You know what’s crazy?
This week has been. Absolutely. Nuts. <3 Kind of in an awesome way though.
Oh, and these cookies are pretty cuh-raay-zee as well, so let me start with these because I know that’s what really you came here for (and okay, can I just say that I honestly love the photos you’re about to see: these are such puffy, tall, photogenic cookies…Try and tell me you’re not drooling/pinning/sharing right now as you ogle!).
My very best friends are also my very best taste-testers. I am particularly lucky in this respect because I happen to have quite a few very best friends–you know, the ones who, when you ask them if they want to try a cookie for your blog, immediately raise their hands and shout with all the bravado of a District 2 citizen, “I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!” I’ve gotten at least seven texts this week from friends who, after seeing this post, wanted to know if I had any cookies left on my counter to share, and I can’t blame them…
And thank goodness I can share the pithy grad student wages wealth with so many awesome friends–otherwise, as they never fail to point out after I’ve fed them five variations of my latest peanut butter cookie recipe, expanding jean sizes would definitely be a big problem. Er, bigger than it already is, anyway. (Sorry, guys!)
So when a few of my friends so graciously ‘volunteered’ to be my taste subjects a few weeks back, of course I had to take full advantage of the opportunity! They call peanut butter their ‘easy win’ dessert ingredient, so I started experimenting with all things peanut buttery and, after many tasty but textually wrong or kind of blah batches, I finally emerged with the victor: these, their and my favorite peanut butter (chocolate chip) cookie recipe. It’s puffy, tall, soft, chewy, not a bit cakey, and–well, everything you see in these photographs, really.
Aren’t they gorgeous? They’re chock full of peanut butter flavor; I threw in a huge handful of chocolate chips for that great PB-CC pairing, and then….and then….
Yeah. I did. You obviously don’t have to go the PB&J route if you don’t have these bars on hand or just don’t like PB&J we won’t talk about that, but it’s kind of an awesome surprise addition to your PB cookie recipe if you do.
Since my first time making these, flocks of friends have come back to ‘volunteer’ themselves for the rigor of taste-testing in the Wallflour Kitchen. Plus, they’re so easy to whip together (you won’t need even a speck of cornstarch in these, although cornstarch really works wonders in My Favorite Thick & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe) and are possibly the prettiest cookies I’ve ever had the pleasure of giving away…although at some point I’m really going to need to start putting out a donation tin, because the term grad school is really a euphemism for state-funded and endorsed poverty.
Speaking of grad school–ah, grad school. If you’ve been following my blog for any amount of time, you’ll know that I just passed a major milestone on Friday and am, one week later, still in full recovery mode. Well, on Tuesday morning at, oh, say, 3:30 AM, I checked my school email (thinking naively that I wouldn’t really need to check it until at least March–ha!) and found an unread message squatting in my inbox with the subject heading: “MEETING SCHEDULED FOR 2/18 WITH ALA S.”
Um. What?
I won’t bore you with the details of all that happened at that surprise meeting 12 hours later, but basically a) it was a pretty good morale booster–we discussed my exam, next steps for my prospectus, and my promising professional future, and b) I came out of it with a pile of books. Like, enough to last me a month. And I currently have them sitting next to me. Because if my professors used hashtags, they would say that #RelaxationisfortheDeluded, and I sadly wiped away a tear as my 72-hour, short-lived Vacation Time drifted into a distant memory.
Well, not that distant. I’m clutching pretty hard onto that Vacation Time right now, blogging and whatnot. I have most definitely spent the week eating sweets and ice cream like, well, like the soulfully-undernourished English grad student I am. Ha!
Yesterday, my friend and I paid a dutiful visit to Disneyland, complete with crazy Space Mountain photos and a World of Color showing to top off the night. I’ve also spent the week eating (which is a good thing), cooking dinner for friends, hosting Disney movie nights, eating more (still a good thing), and, of course, baking & blogging. I’ve climbed into at least 5 cars filled with my friends this past week where I was deafened by a roar of congratulations that nearly toppled me out the door. And oh, the fun of enjoying fun again–at one point, the really sweet guys next door even came over at midnight and invited us over for warm homemade banana bread, and we ended up chilling for two hours finally getting acquainted! It’s like a scene out of a Friends episode. I can’t even explain how amazing it feels to be able to ‘do crazy’ without feeling insanely guilty about not burying your nose in a book for enough hours in a day.
