Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies are a classic American dessert, while peanut butter and chocolate are a classic flavor combination. Bringing the two together only makes perfect sense, and there is no treat that accomplishes this task quite like these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.

They feature everything you know and love about classic, bakery-style peanut butter cookies, only now they're made even better thanks to the addition of melty chocolate chips. Yes, please. These cookies are quick and easy to make, feed a crowd, and satisfy every single one of your chocolatey, peanut butter cravings.

In addition to a downright addictive cookie recipe, we'll also cover fun facts and helpful tips like:

• The secrets behind perfectly soft and chewy cookies.
• Why you might want to pull those cookies from the oven a lit-tle sooner than you originally thought.
• The best way to bring butter to room temperature [fast]!
• And, how to store your baked Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, along with freezing directions.

Love chocolate chip cookies? You might want to give the world's greatest Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe a try, and be sure to add these soft and chewy White Chocolate Chip Cookies to your baking lineup!

WHAT'S IN PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES?

These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies may be extraordinary in both taste and texture but lucky for us, there's nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to the ingredient list.

• All-Purpose Flour
• Baking Soda
• Salt
• Unsalted Butter
• Granulated Sugar
• Brown Sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla Extract
• Creamy Peanut Butter
• Chocolate Chips

These cookies come together with the same ingredients as good ol' classic Peanut Butter Cookies. Actually, the only ingredient that varies is the chocolate chips. Note, the ingredients don't change much, however, the quantities do.

Both the flour and sugar ratios are adjusted from the original Peanut Butter Cookie recipe, compensating for the addition of chocolate chips and ensuring the cookie base stays soft and chewy. 

HOW TO KEEP YOUR COOKIES SOFT

When it comes to soft and chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, it comes down to two main factors -- the dough and the bake time.

You'll be amazed at what a few minutes of mixing can do to both the height and texture of a drop cookie, and it all takes place when the sugar hits the butter. Technically speaking, we will be creaming the butter and the sugar.

This process whips air into the batter while the ingredients are mixed on medium-high to high speed. When your butter and sugar mixture appears light and fluffy in appearance, you've successfully creamed the two together.

When it comes to bake time, if you want a truly soft cookie, you're going to need to pull it from the oven...even the batch looks slightly underdone. Heat molecules are still moving and working even after food comes out of the oven, so your cookies will actually continue to cook as they cool. 

The recipe calls for 10 minutes of bake time, which means you'll pull your cookies as soon as the edges are tinging with golden brown. If you like a crispier cookie, bake for 12 minutes instead.

HOW TO MAKE PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1. Preheat the oven and prepare the cookie sheet.
2. Whisk together dry ingredients.
3. Cream butter and sugar.
4. Add remaining wet ingredients and mix well.
5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, followed by chocolate chips.
6. Scoop and bake for 10 minutes.

PREP WORK

Parchment paper and silicone baking mats make removing cookies from the pan a total breeze. After you've prepped your pans, get the rest of the prep out of the way by mixing together the dry ingredients.

CREAMING BUTTER AND SUGAR

Almost every time you are baking and blending ingredients together, it is important those ingredients are at room temperature. In this case, we're specifically talking about the butter.

A QUICK FIX TO BRING BUTTER TO ROOM TEMPERATURE

Room temperature butter isn't melty, but it will give easily when poked with your finger. If you forgot to set it out ahead of time, place the butter on a microwave safe dish and microwave at 10-second intervals, turning the stick over after each interval. But, be sure to remove it as soon as it starts to feel like it’s hit room temperature.

Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl and mix for 3-4 minutes. Remember, this mixing process will affect both the softness and chewiness of your cookies so don't skimp out on the time. A few extra minutes of mixing will result in a gorgeous Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie you can't help but sink your teeth into.

BRINGING THE DOUGH HOME

Once your butter and sugar are properly creamed, it's time to add the eggs. Add the eggs one at a time to make sure they're well-mixed, and take extra precaution to wipe down the sides and bottom of the bowl before adding the dry ingredients. 

After the eggs are in, add the vanilla and the peanut butter and mix until combined. Then, in goes the dry ingredients (mixing on low this time as to not over-develop the gluten), and finally, the chocolate chips.

SCOOP AND BAKE

Lastly, you'll scoop your cookie dough in heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheet (I like to use a medium-sized cookie scoop for this), and bake for 10 minutes in a 375° oven. 

Remember, for a soft and chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie, pull them from the oven as soon as the edges are tinging with golden-brown...not the tops!

STORING PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Store your Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Your cookies will stay fresh-tasting for up to 4 days. If you’d like to enjoy your cookies for any length of time beyond this, you should consider freezing them.

HOW TO FREEZE YOUR COOKIES

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies freeze beautifully, and all you need to do to freeze them is allow them to cool to room temperature, then transfer them to an airtight, freezer-safe container or a freezer-safe zip-top, gallon-sized bag. You can freeze your cookies for up to 3 months without compromising flavor.

5 MORE PEANUT BUTTER DESSERTS YOU'LL LOVE

• Hershey Thumbprint Cookies are always a hit and these dreamy peanut butter cookies with a kiss inside are no exception. 
• Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies are thick, soft, and incredibly delicious. They take less than 15 minutes to whip up and require zero chill time in the fridge!
• No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies are the ultimate quick and easy peanut butter dessert, coming together completely in one saucepan…in less than 10 minutes! 
• Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies make for a decadent snack and they are the all-time, ultimate homemade gift for the peanut butter lover.
• Peanut  Butter Blondies are a salty-sweet dessert to savor! Sink your teeth into one of these for a bite of peanut buttery, melt-in-your-mouth bar cookie perfection.