My family loves my soft peanut butter cookies and my Nutella peanut butter cookies, so I decided to create a chocolate version of this fave. That was easy to do by just substituting some of the flour with cocoa powder. Nice and soft and full of chocolate peanut buttery flavor, yum!
Why we love these
I love this dough. It’s such an easy recipe and comes together nicely. This recipe adds just enough chocolate to the peanut butter to make them awesome.
You’ll also love my Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cookies. With a subtle hint of cinnamon and chocolate combined, you’ll be in cookie heaven!
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Ingredients for this recipe
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
- 1/2 cup shortening or butter flavored shortening (you can substitute butter but the texture may be a little different)
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa (measure by scoop and sweep, do NOT pack into cup)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. Please scroll down to simply print out the recipe!
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Combine shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixer at medium speed until well blended.
- Add egg. Beat just until blended.
- Combine flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended.
- Drop by heaping tablespoons (using a cookie scoop works great) 2 inches apart onto ungreased insulated baking sheet.
- Flatten slightly in crisscross pattern with tines of fork.
- Bake for 7 to 8 minutes, or until set and just beginning to brown. DO NOT OVERBAKE.
- Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to Wire cooling racks to cool completely.
Expert Tips & FAQs
- You can substitute butter for the shortening, but the texture may be a little different.
- I have used both regular shortening and butter flavored shortening, both with great results.
- Just like with flour, you have to be careful when measuring cocoa. If you pack it into the measuring cup or scoop it out of the container using the measuring cup, it will be way more than the recipe intends, causing your dough to be too dry.
I hope you love these as much as we do!
What others are saying about these cookies
Absolutely phenomenal recipe! These cookies are wonderful and as a baker myself, the dough is the easiest cookie dough I have ever worked with. Follow the recipe as it is posted and you will not fail! I have made these cookies twice now in just one week’s time! So thankful I found it!
~ Janice
This cookie recipe was perfect! First peanut butter cookies I ever made! Love that cocoa was included to give them a kick of chocolate with the peanut butter. They turned out perfectly! Super yummy! 💗
~ Kristina
I just finished a batch of these. I substituted the shortening for butter. After I put the dough on the cookie sheets, I put the pans in the freezer for about 15 minutes. I love a soft cookie and these have a great soft texture.
~Laura
More Cookie Recipes
- Chocolate Mint Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Filled Peanut Butter Cookies
- Chocolate Whoopie Pies
- Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
IMPORTANT - There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 1/2 cup shortening or butter flavored shortening
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa DO NOT pack into measuring cup, scoop and sweep only
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
Things You'll Need
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Combine shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat with electric mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add egg. Beat just until blended.
- Combine flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended.
- Drop by heaping tablespoonsful (using a cookie scoop works great) 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet. Flatten slightly in crisscross pattern with tines of fork.
- Bake for 7 to 8 minutes, or until set and just beginning to brown. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to racks to cool completely.
Video
Expert Tips & FAQs
- You can substitute butter for the shortening, but the texture may be a little different.
- Just like with flour, you have to be careful when measuring cocoa. If you pack it into the measuring cup or scoop it out of the container using the measuring cup, it will be way more than the recipe intends, causing your dough to be too dry.
Nutrition
This post originally appeared here on Apr 6, 2011.
Amanda Formaro
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Lilly Willmann says
These were super easy to make. My cookies came out a bit puffy but I double checked all of my measurements. Used shortening and not butter too. Maybe they needed to cool for longer?
Maxine Forde says
Very moist, loved that when I bake them they didn’t flatten out like some other recipes. They stayed thick and yummy. My family almost had them all eaten before they could cool off properly 👌
Sandy says
Out the door with Betty Crocker’s peanut butter cookies!! These cookies are delicious!!! I didn’t have cocoa so just peanut butter cookies. So good!!!
Cher Tony says
Great recipe!,
Only change I made was I used crunchy peanut butter. Thx
Randy says
Can I add oatmeal and if so how much? Thank you
Amanda Formaro says
We have not tried that. If I were to try it, I would substitute 1/2 cup of flour for oatmeal. Let us know if you try!
Alison Gran says
I substituted butter for shortening. These were amazing. My husband doesn’t really love chocolate but loved these cookies. I cought all 3 of my boys eating the cookies first thing in the morning before breakfast. Naughty naughty. Can’t blame them. They were soft and so full of good flavor.