So of course, this week, to thank all of my gorgeous, wonderful very best friends for their support, undying enthusiasm, and taste-testing boldness, I made plenty more batches of my official new favorite soft-baked peanut butter cookie recipe. You’ll want to Pin/Share/print the recipe right this minute, because it’s the best of the very best. Just like my lucky taste-testing pals. <3
And now, if you’ll just excuse me for a moment…
Make sure you print this recipe!
My Favorite Puffy, Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Averie Cooks
You’ll never need another peanut butter cookie recipe after you’ve met–and inhaled–this one! Puffy, soft, and perfectly chewy without a hint of cakiness about them, these mounds of peanut butter goodness are my personal favorite. But don’t take my word for it: my friends have been raving about this recipe as the be-all PB cookie, and I can hardly make them fast enough!
Ingredients:
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 3/4 cup heaping cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened to the point of melting
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions:
- In a large bowl, cream the heck out of your egg, brown sugar, peanut butter, butter, and vanilla. The mixture should turn so fluffy you’ll want to die. When this has happened (about five minutes of vigorous beating), scream “It’s so FLUFFY!” and move on to the next step.
- Add flour, baking soda, and salt–mix in until just incorporated.
- Fold in your chocolate chips like you would fold a baby’s laundry–gently, quietly, and gracefully.
- Cover your mixing bowl with cling-wrap and stick it in the fridge for at least two hours prior to baking. Tip: If you are like me and don’t wait for anything longer than it takes to watch an episode of Chopped, you can also stick the bowl in the freezer for 45 minutes prior to baking, watch Chopped, and come back.
- After your dough is chillier than a December penguin, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet and set aside.
- Remove your dough from the fridge, allow it to warm slightly, and use an ice cream scoop to create 2.5-inch mounds of gorgeous dough. You will want to mound these higher rather than wide in order to create that tall, droolworthy puffiness you desire. Place dough mounds 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake cookies in oven for 8-10 minutes, until edges and top of cookies are set but the centers appear slightly underbaked. Remove sheet from oven–allow cookies to cool for an additional 10 minutes on stovetop to create that awesome soft chewiness you’re looking for.
- Eat. Eat. Share. Eat some more.
© Wallflour Girl. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use without prior permission. If you would like to republish this recipe, please link back to this post.
oh WOW! These are making me drool 🙂
Haha, I really did have to run off at the end to stop myself from salivating. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Can I use natural peanut butter?
Hi Nita! Natural peanut butter tends to result in a crumblier dough, so I would recommend store brand PB if you can. Hope that helps, and happy baking!
That is a mighty handsome looking cookie! Good job. And good to hear you have something to read again. ;D
Well, that makes one of us! Just kidding, I love the reading. And I’m glad that I’ll have time to read your blog now as well, John 🙂
These look SOOOO good. I am definitely trying this recipe. Possibly tomorrow. You just can’t go wrong with peanut butter. ^_^
Oooh, dooo Tifa–let me know how you like them!! 🙂 and I just picked up two extra jars of peanut butter too….
I finally got around to making these and they turned out so good! They’re like little bites of bliss.They were really simple to make vegan too (always a plus) and stored really well (for the few days they lasted). ^_^
They came out very moist, even using Splenda Brown Sugar Blend (which usually sucks the moisture out of everything), that I think I could finally pull off a no-sugar-added peanut butter cookie that my diabetic dad will enjoy. Thanks again for sharing!
Hi! What did you use for the egg to make them vegan?
Hey Emily! I’m not sure if Tifa will see your comment, so just thought I’d chime in–I haven’t personally used any of these techniques to sub eggs in this recipe, but you might be able to check out one of these methods! https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/egg-substitutes-for-baking/
I’m so glad you got to make them–I’ve never had them around for more than a day, so it’s good to know they last 😉 Thanks for sharing your adjustments, I’d definitely use them for my own diabetic friends. Cheers, Tifa!
Hi Ala, Can’t wait to try these. Hitting up Trader Joe’s this afternoon.
Awesome, Cheri–I’d love to hear how you like them!
I saw these on FG and thought to myself, boy, those look like some of the cookies I make…and then I saw linked to my cookies! Thanks & glad these are your faves!
Haha, talk about serendipity, Averie! I made a few really minor tweaks to your original (I thought practically melting the butter, minimizing baking soda, and upping the pb would really amp up the chewy factor) but I am SO in love with your recipe. At least we know it’s consistent!
Lol! These cookies look to die for! Just made pb cookies last night but these will be the next on my list! And who doesn’t like PB&J? Seriously.
Seriously, Lindsay–haha! That’s awesome. I love this recipe but I endorse any type of pb cookie making. Enjoy, and thanks so much for stopping by to read!
