Using this recipe, you’ll enjoy ultra-soft and thick bakery-style peanut butter chocolate chip cookies that are filled to the brim with chocolate chips. I make them with a whopping 2 cups of peanut butter, so you’re guaranteed mega flavor in every single bite.
One reader, Katelyn, says: “This is hands down my favorite cookie recipe of all time. I’ve baked and loved Sally’s recipes for years and this is my new favorite! I ate 3 at a time. 3 separate times. Then brought them to friends who also ate 3 apiece. Everyone agreed they were the best peanut butter cookies they’ve ever had. Highly recommend! ★★★★★”
You don’t have to go another day without experiencing what some bakers have called “one of my favorite recipes on this site (and in general)” and “the best cookies I’ve ever made.”
While there’s a recipe for classic peanut butter cookies in my Sally’s Cookie Addiction cookbook and I have my super-soft peanut butter cookies on this website, today’s cookies are EXTRA thick and absolutely loaded with peanut butter and chocolate chips. I published the recipe back in 2016, and figured I’d bring it back into the spotlight. This IS peanut butter perfection, after all.
These Bakery-Style Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Are:
- Huge—3 Tablespoons of dough per cookie
- Soft for days
- Crinkly & crackly on top
- Loaded with chocolate chips
- Thick & 100% irresistible
- Relatively quick—only 1 hour of chill time
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies: What Works & What Doesn’t
This is a simple recipe, and the same base dough as my white chocolate peanut butter cookies. When developing the recipe several years ago, I learned a couple tricks and am happy to share my findings:
- Embrace a creamy cookie dough. 1 cup of butter, 2 cups of peanut butter, and 2 eggs make for an extremely creamy cookie dough. Embrace it; you do not want to add more flour. When the dough hits the oven, peanut butter acts somewhat like a dry ingredient and gives the cookies structure.
- Chill the cookie dough. You might remember from my How to Prevent Cookies from Spreading page that chilling cookie dough is important. Luckily this dough is thick and stable, which means it doesn’t need hours in the refrigerator before baking. A quick 1 hour of chilling prevents the cookies from over-spreading. My brownie cookies (and the jazzed-up version—peanut butter-filled brownie cookies) have a super-quick chill time, too.
- Flatten the dough. Make sure you slightly flatten each cookie before baking, as this will help the cookies spread a bit in the oven. If you think about it, it’s a common step when making peanut butter cookies—you flatten those with a fork prior to baking. Here, you can just use the back of a spoon or your hands.
Grab These Ingredients:
Selecting the right ingredients is important, especially when it comes to peanut butter. This recipe calls for more peanut butter than any other recipe that makes an equivalent amount of dough. So without question, you’re guaranteed an intensely flavored cookie.
- Peanut butter: As mentioned, these cookies have—front and center—highly concentrated peanut butter flavor. To achieve this, use a commercial brand of creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. Though it’s wonderful for eating and cooking, natural-style peanut butter isn’t ideal here. The cookies will be too crumbly and, depending on the brand, may even have an oily texture. Crunchy peanut butter produces the same crumbly results. If you want to use natural-style peanut butter in a cookie recipe, try these flourless peanut butter oatmeal cookies instead.
- Room-temperature butter: Make sure your butter is cool to the touch. Here’s what room-temperature butter really means.
- More white sugar than brown: In these peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, you’ll notice there’s more granulated sugar than brown sugar. When making basic chocolate chip cookies, I recommend using more brown sugar than white sugar because it produces a softer cookie. The addition of peanut butter already makes today’s cookies soft, and using more brown sugar made them EXTRA soft—to the point where they were falling apart. As a result, I learned it was simply too much of a good thing.
- Chocolate chips: Just like with peanut butter half moon cookies, the chocolate complements the intense peanut butter. I recommend semi-sweet chocolate chips because they add a balanced flavor, and just the right amount of sweetness.
One reader, Paige, says: “What is this magic? I was a little hesitant this whole process…. two cups of peanut butter? Three-tablespoon-sized cookies? No way! But this works and the cookies are incredible. ★★★★★“
You can even replace some of the chocolate chips with peanuts, which makes for a wonderfully chunky cookie with extra peanut flavor. You can also roll the balls of dough in granulated sugar (before slightly flattening them) for some sparkle, just like these peanut butter blossoms.
I also have a recipe for unapologetically big and fat peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies that boast the same great flavor, and have the added chew from oats.
Use a commercial brand of processed creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. Though it’s wonderful for eating and cooking, natural-style peanut butter won’t do this dough any favors. The cookies will be too crumbly and, depending on the brand, may even have an oily texture.
