These irresistible pan-banging chocolate chip peanut butter cookies bake up with chewy edges, soft & buttery centers, and those iconic cracks.
Jump to:
These pan-banging chocolate chip peanut butter cookies are without a doubt my favorite cookie recipe on this blog! They're made with just 10 ingredients, all of which I bet you already have in your pantry. Though they do require some chill time, the chewy edges, soft & buttery centers, and pools of melted chocolate make it well worth the wait! Oh and those beautiful cracks? They're achieved with the pan banging method discovered by Sarah Keiffer. So these cookies are truly as beautiful as they are delicious!
Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter: Be sure your butter is room temp so it will cream properly. I like to bring my butter to room temperature by warming in the microwave (straight from the fridge) for about 8-10 seconds.
- Peanut Butter: I recommend only using thick and creamy peanut butter, like Jif or Skippy.
- Sugars: You'll a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar, as well as some granulated sugar for rolling the cookie dough.
- Egg: Just one egg!
- All-Purpose Flour: PLEASE weigh your flour with a scale! I provided both weight and volume measurements below, but just like with all cookies there are few ingredients which means there is little room for error.
- Leavener: You'll need just baking soda for these cookies.
- Chocolate: Add chopped chocolate to the cookie dough and on top just before baking, or leave it out. Either way, they're so so delicious!
FAQ
I highly recommend only using a thick, creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy.
Yes, the dough is pretty soft so it's necessary to chill the dough for at least an hour or overnight. Chilling the dough helps it to not only firm up, but also develop a more pronounced peanut butter flavor.
Right when the cookies come out of the oven, use a large round cookie or biscuit cutter to circle around them and shape them into perfect circles.
You can definitely taste the peanut butter in these cookies, but it isn't over the top. If you are looking for a super peanut buttery cookie, this flourless peanut cookie recipe is exactly what you're looking for.
Store these cookie in an air-tight container at room temperature for about 2-3 days. You can also freeze scooped cookie dough balls or baked cookies for up to 3 months.
Other cookie recipes you'll love
How to accurately measure ingredients for baking
All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed to create incredibly delicious baked goods that you can easily recreate in your own kitchen with success. The only way this is possible is to standardize the way ingredients are measured - by weight. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), I can ensure that you can make the recipe accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale.
If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.
But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!
Happy baking! x
Pan-Banging Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 113 g ½ cup; 1 stick unsalted butter (room temp)
- 135 g ½ cup peanut butter*
- 160 g ¾ cup brown sugar
- 50 g ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg, room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- 150 g 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 56 g 2 oz; â…“ cup roughly chopped chocolate + more for topping
- 50 g ¼ cup sugar for rolling
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and peanut butter on medium speed for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the sugars and continue beating for 2-3 more minutes until light & fluffy.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla until fully combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix the baking soda in with the flour to break it up.
- Mix on low speed until just combined.
- Lastly, fold in the chopped chocolate with a rubber spatula.
- Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for at least one hour or overnight.
- Once the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and line two baking sheets with aluminum foil or parchment paper.*
- Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the cookie dough.
- Roll each cookie dough ball in granulated sugar and top with more chopped chocolate.
- Place the cookie dough on the prepared baking sheets about 3 inches a part.
- Bake the cookies for 8 minutes, then remove from the oven (close the door) and drop the baking sheet onto a towel-covered countertop about 5-6 times.
- Place the cookies back in the oven for an additional 3-4 minutes.*
- Allow cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet and enjoy!
Notes
- I recommend using a thick, creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy.
- The traditional pan banging method by Sarah Kieffer uses aluminum foil to help the cookies spread and achieve those beautiful cracks & ripples. I have tested these cookies with both aluminum foil and parchment paper, and they both work equally as well.
- To achieve perfectly round cookies, use a large cookie cutter or round glass, and gently circle around the cookies when they immediately come out of the oven.
- Store these cookie in an air-tight container at room temperature for about 2-3 days.
- You can freeze scooped cookie dough balls or baked cookies for up to 3 months.
Bree says
I am returning to this recipe because these are the most amazing peanutbutter cookies ever!
★★★★★
Tina says
These were so fun to make! Love the cracks on top. They don’t have a pronounced peanut butter flavor like you mentioned, but still so good!
★★★★★
Morgan says
These are seriously the best cookies I have ever had!
★★★★★