I never tire of the combination of chocolate and peanut butter. Any of you who read BoB regularly are aware of that. I also love to bake cookies, so I really had no choice but to make this recipe.
These cookies are a twist on traditional peanut butter cookies. There’s the addition of chocolate for all of us chocolate/peanut butter fans. Also, they have just a bit of cinnamon for a little different taste. It’s the added element that makes people ask what is different about these.
I have mentioned many times that my favorite cinnamon is Penzey’s Extra Fancy Vietnamese Cassia Cinnamon. It is essentially the strongest cinnamon you can get. The folks at Penzey’s suggest decreasing the amount of this cinnamon when using it in recipes. I, for one, pay that suggestion no mind and use the full amount. If you’re a fan of cinnamon like I am, then you’ll want to do the same.
For these cookies, I used Guittard’s Super Cookie Chips that I found at World Market. I haven’t been able to find them anywhere else, so I usually pick up a couple of bags when we’re in the store. These chocolate chips are, as you might suspect, larger than the usual chocolate chips without being chocolate chunks. With them being from Guittard, they are also quite delicious.
I did make one slight change to Southern Living’s recipe. Because I don’t like using shortening, I substituted an equal amount of butter, for a total of 1 cup of butter. Also, I made the cookies about half of the recommended size and reduced the baking time to 10 minutes.
These cookies were sampled by both family and co-workers, and received nothing but raves. I had a box of them sitting on the kitchen counter when I hosted Quinn’s belated birthday dinner, and they were quickly found and eaten. In fact, these became little party favors for everyone to take home.
By the way, for you chocolate fans, check the bottom of the recipe for how to add even more chocolate to these cookies. If anyone tries the double chocolate version, let me know what you think.
Ingredients
- 2 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup chunky peanut butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
- 12 ounces chocolate chunks (about 2 cups)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
Beat butter until creamy. Add peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar, and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Gradually add dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Stir in peanuts and chocolate chunks.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheets. Flatten each cookie slightly.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on pans for a few minutes. Then, transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
For Double Chocolate Chunk Peanut Cookies, reduce flour to 2 cups and add 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa.
Recipe adapted from Southern Living.
April 3rd, 2008 at 12:16 pm
These are so wonderful, Jen. Peanut butter and chocolate are invincible!
April 3rd, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Jennifer, these look wonderful! My husband likes peanut butter cookies so I’m wondering if he will like these.
April 3rd, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Have you tried the PB Chocolate Chunk Cookie Recipe from Chocolate Chocolate by Lisa Yockelson? FABULOUS.
April 3rd, 2008 at 3:08 pm
Jen, have I told you lately, that I love you
I’ll spare you the Rod Stewart song, but after seeing these pictures I just couldn’t help myself haha
April 3rd, 2008 at 4:02 pm
reduce the cinnamon? sacrilege!
you had my attention at “chocolate and peanut butter,” but won my eternal devotion at “cinnamon.” stellar combination!
April 3rd, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Patricia, I couldn’t agree more.
Cindy, my daddy LOVES peanut butter and he really liked them.
Jill B, I haven’t tried that one, but I will be locating the recipe soon.
LOL, amanda!
a. grace, I’m certainly not one to decrease cinnamon but I do at least like to give a little warning. Even with the strong cinnamon, it wasn’t a strong flavor in these cookies.
April 3rd, 2008 at 7:42 pm
Whatever you did when making these cookies..be it more or less cinnamon, more or less chocolate, etc. Don’t change a thing! Ever! These cookies were awesome, and I think maybe some of the best you have ever made. Maybe you should make them again soon just to make sure that you have the right combination of ingredients. We’ll be happy to sample them for you.
April 3rd, 2008 at 10:38 pm
WOW – those pictures are awesome..makes me want a cookie now! haha
April 4th, 2008 at 4:28 am
these cookies have got to be the most beautiful and tempting I’ve ever seen, end of!
April 4th, 2008 at 4:47 am
Jennifer, these cookies look fantastic. All I need is a tall glass of milk and I’m set for the day. I can make this my breakfast for sure. And your photos… stunning as well. So bright and crisp! May I ask what camera you use?
April 4th, 2008 at 7:04 am
Nan, I knew Jim would like them. Glad I was right!
Thanks, Virtual Frolic!
Celine, that’s very kind. Thanks!
Thanks, Aran! Our camera is a Nikon D200, and we also have a macro lens that is just plain wonderful.
