Description
These chewy chocolate peanut butter cookies combine the rich flavors of cocoa and creamy peanut butter for a decadent treat that everyone will crave. With a soft and tender texture, balanced sweetness, and optional peanut butter chips for an extra burst of flavor, these cookies are perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth anytime.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- â…“ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Optional Add-ins
- ½ cup peanut butter chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper to ensure your cookies bake evenly and don’t stick.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, cream together the softened unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and packed brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This usually takes 2 to 3 minutes using an electric mixer.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Beat in the large egg and teaspoon of vanilla extract until fully incorporated to add moisture and flavor.
- Incorporate Peanut Butter: Mix in the creamy peanut butter until the batter is smooth and uniform in texture.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt to ensure even distribution of leavening and flavor.
- Mix Dry into Wet: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet peanut butter batter, mixing gently until just combined to avoid overworking the dough.
- Add Peanut Butter Chips: Fold in the optional peanut butter chips to add extra texture and bursts of peanut flavor in every bite.
- Portion Dough: Scoop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, making sure to leave about 2 inches of space between each cookie to allow for spreading.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers still appear slightly soft for a chewy finish.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely to avoid breaking.
Notes
- For a crunchier cookie, bake an extra 1-2 minutes but watch carefully to avoid overbaking.
- You can substitute peanut butter chips with chocolate chips or omit them altogether.
- Make sure butter is softened, not melted, for proper texture.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freeze cookie dough balls for up to 3 months and bake directly from frozen, adding a couple of extra minutes to baking time.
