butter involved strangely disappear in my presence–pies, cookies, bars, etc. So it goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyways) that I think these look mouth-watering. :o

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Gretchen Noelle March 20, 2008 at 6:34 am

These look delicious! Maybe I will try them this weekend?

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RecipeGirl March 20, 2008 at 6:39 am

One of my faves- great to make on a rainy day!

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amanda March 20, 2008 at 8:33 am

cookies are my weakness! I am literally a cookie monster :) Throw chocolate and peanut butter together, and you have the path to my heart. Hope you are enjoying the wonderful weather outside in LA! I’m up in northern california and I’m soaking up every bit of sunshine.

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Nikki March 20, 2008 at 9:29 am

These sound delicious!

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Deborah March 20, 2008 at 11:33 am

A nice simple cookie like this sounds wonderful right now!

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megan March 20, 2008 at 1:15 pm

And I have miscellaneous
chips around the house!

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make and takes March 20, 2008 at 2:15 pm

Just found you off Tastespotting. How could I resist the photo of delicious looking cookie dough? I love the addition of peanut butter and some nutmeg. I will have to try these. Thanks.

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Stephanie March 20, 2008 at 4:23 pm

I’m making my friend a “Congratulations” care package of fresh cookies tonight for passing her dissertation defense. These are definitely going in there!

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Linda March 20, 2008 at 5:13 pm

I’ve made these before from Dorie’s book and they are heavenly. Instead of choc chips I just used a bar of dark chocolate (70% solids) and a cup of salted peanuts and it worked a treat.

http://buttersugarflour.com/2007/09/24/peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-biscuits/

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Kevin March 20, 2008 at 6:30 pm

These combine two of my favorite cookies, chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies. The batter and the cookies look really good.

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joythebaker March 20, 2008 at 6:31 pm

Mike- Your secret is safe with me!
Amanda- It is lovely weather. And thanks for the link!
Makes and Takes- Thanks for stopping by!
Linda- I was definitely missing the salted peanuts in this recipe. A few months ago I tried a chocolate chip cookie with salted peanuts- they were SO good! The salt and nut flavors are really great with chocolate!

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Gigi March 20, 2008 at 10:39 pm

I agree Joy, the weather has been fantastic! I went to the Pasadena farmers market this morning and it was great. Enjoy the weather because it will be the 100′s before you know it. Great cookies!

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Cakespy March 21, 2008 at 9:09 am

That top photo of cookie dough should have a black bar across it — it looks so delicious it is practically indecent! I am having very naughty thoughts right now about me, in a dark room, all alone, with the cookie dough and a spoon. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!

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katy March 21, 2008 at 7:54 pm

those look terrific — that little lone cookie on the baking sheet is adorable!

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Jaime March 21, 2008 at 9:58 pm

i’m jealous of your great weather right now!

these cookies look great, i love PB and chocolate together :) somehow i always end up with lots of chips in my baking pantry too!

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alletron April 10, 2008 at 8:25 pm

I just made these for my boyfriend.. SWEET MERCIFUL CRAP! The best cookies I’ve ever made! Thank you for the recipe! It was appreciated by many tonight.

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Heather April 26, 2008 at 1:30 pm

I made these on Thursday, and they were a hit!!!!
Excellent recipe!

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tania October 23, 2008 at 4:14 am

hi joy! love your site!
am thinking of baking this for a friend. but just wondering if these are soft or crunchy cookies?
i know she loves crunchy cookies!

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Kierra December 18, 2008 at 1:57 pm

I just made these cookies and they are amazing! Nice crunch on the outside, nice and soft on the inside. I will be making these again! Thanks for the recipe!

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LaNeNe January 31, 2009 at 8:33 pm

all you bakers are alike. so bubbly.. but i like cookies too. i just dont phsyco over baked goods

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Jayme March 6, 2009 at 8:15 pm

Anyone tried these with natural pb? I just bought a couple jars, so I hate to go back to the store. I’m going to give it a shot.

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Nicole January 25, 2010 at 2:13 pm

Uh oh, I’m stuck with natural PB too, I wonder how it worked out for you Jayme?

Does anyone know what might I need to add — extra salt and sugar?

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Nadia May 27, 2009 at 4:20 pm

I made these today and they are the most lovely looking cookies I’ve made in a while. (although the iced pumpkin cookies are pretty cute too.) Peanutbutter chocolate chip cookies are the BOMB. I had this bag of chips that was half peanut butter chips and half milk chocolate chips. Then I tossed in a few handfuls of semi-sweet.(I doubled the recipe) Just a beautiful, yummy pile of the best cookies ever! Mailed some off to my dad who is a peanut butter lover too….. he he, won’t he be surprised!

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When Pigs Fly July 4, 2009 at 3:47 am

My too favorite things in the world, peanut butter and chocolate. Can’t wait to try these cookies. Yum!

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Randi Lynne July 13, 2009 at 4:45 am

I made these this weekend and the were very yummy. :)

My husband loved the crispier ones!

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Ashley July 22, 2009 at 4:58 pm

These turned out beautifully (and absolutely PERFECT)… Thank you so much for that recipe!

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Leo July 24, 2009 at 5:29 am

If you are making these to freeze should you flatten them before freezing?

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Eoki July 28, 2009 at 4:56 pm

Um… HELL YEAH THIS RECIPE ROCKED!

