Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies Recipe

I can’t stop thinking about these Levain-style thick chocolate cookies loaded with peanut butter chips because they make every other cookie in my kitchen suddenly feel unnecessary.

I’m obsessed with these Levain-style Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies because they land right in my sweet spot: thick, soft, wildly chewy, and studded with gooey semisweet chocolate chunks and peanut butter chips. I love how the chocolate melts into pockets while the peanut butter bites cut through the richness with that salty-sweet pop.

They aren’t dainty. They’re massive, slightly messy, and demand to be eaten immediately.

And yes, I eat one for breakfast sometimes. Zero regrets.

If you want unapologetic chocolate peanut butter indulgence, these cookies are my go-to, always. No fluff.

Just bliss. Every bite proves it.

daily.

Ingredients

• Cold butter gives crisp edges and tender centers.
• Granulated sugar adds light sweetness and crisp.
• Basically brown sugar brings chewiness and caramel notes.
• Eggs bind everything, add lift and richness.
• Vanilla sneaks in warmth; it’s homey.
• Flour builds structure for soft, chewy crumbs.
• Cornstarch keeps centers pillowy.

  Basically, very reliable.

• Cocoa powder gives deep chocolate, slightly bitter richness.
• Baking powder adds gentle lift without cakeiness.
• Baking soda helps browning and modest spread.
• Salt wakes flavors up; it’s tiny but essential.
• Chocolate chunks make melty pockets you’ll crave.
• Peanut butter chips add nutty, salty little bursts.

Ingredient Quantities

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks or chips
• 1 cup peanut butter chips

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 375 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper; cube the cold butter so it mixes easier while still staying chunky.

2. In a large bowl beat the cubed cold butter with the granulated and brown sugars until the mixture is mostly combined and a little lumpy, you dont need it perfectly smooth.

3. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat just until combined, scraping the bowl a couple times; it will look thick and a bit uneven and thats ok.

4. In another bowl whisk together the flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt so there are no lumps and everything is evenly distributed.

5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix on low until a stiff cookie dough forms; dont overmix, you want it thick and slightly shaggy.

6. Fold in the chocolate chunks or chips and the peanut butter chips by hand, pressing a few extra chunks into the dough if you want big pockets of chocolate.

7. Scoop large mounds of dough (about 3 to 4 tablespoons each for thick bakery style cookies) and place them on the prepared sheets, leaving room because they spread a little; press the tops gently so they stay slightly flattened.

8. Chill the scooped dough in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes if you have time, this helps keep them thick and chewy, but you can bake right away if you are impatient.

9. Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for 10 to 14 minutes until the edges look set but the centers still look soft and slightly underbaked; remove from oven and let cool on the sheet for 10 minutes so they firm up, then transfer to a rack to finish cooling.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven (preheat to 375 F)
2. Two baking sheets lined with parchment paper
3. Electric mixer or hand mixer (a bowl and strong arm will work too)
4. Large mixing bowl and a second medium bowl for dry ingredients
5. Measuring cups and spoons
6. Whisk for the dry ingredients
7. Rubber spatula or wooden spoon for folding in the chips
8. Cookie scoop or tablespoon for portioning dough
9. Cooling rack to finish the cookies after resting on the sheet
10. Plastic wrap or shallow container for chilling the scooped dough if you want thicker cookies

FAQ

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Unsalted butter: swap with equal parts chilled salted butter if that’s all you got, just cut the added salt to 1/2 teaspoon. For a dairy free option use chilled coconut oil 1:1 but expect slightly crisper, less tender cookies.
• Granulated sugar: use coconut sugar 1:1 for a deeper, caramel note. If using liquid sweeteners like maple syrup reduce other liquids and use about 3/4 cup syrup for each cup sugar, then add 2 tablespoons extra flour.
• All purpose flour: replace with a 1:1 gluten free baking blend (make sure it contains xanthan gum) for gluten free cookies, or use whole wheat pastry flour 1:1 for nuttier flavor but the cookies may be a bit denser.
• Peanut butter chips: substitute with chopped roasted peanuts for crunch, or roughly chopped peanut butter cups for more gooey peanut-chocolate pockets.

Pro Tips

1. Chill the dough longer if you want thicker cookies. 20 minutes is fine, but an hour or even overnight makes them hold their shape way better and gives more chew in the middle. If you do overnight, let the scoops warm on the counter 10 minutes before baking so they spread a little.

2. Use slightly bigger chocolate chunks, not just small chips. Big chunks melt into gooey pockets and give better texture. Press an extra couple chunks onto the tops right before baking so each cookie has a melty surprise.

3. Don’t overmix the dough once you add the flour. Mix just until you cant see streaks of flour. Overworking makes the cookies tough, especially with cocoa in there. If it looks shaggy that is exactly what you want.

4. Rotate the baking sheet halfway through and watch the first batch closely. Ovens heat unevenly, so moving the tray and checking at the low end of the bake time prevents burning edges while the centers stay underdone. Let them cool on the sheet 8 to 12 minutes so they finish setting without drying out.