For me the combination of chocolate and peanut butter is like orgasm in my mouth. I am sorry! The only way I can describe it. Thank you for this recipe.
Please check my blog full of heels and buns 🙂 http://www.heelsandbuns.com
x
K
lol hope you get a chance to try it!
Your cookies look and sound absolutely scrumptious! {Hooray for the Disney goodness too!!} Thanks for sharing! Pinned 😉
Thanks for the pin, Brenda! I just moseyed over and saw your latest Disney escapade as well–you lucky bug, you 😉 It sounds like you had *such* a fun time, I’ll definitely need to follow your Disney posts!
Hi Wallflour Girl *high 5 for the great blog name!*
I just got a message from someone telling me that my recipe was being used elsewhere (for evil), but it wasn’t mine – it was yours: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10203385093899141&set=pb.1565508303.-2207520000.1393507828.&type=3&theater
Thought I would pass on the message! And sorry about the comment, I couldn’t find another way to contact you. The cookies sound absolutely divine 🙂
-Aimee
Okay, first off–it’s so great to meet you, Aimee! Even under these totally inauspicious circumstances. I swear I’ve come across your blog at some point while I was creating this blog, so this is quite swell.
HUGE thanks for pointing this out for me. Catching plagiarists bums me out every time, whether it’s with my students or online, but I’m glad you took the time to contact me. I understand that not everyone would do the same, so thank you!
I’m heading over to your blog right now, which looks gorgeous. Consider yourself up one follower 🙂 a kind deed shouldn’t go unrewarded, and it’d be a pleasure to read content from a fellow (humanitarian!) blogger. Cheers, Aimee!
And consider yourself followed too! Looking forward to keeping up with your bakes 🙂
kind of late, but CONGRATULATIONS on passing your exams and your huge milestone, AHH!!! It must have been such a relief and such a high. I love your blog, I knew I would like it the second I saw your blog name haha so clever! These cookies look fantastic and I may or may not be drooling looking at your pictures. Yummah! I really want to try that PB&J chocolate also, we don’t have a Trader Joes here in Canada (not that I know of anyways) so I’m super jealous. The next time I’m down in the states I’ll have to keep an eye out for that flavour. Also I totally volunteer as tribute if you ever decide to expand your test-tasting group internationally!!!
Aww, thanks a bushel and a bundle! I don’t know about test-tasting internationally just yet (they need to pay me more for this job), but I’ve been toying with the idea of cookie & treat exchanges for forever <3 I would totally send along one of those PB&J bars! Thanks for stopping by, hope you continue to enjoy reading and I'm looking forward to reading more of your running/blogging/moving (<–btw congrats!!) adventures!
omg, that is the cutest ice cream scooper ever! where did you find it?! (lovely pictures by the way!)
Haha thanks, Michele! It’s actually from Disneyland 😉 my mom for whom I make tiramisu surprised me with it after she saw me eyeing it at the Main Street Store. Thanks for dropping by and saying hello!
These look amazing and I am currently baking them however after I put them in the fridge I had to almost roll them into balls bc they were crumbly. When baked they stayed in the ball shape. I flattened them while they reservation hot but they look nothing like your pic. I am feeling so sad. In your pictures it looks like you are scooping that thick yet fluffy mixture onto your cookie sheet. What do u suppose I did wrong? I bake a lot so I feel like a mini failure! I am quite sure I will still eat way too many of them!
First off, I’m sorry to hear these cookies did not turn out for you, Joanne! I have never personally had problems with crumbly dough, but there are one or two things I can think of. Did you use natural or homemade peanut better? The added oils from natural pb can turn baked goods more crumbly than if you use storebought brands like original Jif or Skippy. Old, stiff, or dry pb could also makevthem crumbly. Another possibility could be extra flour–is there any chance you added more flour than the recipe called for? (I’m almost sure this isn’t the issue, but I have absentmindedly made this mistake too many times to count now!) Overmixing could create denser cookies, but perhaps not the stiff texture you mentioned. I hope you figure out what went amiss and let me know if you do! These cookies really are delicious and I would love for you to try them at their best. Best of luck!
Although they didn’t turn out picture perfect, they were still quite yumm! I am sure I will make them again and pay close attention to the recipe, just in case. Thanks for the reply! 🙂
Same thing happened to me!
Me too! Super crumbly! I pushed them into bar cookies, which was ok! Not my favorite peanut butter cookIes…
Hi gals–sorry to hear they didn’t turn out perfectly for you. I’ve written some possible issues and solutions above for Joanne, hope you find them helpful in getting that puffy soft pb cookie!
