Get ready to indulge in the ultimate peanut butter chocolate experience with these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies! Thick, chewy, and loaded with generous chunks of rich, melty chocolate, they’re both bakery-worthy and easy to make. These are sure to become your new go-to cookie recipe.
Table of Contents
Why choose between peanut butter cookies and chocolate chip cookies when you can have both thanks to this peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies recipe? The best of both worlds, these cookies are big and thick, just like your favorite bakery’s.
They aren’t cakey, though. Instead, they have crisp edges and a soft, chewy center. With every bite, your taste buds will encounter an explosion of rich peanut butter flavor met with pockets of rich, gooey dark chocolate chunks.
Easy to make, these cookies aren’t a no-chill recipe, but they’re totally worth the wait!
What You’ll Need
- Unsalted Butter – If salted butter is all you have on hand, just adjust the amount of extra salt included.
- Sugar – A combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar or dark brown sugar helps sweeten the cookie dough while keeping the cookies soft and chewy.
- Large Eggs – These provide structure to the cookies, helping them hold their shape. We haven’t tested this recipe with egg substitutes and can’t guarantee your results if you do.
- Peanut Butter – Either creamy or chunky peanut butter can be used. For the best results, avoid natural peanut butter varieties as they tend to separate.
- All-Purpose Flour – If needed, use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour to make these cookies gluten-free.
- Dark Chocolate Chunks – Dark chocolate chips also work. Or, swap them out for semi-sweet or white chocolate instead.
- Baking Soda – This helps ensure the cookies rise. Make sure it’s fresh!
- Sea Salt – Used to enhance the flavor of the rest of the ingredients.
- Vanilla Extract – Use high-quality pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla. You can taste the difference!
How to Make Bakery-Worthy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Ease
Don’t forget to scroll down to the recipe card below to find the complete ingredients and instructions!
- Beat. Add the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer, and beat on medium speed until combined.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Add the eggs, beating them into the mixture one at a time. Scrape the sides down in between! Then, beat until the mixture is light and creamy. Add the peanut butter and vanilla, and beat again until combined.
- Sift the dry ingredients. Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Then, add half the mixture to the bowl of wet ingredients. Mix on low speed just until combined, and repeat with the remaining dry ingredients. Fold in the chocolate chunks.
- Chill. Portion the dough into balls, and place them on a baking sheet. Transfer the cookie dough to the fridge to chill overnight.
- Bake. Transfer the cookie dough balls to a preheated oven, and bake until they’re fluffy and golden brown around the edges.
- Cool. Allow the peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies to cool on the baking sheet slightly before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips and Tricks for Cookie Baking Success
- Use room temperature ingredients. Allow all your ingredients to sit out and come to room temperature before you begin. This allows for easy mixing and ensures your cookies turn out soft.
- Avoid overmixing. Be careful to mix the ingredients just until a smooth dough is formed. Continuing to mix will overwork the gluten, creating dense, tough cookies.
- Be careful not to overbake! Your cookies might look a little pale when you remove them from the oven, but don’t worry! They will continue to set and bake as they cool.
- Unstick your cookies. If your peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies are stuck to the baking sheet, use a large round cookie cutter, and gently swirl it around individual cookies until they release!
- Cool completely. Allow your cookies to sit on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. This will help them keep their shape!
Common Questions About This Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipe
Yes, these cookies can be frozen baked or unbaked for up to three months. To freeze the cookie dough balls, arrange them on a baking sheet, and place them in the freezer until solid. Then, transfer them to a sealable bag. Bake the cookie dough from frozen, adding a minute or two as needed.
Yes, the dough can be prepared and stored covered in the fridge for up to three days.
Once baked, leftover cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. To keep your cookies soft, store them with a piece of white bread!
Chocolate chunk cookies are typically made with large pieces of higher-quality chocolate. They also typically have a higher cocoa butter content, which causes them to be flatter and more gooey than chocolate chip cookies.
If your cookies are crumbly, it’s likely because the dough was overmixed, or they were overbaked.
We don’t recommend it! It’s likely to cause your cookies to crumble and fall apart. If you want a slightly crunchy peanut butter taste, try mixing in peanut butter chips instead.
More Homemade Cookie Recipes
Craving more decadent cookies? We’ve got you covered!
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
- S’mores Cookies
- Salted Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies
- White Chocolate Chip Biscoff Cookies
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar light or dark
- 2 extra large eggs room temperature
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter feel free to do chunky
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cups dark chocolate chunks or chips
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Beat on medium speed, just until combined.1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 3/4 cup brown sugar
- Add the eggs, one at a time. Be on medium-high speed, be sure to beat well in-between, scraping the sides. You want to beat for a good 2-3 minutes to make sure it gets light and creamy.2 extra large eggs
- Add peanut butter and vanilla extract. Beat until combined.3/4 cup creamy peanut butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Add half the mixture to the bowl of wet ingredients, and mix on low speed just until combined. Add the rest of the dry ingredients, and mix on low speed again. Be careful not to overmix!2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- Fold in the chocolate chunks/chips.2 cups dark chocolate chunks or chips
- Portion the dough into balls, using a 1/4 cup scoop. Arrange them on a baking sheet, and transfer to the fridge overnight. Please do not skip this step!
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 13-15 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 3-4 minutes. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Equipment
Notes
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
