Old-fashioned chocolate peanut butter cookies are a family favorite treat! Soft peanut butter cookies are dipped in rich semi-sweet chocolate. Made with a handful of pantry staples, these cookies are easy to make inside of one bowl in 30 minutes. Served with a glass of cold milk or a warm beverage you have a treat that any peanut butter and chocolate lover is sure to enjoy!
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This recipe is made with simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry and turns it into an old-fashioned classic that we all can’t get enough of!
These chocolate-covered cookies taste just like your grandma’s old-fashioned peanut butter cookie recipe. They are soft and delicious with the perfect chewy texture, rich peanut butter flavor, and that adorable crisscross pattern.
You can decide to enjoy these classic peanut butter cookies by themselves(my dad’s favorite way), or you can dip or drizzle them with chocolate. It really takes this treat to the next level!
The holidays are upon us and this peanut butter cookie recipe makes a TON of cookies so not only are they an impressive treat absolutely perfect for your dessert table, but it will please a crowd!
Looking for more homemade cookie recipes? Check these out next!
- Sugar cookies with rainbow sprinkles
- Soft and chewy sugar cookies
- The Best Chocolate chip cookies with Walnuts
- Cranberry Pecan Cookies with Brown Butter
Recipe Ingredients
- Creamy peanut butter – I like the natural peanut butter with only peanuts and vegetable oil. Smooth peanut butter adds fat and a rich peanut butter flavor to these cookies.
- Eggs – Use room-temperature eggs so they will bind together will all the other ingredients more easily.
- All-purpose flour, baking powder, and baking soda – Gives structure to cookies and a slight lift.
- Unsalted butter – Make sure to use unsalted butter or if you are using salted, slightly reduce the amount of salt used so your cookies don’t even up too salty.
- Brown sugar and cane sugar – This combination gives these old-fashioned peanut butter cookies the best soft and chewy texture and the perfect amount of sweetness.
- Vanilla extract – adds incredible flavor to this treat.
- Chocolate – I used semi-sweet chocolate chips. Feel free to use your favorite chocolate bar chopped into pieces, milk chocolate, or a combination of the two for this recipe.
- Vegetable oil – Used to make the chocolate easier to dip or drizzle over the cookies. I used olive oil(you can’t taste it!) but any vegetable oil will work. DON’T use butter, it will make the chocolate thick and weird.
How to Make Homemade Peanut Butter Cookies
All ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit then line a sheet pan with parchment paper, and set aside.
- Melt butter in a small sauce pot over medium heat then allow to cool for at least 10 minutes. This helps to ensure the hot butter doesn’t melt the sugar or make the cookie dough too warm and overspread.
- In a medium-sized bowl combine all of the dry ingredients together, whisking to combine then set aside.
- Into a large mixing bowl combine melted butter and the rest of the wet ingredients, whisking until you have a smooth batter. (Alternatively, you can do this in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or use an electric hand mixer)
- Next, fold the flour mixture into the wet mixture until everything is well incorporated and you don’t have any streaks of flour. Be careful not to overmix.
- Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to create peanut butter cookie dough balls. Roll the dough into smooth balls then place them onto the prepared cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between each ball of cookie dough. Use a fork to create the crisscross pattern on top of each cookie.
- Bake cookies for 10 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown and the centers are still a little soft. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Dip or drizzle peanut butter cookies in chocolate
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl add chocolate chips and vegetable oil mixing to coat. Use a double boiler or set one up by filling a small pot with 1 – 2 cups of water. The pot should be small enough for the bowl to sit on top without touching the water. Bring water to a boil on medium-high heat.
- Stir occasionally using a spoon or silicone spatula until all the chocolate has melted and you have a smooth consistency. (Alternatively, melt the chocolate using the microwave and a microwave-safe bowl. Heat chocolate in 30-second intervals until smooth, mixing in between).
- Take one cookie at a time to dip in the chocolate. It helps to tip the bowl to one side. Place the dipped cookies onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet or plate.
- Alternatively, drizzle the chocolate onto each cookie using a spoon. I usually need to add more oil to make the chocolate loose enough to drizzle.
- Once finished place cookies into the refrigerator for 20 – 30 minutes or until the chocolate has hardened.
- Enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea!
Variations
- Chocolate chips, if you don’t want to dip the cookies in chocolate, just add them to the batter.
- Peanut butter chips, to increase the peanut butter flavor of these cookies.
- Peanuts, roasted, salted, and roughly chopped. You can add them to the cookie dough or sprinkle them on top of the chocolate while it’s still wet.
- Sprinkles to sprinkle into the melted chocolate.
