These are the biggest, thickest Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies you’ll ever make! My recipe is simple and loaded with chunks of melty chocolate in every bite. Recipe includes a how-to video!
Big Peanut Butter Cookies
If you’re looking for a light and pretty (and peanut-buttery) cookie recipe, head over to my peanut butter crinkle cookies, because my peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies are nothing of the sort. No, these are big, thick, heavy cookies. They are the epitome of bakery-style: larger than life, chock full of melty chocolate, and heavy.
Despite their thickness, these are not cakey cookies; they are soft, dense, and chewy, like a cookie should be. They have a strong peanut butter flavor (similar to my peanut butter blossoms) that pairs nicely with the melty chocolate chunks and bits throughout. And seriously, these have some heft to them–they don’t mess around!
I think you’ll love this recipe not only for the cookies themselves, but also the ease of preparing them. Just a handful of ingredients are mixed together and chilled for 30 minutes before baking. You will need to have some patience with them while they’re still warm (they are fragile in this state!), but once they’ve had some time to set up, you won’t be able to stop eating them.
What You Need
Here are the key ingredients in my peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies:
- Peanut butter. Either creamy or chunky peanut butter will work here. Just make sure you don’t use a “natural” peanut butter that separates.
- Baking soda. Just a bit of baking soda encourages these cookies to spread slightly while still maintaining their thickness.
- Egg + egg yolk. The extra yolk adds moisture, tenderness, and contributes to the density of these peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies. Adding a whole egg here could lead to cakey cookies that spread–and we don’t want that!
- Chocolate. I use semisweet chocolate, but you can use whatever kind you like (milk chocolate also works nicely with peanut butter!). I prefer to buy chocolate bars and chop them myself for the best chunks. Pre-cut chunks (sold near chocolate chips) will also work though!
SAM’S TIP: Make sure you measure your flour properly, or you could be left with a dry, crumbly cookie dough.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Them
- Beat the butters and sugars – Cream together the butter, peanut butter, and sugars until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs – Stir in the eggs and vanilla.
- Stir in the dry ingredients – Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then gradually add them to the wet ingredients.
- Chocolate and chill – Stir in the chopped chocolate until incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
- Scoop and roll – Roll 2.5 tablespoon scoops between your palms before placing on a parchment lined baking sheet at least 2″ apart.
- Bake – Bake at 350F for 13-15 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet.
SAM’S TIP: Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet, otherwise they’ll just fall apart on you while warm (don’t over-bake them though, or they’ll be dry and crumbly).
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! I have detailed instructions on how to do this in my how freeze cookie dough post. Just follow the instructions listed there for drop cookies.
It could be that you added too much flour, but the more likely reason is that your cookies were over-baked. Make sure you take them out of the oven when the edges are just beginning to turn golden brown and let them finish cooking on their baking sheets. This is my favorite baking technique for soft and chewy cookies and applies to pretty much every cookie recipe.
If you’re looking for a classic version, see my soft & buttery (and not-so-thick!) peanut butter cookies.
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Big Fat Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup (260g) creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 egg + 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 8 oz (226 g) chocolate bars coarsely chopped
- Sea salt for sprinkling on top optional
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Combine butter, peanut butter, and sugars in a large mixing bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until light and fluffy.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (260g) creamy peanut butter, 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and stir until combined.1 egg + 1 large egg yolk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt
- With mixer on low-speed, gradually stir dry ingredients into wet until completely combined (be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and no dry spots should be remaining).
- Add chopped chocolate and use a spatula to stir into the cookie dough until well-incorporated.8 oz (226 g) chocolate bars
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. While dough chills, preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Once dough is chilled, remove from refrigerator and scoop into large ⅓-cup sized balls and roll between your palms to make a smooth ball.
- Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing cookies at least 2” apart.
- Transfer to 350F (175C) oven and bake for 13-15 minutes (edges may be just beginning to turn light golden brown). Allow cookies to cool completely on baking sheet before removing and enjoying.Sea salt for sprinkling on top
Notes
Peanut Butter
You could use crunchy or creamy peanut butter. I recommend using classic peanut butter and not the “natural” sort that separates, as the cookies won’t turn out as shown with natural peanut butter.Chocolate
I like to use semisweet chocolate bars but you can use milk chocolate or your favorite type of chocolate instead.Storing
Cookie dough may be prepared in advance and refrigerated (tightly covered) for up to 5 days. Baked cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Note, this is an updated recipe. If you’re looking for the original, you just make my peanut butter cookies and add chocolate chunks (that’s what the original recipe was).
Christie Jamieson
Hi! would it be OK to add pecans to this recipe? If so, when should I add them? Thank you! My family loves your recipes. 🙂
Sam
Hi Christie! Yes that would be fine, I would stir them in at the end. Sometimes I find that adding chopped nuts keeps the dough from spreading, but since these are meant to be pretty thick cookies I don’t think that will be a problem here .Enjoy!
