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!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
I love this dough. It’s such an easy recipe and comes together nicely. I haven’t substituted butter for the shortening, so if you decide to do that I’m afraid I can’t offer up any experienced advice. I have used both regular shortening and butter flavored shortening, both with great results.
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
- 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
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
Helpful kitchen tools
How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
- 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 tablespoons (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.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 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
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
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.
Notes
Nutrition
This post originally appeared here on Apr 6, 2011.
Amanda Formaro
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Susan says
Can I use self rising flour instead
Amanda Formaro says
The short answer is yes, but the cookies may spread. It won’t change the taste of the cookies though. Usually you can substitute self rising flour for AP flour by adjust the baking powder amount in the recipe, however this recipe does not use baking powder so there’s nothing to adjust. If it’s the only flour you have, you can certainly try it and they will be totally edible. I would love to hear your results should you decide to try it!
Carter Whitehead says
Made them exactly as the recipe said. Tastes like nothing but crisco. Crisco cookies not very good at all
Amanda Formaro says
Sounds like you either used too much or your Crisco was expired.
Dalia says
These cookies are so delicious. I have like 6 jars of peanut butter and wanting to get rid of them and so I think I will be using your recipe. Ok so I screwed up with my first batch but they came out just as good. I mixed the first ingredients without the brown sugar. I put it in with the flour and other dry ingredients. Still very tasty. Added chocolate chips too. Thank you for your recipe!
Amanda Formaro says
So glad you loved them as much as we do! Thanks!
Raji says
Can I use butter instead of shortening?
Amanda Formaro says
Yes :) They may spread a little more though ;)
Raji says
Made it twice. Came out awesome .thanks for the recipe.
Susan Collins says
If I use butter instead of Crisco, would I use salted or unsalted butter?
Amanda Formaro says
I always use unsalted butter in baking. It’s not a deal breaker though if you only have salted! :)
Cami says
Super tasty! Family loved them.
Amanda Formaro says
Thanks so much Cami, glad you guys enjoyed them! :)
Dave Berg says
Family loved them
Amanda Formaro says
Thanks Dave, so glad you enjoyed them!
Anan says
Very good recipe. I got many compliments from family and co-workers. I used Costco dark chocolate coco powder and almond butter. Although they appeared tender and soft when they were warm, they turned out to be solid and crispy after fully cooling down. Thanks for sharing.
Amanda Formaro says
So glad you enjoyed them, thank you!
Kristy says
Excellent cookie. Chocolate and peanut butter are a perfect match. These are easy to make and taste great!
Amanda Formaro says
Thanks so much Kristy!
Shannon says
I made these tonight. I am a trained chef and an avid baker. I followed the recipe exactly. This recipe was a total fail. They are extremely tender and the added salt mutes the flavors. I used Hershey’s cocoa and the chocolate flavor just isn’t there nor is the peanut butter flavor. I rolled the last tray in peanuts in hopes of making it salvageable.
Amanda Formaro says
I’m sorry you had trouble. Many have been successful, and without being in your kitchen with you I don’t know what might have happened.
Gayle says
I am not a trained chef,but mine turned out excellent and I could taste plenty of chocolate and peanut butter. I Rated them and after posting,I saw only 4 stars,it should have been 5 stars,but I didn’t know how to edit it.
Amanda Formaro says
Thanks Gayle! So glad you enjoyed them as much as we do here :)
Gayle says
Really liked these cookies!
Amanda Formaro says
So glad you liked them Gayle, thank you!
Jon says
These turned out perfectly
Amanda Formaro says
So glad you loved them, thank you!
Lisa says
Peanut butter and chocolate are always the perfect combo, and this is a great switch up from the usual peanut butter chocolate chip cookies I make. I will definitely add this recipe into the usual cookie rotation.
Amanda Formaro says
Thank you Lisa!
Sharon Reneau says
Did u use unsweetened cocoa or sweetened cocoa?
Amanda Formaro says
unsweetened :)
Gabriele says
Any tips on how to make them gluten free?
Amanda Formaro says
instead of trying to adapt this recipe, it would be better to search out a gluten free version. Here’s one with a lot of positive reviews https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/claire-robinson/flourless-peanut-butter-cookies-recipe-1924256
robert anderson says
best cookies ever; easy and quick, girls will think your a rock star !! make em and get lucky
Amanda Formaro says
Awesome, so glad you loved them!
Jim says
Excellent cookie! The combination of peanut and chocolate is always excellent, and the texture of the cookie is just how I like them, moist and tender. My family loved them! I’ll definitely be making these again!
Amanda Formaro says
Thank you Jim, so glad you loved them like we do!