Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cookies

These Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cookies are big, soft, and tender with slightly crisp edges, beautiful swirls of chocolate, and a chocolate-covered bottom. If you love peanut butter and chocolate together, these bakery-style cookies are going to be a favorite!

Chocolate and peanut butter have always been one of my favorite combinations, and they never fail to remind me of my mother. I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone who loved those two flavors together more than she did.

I wanted to create a smaller batch of cookies that brought those flavors together in one big, beautiful cookie. Just like my favorite chocolate chip cookies, I wanted these to be large, soft, and tender. And like my traditional peanut butter cookies, they needed a soft center with slightly crisp edges.

These cookies have ribbons of chocolate running through the peanut butter dough and a layer of chocolate on the bottom. They’re everything I love about these two flavors in one delicious cookie.

Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

• Soft and tender. The centers are soft, while the edges have just a little crispness.
• Chocolate in every bite. Melted chocolate is swirled into the dough, and the bottoms are coated with even more chocolate.
• Big bakery-style cookies. A ¼-cup scoop makes generous cookies about 3½ inches across.
• A smaller batch. This recipe makes 16 large cookies, so you won’t have dozens sitting on the counter tempting you every time you walk through the kitchen.
• Freezer-friendly. These cookies can be frozen for up to three months.

Ingredients for Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cookies

You don’t need anything fancy to make these cookies. Most of the ingredients are probably already in your pantry.

Creamy peanut butter: Gives these cookies their delicious peanut butter flavor.

Salted butter: Use softened butter so it creams easily with the peanut butter and sugars.

Dark brown sugar: Adds sweetness and rich molasses flavor.

Granulated sugar: Sweetens the dough and helps create those slightly crisp edges.

Eggs: Help hold the dough together.

Vanilla extract: Adds flavor that complements the peanut butter and chocolate.

Baking soda and baking powder: Help the cookies rise as they bake.

Salt: Just ½ teaspoon is needed because the butter and peanut butter already contain salt.

All-purpose flour: Gives these large cookies their structure.

Semisweet chocolate chips: You’ll divide these between the chocolate swirls in the dough and the chocolate coating on the bottoms.

You’ll find the exact measurements in the printable recipe card below.

How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

These cookies are easy to make, but there are two steps that make them extra special: swirling the chocolate through the dough and adding that chocolate-covered bottom.

Step 1: Cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugars

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the creamy peanut butter, softened salted butter, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar.

Beat on medium-high speed for about one minute, until everything is creamed together.

Step 2: Add the eggs and dry ingredients

Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract.

Add the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour in the order listed. Mix until the ingredients are fully incorporated.

Step 3: Create the chocolate marble effect

Place ½ cup of chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 15- to 20-second intervals until melted.

Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookie dough while it’s still in the mixing bowl.

Here’s the important part: Slide a knife through the dough instead of stirring it.

You want ribbons of chocolate running through the peanut butter dough. If you mix too much, the chocolate will blend into the dough, and you’ll lose that pretty marble effect.

Step 4: Scoop and chill the dough

Using a large ¼-cup (4-tablespoon) cookie scoop, portion the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Place the scooped dough in the freezer for at least one hour.

Step 5: Bake the cookies

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Arrange the chilled cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving plenty of room between them. You’ll likely fit about six cookies on each sheet.

Bake for approximately 13 to 15 minutes, until the cookies are set and lightly browned.

Step 6: Shape and cool

After removing the cookies from the oven, you can gently press a fork into the tops to create the traditional peanut butter cookie crisscross pattern.

This step is completely optional. These cookies bake evenly without it. I just like giving them that familiar peanut butter cookie look.

For perfectly round cookies, place a glass that’s slightly larger than the cookie over it while it’s still warm. Gently move the glass in a circular motion to bring any uneven edges back into shape.

Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for about eight minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Step 7: Add the chocolate-covered bottoms

Melt the remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop approximately one teaspoon of melted chocolate onto the parchment, then place a cooled cookie on top.

Gently press and wiggle the cookie to spread the chocolate across the bottom.

Repeat with the remaining cookies and let them sit until the chocolate is dry to the touch.

If you want the chocolate to set faster, you can place the cookies in the freezer for a few minutes.

Tips for the Best Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Don’t overmix the chocolate. The secret to the beautiful swirls is running a knife through the dough rather than stirring everything together. A few passes are all you need.

Use a large cookie scoop. A ¼-cup scoop makes those generous bakery-style cookies. It also helps keep the cookies close to the same size.

Don’t skip chilling the dough. Freeze the scooped dough for at least one hour before baking, as directed in the recipe.

Give the cookies room to bake. These are large cookies, so arrange about six per baking sheet instead of crowding them together.

Shape them while they’re warm. If you want perfectly round cookies, use the glass trick as soon as they come out of the oven.

Let the cookies cool before coating the bottoms. The chocolate coating is added after the cookies have cooled.

Can I Make Smaller Cookies?

Yes! I’ve also made these cookies using a 3-tablespoon scoop instead of the larger 4-tablespoon scoop.

The smaller cookies need less time in the oven, so start checking them before the 13-minute mark. Look for cookies that are set and lightly browned.

The exact baking time will depend on their size.

How to Store Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

At room temperature: Store the cookies in an airtight container. They’re best eaten within one to two days, but they’re still delicious for up to five days.

In the freezer: Store the cookies in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to three months.

More Homemade Cookies and Sweet Treats

If you love homemade cookies and treats as much as I do, here are a few more delicious recipes to try!

• Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies – Big, bakery-style chocolate chip cookies that are perfect when you’re craving a homemade treat.
• Cowboy Cookies – Hearty cookies packed with delicious mix-ins. They’re a great choice when you want something a little different.
• No-Bake Chocolate Pretzel Peanut Butter Squares – A sweet and salty combination of chocolate, peanut butter, and pretzels that’s perfect when you don’t feel like turning on the oven.

If you love peanut butter and chocolate as much as I do, you’ve got to try these cookies! When you make them, leave me a comment and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating to let me know what you think. And don’t forget to save this recipe so you can make it again!

Did you enjoy this recipe? Don’t forget to pin it for later and follow me on Pinterest for more delicious recipes like this one!