Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

33 comments

5 from 423 votes
Jump to RecipeJump to Video

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.

My one-bowl peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are SOFT, chewy, and ready in 12 minutes. They’re made with 4 ingredients, and you don’t have to chill the dough!

My family can never resist one of my peanut butter cookie recipes. From crispy peanut butter cookies, peanut butter oatmeal cookies, and peanut butter Nutella cookies, they don’t discriminate. How do I make them even better, though? Add chocolate.

There’s nothing wrong with simply dunking a chocolate bar in a jar of peanut butter (guilty), but making cookies is my preferred delivery method. For these peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, I start with a soft, chewy peanut butter cookie base, then fold in chocolate chunks that melt into pools of gooey chocolate. 

peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.
Table of Contents
  1. Why I love this recipe
  2. Key Ingredients
  3. How to make peanut butter chocolate chip cookies
  4. Arman’s recipe tips
  5. Storage instructions
  6. Frequently asked questions
  7. More one bowl cookie recipes
  8. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (Recipe Card)

Why I love this recipe

  • ONLY 4 ingredients. All you need is peanut butter, chocolate, eggs, and sugar. 
  • Diet-friendly. They’re dairy-free and gluten-free. And yes, you can even make them without eggs!
  • Quick and easy. You don’t need to chill the dough, and they bake up in just 12 minutes. 
  • The best of both worlds. You get the peanut butter flavor in every bite, but with pools of half-melted chocolate throughout. 

Key Ingredients

  • Peanut butter. Don’t bother with any fancy, all-natural peanut butter. In fact, I prefer commercial brands like Jif or Skippy since they’re super smooth and blend nicely into the cookie dough. If you’re using a natural brand, stir it VERY well so there’s no separation. 
  • Granulated sugar. I used light brown sugar to make the cookies super moist and gooey, but if you prefer crisp cookies, use white sugar.
  • Large eggs. Helps bind the cookies together and prevents them from spreading too much.
  • Chocolate. I like to use semi-sweet chocolate chips and a chopped-up chocolate bar, so there’s plenty of chocolate in every bite.

How to make peanut butter chocolate chip cookies

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

cookie dough in a mixing bowl.

Step 1- Mix. Combine all wet and dry ingredients in a medium bowl and mix until smooth. 

shaped balls of cookie dough with chocolate chips.

Step 2- Shape. Using a cookie scoop, place 12 cookie dough balls on the baking sheet and press into a cookie shape. Top with extra chocolate chips. 

Step 3- Bake. Bake the cookies until they’re golden around the edges. Let them cool on the tray. 

flourless peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.

Arman’s recipe tips

  • Save time. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment to mix the dough. 
  • Don’t overmix the dough. The more you mix, the more fragile they’ll become. 
  • Chill the dough. If you prefer thicker, chewier cookies, refrigerate the dough for 2 hours. 
  • Use a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop. I find this is the best size for big, but not massive, cookies. 

Variations

  • Egg-free. Out of all of my egg substitutes, I prefer chia eggs, which you can make by combining 3 tablespoons of water with 1 tablespoon of chia seeds. 
  • Use a mix of different chocolates. For a more pronounced chocolate flavor, use half milk chocolate chips and half bakers chocolate chunks. 
  • Use a fork to create a criss cross pattern. For that classic peanut butter cookie ‘look.’
  • Enhance the flavor. Add a pinch of salt or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Storage instructions

To store: Keep the leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. 

To freeze: Place the cookies in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 6 months. 

peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my peanut butter cookie dough so dry?

The common culprits for dry peanut butter cookie dough are usually overmixing or not using the right peanut butter. Overmixing removes air, which makes for a dense and crumbly dough. For peanut butter, avoid all-natural brands, as the texture is inconsistent. 

Can I freeze the cookie dough?

Unfortunately not. This dough has no flour or wheat, meaning it will crumble once it thaws.

peanut butter chocolate chip cookies recipe.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

5 from 423 votes
Soft, chewy, and ready in 12 minutes, my flourless peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are a winner! No fancy mixers are needed- just one bowl and four ingredients. Watch the video below to see how I make it in my kitchen!
Servings: 12 servings
Cook: 12 minutes
Total: 12 minutes

Video

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add your peanut butter, sugar, and egg and mix well, until just combined. Fold through your chocolate chips, reserving a few to top the cookies with.
  • Using your hands, form 12 balls of dough and place them on the lined tray. Press each ball into a slight cookie shape, topping each one with extra chocolate chips.
  • Bake your cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until just golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool on the tray completely.

