Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
These easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies from scratch are as rich and fudgy as the best chocolate truffles you’ll ever eat. Dusted in powdered sugar and positively packed with creamy peanut butter, I bet you can’t eat just one.
Chocolate crinkle cookies take over the internet every year around the holidays and while I’ll never turn down a cookie, I have to admit they’ve never been my favorite.
Given the choice between them and Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies or Brown Butter Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies, I will always choose the latter options.
That is until I met these chocolate peanut butter cookies.
Say goodbye to the bland, dry, lackluster chocolate cookies of yesteryear and say “hi,” “hello,” and “will you marry me?!” to the new and improved, best chocolate peanut butter cookies ever.
5 Star Review
“Made these this weekend. Delicious! Definitely making these again.”
— Katie —
The concept for this chocolate peanut butter cookies recipe is simple and superb:
- Soft-baked cookies reminiscent of One Bowl Brownies cloaked in powdered sugar.
- Made with high-quality bittersweet chocolate, these cookies are neither bland or dry. They’re fudgy, decadent, and LOADED with rich chocolate flavor.
- Imbued with the power of peanut butter which keeps the cookies moist and molten in the center—like a lava cake or this Flourless Chocolate Torte.
After sampling dozens of duds, this twist on the classic crinkle is juuuuuuust right.
How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
If you love brownies, peanut butter, or chocolate in any combination, these chocolate peanut butter cookies are sure to be your new bestie (along with this Healthy Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie).
The Ingredients
- Peanut Butter. My addition to this classic chocolate cookie recipe that gives them moisture, added richness, and a YUM factor of 10/10.
- Bittersweet Chocolate. For the most supreme fudge texture possible, I used melted dark chocolate in place of cocoa powder.
Tip!
Looking for a peanut butter cookie recipe with chocolate chips? Check out these Healthy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies.
- Espresso Powder. An added pinch of espresso powder amps up the intensity of the chocolate flavor.
- Flour. These cookies use my signature blend of all purpose and white whole wheat flour (as seen in these Healthy Pumpkin Cookies). I love any attempt to make cookies healthy-ish to validate eating more than
50, er, 5.
- Eggs. For tenderness, softness, and moisture.
- Sugar. Sweetens the cookies and adds to their fudginess.
- Powdered Sugar. Clings to every nook and cranny of these crackled chocolate peanut butter cookies and makes them taste just like a peanut butter cup in cookie form (try these Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Balls for the ball form).
The Directions
- Melt the chocolate, butter, and peanut butter together.
- Beat together the sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and espresso powder.
- Stir in the chocolate mixture, baking powder, and salt.
- Mix in the flour, cover the dough, and chill until firm.
TIP!
This dough is very soft once it is mixed. For best results, chill for at least 3 hours or overnight. This crucial step makes the dough easier to shape and ensures your cookies don’t spread too much while baking.
- Scoop the dough and shape into balls.
- Roll each ball in powdered sugar to coat.
TIP!
Only roll 4-6 balls of dough at a time in powdered sugar. Otherwise, the balls tend to stick to one another.
- Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet until the tops are dry and just set.
TIP!
All ovens have hot and cold spots which can cause cookies to bake unevenly. Here are a few tips for evenly-baked cookies every time.
- Rotate your cookie sheet 180 degrees halfway through baking.
- If baking more than one pan of cookies at a time, switch the top and bottom cookie sheets halfway through baking.
- Remove, let cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack. ENJOY!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.
- To Freeze. Store cookies in the freezer for up to 1 month in a covered container. Let thaw before serving (or not—I won’t judge).
What to Serve with Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Cookie Scoop. For baking equal-sized cookies that bake evenly.
- Measuring Cups. This is one of my favorite sets ever.
- Silpat Baking Mat. A great sustainable alternative to parchment paper for baking cookies.
The Best Cookie Sheets
These commercial-grade baking sheets are made from pure aluminum, thus are durable, and won’t rust, and conduct heat evenly.
Chocolate peanut butter cookies where have you been all my life?!
Frequently Asked Questions
Some peanut butter cookies can be made with natural peanut butter. However, this chocolate peanut butter cookies recipe is best made with processed peanut butter. The stabilizing ingredients (such as palm oil) help the dough form and prevent the cookies from separating during baking.
I have not tried making this recipe with anything other than classic peanut butter so it would be an experiment if you try this swap. I’d love to hear your results if you attempt. Note that almond butter does tend to be more drippy/runny, so I am more hesitant to recommend this exchange in baked goods.
Yes! Swap a 1-to-1 gluten free baking mix for the flours. If you’re looking for a less risky gluten free cookie baking adventure, try these Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies or Peanut Butter Protein Cookies.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 8 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate or chocolate chips, about 1 1/3 cup
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (2 ounces or 1/2 stick)
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use the natural kind that must be refrigerated or the cookies will not bake properly)
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 teaspoons instant espresso powder optional, but delicious. (Enhances the chocolate flavor.)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2/3 cup white whole wheat flour or additional all purpose flour
- 1-2 cups powdered sugar for coating
Instructions
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Melt the chocolate, butter, and peanut butter in a small saucepan over medium heat or in a microwave-safe bowl. (If microwaving, heat in 15-second bursts and stir between each.) Once the butter has melted, remove the bowl from the heat and stir until the chocolate melts completely and the mixture is smooth.
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In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and espresso powder until well combined.
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Pour in the chocolate mixture, baking powder, and salt, then stir to combine. Stir in the flour just until it disappears. The dough will seem very, very soft.
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Cover the bowl and chill the dough for at least 3 hours or overnight (it will firm up considerably).
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When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Place 1 cup powdered sugar in a wide, shallow bowl.
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With a small cookie scoop or spoon, scoop out heaping teaspoon-sized portions of dough and roll into balls that are 1 1/4 inches in diameter.
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Place 4-6 balls of dough in the powdered sugar, then gently roll and toss the balls to coat completely (if you do too many balls at once, they will stick together). Shake off the excess sugar, then place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1 1/2 inches between each (the cookies will spread as they bake). Repeat with remaining cookies.
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Bake for 10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time by turning it 180 degrees, and if baking multiple cookie sheets at once, switching the top and bottom pan positions. When the tops are dry and just set, remove the cookies from the oven. Let cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- TO STORE: Leftover chocolate peanut butter cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.
- TO FREEZE: Store cookies in the freezer for up to 1 month in a covered container. Let thaw before serving (or not—I won’t judge).
Nutrition
Related Recipes
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