[…] Puffy Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies from Wallflour Girl […]
is there a way to print the recipe only?
Hi Joanne! I currently do not have a print function but plan to add one shortly once I manage my own domain. Until then, copy and paste is the way to go. Hope you like them!
What if I only have light brown sugar,don’t want to go to the store, but am dying to make these cookies????? Will it work? 🙂
I’m REALLY disappointed with how my cookies came out. I had the same issues as some of the others. As SOON as I added my 1 3/4 cups flour…the dough literally disintegrated and was dry. I used all fresh ingredients. ..I used a brand new jar of JIF. There is simply not enough “Wet” ingredients to hold the dough together. The cookies are thick..not really chewy…and are definitely “cakey”. Truly bummed.
Kim, believe me, I totally sympathize with your disappointment and the fact that these cookies did not turn out for you either. As there have been so many reviewers who have had issues with these cookies, I will be remaking them shortly and checking back with an update. This is a trusted recipe I got from Averie Cooks and I can’t imagine what else might have gone awry but stay tuned! Thank you for your feedback.
Thank you so much! ♡
I just made these and I had the same exact issue.
Can you explain a little more about the butter? How do you get it to “almost” melting? If I don’t get it right, would just melting it on purpose cause a problem with the cookies?
I haven’t melted butter for this recipe specifically, but I don’t see why not! Since the dough is refrigerated in advance, you shouldn’t have any problems with spreading (but I’d love to hear back after you get the chance to try it, to confirm this). To get your butter ‘almost-melted,’ simply microwave your butter at 5 to 10-second increments, until you see the edges begin to melt but before the entire stick has melted into a pool. This ‘almost-melted’ butter adds chewiness to the cookie without compromising puffiness. Hope this clears this up–thank you for stopping by, Lori!
[…] Source: http://wallflourgirl.wordpress.com/2014/02/22/my-favorite-puffy-chewy-peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-c… […]
So excited to make these for easter! About how many cookies does this recipe make?
Hi Sam! It depends on how large you want your cookies–I used a standard ice cream scoop and probably came up with about 24. Thanks for stopping by, hope they turn out well for Easter!
These look divine!! Next on my cookie ‘to do’ list!!
Perfect, Nicky–I hope you love them as much as we all did! Thanks for stopping by, have a fantastic week 🙂
Was searching zee interwebs for a peanut butter chocolate cookie recipe, because I have a “cookie off” with a coworker tomorrow. Just made the dough, it’s in the fridge! I didn’t have any chocolate chips so I chopped up easter bunny chunks. How can I possibly wait 2 hours? If they turn out anything like the pictures I think I have a winner! 🙂
Kelly, I am so excited for you! I hope the ‘cookie off’ goes remarkably well (I have faith, but that won’t keep me from rooting wholeheartedly for you!). That is also SUCH a fun idea–whose was it? If only I was at your office now so I could join in the festivities–I’d love to hear how it went for you!
I had the same crumbly dough as some of the others. The dough is currently in the fridge but from the discussions above I will likely have to settle for bars or some variation. Too bad. I was looking forward to a good puffy cookie recipe.
Hi Cindy–first off I’m glad you decided to give this recipe a go! I do hope they turn out well for you amd that you give them a go anyway. As I’m sure you’ve read, I have had great success multiple times with this recipe and you may just want to push on through despite the crumbly dough; a fair number of readers and friends have done well with it, too. I’d love to hear if you have any thoughts about the process.
These were amazing and just what I was looking for. I loved that they don’t spread out and stay puffy. My husband isn’t a fan of the peanut butter (I know, there’s something wrong with him! 🙂 Do you know how I might make this recipe with similar results without it? Appreciate any suggestions!
Thanks for checking back in on these–glad to hear you love them! Does your hubby like other nut butters? Any other type would work, I think 🙂 love to hear how it goes for you guys!
I am about to try baking these right now! Adding peanut butter & milk chocolate chips instead! Too excited!
I’m so excited too, Kirsten–I can’t wait for you to give them your first yummy bite! Let me know how it goes!
I’m soo sad! I was super excited to make these but after I took them out of the oven – they weren’t hard, just extremely dry. I had to throw them away 🙁 I don’t know what I did wrong! (Even used JIF pb)
Hi Brittany! I’m sorry to hear these didn’t turn out for you–did you remove them from the oven while they still appeared underbaked? I made the mistake once of not setting my timer and I let them go until they were “fully-baked,” so when they cooled they were completely dry inside. I’d give them another go with this method if you didn’t the first time ’round!
