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–+ servings
rich dark peanut butter

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Resting Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 24 cookies

Equipment

  • 2 Baking sheet
  • 1 Parchment paper roll
  • 2 Mixing bowl
  • 1 hand mixer or stand mixer
  • 1 Rubber spatula
  • 1 Whisk
  • 1 Measuring cups set
  • 1 Measuring spoons set
  • 1 Cookie scoop 1.5 tablespoon size
  • 1 Cooling rack

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup roasted peanuts chopped, optional
  • 2 tablespoon milk optional, as needed
  • flaky sea salt for topping, optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  • Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.
  • Beat in the eggs one at a time into the butter mixture, then mix in the vanilla until smooth.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low just until combined, adding the milk if the dough seems dry or crumbly.
  • Fold in the dark chocolate chips and chopped peanuts until evenly distributed.
  • Scoop 1.5-tablespoon mounds of dough onto prepared sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
  • Gently flatten each mound slightly with your fingertips or the bottom of a glass for even spreading.
  • Bake one sheet at a time for 9 to 11 minutes until the edges are set and the centers look slightly soft.
  • Immediately sprinkle flaky sea salt on hot cookies if using, then let them cool on the sheet for 5 minutes.
  • Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and let rest until set, about 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

Chilling the dough for 20 to 30 minutes can help the cookies bake thicker and reduce spread, especially in warm kitchens. If using natural peanut butter, ensure it is well-stirred and consider adding the optional milk to balance dryness. For a chewier texture, pull the cookies from the oven when the centers still look a touch underbaked; they will finish setting as they cool. Swap half the chocolate chips for dark chocolate chunks for pockets of melty chocolate, and don’t skip the pinch of flaky salt if you love sweet-salty contrast. Store airtight at room temperature for 3 to 4 days, or freeze baked cookies or dough balls for up to 2 months and bake from frozen adding 1 to 2 minutes.
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