- Flaky salt, add a pinch to the chocolate while it’s wet if you want a sweet and salty peanut butter cookie.
Frequently Asked Questions —
There was probably too much peanut butter or flour in your cookie dough. Peanut butter has a high fat content and it makes the cookie dough too crumbly to stick together. Don’t use too much flour because it can cause the cookies to crumble while rolling or baking.
The classic crisscross pattern on peanut butter cookies is not only for style, but it helps the cookies to cook more evenly since peanut butter cookie dough can be a bit dense.
No, if your dough is dry or crumbly too much flour was added to the mixture. The cookie dough will be soft and look like it needs extra flour but don’t add it!
Place the cookie dough in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking if you find that your dough is spreading too much. This firms up the butter and peanut butter inside the dough which can cause the cookies to overspread.
Looking For More Recipes?
- Chocolate chip Walnut Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
- Rainbow sprinkle sugar cookies
- Sugar Cookie Recipe
- Brown Butter Cranberry Pecan Cookies
- M&M Sugar Cookies
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Visit our sister site for more delicious recipes at Matcha and Kale.
Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies (Old-Fashioned Recipe!)
Equipment
- Baking sheet I find that metal sheet pans bake cookies more evenly than glass
- Large mixing bowl or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer and a large bowl
- tablespoon cookie scoop
- whisk
- Small sauce pot with a medium mixing bowl or a double boiler or microwave to melt the chocolate
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter or 1 stick unsalted
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup creamy all-natural peanut butter*
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups chocolate chips semi-sweet and/or milk chocolate
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil plus more as needed
Optional
- Roasted and salted peanuts chopped
- Sprinkles
- Peanut butter chips or chocolate chips to mix into the batter
- Flaky salt to sprinkle in the chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit then line a sheet pan with parchment paper then set aside.
- Melt butter in a small sauce pot over medium heat then allow to cool for at least 10 minutes. ½ cup butter or 1 stick
- In a medium-sized bowl combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine then set aside. (If you aren't using all-natural peanut butter but one similar to Jiff then add an extra 1/4 cup of flour)1 ½ cups all-purpose flour ¾ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt
- Into a large mixing bowl pour melted butter then add creamy peanut butter, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until you have a smooth batter. ½ cup creamy all-natural peanut butter* 1 cup brown sugar ½ cup granulated white sugar 2 large eggs 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- Next, fold the flour mixture into the wet mixture until everything is well incorporated and you don’t have any streaks of flour. Don’t over-mix.
- Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to create peanut butter cookie dough balls. Roll the dough into smooth balls, then place them 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheet. Next, use a fork to create the crosshatch pattern on top.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown and the centers still a little soft. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Dip or drizzle cookies in chocolate
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl add chocolate chips and vegetable oil mixing to coat. Set over a double boiler or a small sauce pot with 1 – 2 cups of water. The bowl shouldn’t touch the water. Bring the water to a boil on medium-high heat. 2 cups chocolate chips 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Stir the chocolate occasionally using a spoon or silicone spatula, until all of the chocolate has melted and you have a smooth consistency. (Alternatively, you could melt in the microwave using a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second intervals until smooth, mixing in between).
- Take one cookie at a time to dip into the chocolate. It helps to tip the bowl to one side. Place the dipped cookies onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet or plate. Alternatively, you could drizzle the chocolate onto each cookie using a spoon. You might need to add more oil to the chocolate to make it loose enough to drizzle.
- Once finished, top with your choice of toppings and then place cookies into the refrigerator for 20 – 30 minutes or until the chocolate has hardened.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
How To Store/ Make Ahead
- Wait until the chocolate has fully hardened before trying to store the cookies.
- Store cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in a freezer-safe bag for several weeks. Thaw in the refrigerator when ready to enjoy.
- Store any leftover cookie dough in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to bake again, allow cookie dough to thaw completely on the counter then bake as usual. Cookies cooked from the freezer are usually thicker than freshly made.
- Store any leftover melted chocolate in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. Reheat using the doubler boiler or microwave method.
Tips and Tricks
- *Peanut butter – Use all-natural peanut butter. If you are using peanut butter similar to Jiff add an extra 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of flour.
- In between batches of cookies, keep the leftover dough in the refrigerator. This will help the rest of the cookie dough from cooking too fast or spreading too much in the oven.
- Cookies turn out the best when rolled in 1 tablespoon portions. Any bigger and your cookies will have a crunchy and crispy texture instead of soft and chewy.
- Don’t use butter instead of vegetable oil to mix with the chocolate. It will make the chocolate thick and weird and not dippable at all.
Nutrition
All nutrition information is automatically generated and should be only used as a rough estimate. This recipe card may contain affiliate links.
