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Four half cookies stacked on each other with melty peanut butter chips.

The Best Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

Yield: 30 to 36 cookies
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 11 minutes
Total Time: 36 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (227 g) butter, softened to room temperature
  • ¾ cup (159 g) granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup (159 g) packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large (100 g) eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 ¼ cups (320 g) all-purpose flour
  • ⅔ cup (57 g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ¾ to 2 cups (300 to 340 g) peanut butter chips (a 10-ounce bag)

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two or three half sheet pans with parchment paper, lightly grease with cooking spray, and set aside.
  • In a bowl with a handheld electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until well-combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt (this helps eliminate pesky small lumps that are common in cocoa powder).
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined and no dry streaks remain. Add the peanut butter chips and mix (with the mixer or by hand if you don't want the chips to break apart) until combined.
  • Scoop the cookie dough into 2-tablespoon size portions (I use a #40 medium cookie scoop) and roll into balls. Place several inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
  • Bake for 10 to 11 minutes until the cookies are just set around the edges and slightly crackly on top. For super soft and chewy cookies, don't over bake.
  • Let the cookies rest on the baking sheets for a couple minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Cocoa Powder: Dutch-process cocoa powder can work in these cookies as well for a darker, richer-tasting cookie. If using, reduce baking soda to 1/4 teaspoon and add 1 teaspoon baking powder. 
Puffy Cookies: if your cookies come out too puffy after baking, try a) immediately out of the oven, dropping the cookie sheet a few inches above the counter to flatten slightly or b) reducing the oven temperature by 25 degrees or c) next time, keeping an eye on the dry ingredients and backing off just slightly (maybe 2 to 4 tablespoons less flour if needed). 
Flat Cookies: if your cookies are flattening too much while baking, try a) increasing the oven temperature by 15 to 25 degrees, b) next time making sure the butter isn't overly softened/melted, c) use cold eggs from the fridge, or d) add a few tablespoons more flour or cocoa powder to the dough.