Notes

* You can substitute this for almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, or tahini.
** White sugar, brown sugar, and coconut sugar all work.
TO STORE: Keep the leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. 
TO FREEZE: Place the cookies in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 6 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 195kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 6gFat: 12gSodium: 105mgPotassium: 145mgFiber: 1gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 31IUVitamin C: 0.02mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 1mgNET CARBS: 20g
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

Originally updated September 2023, updated and republished November 2024

Arman Liew

I’m a two time cookbook author, photographer, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

You May Also Like

5 from 423 votes (404 ratings without comment)

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I will make this just will not use brown sugar as I never do sugars in my recipes. I like only hewlthy food.

  2. Hello,
    I haven’t made these yet, but I am wondering if I can reduce the sugar without compromising the consistency of the cookie considering there are only 4 ingredients ? Thanks !
    Kel

  3. 5 stars
    Do NOT use conventional sweetned PB. The first time I made these, they were sickeningly sweet. I remade with 100% peanut PB and used slightly less brown sugar than required and they turned out great!

  4. 5 stars
    OMG! My family absolutely loved these. They make a much needed treat for a family on a restricted diet due to my health issues. I will continue to make these for my family and introduce them to friends. Thank you so much!

  5. 5 stars
    Absolutely love these cookies, and the recipe couldn’t be easier. Love the way the dough quickly comes together – I popped the cookies into the oven and 12 minutes later, yummy cookies. Highly recommend this recipe to anyone and everyone. ♥️

  6. 5 stars
    Soooo good! I use sugar free crunchy peanut butter. And I sometimes chop up a bit of pecans and add those. I’ve found I need to bake them about 15 to 16 min. And they aren’t as good until they’ve cooled for several hours. But oh my goodness what a treat to eat. Thank you for a simple and great tasting recipe.

  7. My husband loved these but requested next time I add some chopped peanuts or maybe use chunky peanut butter. Also wondering about adding a bit of vanilla and maybe salt.

  8. 5 stars
    These are absolutely delicious and so easy! I didn’t change a thing. You’re amazing with all the details to accommodate others with their preferences and allergies. Will be trying more of your recipes. Thank you!

  9. I substituted with liquid stevia — they came out super crumbly and alcohol-is tasting. Any tips? I refrigerated the dough for a couple hours before baking.

  10. HI

    It was absolutely delicious. I made it in the food processor with almond butter. almond butter tends to go a bit hard so the food processor helped. Loved it.

  11. 5 stars
    I made this not expecting it to hold together, but I used egg whites instead of the whole egg along with truvia and these came out delicious!

  12. 5 stars
    Hi Arman! I tried these cookies and they turned out so delicious 😋. It was so quick and easy but tasted amazing! Definitely a keeper 👍🏻. Love your recipes. Thanks for sharing them with us 🤗

  13. 5 stars
    These were amazing! Cook times may vary, I had to cook mine a little longer. 1 cookie so so rich it’s like have a few. My Type 1 loved them and was excited to have something to satisfy her sweet tooth.

  14. 5 stars
    Hey! I absolutely LOVED this recipe but I would say the texture was more of a cake than a cookie! Did I do something wrong? What can I do to make it more cookie textured! Thank you 💜

  15. 5 stars
    I admit I was very iffy about trying a flourless cookie recipe – the last time I made 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies, they burned to the cookie sheet so badly that I had to toss the sheet itself out. However, your photos of these cookies looked so good that I had to give it a try.

    I’m sure glad I did! These turned out wonderful! I made mine with a mix of brown and white sugar (1/2 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown), an egg, and I also used baking soda, which didn’t do much to stop the cookies from spreading into one another, but it was nothing that couldn’t be solved with a spatula. I was amazed at how chewy they wound up being (and staying), and when I took them to work, people couldn’t believe they were flourless.

    Thanks very much for sharing this lovely recipe and also for renewing my faith in flourless cookies! I’d love to try this with almond butter.

  16. 5 stars
    I was really iffy about trying this recipe because the last time I made flourless peanut butter cookies, they stuck to the baking sheet so badly that I had to throw out the entire sheet! It kind of turned me off to making 3-ingredient cookies ever again. But the cookies just looked so good in your photos that I decided to give them a try anyway.

    Wow! I’m sure glad I did! Not only did my baking sheet survive, but the cookies turned out beautifully! I did refrigerate the dough and I used baking soda (they still spread quite a lot) and a mix of white sugar and brown sugar (1/2 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar). These are definitely for folks who looooooove peanut butter, which I do. They were also a big hit with folks at work who were shocked to learn they were flourless. And I also love that it’s not only a small-batch recipe made with very basic kitchen staples, but the ingredients can easily be doubled or tripled or more for a larger batch.

    I would definitely like to try making these with almond butter now that I know they’ll turn out. Thank you for sharing!