I don’t recommend crunchy peanut butter in these cookies because, like natural-style, it produces a crumbly cookie. Feel free to swap some chocolate chips for peanuts to achieve that crunchy peanut butter texture.
You may have over-baked them. Bake just until the edges are set; the centers will still look quite soft. Give them at least 10 minutes to cool on the baking sheets before transferring to a cooling rack.
More Favorite Cookie Recipes
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Monster Cookies
- Sugar Cookies
- Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Iced Oatmeal Cookies
- Peanut Butter Snickerdoodles
Bakery-Style Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Prep Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 32 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These big bakery-style peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are super thick, ultra-soft, and filled with chocolate chips. It’s best to use creamy peanut butter, and be sure to chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour before baking.
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 cups (500g) creamy peanut butter*
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (360g) semi-sweet chocolate chips*
- optional: 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars together on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and beat on high until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the peanut butter and vanilla, then beat on high until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. With the mixer running on low speed, add the chocolate chips. Dough will be thick and soft.
- Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour and up to 3 days. If chilling for longer than a few hours, though, allow the dough to sit out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before rolling and baking because the dough will be quite hard and the cookies may not spread that much.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside.
- Scoop cookie dough into large balls, about 3 Tablespoons of dough per cookie (about 60g, it’s a lot!), and, if desired, roll the balls in granulated sugar. Coating in sugar is optional. Place 8 balls onto the cookie sheets. Gently press down on each ball to *slightly* flatten.
- Bake each batch for 14–15 minutes, or until the edges appear set and lightly browned on the sides. The centers will still look very soft.
- Cool cookies for 10 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.
- Cover leftover cookies tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow to come to room temperature, then continue with step 5. 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. Here’s how to freeze cookie dough.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Cooling Rack
- Can I Halve this Recipe? Yes, absolutely. Halve the recipe by halving all of the ingredients. The instructions remain the same.
- Peanut Butter: It’s best to use a commercial, processed brand of peanut butter like Jif creamy or Skippy creamy. I do not suggest using natural-style, oily peanut butter. Avoid using crunchy peanut butter because it makes the cookies extra crumbly.
- Chocolate Chips: You can replace 1/2 cup (about 90g) of the chocolate chips with chopped peanuts for extra peanut flavor.
- Check out my top 5 cookie tips before beginning. It includes how to prevent cookies from over-spreading and why room-temperature ingredients make a difference.
Keywords: peanut butter chocolate chip cookies
Can these be made a bit smaller than 3 TB? I’m thinking 2 TB. Would I need to adjust baking times?
Hi Bev, you can absolutely make them smaller — we are unsure of the exact bake time but it will be shorter. Keep a close eye on them, especially in the first batch and then adjust the time as needed. Enjoy!
Thanks Sally, they are Grreat!
Sally – I was wondering what you think about browning the butter for these cookies? Then chilling it to harden it before creaming. I love the brown butter flavor in cookies!
Hi Shana, I think the peanut butter would overpower the brown butter, so it may be a little bit of a waste of time. Additionally, you may need to add a little milk since butter loses a little moisture during the browning process.
These are just the perfect cookie. We did roll them in sugar before baking and made perfect bakery style just as described. Everything we try from your site is fantastic. Thank you for sharing all the tips and tricks with each recipe!! It’s my go to when I need a new treat or dessert!
I’m so glad to read this! Thank you Kari!
Would it be Possible to give nutritional information with your recipes?
Yes! We are slowly adding them here and there. You can use an online calculator where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Could you substitute vegan butter for regular butter to make dairy free? And if that butter has added salt should i leave out salt? Thanks
Hi Mac, I haven’t tested it so I can’t be certain how that would work in this particular dough.
These are the BEST peanut butter cookies I’ve ever made and the only ones I make anymore.
I constantly get requests to make them over and over again.
I like to make a giant batch and give them away to everybody I love and make a LOT of people happy!
If I have them, I throw in some peanut butter chips because I’m such a “fancy girl!”
★★★★★
These are the best fluffy flavorful cookies I’ve ever made! Thank you Sally!! Can you please direct me to a Chocolate Chip recipe exactly like this please? I’ve searched your site but I can’t figure out which one. TIA!!!
Hi Kim, so glad you enjoyed these! The texture of peanut butter cookies is a bit unique, but we think you’d enjoy these soft chocolate chip cookies as well. Let us know if you give them a try!
Would this be ok to package/send to military friend or would they get soft from the peanut butter when wrapped in plastic wrap?
Hi Nancy! These cookies should ship well, here’s our best tips for packaging cookies to mail.
