Salted Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Chip Cookies
You have to make these cookies. No iffs, ands or buts about it. These might be my all-time, numero uno favorite cookie. That’s an incredibly serious distinction around these parts. Let me try to explain how much I love these cookies… if you told me that for the rest of my life I could have these cookies, and these cookies only, no other dessert ever again, I would be an incredibly happy woman.
There really is nothing more I could ask for in a cookie. They are enormous cookies, first of all. They are also wonderfully thick and chewy, as they are an adaptation of my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, The New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies. Peanut butter is added to the batter, and a trio of add-ins are included in the batter – peanut butter chips, milk chocolate chips and chopped peanut butter cups. Seriously, I don’t think these could get any better.
I made these a few days before we left for the beach; I kept a few cookies out for nibbling, and wrapped and froze the rest. I took the bags straight out of the freezer and into the car when we left, and those cookies were gone by the second day at the beach. They were a huge hit and I was half-tempted to track down some baking supplies so I could make them again while we were away. The relaxing effect of the ocean swayed me and I didn’t bake anything, but I am seriously craving those cookies now! I foresee a Monday project in my future…
If you are even the most fair-weather peanut butter fan, you owe it to yourself to make these cookies. You’re going to fall in cookie love; just make sure to stash a few in the freezer for emergencies! :)
MY OTHER RECIPES
One year ago: Katharine Hepburn Brownies
Two years ago: Hummingbird Cupcakes
Three years ago: White Sangria
Four years ago: Parmesan & Thyme Crackers
Salted Peanut Cup Chocolate Chip Cookies
A peanut butter spin on my favorite New York Times chocolate chip cookies.
Ingredients:
- 8½ ounces (2 cups) bread flour
- 8½ ounces (2 cups + 2 tablespoons) cake flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1¼ teaspoons baking soda
- 1¼ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 10 ounces (1⅓ cups) light brown sugar
- 8 ounces (1 cup + 2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cups (8-ounce bag) mini peanut butter cups, halved
- ¾ cup milk chocolate chips
- ¾ cup peanut butter chips
- Fleur de sel, for sprinkling
Directions:
- Whisk both flours, the baking powder, salt, and baking soda together in a medium bowl; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and peanut butter together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add both sugars and continue beating on medium speed until very light, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Mix in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and peanut butter cups by hand until evenly distributed.
- Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.
- Divide the dough into 2½-ounce balls and place on the prepared baking sheet, leaving at least 2 inches of space between the cookies. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt then bake for about 15-17 minutes, or until the edges are set and golden brown.
- Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes before removing the cookies to the rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough (be sure to allow the baking sheet to cool between batches or use additional baking sheets). The cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Recipe Notes:
Note: Please note that while I do provide the cup equivalents in the recipe above per reader feedback, I HIGHLY recommend weighing the ingredients for this particular recipe.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
(Recipe adapted from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures)
All images and text ©
Peanut butter and chocolate, in my opinion, is THE BEST COMBINATION ever!!!!!!!!!!!!! These cookies look sooo soooo good!!! I doubt these will even make it to an airtight container {read: I’m going to devour them the minute they are out of the oven} !!!!! D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!
These look amazingly scrumptious!! Your pictures make my mouth water! :D
The Conscience Fund
Drooooooolllll! You are such a talented photographer! I honestly want to eat my macbook right now!
Thanks for sharing!
Anisa – The Macadames. xx
http://www.themacadames.com
I love that you shared how much these cookies stand out among all others. That is motivation enough for me to bake them this week! That and the PB cups…mmm.
Favorite. Combination. Ever.
By the way, Trader Joe’s has mini peanut butter cups that are perfect cookie mix-ins. They are smaller than the Reese’s version, but still have a perfect peanut butter to chocolate ratio, and the chocolate itself is good quality. It’s deadly to have them in the house without a recipe planned for them. :) Hope you can find them in your area.
Your description of these cookies has me convinced to try them ASAP!!
Heaven in a cookie! Love the combination of salty and sweet – especially in a cookie or blondie. Now I’m craving cookies and milk!
