These thick, soft, and chewy peanut butter chip cookies are everything you love about a classic peanut butter cookie—only better. Each bite is packed with rich, nutty flavor and melty peanut butter chips, all wrapped up in a perfectly tender center.
For more soft and chewy cookies, try my Soft & Chewy Sugar Cookies , Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies or my Soft & Chewy Lemon Cookies.
If you love peanut butter, these peanut butter chip cookies are a must-try. They’re thick and golden on the outside, soft and gooey on the inside, and loaded with rich, creamy peanut butter chips for a nostalgic twist on the classic.
Made with simple pantry staples, this no-fuss recipe comes together effortlessly and is perfect for baking solo or with the kids. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt at the end adds the perfect sweet-and-salty finish.
Can’t get enough peanut butter? (Honestly, me either!) Check out my Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies , Peanut Butter Muffins , Buckeye Cookies , Peanut Butter Blondies , and Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats for more deliciousness!
Table Talk with Tawnie
If you’ve been around a while, you know this is one of my FAVORITE cookie recipes! So much so that I’ve continued to test and re-test this recipe because even though these cookies were already delicious, I just KNEW they could be better.
Last year, I decided I liked baking these cookies a little smaller at a lower temperature. This year, I made a few more changes like omitting the milk because I actually found it was making the cookies drier and increased the brown sugar to make them more moist and soft.
These are just a few changes I’ve found that I think make these cookies better, however, if you love the original recipe feel free to keep baking them exactly how you like them!
Ingredient Notes
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
- Flours: I used a combination of all-purpose and cake flour for this recipe. Cake flour is softer and lighter than all-purpose flour and I’ve found that by combining the two it gives these cookis the perfect texture. However, if you don’t have cake flour, feel free to just use all all-purpose flour.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch is the secret ingredient that gives the cookies a more tender and chewy texture that we all die for.
- Unsalted Butter: If you’ve made this recipe before, you might notice the change in the temperature of the unsalted butter. The original recipe used cold butter straight from the fridge. However, after retesting, I found that room temperature butter creams better with the peanut butter and sugars.
- Creamy peanut butter: Make sure to use a peanut butter like like Skippy or Jif for the right consistency. Don’t use a natural peanut butter. The creamy texture of the peanut butter helps give the cookies a smooth, delicate center.
- Reese’s peanut butter chips: To double up on the delicious peanut butter-y, nutty flavor!
Step-by-Step Directions
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Whisk the dry ingredients
Whisk together the flours, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Mix the wet ingredients
Cream the peanut butter, butter, and sugars on medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Then add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
Combine wet & dry ingredients
Gradually add in the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Stir your mix-ins of choice then let cookie dough chill for at least an hour (or up to 3 days).
Scoop & roll
Scoop the cookie dough and roll in granulated sugar. Place cookie dough on a prepared baking sheet and g ently press down to slightly flatten. Then use a fork to create the classic crisscross pattern.
Bake & enjoy!
Bake for 9-11 minutes or just until the edges are golden and the centers still look slightly underdone. Be careful not to overbake! Let cool on baking sheet for a few minute then move to wire rack to cool completely. Garish with flaky sea salt and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Properly measure the flour: As with any baking recipe, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and use the back of a knife to level off the top. Do not scoop the flour out of the container/bag with your measuring cup because you could end up with 50% more than you need. Or if you have a kitchen scale, you’ll need ~115g of both flours for this recipe.
- Room temperature ingredients: If you’ve made this recipe before, you may remember it used cold butter and eggs. After retesting, I found that room temperature butter and eggs mixed better with the other ingredients.
- Don’t overmix the dough: Mix until the ingredients are just combined. Overmixing can develop too much gluten, making the cookies tough. To prevent this, I like to fold in the dry ingredients just until no more dry flour pockets are left.
- Don’t overbake: Underbaking is always key since the cookies will continue to cook as they cool on the baking sheet. They may look a little under baked when removing from the oven but I promise that is perfectly fine!
- Let cool completely: The cookies are very soft straight out of the oven. Let the cookies cool slightly on the baking tray, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely so they don’t crumble in your hands!
Variations / Substitutions
- Cake flour: If you don’t have cake flour , just use more all-purpose flour.
- Almond butter: For a yummy mix-up, sub the peanut butter for almond butter since it has a similar texture to peanut butter!
- Crunchy peanut butter: If you love extra crunch in your cookies, try using crunchy peanut butter instead of creamy peanut butter.
- Chocolate chips: Instead of peanut butter chips , use (milk chocolate, semi-sweet, or dark) chocolate chips or chocolate chunks to get the best of both flavors!
Storage / Freezing
- Store these peanut butter cookies in a sealed container at room temperature for 5-7 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To freeze: Scoop the dough into 2 tbsp. sized balls and freeze in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You can bake the frozen cookie dough from frozen, just add an extra minute or so to your bake time.
- Make ahead: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days. Allow to come to room temperature, then continue to bake as directed.
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Peanut Butter Chips
Peanut Butter
Team creamy or crunchy peanut butter?
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📸 Photography by Creating Kaitlin
Best Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1/2 cup cake flour spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp. cornstarch
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter like Skippy or Jif, not a natural peanut butter
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar plus more for rolling
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1, 10 oz. bag peanut butter chips ~2 cups (or you can add in mini chocolate chips or chopped peanuts)
- Flaky sea salt such as Maldon, for finishing
Instructions
- Dry ingredients: Whisk together the flours, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup cake flour, 1 tsp. cornstarch, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt
- Cream: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the peanut butter, butter, and sugars on medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy. 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 2/3 cup packed brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- Add eggs and vanilla: Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula, and add in the eggs and vanilla. Mix until combined. 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- Add dry ingredients: Gradually add in the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Add in mix-ins: Stir in mix-ins of choice. (you can reserve some for decorating the tops). 1, 10 oz. bag peanut butter chips
- Chill: Cover and chill the cookie dough in the fridge for 1 hour or up to 3 days
- Preheat and prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a few baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Scoop and roll: Using a 2 tbsp. cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough and roll in granulated sugar. Place on a prepared baking sheet, arranging each cookie a couple of inches apart.
- Shape: Gently press down on the cookie to flatten slightly, and then press the tines of a fork down on the cookie, lift the fork, rotate it 90 degrees, and press again to create the classic crisscross pattern.
- Bake: Finally! Bake for 9-11 minutes Start Timer or just until the edges are golden and the centers still look slightly underdone. (I like to go slightly underbaked for a deliciously soft cookie, the edges should be a light golden brown and centers still a little gooey looking, they will continue to bake on baking sheet when removed from oven).
- Cool: Cool on the baking sheet for just about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. They will firm up further as they cool. Finish with flaky sea salt and enjoy. Flaky sea salt
Video
Notes
- Store the cookies at room temperature in a baggie or air-tight container for 5-7 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- July 2025 update: I omitted the milk because I actually found it was making the cookies drier. I also increased the amount of baking soda from ½ tsp to 1 tsp, changed the temperature of the butter and eggs to room temperature as opposed using cold butter and eggs (I found they mix better with the rest of the wet ingredients), and increased the amount of brown sugar for a more moist and rich cookie.
- July 2024 update: The original recipe said to make 8, 5 oz. large cookies and bake for ~13 minutes at 400°F. After testing several times, I felt a smaller cookie at a lower temperature was more appropriate. Feel free to change the cookie size based on your preference, and oven temperatures vary so find what works best for you and your oven.
