Enjoy 2 soft-baked cookies in 1 with every bite of these thick peanut butter chocolate swirl cookies. A swirly batch features the greatest dessert flavor duo out there: peanut butter and chocolate. Shaping the dough is super simple, and don’t forget all the chocolate chips!
I originally published this recipe in 2013 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and more success tips.
While the likes of apple pie, carrot cake, and oatmeal raisin cookies will always be my favorite desserts, there’s no hiding my adoration for a good peanut butter and chocolate combo. And I know many dear readers share that love! These no-bake peanut butter bars are a quick and easy year-round favorite, and this towering chocolate peanut butter cake is a popular showstopper.
So when it came to developing a top-notch peanut butter and chocolate cookie combination, I turned to 2 of my very best recipes: soft and thick peanut butter cookies and double chocolate chip cookies. And when combined, they’re totally epic.
I’ve been making these cookies for years, and I haven’t changed the recipe at all. You just don’t mess with perfection. ๐
It doesn’t get much better than this:
Why Everyone Loves Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Cookies
Today’s 2-for-1 combo cookies have been a favorite since day 1. Whenever I serve them, tasters flock to the cookie tray. Here’s why:
- The cookies have soft-baked, extra-thick centers with slightly crisp edges.
- They’re ginormous and loaded with chocolate chips.
- Eye-catching, mesmerizing swirls!
- You can have 2 cookies at the same time. Who doesn’t want that?!
One reader, Sally, commented: “This is such a tasty cookie! Followed the recipe exactly… Visually striking and ultra tasty! Pillowy and rich. I love having bites of both silky peanut butter and rich chocolate. Thanks so much! โ โ โ โ โ “
Combine 2 Stellar Cookie Recipes
Yes, you’re making 2 cookie doughs today. I promise both are very easy!
If you’ve been visiting my website over the years, chances are you’ve tried both cookie doughs before; I use them all over the website. If you haven’t had a chance to try them, let me make a quick introduction.
Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
These soft and thick peanut butter cookies are my flagship peanut butter cookies, serving as the base recipe for 6+ other cookie recipes on my site. They’re PACKED with peanut butter flavor and not dry/crumbly like similar recipes can be. It’s the same dough I use in peanut butter blossoms and these peanut butter jam thumbprints. Let me just say: this recipe has the hearts of peanut butter lovers everywhere. Many readers say they taste like the inside of a peanut butter cup!
Chocolate Cookie Dough
Then comes my go-to chocolate cookie dough. My recipe for double chocolate chip cookies also makes appearances as inside-out chocolate chip cookies, chocolate crinkle cookies, and salted caramel dark chocolate cookies. When it comes to Christmas cookies, I use it for peppermint mocha cookies, Andes mint chocolate cookies, and peppermint frosted cookies. This is one versatile cookie dough!
Naturally, I knew it would be the perfect chocolatey half of these cookies, too. It’s soft-baked, chewy, and oh-so-fudgy.
Key Ingredients in Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Cookies
For both cookie doughs, you need the usual lineup of cookie ingredients. Pay special attention, though, to these 2:
- Peanut Butter: For the peanut butter dough, I recommend using creamy processed peanut butter, like Jif or Skippy. Whether you’re making today’s cookies, peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter snickerdoodles, big giant monster cookies, or really any peanut butter-based cookies, processed creamy peanut butter will give you the best taste and soft-baked texture.
- Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder: Did you know that not all cocoa powders work the same in baking recipes? And most of it depends on the leavening agents. If you’re interested in the science behind it, I go into plenty of detail in my post on the difference between Dutch-process and natural cocoa powder. Because you’re using baking soda in the chocolate cookie dough, reach for unsweetened natural cocoa powder. If you’re looking for ways to use up a jar of Dutch-process cocoa, try my chocolate buttercream or these homemade brownies (there’s no leavening in either).
Swirling the Dough
Moving on to those pretty cookie swirls! The assembly process is actually quite simple:
- Take 2 Tablespoons (about 40g) of chilled peanut butter cookie dough and roll into a ball.
- Take 2 Tablespoons of chilled chocolate cookie dough and roll into a ball.
- Take both the peanut butter and chocolate cookie dough balls, and gently press them together. Using your hands, roll them into 1 large cookie dough ball. (They will be bigโabout 1/4 cup of cookie dough (80g) per cookie!)
That’s it! Even easier than my peanut butter-filled brownie cookies or peanut butter fudge puddles… both of which you absolutely have to try sometime.
The cookies will look very soft when they come out of the oven, but they set as they cool. While they’re still warm, feel free to top with a few extra chocolate chips like I do with my chocolate chip cookies. This is optional and purely for looks!
Success Tip: Chill Your Cookie Doughs
Chilling both cookie doughs in the refrigerator is mandatory for this recipe. It’s one of my top tips for how to prevent cookies from overspreading. If you skip the chilling, you’ll lose that pretty swirled dough and end up with peanut butter chocolate cookie puddles. I recommend chilling the dough in the vast majority of my cookie recipes.