I was practically drooling as I read this recipe. I can’t wait to make these cookies but I have one problem…I don’t own a kitchen scale! Would it be possible to translate the ounce quantities to cups? Anybody?? Help ,please…my sweet tooth is desperate.BTW…you have to check out the Mel’s Kitchen Cafe site…she posted the most adorable picture of her new Golden puppy…too cute.
Hi Nancy, The weights really are important and I urge everyone to get a kitchen scale (they’re super cheap). If you can’t get one, though, you could use this chart to reverse calculate the cups: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipe/master-weight-chart.html
Hi Michelle – I am a loyal follower and also don’t use a kitchen scale…would it be possible to list your recipes in both traditional method and the weights so we don’t have to remember where the conversion chart is located to follow your recipes? Just a thought….LOVE everything you post!
Hi Suzanne, I have updated the recipe above with the cup equivalents for ease of use.
Thanks Michelle, I appreciate your response. I will check out the chart at the King Arthur site ASAP.
They look gorgeous! Love the combo of flavors!
Pinning!
I get the whole peanut butter chocolate combo.
But you out-did yourself with the salted aspect. Bring it!!
And Father’s Day is coming =)
Well, I guess if you INSIST that I make these cookies…
May I ask if you used “natural” creamy peanut butter? I ask because I happen to have a lot of the “natural” kind in my cupboard, the kind that is made from peanuts and a little salt (no sugar)
Natural PB is often way too oily to use in baking, so I always use regular PB (though I’m having the same issue as you currently).
Hi Janice, No, I never use natural peanut butter for baking, it tends to be too oily.
All the best things in one cookie–yay!! Can’t wait to bake these :)
I will definitely be making these soon! That NYT choco chip cookies is one of my absolute favorite cookies. And I’m obsessed with PB. Therefore I’m pretty sure these are going to be my new favorite cookie!!
What is the reason behind the two flours? How would these cookies change if I use all AP flour? I would love to make these but only have AP flour at the moment. Thank you!
Hi Morgan, The bread flour makes them extra chewy and sturdy, given the add-ins. The cake flour gives them a tender consistency. I have not tried these just using all-purpose flour, so I can’t say for sure what type of results you may get.
These look so delicous! I definitely suck at making cookies, but yours look so pretty ^^ my bf is a huge peanut butter lover; should make these for him ^^ thank you for sharing ♥
I’m all about the salty sweet combo, and I’ve been craving it big time this week! These certainly look like they would satisfy me! Pinning!!
My husband has been asking me for peanut butter chocolate chip cookies lately, I now have a recipe and no more excuses, these look sooooo good!!!!
These cookies look so moist and chewy! Perfection!
I have never seen bread flour used in cookies before but I am obsessed with the idea now! These look heavenly and like they would melt in your mouth.
You definitely caught my eye with the “salted” in the title. My first thought was “where on earth do you find salted peanut butter cups? I WANT some!” Because YUM. And then I read the recipe. My response is still YUM. And I just happen to have some mini peanut butter cups leftover from a previous recipe (don’t ask me how they’ve survived so long).
These cookies look amazing, and the fact that it’s sweet, salty, with chocolate and peanut butter means I would love them! Pinning. :)
I definitely need to make a batch of these, asap!!
I’m surprised that you would not give equivalents to your weight measurements. I checked out the King Arthur chart and you have to be a mathematician to do the conversions! Very disappointed. I’m 71 years old and have always been an avid baker, but never found the necessity to have a scale…until this recipe! So sad as this recipe sounds yummy.
Hi Anita, I have since added the cup equivalents in the recipe above to make it easier for those who would prefer not to weigh. Please do note, though, that this particular recipe was formulated using weights exclusively by Jaques Torres, so using cup measurements may cause slightly different results.
Thank you, Michelle…you’ve made my day! I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to update the recipe with the conversions. I’m so anxious to try these cookies for my family.
Maaaaan these look so yummy! Love this recipe!
I’ve noticed that Tracey hasn’t posted since January – have you heard from her?
Hi Robyn, I haven’t, although I’ve tried reaching her multiple times :(
Oh, me too, but I am just a reader. :( Hope is doing okay.
