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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Mary says
Recipe is a little bland for my liking. I prefer my cookies to be sweet. These are not very flavorful and dough was dry. I will not make them again unless I customize it.
Me says
Just made it. WOW.
Very tender a bit cranchy cookies.
I used cocanut oil and less a bit instead of recommended shortening.
I used 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 baking soda.
I added 2 spoons of milk powder plus to 4 tblsps of milk.
I added I tsp of malasses.
The rest – according to secipe.
Amazing!
Thank you.
Ava says
Love this recipe!!! I have made it a few times now it’s a big hit with everyone ❤️❤️❤️
Deborah Murray says
Recipe was not great. The cookie was dry. When it says insulated cookie sheet, use it. I would use that or cooking stone. I did not cook over 7 minutes and the bottom was burnt. I have used these cookie sheets for cookies before and never had that happen. Wouldn’t make these again.
Angie Miller says
I do like the cookies, but for some reason, 375 is always too hot for any cookie in my oven. I always put it on 350 and maybe bake it a tad longer than the recipe if I feel it needs it. I also have a convection oven and always use convection to bake to help keep the bottoms or tops of the cookies from getting burnt. I’m not sure if it will help you, but just some things that have worked for me.
doris says
I always use parchment paper for any of cookies and it works great . and it doesn’t say use insulated cookie sheet in the direction. and it say onto ungreased baking sheet
Audrey says
Thank you for this cookie recipe 🤩😍, it turned out amazingly 👍👍😃
Ryan says
Cookie is good, not amazing. I agree with the comment about measurements- way easier to measure by weight than use every measuring cup/spoon i own (more accurate too). I’ll likely make again but will need to tweak it.
Jackie says
Wow. Absolutely fabulous! I used dark chocolate cocoa powder because that is what I had and my husband LOVED them!
Connie b says
This recipe is amazing. However I have a food intolerance to processed sugar. I substituted 3/4 cup of honey instead of any sugar I do that with many recipes, sometimes trial an error. .This recipe was great with the measurements just as is with my added honey. My entire family and some friends thought they were the best ever.
Danielle says
Making these for the 2nd time. Used canola oil for shortening. These taste amazing, are moist and your house smells so good when baking!
Erich says
These are so fricken good- they taste great, have an amazing texture and they don’t get dry with time. My only complaint is that this recipe would be SOOOO much easier to make if there was an option to do it by weight especially since the “weird” amounts make me use basically every measuring cup and spoon I have.
crystal Mills says
So yummy. We make these often.
Karl says
A very tasty cookie, but the peanut butter flavor doesn’t really come out and play. I may add PB chips next time.
Mushroom says
Used butter instead of shortening, and the texture was fine with me. The dough was really dry, so I added 2 more tablespoons of milk. Of course, then I had to bake them a couple minutes longer. Overall, though, tasted very good.
Jessica says
These cookies were good but didn’t overwhelm me. I was a little disappointed with them because they were so highly rated and the comments were so extremely positive. I was expecting a richer peanut butter and chocolate flavor. I found these to be a little weak. Very nice texture. Very easy to make. Just wish there was a stronger flavor of chocolate and peanut butter. Probably won’t come back to this recipe and instead continue to try new recipes until I find one that has a deeper/richer flavor.
Jessica says
Can I use butter instead of shortening?
Amanda Formaro says
I don’t recommend it as the texture will be a little different, but you can.
Andy says
Can I use crunchy peanut butter? It’s all I have in the cupboard.
Amanda Formaro says
Yes
RS says
My dough is very sticky making it difficult to mark with a fork. I did use butter rather than shortening. Would that make a difference?
Deb says
You can try tapping fork into flour before every use. Should help you out
Jackie Peffer says
Made theses twice. Had to triple the recipe!
Used crunchy peanut butter🤗💙❗️
Carol says
Do you think coconut oil would be okay to substitute for the shortening?
Kristen Formaro says
Hi Carol, we have not tried substituting coconut oil for the shortening but typically you can do so at a 1:1 ratio. Please let us know if you try it and how it turns out!
Keith Bryan says
Have made these three times in one week! Everyone loves them. Made them with crunchy.