April 4th, 2008 at 7:30 am
mmmm, pb and chocolate—my loves. Those look fantastic!
April 4th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
I’m defiantly going to make these soon. The addition of cinnamon seems so interesting, and I love having that one ingredient in things that make people go hmmm…
I have never heard of adding cinnamon to a chocolate peanut butter cookie before but I can’t wait to test these out.
April 4th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Hi Jennifer! What a great blog, thank you for sharing your baking fun with us!
RATS! I went to our World Market today and they don’t stock those super chips and after seeing your pictures, I’m on a mission and must have them! The thrill of the hunt! Thanks again!
April 4th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Thanks, Elle!
Hallie, let me know what you think when you bake them. I loved the cinnamon. It’s just enough to give them a little something extra.
dawnie, good luck finding the chocolate chips! If you can’t find them, chocolate chunks would work or just plain chocolate chips.
April 4th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Actually, I think pb & cinnamon is one of my favorite combos! It doesn’t seem like an obvious one at first, but the cinnamon seems to make the flavor of the peanut butter much more complex!
Then again, I add cinnamon to everything, so maybe my taste can’t be trusted.
These look so yummy, especially with those big chocolate chips!
April 4th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
I just had to pop in and say that your first pic is so perfect looking. Great shot!!
These look yummalicious.
April 5th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Sarah, I agree. Peanut butter + cinnamon is a great combination. I’ll be revisiting that combo for sure!
Thanks, RecipeGirl!
April 5th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
You make these cookies look so good! Such beautiful photos. I’ve seen several cookie recipes that call for peanuts, and while I do like pecans and walnuts in cookies, peanuts just seem out of place to me. I should really try it though.
April 6th, 2008 at 7:24 am
And peanut butter, chocolate AND cinnamon all together is even nummier! And if you like coffee, it goes great with a nice, fresh hot cup!
April 6th, 2008 at 10:39 am
Thanks, Ashley! Normally I would have wanted to use pecans, but I think the peanuts work well with the peanut butter.
Thanks, Jj!
April 8th, 2008 at 6:54 am
Hey Jennifer, I made these cookies last night. My husband did like them. But I think next time I will only use 1/2 c. of peanuts. Thanks for all your work.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Cindy, I’m glad he liked them!
April 10th, 2008 at 8:35 am
I also use ample amounts of Vietnamese cinnamon in my recipes–I love it! It’s a great idea in these cookies, and I like that you made them smaller. I don’t like pancake size cookies:)
April 10th, 2008 at 9:31 am
Julie, I adore that cinnamon. It’s the only kind I’ll use anymore. I usually make smaller cookies. I really just like the big size if I’m buying them out somewhere.
April 15th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
These are DEFINATELY going in my “have to make soon” pile. These are amazing looking. Yummmm!
So I’m a bit new to your blog and I have noticed a theme with the chocolate and peanut butter posts. I thought you might really like these: They have a filling that will make you swoon and they are so darn cute, you can’t help but fall in love. I made them at work awhile ago and folks are still talking about them.
http://dozenflours.com/2008/02/im-baaack-peanut-butter-chocolate-chip.html
April 16th, 2008 at 10:18 am
Thanks, Julia! I do love chocolate and peanut butter. Yum!
January 5th, 2009 at 7:05 am
I tried this recipe for my boyfriend and he declared them the best cookies ever! Thanks for the wonderful recipe! Oh and I added vanilla to the recipe
February 22nd, 2013 at 7:55 pm
Jennifer, I have to tell you these are the BEST choc chip cookies, and the best peanut butter cookies. I make very good of both kinds but this surpasses mine by far!!!! I did not have choc chunks so I supplemented with “miniature” choc bars and peanut butter cups that I had. I measured out 12ozs total, chopped them up in place of the choc chunks. Oh my gosh….I am making them for the anniversary party this weekend for our priest. I am SO excited I found this recipe. My exchanges worked perfectly, too.
March 26th, 2013 at 6:26 pm
That looks like a tasty looking Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe! I will have to make those.
March 27th, 2013 at 4:10 am
Hi Jen,
I just found your receipe by accidant and I can’t wait to bake and taste them. Concerning the ammount of butter and peanut butter I was wondering for how long I can store those cookies?
Love from Switzerland
Caroline
March 27th, 2013 at 10:38 am
Hi, Caroline! These should keep for about 5 days in a sealed container.