I also mixed them by hand the first time and by mixer the 2nd. I highly recommend hand mixing this recipe. It’s a noticable difference.
Mel says
I’ve already used this recipe four of five times; different ovens; different countries even! Hands down, one of the most consistent cookie recipes I’ve ever tried. The dough ALWAYS comes together perfectly, they always taste the same (that inimitable cocoa and peanut butter flavour) and they freeze wonderfully. Resounding success with others who’ve tasted the cookies (so it’s not just me putting expectations on my own baking abilities). THANK YOU!
Denise Tanaka says
Amazing!!…easy to follow recipe and love the tips!!
Carrie says
I really like these a lot. I tried A similar recipe and it only tasted like sugar not peanut butter. This recipe tastes exactly like what it’s called chocolate and peanut butter!
Denise Sack says
I made these cookies and they taste GREAT but they are so delicate…I couldn’t pick them up from the cookie sheets with out them breaking… only a couple stayed whole ..what did I do wrong…
Amanda Formaro says
Had they cooled off? I allow mine to rest for several minutes after coming out of the oven. Then carefully transfer to cooling racks and allow them to cool completely. Otherwise they will fall apart.
Henry says
I love peanut butter cookies and when browsing your recipes, came across chocolate peanut butter cookies. The next day my wife and I made a batch. Before they could completely cool they were gone. We just loved then. LOVED!
baedirin says
My husband and I always make these together. We substitute butter with olive oil and add a little extra flour as well for altitude. These cookies always turn out wonderfully. Please allow them to cool & set up properly, they’re almost like a brownie so they need a lot of time to become firm enough to pick up. ;)
Amber says
OMG so good! Hits the spot! Soft to the touch, chocolatey and peanut buttery. I used half butter and half shortening. Adjusted the flour and milk up at the end for the perfect, soft, rollable texture. Why have I not made these before!!!
Lori says
They were just OK. Nothing to write home about.
Mary says
Yum! My new favorite. I have been looking for a good chocolate cookie recipe and this is perfect!
megan says
if freezing should i freeze the dough? then would i need to let it thaw or would i just bake right out of the freezer? also can i use soy butter instead of peanut butter?
Amanda Formaro says
I have not tried this with anything besides peanut butter. Assuming that it’s ok to swap soy butter for peanut butter 1:1 it should be fine. For freezing, prepare the cookies all the way up to the point before they go in the oven. Freeze on wax paper lined cookie sheet and freeze a couple hours. Then place frozen cookies in a freezer bag or container. To bake, place frozen cookies on a prepared baking sheet, then preheat your oven. By the time the oven is preheated, the cookies should be thawed enough to bake.
Pat says
I followed the recipe, but my batter was so wet and thin I couldn’t even make the indentations with the fork. The batter just stuck to the fork. The flavor is fine, but the cookies spread out a lot and are very soft, so they are hard to handle, even once cooled. I can’t imagine what I did wrong. Maybe I didn’t leave them in long enough? I even refrigerated the batter for more than an hour before baking. I only baked half the batch, so for the rest I’ll try a hotter oven and smaller cookies and let them back a couple of minutes longer.
Amanda Formaro says
Definitely sounds like something wasn’t measured correctly. This has never been batter consistency for me, it’s always a dough. Did you get distracted at all while measuring? I know sometimes I can add in too much or miss something completely if i get interrupted :)
Nicole Viana says
These are incredible!! The first thing that I’ve made with cocoa that didn’t come out dry. Can these be frozen??
Amanda Formaro says
Yes! Like most cookies, simply wrap in waxed paper or freezer paper and store in freezer bags :) So glad you loved them!
Angela says
Best cookies every
Cherie says
I wonder if the difference between the cookies that taste bitter and the ones that don’t is whether the cocoa is Dutch processed or natural. This would affect the consistency of the dough and the rise of the cookie as well
Amanda Formaro says
Excellent point! That’s very possible.
Kanina says
Which would you suggest – Dutch processed cocoa or regular?
Amanda Formaro says
Regular for sure. Dutch process can make these bitter tasting.
Flo says
Do you think i could add chopped pecans to receipe before baking?
Amanda Formaro says
I think so! Others have added chocolate chips without issue.