Just made these and they are wonderful! Just found your blog and I love it:)
Nadia, thanks SO much for your comment! I’m glad you enjoyed the cookies, they’re my absolute fav and sell like wildfire. Have a lovely holiday!!
Just made these cookies and they are incredible! I stuffed a few with some locally made caramels (chattanooga, tn!) and I am seriously blown away. Can’t thank you enough for sharing this awesome recipe! It’s definitely the best and simplest homemade peanut butter cookie recipe. The only note I have is that my cookies had to bake for 15 minutes, but they could have varied from yours in size. Thanks again! 🙂
That’s wonderful, Amanda! I LOVE the idea of stuffing caramels into these–say whaaaat? I’ll have to try that myself soon. Hope you can enjoy these again and again and again! <3
Sadness! Mine too came out really dry and crumbly. I should have read the reviews first. I would have cut down on the flour. Maybe you could post pictures at each stage so we have an idea of what to expect. My PB goodness never appeared to fluff. 🙁 I will try again, maybe over the weekend.
Hi Sandy–first off, thanks for your comment! I’m sorry these cookies didn’t turn out for you. I was chatting with Averie (from Averie Cooks–she’s the creator of this recipe) a while back, and neither of us has ever had issues with dryness. I’ve personally used this recipe over 70 times and hoped I might be able to isolate where the dry factor happens for most people, but as the recipe produces pretty consistent results for me, it’s hard to tell! That being said, I love your suggestion about step-by-step pics–I don’t have time for it now (life!), but maybe it’s something I’ll get around to in the future. I’ve suggested to others who experienced similar issues that they a) underbake rather than overbake, b) make sure they’re using store-brand (not natural) peanut butter, and c) do not overstir the dough at any time. Hope the cookies turn out for you if you give them another go–they really are delicious when they come out!
I make these about once a month, I use mocha chocolate spread instead of peanut butter and my office is obsessed! I’m about to make them now, and I am going to experiment by adding drop of Bailey’s in the batter. I can’t wait to see how they turn out. Thanks for sharing the recipe, 🙂
I’m so glad you and the office are as obsessed as I am! Your changes sound AWESOME–I am seriously poised to sprint out of my place right now and buy mocha chocolate spread. I’ve never even heard of the stuff (shame on me!). And Bailey’s?? Giiiiirl, we are kindred spirits, except you’re clearer much cleverer about it. Happy Saturday, Tiff!
Thank you! Definitely, try the mocha chocolate spread, it’s amazing and FYI the Bailey’s batter came out amazing. My office went crazy over this version. Thank you again for sharing this recipe!
[…] and these cookies. I really want to bake peanut butter cookies, which, if you can believe it – […]
just made these… The dough was a dry crumbly mess. Quite disappointed. I should have read the reviews first. I ended up adding two more eggs to try to bind it together (one more wasn’t enough). They seemed to turn out ok. (Cooling off now). Don’t know what I did wrong, I consider myself a very good baker and followed the recipe to a T (even exclaimed “it’s so fluffy!”) 🙁
Hi Kelly–first off, I’m sorry this recipe did not turn out for you, and in all honesty if I could figure out what’s happening on the reader end, I’d fix it! That being said, I have made this recipe (using these very instructions) over 100 times, as have my friends, and we have never had problems (the dough is occasionally crumbly, but not to an unmanageable extent! hmm). So my only advice at this point would be to persevere, and I hope they will turn out to be a staple addition to your recipe box! Best of luck, gal!
These looked so good in the pics. Unfortunately, as others mentioned my dough was very crumbly! Had to roll them into a ball. They were very dry after being baked. I think I am a pretty good baker! I followed the recipe exactly as stated and even under baked them a bit. Your scoops look moist in the pics. This is not at all what mine looked like. Only posting this to try and help!
Hi Mic–thanks for your comment, and I’m sorry to hear they did not turn out for you! It’s strange–I’ve been working forever to figure it out, but I’ve made this recipe at least an additional 10 times since the last commenter. Anyway, thanks for your tips to others, and I’m sure you’re an excellent baker 🙂 it’s funny how finicky even the most “solid” recipes can be, eh? Wishing you a lovely weekend, and I hope you’ll try out another recipe from around these parts to make up for this no-go!