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Ellen July 31, 2009 at 2:27 pm

aw yeah!! I accidently bought milk chocolate chips, which I despise. I do not waste calories on anything but dark chocolate! So I decided to make peanut butter cookies, use the chocolate chips, and give them to the neighbors. I came across this website, and it was so charming, I decided to try these. I was inspired to add around 4 tbs of cocoa and had no nutmeg, so I used cinnamon. My son wanted to use colored sugar, so we used red and green. We have crowned these cookies worthy of Santa!!!!! I am so happy right now! Sorry about your luck, neighbors!!

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Sami Beaton September 1, 2009 at 12:14 pm

They are delisous but 12 min was waaaaay too long they burnt

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Carolina October 7, 2009 at 4:05 pm

I’ve just try them. Awesome! So deliciuos, so perfect!
Greetings from Argentina :)

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Stef October 9, 2009 at 5:31 am

i just came across your beautiful blog a short time ago, and liked it very much. this is the first recipe i’ve tried from your blog, and it was very well received by my friends who sampled it! reduced the brown sugar by a 1/4 cup though, and it was just right. (i love peanut butter by the way, and i definitely enjoyed these cookies!)thank you, and will be following your blog for updates now… =)

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Kelly January 14, 2010 at 5:19 pm

This recipe is my family’s favourite! I must make these cookies every second day. Thanks for adding it! Peanut butter and chocolate – always a winner.

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Nicole February 12, 2010 at 10:08 pm

Great recipe — I did leave the rolling-in-sugar step out though, they are sweet as can be without it!

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PassionateMae February 16, 2010 at 3:44 am

Hi Joy,

Just wanted to let you know that I’ve been visiting your blog. Came across your blog not too long ago.

I tried this recipe of yours but omitted and changed a few things here and there.

If you like, you could check out my version of PB Chocolate Chip Cookies on http://www.passionatemae.blogspot.com

Tc.

Mae.

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Larissa June 22, 2010 at 3:19 pm

I just made a batch of these to send to my sweetie. They’re fabulous – as many have said, perfectly crisp on the outside with a bit of softness inside and a lovely combination of sweet and slightly salty. I chopped up a few of those mini Reese’s cups and added them along with the semi-sweet chips.

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MElly August 6, 2010 at 7:51 am

Hey Joy,
SUPERB recipe…one question thou..when u say
’2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter’
do u mean 16 oz of unsalted butter total?? Im not sure because I hail from a land where we don’t use ‘sticks’ as a measurement for butter…and sounds like ALOT of butter!

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joythebaker August 6, 2010 at 9:04 am

Eight ounces total butter

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Claudia August 8, 2010 at 8:29 pm

I just finished making the cookies and wow are they good. Thanks Joy!

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Abby October 23, 2010 at 6:36 pm

OH!! So tasty couldnt resist bloggin them today :) Thanx for the choc chip addition you rocked it!

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Brendy January 3, 2011 at 11:09 am

Hi Joy!!
Ive just bake this cookies today…mmmm they are soooooo YUMMIII. I am not a really fanatic of PB, but my hubby is. This cookies are making me a true addict!!! Thanks for the great recepies…wonderfull pictures!!!!Hugs from PR!

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Brendy January 3, 2011 at 11:10 am

Ooohh I added some walnutts to the dough!!mmmmm.

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Amanda- Hip House Girl January 6, 2011 at 9:08 pm

I just made these and I used natural peanut butter because that’s all I had. They turned out kinda crispy, so I lowered the cook time to 9 minutes and that helped a lot. Overall really good!

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Susan March 5, 2011 at 5:03 pm

Wow these look amazing! I’m going to bake some soon, but how many cookies does this recipe make?

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Jennifer April 11, 2011 at 1:55 pm

Wow. If the cookies are as good as the dough we have a winner!

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cuppycake April 29, 2011 at 12:37 pm

I came across this recipe the other day when I was feeling a bit blue and wanted a sweet treat! I owe the change of my mood to you and your blogs I love to read what you write. That alone had me smiling and feeling a bit better. When the smell of warm peanut butter and choc. chips filled my kitchen I was forgetting my troubles and when the time came to eat them my mood was lifted my sweet craving was fixed! And I owe it all to you! Thanks again for all the wonderful things you have to offer!

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lidia@ sugarslut June 16, 2011 at 12:47 am

i made these but instead of chocolate chips added butterfinger chunks!
turned out so delicious :D

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sada June 21, 2011 at 5:40 am

aaah i dont know what it is but whenever i make cookies they come out pretty flat. they dont have nice rounded edges like in the pics above :( i love baking so much but i dont know why, i suck at making cookies, and if they taste good, they look weird which bothers me just as much. i dont know if its the oven or one of the ingredients…and i think the pb i used was natural and it had soooooo much oil in it. the dough was soooooo oily. weird. i think i’ll just stick to regular choco chip cookies. but your cookies lok amaaaaaaaaaaaazing!

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erin July 9, 2011 at 10:58 pm

Made these last week. So delicious. Thank you! I had some dough that I just rolled into balls and covered with melted chocolate. mmmm, I’m going to have another right now. Your blog is awesome!

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Ellen C December 15, 2011 at 9:38 am

I failed to read the directions and just mixed all the ingrediants in the bowl…they are baking right now so I hope they turn out ok….

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Randalle December 23, 2011 at 2:24 pm

I made these last night with bars of chocolate instead of chips – they are delicious, and still soft today! Thanks for sharing a great recipe!

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