Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
These chocolate peanut butter cookies are thick, chewy and gooey! The double chocolate cookies and creamy peanut butter filling are irresistible. These cookies resemble peanut butter balls or buckeyes. They are perfect for Christmas, birthdays, holidays, rainy days and more!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- These chocolate peanut butter cookies are unique and unforgettable!
- The peanut butter filling is smooth and creamy.
- This cookie dough do not require chilling. The peanut butter filling freezes while cookie dough is mixing. Otherwise, no waiting around for dough to chill.
- They are made with pantry staple ingredients.
- Chocolate and peanut butter is a delicious combination! This is evident in this Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie and these Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats.
- This recipe works with either all purpose flour or gluten free 1 to 1 flour.
- Easily adaptable for gluten free intolerances or food allergies.
- Check out these Vegan Peanut Butter Cups for another great dessert!
Ingredients & Substitutions
These are the main ingredients and substitutions for chocolate peanut butter cookies. Scroll down to the recipe card for full ingredients list and instructions.
All natural creamy peanut butter and powdered sugar make up the peanut butter filling. Use all natural creamy peanut butter made from only peanuts and salt. Typical brands like Jif will be too thick and dry for this recipe. If you love peanut butter, try these Gluten Free Peanut Butter Blossoms!
For the cookies, use cold unsalted butter straight from the fridge. Softened or melted butter will result in flatter cookies.
Both light brown sugar and white sugar sweeten the cookies. I have not tried this recipe using coconut sugar or a low carb sugar alternative.
Two eggs help bind the cookies together. For egg free, use ½ cup total of unsweetened applesauce to replace the 2 eggs.
Vanilla extract adds a warmth of flavor.
Both regular all purpose flour and gluten free flour work well. For these photos, I used King Arthur Flour 1 to 1 gluten free flour.
Both regular and dark cocoa powder can be used.
Baking soda helps leaven these cookies.
Add in a pinch of sea salt if desired.
Chocolate chips make these cookies even more decadent! Use chocolate chunks, mini chocolate chips or even white chocolate chips if desired.
Taste & Texture
These chocolate peanut butter cookies taste like chocolate and peanut butter! No surprises here. They taste like a chocolate covered peanut butter ball in cookie form. Try these Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies too!
The texture is thick and gooey. The peanut butter filling is creamy.
How to Make
Step 1
First, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
Step 2
Make peanut butter filling. Combine creamy peanut butter and powdered sugar in a bowl. Stir until a thick dough is achieved.
Step 3
Roll into ½ inch balls. Then, place on parchment lined pan. Place the pan in your freezer.
Step 4
Then, make cookie dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add cold butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes or until no clumps of butter remain.
Step 5
Add in eggs and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
Step 6
Add in flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and sea salt. The dough will be somewhat thick.
Step 7
Fold in chocolate chips. Remove peanut butter balls from freezer.
Step 8
Place a flattened ball of cookie dough (about 2 tablespoons worth) and place on parchment lined baking pan.
Step 9
Then, place a peanut butter ball in the middle. Cover with 1 tablespoon worth of cookie dough.
Step 10
Use fingers to pinch the edges of the dough together, fully enclosing the peanut butter ball.
Step 11
Place at least 3 inches apart on baking pan. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes.
Step 12
Finally, remove from oven. Allow cookies to cool on pan for 5 minutes before carefully removing to a cooling rack.
Expert Tips & Tricks
Carefully measure all ingredients.
Use creamy all natural peanut butter. It should be made from only peanuts and salt.
The peanut butter and powdered sugar mixture is thick. Stir until combined.
Use butter straight from your fridge. It needs to be cold.
Use a stand mixer to beat butter and sugars. Beat until no clumps of butter remain.
Both gluten free flour and all purpose flour can be used.
After baking, these cookies are soft. Handle carefully.
How to Serve & Store
Serve chocolate peanut butter cookies once somewhat cooled from the oven. They are gooey!
These cookies pair beautifully with a glass of milk, cup of coffee or hot chocolate.
These cookies also pair well with ice cream. Try them with these Healthy Peanut Butter Balls.
Store cookies covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Freeze for up to 1 month.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use all natural creamy peanut butter made from only peanuts and salt. This allows the peanut butter mixture to remain creamy and not dry.
Use gluten free flour to make these chocolate peanut butter cookies gluten free.
Sure! Use sunflower butter instead of peanut butter.
Yes. These cookies can be frozen for up to 1 month.
You May Also Like
- Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies
- Banana Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies
- Keto Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gluten Free Chocolate Cookies
- Almond Flour Chocolate Cookies
If you make this chocolate peanut butter cookie recipe, I would really appreciate a review! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. I would love for you to follow along! For more ideas, check out these Dessert Recipes.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Filling
- 1 cup creamy all natural peanut butter
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
Chocolate Cookies
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ⅔ cups flour, all purpose or gluten free flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- pinch sea salt, optional
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- First, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
- Make peanut butter filling. Combine creamy peanut butter and powdered sugar in a bowl. Stir until a thick dough is achieved.
- Roll into ½ inch balls. Place on parchment lined pan. Place pan in freezer.
- Then, make cookie dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add cold butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes or until no clumps of butter remain.
- Add in eggs and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
- Add in flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and sea salt. Dough will be somewhat thick.
- Fold in chocolate chips. Remove peanut butter balls from freezer.
- Place a flattened ball of cookie dough (about 2 tablespoons worth) and place on parchment lined baking pan.
- Then, place a peanut butter ball in the middle. Cover with 1 tablespoon worth of cookie dough.
- Use fingers to pinch the edges of the dough together, fully enclosing the peanut butter ball.
- Place at least 3 inches apart on baking pan. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes.
- Finally, remove from oven. Allow cookies to cool on pan for 5 minutes before carefully removing to a cooling rack.
Notes
- Use creamy all natural peanut butter made from only peanuts and salt.
- The peanut butter mixture will be thick. It should resemble that of peanut butter buckeye balls.
- Use cold butter right from the fridge. Do not use softened or melted butter.
- Beat butter and sugars for 2 to 3 minutes. This should remove all clumps of butter.
- Both gluten free 1 to 1 flour and all purpose flour can be used.
- The cookie dough will be pretty thick.
- See photos above for how to assemble cookies.
- Cookies will be gooey in the middle. Be very careful handling them after baking.
- Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- These cookies freeze well!
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6 Comments on “Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies”
I would appreciate if you could also add the measurements in grams aswell.
Hi Sara, please click “Metric” in the recipe card for the measurements in grams. Enjoy!
Just wondering if I can also freeze the cookie dough before baking? Thank you!
Hi Mel! You can freeze the cookie dough before baking, but thaw at room temperature before baking. Then stuff with the frozen peanut butter filling before baking. Enjoy!
These are on our list for holiday baking! Questions? You have 1/2 cup cocoa powder. Sweetened/unsweetened? Any guidance there? Same for the chocolate chips — are you using semi-sweet or something else? Thanks. Promise to leave a review after we make them.
Hi Barbara! I use unsweetened cocoa powder. Both regular and dark work well. For the chocolate chips, I prefer dark. Semi sweet or milk can be used; totally up to you. Happy baking!