These were amazing
<3
I made these this afternoon and they are perfect. No dry crumbly dough for me. I wonder if the people who said the dough was dry are not beating until the mixture is “so fluffy you’ll want to die” to quote you! Or over-mixing when the flour is added. I did beat the the dough with a mixer for the full 5 minutes you suggested and did not over-mix the flour in. I only got 16 so I may have made them too big. They are cooling now but look and smell amazing!
Thanks for the awesome update, Bonnie–glad it worked out for you! Both of those steps are totally essential 😉 hope this turns into one of your go-to recipes, just like it is for me! <3
I have a batch in the oven now. Like others my dough is dry and needed to be rolled.
I am wondering if I should used ‘sifted’ flour?
Hi Kerry! I’ve never needed to use sifted flour in this recipe; I pour flour into the cup and shake the excess back into the bag. I’d love to hear how the batch turned out though–the dough CAN be crumbly, but packed together it usually comes out fine on my end. Let me know!
Thank you for this incredible recipe! I followed them step by step and my cookies turned out perfectly. The kitchenaid mixer helped me a lot with the first step 😉 I added a little nutella to the peanut butter as well!
That’s great to hear, Kathryn! Thanks so much for reporting back–and Nutella, OMG. Brilliant.
Hey! Just tried these cookies, even after reading the reviews about the crumbliness. Let me just say, they came out picture perfect! SO FLUFFY and tasty, biggest cookies I’ve ever made, I’m super impressed, no crumbliness at all. I think people may be skipping the beat for 5 minutes part, anyways! Thanks for the recipe, this one is for sure a repeater.
Hey Sarah! So glad you left this comment and that the cookies worked out for you, too–I’m with you, this is my fav PB cookie recipe, hands down! Hope you get to make it again and again (and okay, again!)! Have a lovely weekend xo
I made these cookies last Christmas and they were wonderful. I followed the recipe as shown but used dark chocolate chunks and made smaller cookies because they were for a party with several kinds of cookies and I wanted people to have room to taste different things. Only problem with the cookies is I wanted to eat them all before the guests arrived!
So glad these worked out for you, Pamela!! These cookies are some of my favs, and we all know what that “problem” of wanting to eat them all is like!
Thanks for sharing! These cookies are wonderful! I did not have a ice cream scoop so making them in he shape of a ball.
So glad to hear they turned out well for you, Shelia–happy holidays and happy baking!!
Hi. I tried these today and it was an epic fail. I read all of the comments and questions before starting. My husband watched me to make sure I was following the recipe exactly. When ithe dough was finished, it was perfect cookie dough. When it came out of the freezer 45 min later, it was the consistency of sawdust. I packed it together and baked them for 10 min and they were barely warm when I took them out of the oven, still almost raw dough inside. I put m & m’s in mine, so it was a waste of a half package. So sad.
Hi Michelle–sorry to hear that these cookies didn’t work for you. It might be helpful to allow the dough to warm slightly if it feels too crumbly to pack together straight from the fridge/freezer, though mine is generally quite crumbly before baking. I’ve added a very short line reflecting that suggestion in the instructions, so your feedback is appreciated!
Instead of peanut butter I use almond butter and I use peanut butter chips and chopped walnuts. My three-year-old can’t stop eating the dough and we are anxiously awaiting the cookies to get out of the oven
Thanks for your comment, Natalie! Hope you and your three-year-old love these cookies as much as we do.
i thought these cookies tasted great but i feel they did not turn out in shape. mine were very crumbly. i would use less flour, if there is a next time. plus they really don’t move, the way you put them on the pan is what they will look like when you take them off. Still looking for best recipe…
I made these cookies today at work…. They are PERFECT! Turned out just like the pics, soft, chewy and very peanut buttery. Definitely my new go to for peanut butter cookies. After reading the other comments on the cookies being dry and crumbly, I suspect it’s your flour. Not all AP flours are created equal, for example the the gluten is very high in Gold Medal brand…. Which in turn I never use for cookies because the results produce a hard dry cookie. Thanks again for the recipe!
So glad to hear that these turned out splendidly for you, J-Sue. Hope you and the family get to enjoy them again and again!
I made these 3 days ago and they were scrumptious! I baked them for the full 10 minutes and they were perfect. I was surprised that they didn’t flatten out at all while baking, but who cares?!?! My high school daughter took 7 of them to school for her football friend. He commented, “GOAT” (Greatest of all time!) and ate every single one right then! Thanks for the recipe!
Lanette, thanks SO much for your kind words–I’m so glad these worked out for you! <3 Here's to many more eatings!
Hey there! Just made these delicious cookies! They turned out really yummy however my dough was more of a crumble and not so much a batter or doughy substance. Any tips on why that could have been?!
