If you’re a fan of the classic chocolate and peanut butter combo, these chocolate peanut butter cookies are about to become your new favorite treat! Rich, fudgy and downright irresistible straight from the oven—or with a glass of cold milk!
Why this recipe works
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!
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.
RELATED – 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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Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
SHORTENING – Regular or butter flavored shortening will work for this recipe. You can substitute butter in a pinch but it will change the texture of the cookies.
FLOUR – It’s always important to properly measure your flour when baking. It’s best to use the scoop and sweep method. Gently scoop flour into a measuring cup using a spoon until it’s overflowing. Use the flat end of a butter knife to sweep off the excess flour. Do not pack the flour or tap the measuring cup on the counter, you will end up with more flour than needed!
COCOA – 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.
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. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- 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.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Store leftover cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Serving Suggestions
Serve warm with a tall glass of cold milk or a hot cup of coffee for the perfect anytime treat.
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
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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 Pin It Rate ItIngredients
- ½ cup shortening or butter flavored shortening
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 ¼ cups firmly packed light brown sugar
- 3 Tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa DO NOT pack into measuring cup, scoop and sweep only
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- 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.
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.1/2 cup shortening, 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter, 1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar, 3 Tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 large egg
- Combine flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended.1 1/4 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 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.
Nutrition
The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.
This post originally appeared here on Apr 6, 2011.
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Lisa @ Snappy Gourmet says
Can’t go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter! These look great!
Kiersten says
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’m going to make them with my kids later today! I’m 39 weeks pregnant with baby #3 and have been craving a cookie EXACTLY like this so I am soooo excited to try it! Must get in those last calorie splurges before baby comes :)
(found you with a google search, btw!)
Amanda says
I hope you enjoyed them Kiersten!
Laura says
Hubs asked for chocolate peanut butter cookies last evening, so I googled it and found your recipe. Hubs was concerned they’d be crunchy, but they are soft and scrumptious!! We added white chocolate chips as well as butterscotch chips. Hubby and boys LOVED them! ;)
Amanda Formaro says
So glad that you liked them! I love how soft they are too! :)
Jamie says
Totally totally totally yummers!
Amanda D says
Thank You a Million Times!!! Finally a good chocolate cookie recipe that uses unsweetened cocoa! My daughter has food sensitivities (gluten, egg, cane sugar) so baking sweets is pretty much fruit and oat-based and I’ve been dying to give her something truly decadent. This is a hit! I was able to easily substitute the brown sugar for an amber agave nectar and my usual egg and gluten subs and the flavor and texture are just amazing! (They usually fall flat when I try to alter a recipe.) Now that we’ve got some rich chocolaty treats baking in the house, it finally smells like the holidays!
Amanda Formaro says
That is an amazing comment, I am so glad to hear that Amanda, thanks so much for sharing that with me! I’m so glad you have a chocolate cookie that will work with your daughter’s health u=issues. Yay!
Sonya says
I made these the other day and they were a huge hit :) I added in chopped salted peanuts and used a large cookie scoop to portion the dough out. They tasted like a brownie almost :) I also used real butter without any problems! thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Amanda Formaro says
Thanks so much Sonya!
Amanda R says
I’m so excited to try this recipe. I put chocolate peanut butter cookies into a Google search and when I saw your site pop up, I knew this was the recipe for me!
From one Amanda to another, thanks in advance for this great recipe!
Amanda Formaro says
How fun, thanks Amanda! I know you’ll love them :)
Liezl says
So delicious! We loved them! Thanks for the recipe <3
Amanda Formaro says
Thanks Liezl, so glad you liked them!
hayley says
i just made these cookies and they are so easy to make!!! Can't wait for them to cool off :) thanks for the recipe!!!
Amanda says
Love the addition of the pb chips part, those sound great!
Barb, sfo says
These are delicious! I added 3/4 cup of peanut butter/chocolate chips. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. It made 5 dozen cookies.
Little Brick Ranch says
YES!!! Ill take a dozen!! If you get a sec, pop on over to Foodie Friday and link up! Oh, and I found you at Blue Cricket Design. :)
Julie says
Now THAT'S my kind of pb cookie! Yum :)
thehungryhomebody says
YUM! My hubby's aways asking why peanut butter and chocolate cant be in the same cookie and now I finally have a recipe to make for him. thanks for sharing!
Megan says
I bet these are fantastic! :)
Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes] says
Oh yumm these look gorgeous Amanda
Carissa says
What a genius cookie idea. Love it!
Found you on Tatertots and Jello
Michelle says
oh my …what a combination chocolate meets peanut butter swooon….
Lyuba @ Will Cook For Smiles says
Sounds delicious! Great combination!
Tonya says
These look & sound delicious!! Two of my favorite things…chocolate & peanut butter…you can't go wrong with that combo! Stopping by from tatertots & jello!