How many grams should each dough ball be before they go in the oven? “About 3 T” is too vague. You’ve got measurements on everything else so why not this? You should add that to the recipe.
Thanks for your feedback, Steffan Paul. We’ve been adding those measurements over the years. 3 Tbsp of dough is roughly 60g.
Choc chip loaf cake
Peanut butter chunk cookies
These 2 receipes are amazing and pretty simple to make and are very delicious and addicting
★★★★★
Sally, just becoming acquainted with your web site
Do you have a newsletter that I can sign up for?
Hi Carol, welcome! We hope you’re enjoying our recipes. Here is where you can sign up for our Baking Made Easy email series, as well as our regular email series that delivers all our new recipes to you inbox. Hope this helps!
These were gobbled down by everyone. The only complaint was not enough chips.
The best peanut butter cookie I have ever made
★★★★★
Hello! I am allergic to peanuts and so I often use Sunflower butter as a substitute when recipes call for peanut butter. Could I do the same for this recipe or would it change the consistency of the dough too much? Thank you Sally!
Hi Rebekah, we haven’t tested it but can’t see why that wouldn’t work! Same amount. Let us know how it goes!
One of my favourite recipes on this site (and in general). They always turn out and are so delicious.
★★★★★
When you refrigerate the cookie dough. Do you roll them first? Or put into log shape? Or just leave in the bowl
Hi Laura, if you leave them in the bowl, we encourage refrigerated dough to warm up for a bit so that it’s easier to roll into balls. Enjoy!
Have you ever baked these as bar cookies? How long should I bake if I decide to try them that way; 25 min at 350?
Hi Ann! We can’t see why not, though we’re unsure of the baking time. Let us know how it goes!
Hi, I baked these delicious cookies but I mistakenly missed your note about not using crunchy peanut butter until after I was done. They didn’t turn out like your picture but still delicious. I will certainly bake these again!
Just like bakery style!
★★★★★
Hi! I’m wondering if I can use this recipe and make them into smaller cookies?
Yes, absolutely!
I mistakenly used milk chocolate instead of semi sweet chips so I’m sure that was part of the problem but these cookies were way too sweet for us, if I make again I’d cut the white sugar in half. Very soft and good peanut butter taste.
★★★
This is my favourite cookie recipe ever. They’re my ‘special occasion’ cookies – I’m about to start a batch for my anniversary. I could eat the whole batch in a day, but I probably shouldn’t. PB cookies with coffee? Why not!
★★★★★
Sally this comment is in regards to your Soft & Thick Peanut Butter Cookies. Went I try to access that recipe it says…”There has been a critical error on this website.”. Can you please look into it so I can make those cookies again. They are by far my family’s favorite PB cookie. Thanks
Looking into it ASAP! Thanks Patty– we still have the recipe on the backend if you want to email my team and I (sally@sallysbakingaddiction.com)
I baked these cookies, minus the peanuts but with the chocolate chips, before Christmas & put them in the freezer. I gave some to a friend & she told me that they were some of the best cookies she had ever had! I’m getting ready to bake another batch over this weekend for some friends. These will go in the freezer as well, as I don’t need them unti Wed. I did roll them in sugar before freezing them. I’ve used a number of your recipes & they are delicious!
★★★★★
Amazing! We couldn’t stop eating them. Full of peanut butter flavor and a unique texture – a bit snappy on the outside and super soft inside. They melt in your mouth. Don’t skip the granulated sugar on the outside. It adds something special. Yumm.
Hi, I wanted to make these for Christmas, but I need more than 24. So do I just double all the ingredients? Thanks!
Hi Kaniel, Yes! Double all of the ingredients for a double batch of these cookies.
Beautiful and delicious! Just made these for the first time (no peanuts added, just ’cause I didn’t have any) and they really are better than bakery peanut butter chocolate chip:-) I did not use a silicon mat or parchment. I rarely use either, but I do understand why pros do. I figure if my great grandma could bake anything in a wood fired oven and it always turned out great, I should be able to do the same with a modern oven – no need for wasteful parchment paper or expensive mats. Cookies came off the sheets just fine – once I let them cool the required 5 minutes! Thanks for always having dependable, great tasting recipes, Sally and crew!
★★★★★
Super good! I did not roll in sugar but they are still delicious. My office is going to love these.
★★★★★
I just baked these cookies tonight for the first time and they were and absolute success! Everyone loved them. Awesome recipe!
★★★★★
Dear Sally, can I use half of all ingredients to make half amount of cookies? Thanks…
Absolutely!
Fantastic cookies. Lovely sparkle. My team loved them.
★★★★★