We just ordered some Cravory cookies, but after they are gone (which won’t take long), I’m making these! Sounds delish!
Wow! I decided to make these as a “Thank You” for a favor. You’re right, best cookies ever. I think I’m going to be owed another favor. I love your site, thank you for sharing your most delicious creations.
I can see why these cookies were such a hit. I mean all great cookies have to be giant and have peanut butter, right?
Are these suppose to be 2 1/2 ounce balls, or 2 1/2 inch balls???
2 1/2 ounces is a large cookie and yours do not look that big…
Thank you
Hi Sharon, It should be 2.5 ounces… they are supposed to be very large cookies. Mine are definitely huge, even if they don’t appear so from the photos.
Thank you Michelle!!!
made these cookies…loved them! another ‘keeper’ recipe from BEB!
I feel like being in cookie heaven! I am going to try the recipe tomorrow. Please cross your fingers that I’ll get all ingredients over here in Germany. Would you mind if I repost your recipe in German on my blog? I’ll link you if it’s okay for you (I mean my repost).
Kind regards, Julie
Must I refrigerate the dough for 24 hours? Can I not just use it right away?
Hi Esty, The cookies will definitely taste the best if you refrigerate for 24 hours. I haven’t tried baking them straight away.
I baked the cookies straight after preparing the dough- without refrigeration- and they came out delicious! I like to stick them in the microwave for a few seconds before serving them. It’s just like they’re fresh outta the oven!
Just found your site after “Lauren’s Latest” shared your homemade cheez-its recipe on FB (which I’m super excited to try, by the way, because my 3-year-old recently discovered the magical taste of “cheezy crackers” as he calls them. Of course I followed the link to this cookie and I ridiculously excited to try them. I DO own a kitchen scale but I have NEVER used one while baking. Can you explain the importance of doing so? Do you personally prefer baking recipes that are measured by weight?
Lastly, how long do you think these keep in the freezer? TIA!
The kitchen scale use is purely out of curiosity, not because I doubt the necessity……….just wanted to be clear.
Hi Jennifer, Welcome to the site! :) As far as a kitchen scale, I find it to be incredibly more accurate to weigh than to use cups to measure dry ingredients. I would keep them in the freezer for about a month. Enjoy!
Hi, when baking – do you leave the cookies in balls or flatten them out before adding salt and baking? Thanks.
Hi Julie, Leave them in balls. I’ve tried flattening them, but they spread a bit too much for my liking.
I bought the MINI, mini Reese’s cups….the snacking ones that come unwrapped. Was I supposed to get the traditional minis in the gold wrappers? Thanks!
Hi Becky, Nope, you bought the right ones!
I was just wondering if there are substitutes for the bread flour and the fleur de sel that wouldn’t change the quality of the cookie? (:
Hi Joanna, You can omit the fleur de sel from the top of the cookie, however the only other flaked salt I would recommend is maldon. As for the bread flour, I do not recommend a substitute, as using a higher protein flour is part of what gives these cookies their texture.
I made these for our family 4th of July party. Not one cookie left! I will be making these over and over again. Thanks for the recipe.
These cookies look very tasty. I love the way you combine the salt and peanut butter. Great combo!
I baked these last night (after the dough chilled 3 days) and they turned out fantastic! The balls of dough are huge, but I think that helps keep them from flattening as they cook. I only baked mine 13-14 minutes and took them out when the edges were barely set. After resting about 5 minutes, the inside still seemed under baked and gooey, so I was a little worried I didn’t bake them long enough – but an hour later they had set up quite a bit more, and this morning (for breakfast, obviously) the texture was perfect! Super moist and chewy, just how I like them!! Thanks for the fabulous recipe.
I finally finally made these. First, I had to buy the right pb cups, then I didn’t have the bread flour, then I realized I need milk chocolate chips not semi-sweet, then when I finally had all the ingredients, I realized I had to allow 24 hours to chill the dough – what a project! Even with all that, when I went to add the cake flour, I realized I only had about 4 oz, so I had to make up the rest with AP flour.