Nancy
I made this recipe last weekend and my husband and I both loved it. In the post when a recipe had to chop the chocolate bars I would just throw in chips instead, but your pictures looked so good I actually chopped the bars. It was so worth it, it does make a difference especially when you get a nice chunk of chcolate in your bite. I am now converted into chopping the chocolate when the recipe call for it. Great recipe!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
It’s a nice switch up from the chips! We are so glad you enjoyed the cookies Nancy 😊
Diane
I made this recipe with the chopped up Snickers bars and it worked fine, except that the “caramel-y” stuff in the Snickers bars tends to ooze out of the cookies while they’re baking. I used the “fun size” Snickers — they weigh about a half-ounce each, I think, and chopped them into about ten pieces each.
Colleen Wieck
Can you use a baking sugar substitute? If so do you know how it will affect the cookies? They look delicious, but I am trying to cut down on my sugar intake.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Colleen! We haven’t tried one with this recipe, so we can’t say for sure how it would turn out. If you do, let us know!
Jennifer
I truly adore you and love absolutely everything I bake from your recipes. You are simply marvelous darling!
Sam
Thank you so much, Jennifer! 🙂
Diane
Sam — Will this recipe work with coarsely chopped Snickers bars instead of chocolate chunks/chips?
Sam
Hi Diane! I haven’t tried this but wow that sounds amazing and I think it would totally work! If you try it, please report back! 🙂
April
Hi there. I will be making these today and want to say it makes me so happy that you have measurements in weights. Thanks!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy they’re helpful, April! Transitioning to using weights was a game-changer for us!
April
This recipe is a keeper! I used mini chocolate chips only because they were what I had on hand. So very good.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so glad you liked them April 🥰
Marion
Hi Sam! I have made this recipe multiple times and LOVED it! Can I double this recipe? Do I use two whole eggs + two egg yolk? I noticed your other recipe “Peanut Butter Chocolate Chips Cookies” it called for two eggs+1 egg yolk. Will this be the same if I double the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunks.
Thanks a lot!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy to hear that, Marion! Yes, if you double the recipe, you’ll want to double all ingredients including the eggs and additional yolks. Hope this helps! 😊
Sarah
Delicious, melt-in-your mouth cookie recipe!! LOVED these cookies. Followed recipe, only substitution was I used semi-sweet choc chips because I didn’t have bars-same amount. I can only imagine these would be good with any kind of chocolate! Thanks again for the recipe! Oh-the weights are truly helpful-only way I bake now with great results each time!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you loved them, Sarah! And yes, the weights are a major game changer for sure. Thanks for trying our recipe 😊
Janet
Can I use milk chocolate chips instead of the chocolate candy bars? Thank you!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yes! Enjoy 😊
Paige Larson
Another home run recipe from you!
Coley
So I have to say I’m very disappointed. It’s a sad day in any amateur baker’s book when a family asks not once, nor twice, but thrice in the same month for a specific cookie to be made. With so many thousands, heck millions, of cookie recipes available one would think a family would actually like or even wish for something new. Especially considering when the recipe includes PEANUT BUTTER in the title and two family members don’t even eat peanut butter, like ever. So there we get to it, making this cookie, this wonderfully thick yet soft and delicious cookie that will forever be added to the cookie recipe box in our home 🙂
I did make one adjustment that they love. I use one Hershey’s bar, one pip row of Baker’s brand 100% unsweetened cacao, one pip row of the Baker’s brand 48% sweetened German chocolate, and both Nestlé Dark Chocolate Chips and Mini semisweet chips, added altogether to the weight you have notated. That way there’s some chocolate in their for everyone and each bite is different. I also add Nestle Espresso chips to my daughter’s ones. So that was my only contribution to this underwhelming and immediately inhaled cookie recipe!
Hope I made everyone smile! Thank you for real!
Sam
🤣 I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them so much! 🙂
Sharon Firester
Hi Sam, I made these peanut butter cookies and the were a huge hit (great flavor), but they were pretty dense as opposed to your nice round flat cookies. The only change I made was I used Ghiridelli milk chocolate chips instead of Hershey chocolate bars. Any clue as to what might have gone wrong? Did I use too much dough? I wound up with one less cookie than what your recipe called for. Should the eggs have been room temperature even though you didn’t say they should be? They were slightly crumbly, but tasted amazing. I also made your double chocolate chip cookies which also were quite dense and yes I melted the butter and let it cool. Not sure why both batches came out so dense, but yes, they were a hit!!
Sam
I’m so sorry this happened, Sharon! I’m wondering if by dense you mean they didn’t flatten out quite the same way? If this is the case then you may have accidentally over-measured the flour. I’m glad you still enjoyed them. 🙂