Hi Sandy, glad these turned out deliciously for you! The dough does tend to be very crumbly, so don’t be too worried if that’s the case. Sometimes I’ll let the dough soften slightly on the countertop for 20-30 minutes before scooping, and this makes for easier scooping. Hope this helps!
Hi, I didn’t see the answer to the question “Can you use light brown sugar instead of dark brown sugar?” I am wondering same thing.
Hey Heather, thanks for the follow-up! Light brown sugar should work fine.
This have to be the most perfect looking cookies on earth. I am so impressed with your pastry baking skills. How do you become so skillful? Are they this perfect looking each time you bake them? If you are looking for another best friend pick me because you are quite a gifted person. Congratulations on your graduate degree journey.
I saw you’re cookie picture circulating on Pinterest and when I clicked on the link it was a different recipe for not-so-impressive cookies! Glad I found the right page.
what brand of flour do you use? I know it sounds silly, but I have a recipe that if I use King Arthur, the cookies look like baseballs. After reading into it, KA has more protein. However, in your comment section, someone said Gold Medal has more gluten. I would imagine you use an All Purpose Flour……… bleached, unbleached? Brand? Thank you……
I do, Sue! I tend to use a store brand (Kroger) bleached all-purpose flour–glad you asked. Happy baking!
These look so tasty and lovely, Ala. Thanks for sharing the great recipe.
[…] of the recipes I've posted are my own creation. Today's recipe is a modification of Wallflour Girl's Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. Although I cook and bake a lot, I am still a fledgling baker […]
I’m really bummed! I’d also consider myself an extremely experienced baker, as I’d done it professionally for many years, and have baked as long as I can remember! I tried this recipe twice…the first time the dough looked like sand, the second it was still very crumbly, and had to be forced into a ball. I baked some to test and the mound I scooped and formed stayed exactly the same as it baked. I threw them all away. I hope others have better luck, still not sure what went wrong!
Not as chewy as I wanted great taste though will try them again
I spent 2 hours making these. You forgot the milk.
Made these cookies ☹️ Worst patch of
Cookies I’ve ever made. The only thing I
Left out was the p&j bar. My dough looked nothing like the picture????
These are AMAZING my whole family loved them
[…] Peanut butter cookies […]
I see this was done a long time ago, but I just found it floating around Pinterest. I tried this recipe today and the cookies turned out perfect. Hubby loves em too!
Ok, almost perfect. I used two pans – non-stick and regular… The bottoms burned on the non-stick pan. My bad.
I will say my cookies turned out very fluffy, but not as chewy as I expected. Still wonderful though!
I love the humor in the directions. Made me laugh as I prepared everything.
Thanks for a great recipe!
These were disgusting. Followed the recipe to a T. had to be to much flour. Also no sugar?
Batter was super crumbly, cookies came out tasting like burnt peanut butter and choc.
I’m not sure what went wrong with the others, but these were amazing! The dough became slightly crumbly, but you just smash it together. They pretty much keep their shape, which makes for a very rich, dough like center with a crispy outside. One key is using a dough or other scooper. A spoon isn’t the same. I also used a baking mat, so I didn’t have some of the trouble others had with the bottom burning.
I made these the first time following your recipe and had the same problem as many others with the dough being dry and crumbly 🙁 however I LOVE baking so I decided to try again and found that if you add an additional half stick of butter the dough comes out much better!
I tried this recipe, and when it was supposed to be “creamy”, it was the concistency of sand. There needs to me more wet ingredients somewhere. They didn’t even bake, just dry balls.
Hi RC–sorry to hear that these didn’t turn out for you. The ingredients can create a rather crumbly dough, but using store brand (rather than natural) peanut butter can help, as can beating the dough thoroughly. Hopefully this helps with troubleshooting!
These were delicious and the perfect combination of peanut butter and chocolate chip!
Glad you enjoyed them, Lorileigh! Thanks for taking the time to try this recipe.
These cookies were NOT GOOD. I followed the exact recipe and the dough was crumbly and way too dry. I did a test cookie to see what would happen and it turned into a hard rock and didn’t melt down at all. I then added a tish of water to the rest of the batch and it was still a disaster. Do not waste your time making these cookies. I thought they’d be delicious with the animated instructions and all the hype.
Hi Victoria–sorry to hear that these cookies didn’t turn out for you. Sometimes the ingredients can come together into a pretty crumbly dough, but I’ve found that using store brand (rather than natural) peanut butter can help a lot, as can beating the dough thoroughly. Hopefully this helps with troubleshooting!
