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Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft and chewy, utterly chocolaty with two kinds of chocolate, and so incredibly yummy you won’t stop at just one.

Stacked Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies on a blue plate

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Easy to make with easy pantry ingredients, mini peanut butter cups, and chocolate chips.

This means, they’re perfect for using up leftover candy, for Halloween, or simply when you’re craving a bit of decadently chocolatey, peanut buttery, warm-from-the-oven cookies.

Peanut Butter Cups

If there is one candy I crave, especially at Halloween, it would have to be peanut butter cups. Especially the mini ones.

Somehow — mini peanut butter cups seem like a lesser guilty pleasure. As opposed to the snack size — or heaven forbid — the full size!

As a result, you will see a few recipes at 31Daily that include this oh-so-yummy candy. Recipes like Easy No Bake Peanut Butter Pie or No Churn Peanut Butter Chocolate Ice Cream.

Other recipes only hint at that peanut butter cup love, like the Halloween Fudgy Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Brownies.

And speaking of candy — M&M’s would be a close second. We also have recipes for those, like Summer White Chocolate M&M Popcorn Treats or the M&M Cookies Recipe where you can switch out the M&M colors and make them celebrate anything you want.

Top view of Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies on a plate

Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are inspired by the beloved classic chocolate chip cookie and the decadence of a favorite candy.

And honestly, this cookie recipe would work equally well with your favorite candy, like snickers, junior mints, marshmallows — as we did in our S’mores Cookies recipe.

What makes these cookies a bit different is the addition of cornstarch. It is the secret ingredient that makes them soft and light and fluffy.

Not to mention, allows the chocolate to melt so deliciously into the cookies!

Closeup view of Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with chocolate melting

Ingredients for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies  

Here’s what you’ll need to make these Peanut Butter Cup Cookies. Specific measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

  • Unsalted butter
  • Light brown sugar
  • Granulated sugar
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla extract
  • All-purpose flour
  • Cornstarch
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Mini peanut butter cups
  • Semi-sweet chocolate chips 

How to Make Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are as simple to make as classic Chocolate Chip Cookies. With a couple of ingredient exceptions.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

Step 1: Combine the Ingredients

Begin by whisking together the dry ingredients of flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.

Then using a bowl and spoon or a stand mixer (which is my preferred method), cream softened butter with both granulated sugar and brown sugar. Once light and fluffy; beat in the egg and egg yolk followed by the vanilla extract.

Combine both the dry ingredients and the creamed butter, egg mixture. Then fold in the chocolate chips and chopped peanut butter cup candies. I do like to reserve some peanut butter cups to garnish the top of the cookie dough before it’s baked.

Step 2: Roll into Balls

Scoop the cookie dough and roll into balls; about 2 to 3 tablespoons in size. Place on the prepared baking pan, at least 2-inches apart.

*See my note on chilling the dough below.

Step 3: Bake the Cookies

Bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies are just set. They will look underbaked and you want that. Remove from the oven and let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool.

Tips for Thick, Soft and Chewy Cookies

  • For soft cookies, be sure they are slightly underbaked when they come out of the oven. They will continue to firm while resting on the hot cookie tray.
  • Cornstarch in the dough makes for soft, lofty and thick cookies.
  • Adding an egg plus an egg yolk gives the cookies the perfect blend of chewiness without added moisture leading to flat cookies.

Do You Need to Chill the Cookie Dough?

Most bakers will definitely say you need to chill the dough. And in many cases, it’s always a good rule to follow.

However… for me, every time I’ve made these cookies without chilling the dough, they bake tall and thick and soft and chewy. Nicely, it saves quite a bit of time.

I do believe it’s partly due to my baking sheet. Here’s a link to the one I use at Amazon.

If you bake a batch and they are not as thick as desired, chill the dough for at least 2 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature until workable; about 15 minutes.

You can also roll the dough into balls, place it on the prepared baking sheet, and refrigerate. Once the dough has chilled, they’re ready to pop into the oven.

Stack of 3 Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies on a plate
Stacked Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies on a blue plate

Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft and chewy, utterly chocolaty with two kinds of chocolate, and so incredibly yummy you won't stop at just one.
5 from 3 votes
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Author: Stephanie Wilson

Ingredients 

  • 3/4 cup 1½ sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup mini peanut butter cups chopped
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract; mix until well combined.
  • Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix until the dough is combined. Reserve a handful of chopped peanut butter cups and then fold in the remaining peanut butter cups and chocolate chips by hand or mix just until the chocolate is combined.
  • Using a scoop, roll the dough into balls, about 2 to 3 tablespoons each. Press a few reserved peanut butter cup pieces on top of the dough and place on the prepared baking sheet at least 2-inches apart.
  • Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges have just set and tops are just beginning to set. They will look slightly underbaked. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Transfer to a metal rack to cool completely.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 174kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 139mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Course: Cookies
Keyword: Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe, Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe with Candy, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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