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Chocolate Chunk Peanut Cookies

Chocolate Chunk Peanut Cookies are a delicious combination of peanuts, chocolate, and a hint of cinnamon. - Bake or Break

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.

Chocolate Chunk Peanut Cookies are a delicious combination of peanuts, chocolate, and a hint of cinnamon. - Bake or Break

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.

Chocolate Chunk Peanut Cookies are a delicious combination of peanuts, chocolate, and a hint of cinnamon. Always a favorite! - Bake or Break

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.

Chocolate Chunk Peanut Cookies

Yield about 56 cookies
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

These chewy, buttery cookies are loaded with peanut butter, dry-roasted peanuts, and chocolate chunks!

Chocolate Chunk Peanut Cookies are a delicious combination of peanuts, chocolate, and a hint of cinnamon. - Bake or Break

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

  1. Preheat oven to 375°.
  2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
  3. 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.
  4. Gradually add dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Stir in peanuts and chocolate chunks.
  5. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheets. Flatten each cookie slightly.
  6. 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.

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    34 Comments on “Chocolate Chunk Peanut Cookies”

  1. These are so wonderful, Jen. Peanut butter and chocolate are invincible! 🙂

  2. Jennifer, these look wonderful! My husband likes peanut butter cookies so I’m wondering if he will like these.

  3. Have you tried the PB Chocolate Chunk Cookie Recipe from Chocolate Chocolate by Lisa Yockelson? FABULOUS.

  4. 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

  5. reduce the cinnamon? sacrilege!

    you had my attention at “chocolate and peanut butter,” but won my eternal devotion at “cinnamon.” stellar combination!

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. WOW – those pictures are awesome..makes me want a cookie now! haha

  9. these cookies have got to be the most beautiful and tempting I’ve ever seen, end of!

  10. 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?

  11. 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.

  12. mmmm, pb and chocolate—my loves. Those look fantastic!

  13. 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.

  14. 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!

  15. 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.

  16. 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!

  17. I just had to pop in and say that your first pic is so perfect looking. Great shot!!

    These look yummalicious.

  18. Sarah, I agree. Peanut butter + cinnamon is a great combination. I’ll be revisiting that combo for sure!

    Thanks, RecipeGirl!

  19. 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.

  20. 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!

  21. Thanks, Ashley! Normally I would have wanted to use pecans, but I think the peanuts work well with the peanut butter.

    Thanks, Jj!

  22. 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.

  23. Cindy, I’m glad he liked them!

  24. 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:)

  25. 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.

  26. 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

  27. Thanks, Julia! I do love chocolate and peanut butter. Yum!

  28. 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 🙂

  29. 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.

  30. That looks like a tasty looking Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe! I will have to make those.

  31. 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

  32. Hi, Caroline! These should keep for about 5 days in a sealed container.

  33. Hello Jen,
    I found your recipe when I was looking for peanur cookie recipe this morning. I decided to bake right away because I have every ingredients in my pantry. I baked only half a batch because 56 cookies are too much for 3 of us at home. I reduced both sugar a little bit though. It tastes great. Love the combination of chocolate and whole peanuts, soft texture cookies. Next time i will do the full batch for sure. Anyway i am a novice baker so could you please tell me how long do i have to bake a cookie for if i shape dough into 2 inches and do i have to reduce the heat?
    Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe!!!
    Nan from Bangkok

    • Hi, Nan. A larger cookie might not need much more time. I’d still check for doneness after 10 minutes at the same temperature. Then, if necessary, you can bake them a bit longer.

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