Not to mention, dough that has not been chilled will make quite the mess on your hands during the swirling process! I’m not saying your hands won’t get covered in any dough, but the dough is much easier to handle when cold.
More Chocolate Peanut Butter Desserts
Soft-Baked Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Cookies
- Prep Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes (includes chilling)
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 45 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Enjoy two soft-baked cookies in one with every bite of these thick peanut butter chocolate swirl cookies. Be sure to chill both cookie doughs, so the doughs are easier to shape, and the cookies don’t overspread.
Ingredients
Chocolate Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2/3 cupย (55g) natural unsweetenedย cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk (any kind, dairy or nondairy)
- 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus a few more for topping
Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (185g) creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/4 cups (156g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Make the chocolate cookie dough: Cream the butter and sugars together with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. (Hereโs a helpful tutorial if you need guidance onย how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the egg and vanilla extract, and then beat on high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour into the wet ingredients. Beat on low until combined. Switch to high speed and beat in the milk, then the chocolate chips. The cookie dough will be sticky and tacky.
- Make the peanut butter dough: Cream the butter and sugars together with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat on high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the peanut butter and vanilla extract and beat until combined. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Once combined, beat in the chocolate chips.
- Cover both cookie doughs tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or up to 3 days. It’s imperative that both doughs are chilled, otherwise the doughs will be difficult to work with, and the cookies will overspread.
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommendedย for cookies.)ย Set aside.
- Measure about 2 Tablespoons (40g)โor a little less, because the recipe makes *slightly* more peanut butter doughโof chocolate cookie dough. Roll into a ball. Measure about 2 Tablespoons (40g) of peanut butter cookie dough. Roll into a ball. Press the 2 balls together between your hands and roll them into 1 large ball. Repeat for each cookie. The chocolate cookie dough is particularly sticky, so wipe your hands clean after every few balls of dough you shape.ย
- Bake the cookies for 12โ14 minutes or until the edges appear set and the centers still look soft. Tip: If they arenโt really spreading by minute 9, remove them from the oven and lightly bang the baking sheet on the counter 2โ3x. This helps initiate that spread. Return to the oven to continue baking.
- Cool cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. During this time, I like to press a few more chocolate chips into the tops of the warm cookies. (This is optional and only for looks.) Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will slightly deflate as they cool.ย
- Cover leftover cookies tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie doughs and chill in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer) | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paperย | Cooling Rackย
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Can I substitute Nestle peanut butter chips in the chocolate dough and/or the peanut butter dough?
Hi Linda, absolutely!
you didnt write anything about the brown sugar? i only just realized as i just put my cookies into the oven.
Hi Maja, the brown sugar goes in with the granulated sugar and butter in step 1. Hope this helps for next time!
Used peanut butter chocolate chips and it was yummy.
This recipe is absolutely amazing. Tastes just like a peanut butter cup canโt get enough of them. Try them if you dare
I made these today and I used natural peanut and they turned out absolutely amazing!
I will definitely make them again.
They only thing I would to different is not banging them on the counter to help them spread like you said.
It just didnโt work and instead make them crumble and kinda fall apartโฆ.
But other than that this is an amazing recipe thank you sally!
These are the most perfect cookies I have ever tried in my life. Saving this recipe forever
Can I use natural peanut butter for the peanut butter cookie dough.
Hi Dina, it’s best to use creamy processed peanut butter for these cookies. If you do use natural, keep in mind that the peanut butter portion may be drier and crumblier.
Okay, Iโll still try with natural pb,
Iโm going to make them tomorrow,
Iโll give a feedback on how they turn out.
I made these last night as a treat for my momโs birthday. I followed the recipe as itโs written, down to the tapping of the cookie sheet at 9 minutes. I let the doughs chill overnight. They turned out EXACTLY like your photos. I am excited for her to try them. They are such a decadent treat! I love the size of them. The larger size, as well as the two flavors, is a fun change from plain old cookies. I will be making them again!
Hi Sally,
Could you make these cookies regular size? These cookies sound amazing I canโt wait to try making these.
Hi Meg, yes, you can make them smaller–the bake time will be shorter so keep an eye on them in the oven!
Hey Sally I make a lot of ur recipes! They are just so delicious! Tonight I had a question? Iโm attempting this delicious looking cookies before bed? Yes I will be chilling the dough as you instructed. I wonder can I add melted Bakerโs unsweetened chocolate squares to add to the decadence of these cookies? Or is that overkill? Please help! AI is not helpful! Lol
Hi Frances, we don’t recommend adding melted chocolate, as that would compromise the ratio of wet to dry ingredients in the dough. You could, however, chop and add them into the dough in place of some of the chocolate chips. Hope you enjoy the cookies!