Overall, the verdict on these cookies is “meh” – they certainly are tasty, but for price performance, my audience would prefer regular toll house. They are very sweet and rich, and it’s almost like eating a candy bar when you have one, but I want to eat a cookie when I eat a cookie, so there’s that. Maybe our slight disappointment has something to do with the big build up too.
Disclaimer – I have never weighed my ingredients before, and this time I did, bringing out my non-digital kitchen scale. As mentioned, I didn’t have the required amount of cake flour, and I also cut 1/4 c of butter out of the recipe thinking that 1 c is more than sufficient especially with the additional PB, and I think I was right. After chilling, I had to use a knife like an ice pick to break up this dough, it was so hard to manipulate. It was either a mass or crumbles – no in between. Also, I made 54 cookies out of the dough – we don’t care for huge cookies, and I wanted to have my son take some on a trip as well as leave some. I didn’t weigh the balls, but they were larger than the balls I make for my sugar cookies. The cookies puffed up more than I expected, so one batch I tried flattening, and that was ok except the dough stuck to the glass or the whole ball crumbled, so I left them balls after that. Bottom line, I’m glad I tried them, but I wouldn’t make them again.
Made these this afternoon. Since I’m a baker and tend to use amateur hockey players as test subjects (getting them to taste and not just inhale was worth the effort), I had everything at hand. Didn’t have the time to refrigerate (next time I’ll allow the time for the flavors to mature), but these were still fabulous cookies. My oven-with-an-attitude took 15-16 mins at a convection setting of 350 degrees. They were FABULOUS!! Matter of fact, they are going to be added to my Farmers Market menu for 9/6 and 9/20 – I was looking for something special and these are it!
OK, I made these last week and my husband called them “the best cookies I have ever made.” And I’ve made a lot of cookies! They are super delicious. I also froze some of the dough to bake later and it baked up just fine. Thanks for the recipe:)
Must say I was confused with the ingredients. On a measuring cup, 8 oz = 1 cup so I don’t comprehend the 8 1/2 ounces (2 cups) in the recipe. I must be missing something. Will not pay attention to the weight but use the cups required for the flour, sugar. Hoping that will work out!
Hi Alice, The whole 8 ounces = 1 cup is only standard for liquid ingredients, not dry ingredients. Please see this post on weighing ingredients: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/the-basics-of-weighing-ingredients/
My favorite cookies everrrr!
Hi Michelle, found your recipe a few days ago and baked the cookies this morning in my coffee shop…a real hit!! thanks for the recipe. I had to order the peanut butter chips from Ebay, they came today but I had already used double the amount of peanut butter cups as a substitute, it worked out fine but next time I will use the right ingredient… I also made half a batch with the flour in the recipe, I used the cornflour additive as I didnt want to pay for cake flour..and half a batch with the equivalant gluten free flours, again using the cornflour, to show the difference between the two I stuck a couple of Reeces pieces in the top of the gluten ones, just to keep with the theme! Both sorts were FABULOUS!! The earlier posts answered my question about freezing the dough, that will enable me to make various types and cook off a few of each every day. Thanks again and i will be looking at your recipes regularly from now on. Lesley
Wow! I am a long time baker and am very particular about recipes. These are sheer perfection! I am baking my second batch this week! Thanks :)
These are cookie perfection. I can’t wait to make them again now that I know how delicious they are! I took them to a potluck and saw grown-ups slipping these puppies into their pockets on the sly!
Baking cookies is my hobby which makes my mostly male customers very happy.I must have several hundred cookie recipes in my collection of saved recipes. I have to say this is one of the best cookie recipes I have ever made. Even my very “picky” husband loves these cookies. Thank you so much for this recipe , it really is excellent. ps By the way, I am also a huge fan of the New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.
What’s wrong. 24 hrs, dough so hard can’t get out without chopping with knife. Baked 6, small – maybe supposed to be. Oh, oh! Just ate one still warm. Hmmm, maybe on the right track after all. Will left batter soften and plow on.
I produced the six and ate them all. Froze remaining balls. I still think I may have done something wrong. Very thick, taste great but heavy and didn’t spread as wide as expected. I have ingredients for a second batch, less flour, next week. Any suggestions appreciated.