Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Say hello the softest and gooiest peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. I can’t think of a better way to kick off the new year than with a fresh batch of these bad boys. Set your healthy resolutions aside because these are totally worth the cheat!

These peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are one of the first recipes I ever made when I started out on Instagram. This was before I decided to share my recipes on a blog so I’ve kept it in my recipe book until I perfected it!

They started out as pretty thin and chewy cookies. I find it difficult to get that soft and gooey texture in peanut butter cookies because they typically give off a crumbly and somewhat chalky texture. That’s definitely not the case with these cookies!

How to make super soft peanut butter chocolate chip cookies

If you’ve been following me for a while, then you know how much I love large cookies. I almost always use a large ice cream scoop when scooping out my dough. It’s the secret to getting that soft and doughy center to any cookie.

In order to make sure you get that soft middle, you must be patient. Make sure to prep your dough the day before then bake them the next day.

I know, who wants to wait for delicious peanut butter chocolate chip cookies? But keeping the dough in the fridge overnight makes sure your dough is chilled all the way through. This slows down the baking process, thus giving you that doughy center.

Scooping and prepping your peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough

The way you scoop your cookies can completely change how they turn out. If you roll them into smooth balls, you’ll get a completely different texture on the tops of your cookies. If you flatten them, the center will bake faster and you’ll be left with a thinner and crispier cookie. It’s very important to follow the prep instructions on a recipe in order to get the best outcome.

For these, and for most of my cookie recipe, I don’t fuss with the dough too much. Using my large ice cream scoop, I scoop the cookies out onto a small cookie sheet in order to prep for chilling. The cookie dough should be left in the same shape as the scoop – like a large dome.

When I scoop, I don’t roll the dough in my palms or manipulate the dough in any way. I just scoop and move on. Using a scooper gives you that rippled texture on top which is how you get those yummy wrinkles on top of your cookies.

For these cookies, I dotted the tops with some extra chocolate chips before chilling the dough so that they’d be picture perfect when baked.

So, in summary, don’t manipulate your dough when scooping and scoop them out BEFORE chilling. It’s much more difficult to scoop from a big bowl of hard and chilled cookie dough.

The best type of peanut butter to bake with

For most recipes, you should always choose a creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. It gives you that classic peanut texture and your recipes turn out perfect every time.

Using natural peanut butters often separate where the oil floats to the top of the jar. Nut butters like this are difficult to bake with because they can cause your cookies or bars to spread too thin.

If you use natural peanut butter for a buttercream or mousse, you could also experience some splitting. This leads to a lumpy and oily texture.

When in doubt, always go with your standard creamy peanut butter when baking.

In need of even more delicious cookie recipes? Check out my:

• Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies
• Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Maple Snickerdoodle Cookies
• Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram if you make these peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. I love seeing my recipes come to life in YOUR kitchen! To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, the buttons above or below this post, or on any of the photos above. And if you have any questions, ask me on Instagram! That’s the best way to reach me. Happy baking!

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