I’m so disappointed in myself! Followed the recipe exactly and my dough was very crumbly! Then my cookies never took shape, they just stayed like my ice cream scoop! I have no idea what I did wrong!
Loved the idea of these and the pictures were beautiful but there’s clearly something missing in the recipe because like everyone else mine cake our HORRIBLE and huge crumbly dough balls. The only way to make them thoroughly cooked was to make a combination of uncooked and burnt cookies. I love your other recipes but this was a serious bust!
These are delicious cookies, and your personality really shows through on your blog. I tend to not actually read them and just scroll to the recipe but yours really had me interested! Anyhow I’m going to go share my cookies with friends. Thanks!
Thanks so much for these kind words, Brianne–I love writing first and foremost, so that means a lot! Can’t wait to see you around for some more musings and scribblings. xo, Ala
Hi. Thank you so much for your post. I made them for the 1st time yesterday and they were amazing. A 2nd batch was made today. I was wondering…
Have you ever made the dough and kept it in the freezer for an extended period of time?
Hi Christal! Glad they turned out well for you–I’ve triple-sealed the dough before and kept it for 2-3 weeks, and they baked up fine. Works best if you separate round balls of dough before freezing so that they’re easier to pull apart later. No need to defrost; just increase your baking time to compensate. Hope that helps!
I’ve made these twice in the last week. They are so delicious, but both times my dough has come out pretty dry, so I’ve added a couple tablespoons of milk and that helps. I also have to press them down before baking so they’re not balls when they’re done. But that’s normal for peanut butter cookies, so no biggie. But they are sooo good! I need to remember to cut the flour next time. And I have been “fluffing” my flour, so it’s not packed down when I measure it, which makes me think I need to cut out some. Thanks for the recipe! It’s delish!!
Glad to hear that these turned out great for you, Rebecca! This recipe is by far one of our faves.
My my, these look awesome…I’m going to make them this week, I was wondering what size scoop you used or even better, how much did 1 cookie weigh before you baked them? I’m a little bit of a perfectionist and want all the cookies to be the same size. Did you put extra chips before baking? I usually do that so they look pretty, but maybe that would push down the beautiful little mounds of dough and I don’t want to mess with success. I’ll let you know how they turn out. thanks for the great post.
Absolutely! This is the cookie scoop that I use: https://www.oxo.com/medium-cookie-scoop-661.html
And I usually push in the extra chips after I finish baking. Happy baking!
Oh my goodness. These cookies are absolutely the best!!! I don’t want to admit how many I’ve eaten so far since baking them an hour ago! Thank you!!
Genelle, I’m SO glad to hear that these turned out perfectly for you! Go forth and stuff your happy faces!
Can you use self rising flour and just not add baking soda and get same results
Hi Kimberly! Since self-rising flour is a mixture of flour and baking powder (rather than baking soda), I recommend sticking to all-purpose flour.
I made these and the dough Did not form together when I made the cookie it was crumbly and I also have the wrong size ice cream scooper. Mine didn’t come out correctly at all but it tasted great.
Hi Lisa! I’m sorry that the cookies might have come out looking a bit funky, but I’m glad the taste was, as always, awesome!
I have made these many times and love them! Hints – don’t overbake. Take them out when they don’t look done. In my oven, 9 minutes at 350 works. Also, nuke the sticks of butter so they’re really soft- almost liquid. Plus I smoosh each cookie into a ball after dropping onto sheets so there is no issue with their being crumbly. One of my favorite cookie recipes!
Janet, so glad to hear that you love these as much as we do! Happy baking!
Do you use crunchy or smooth peanut butter? And can you use either?? Can’t wait to make these!!
I personally prefer smooth, but you can use either! Happy baking, Cindy!
I never really experienced a problem making any cookie, however, these were very crumbly after and before chilling the dough. Not a very sweet cookie either. I followed the recipe and used smooth store bought peanut butter. Doubt I make again.
I just made these and the dough is too dry and cookies stayed in their mounds. Zero spreading. I want them to stay puffed they still in the exact shape of the scoop. And they are dry. Unfortunately I read the comments too late. I did use Jif so that’s not the problem. I did not mismeasure. ☹️
Read the comments too late. Wanted to make these for Father’s Day. Turned out horrible. Dry and crumbly. Used store bought skippy peanut butter. Measured carefully. Very disappointed as ingredients are expensive.
My cookie dough was really crumbly… what did I do wrong?🤷🏻♀️