Peanut Butter Brownie Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you can’t decide between a fudgy brownie, a salty-sweet peanut butter treat, or a classic chocolate chip cookie, this recipe is your new best friend. These cookies feature a rich, chocolatey brownie core tucked inside a soft peanut butter chocolate chip cookie shell. It’s the ultimate “everything” dessert that hits every single craving in one bite.

Perfect for bake sales, parties, or just a late-night kitchen experiment, these cookies are as fun to make as they are to eat. The contrast between the dark, chewy brownie center and the golden, buttery peanut butter exterior creates a beautiful cross-section that looks professional but is surprisingly simple to achieve.

Why You’ll Love These

• Three Desserts in One: You get the best of the brownie, peanut butter, and chocolate chip worlds.

• Texture Heaven: A fudgy, dense center surrounded by a soft, melt-in-your-mouth cookie.

• The Perfect Balance: The saltiness of the peanut butter perfectly cuts through the rich sweetness of the chocolate.

Ingredients

Brownie Center

• Prepared Brownie Batter: Use your favorite fudgy brownie recipe or a boxed mix.
• Bake and Cool: Bake in an 8×8 pan, let cool completely, and cut into small 1-inch squares.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

• 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup (135g) light brown sugar, packed
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 2 cups (500g) creamy peanut butter
• 1 tbsp (30ml) vanilla extract
• 2 cups (340g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 1/2 cups (312g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp (4g) baking powder
• 1 tsp (6g) baking soda
• 1 tsp (3g) cornstarch
• 1 tsp (6g) salt

Instructions

1. Prep the Brownies: Prepare your brownie batter and pour it into a lined 8×8 baking pan. Bake until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let them cool completely—chilling them in the fridge helps with cutting. Cut into small, uniform squares.

2. Cream the Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in the peanut butter, eggs, and vanilla extract until fully combined.

4. Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt.

5. Combine and Chill: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Cover and chill dough in the fridge for 1 hour.

6. Assemble: Take a scoop of peanut butter cookie dough and flatten it in your palm. Place a brownie square in the center and wrap the dough around it, ensuring the brownie is completely sealed inside. Roll it into a smooth ball. You should get approximately 20 3oz (85g) cookie dough balls (4.5-5oz/127g when stuffed with the brownie)

7. Bake: Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 12–15 minutes, or until the edges are golden.

8. Finish: Let the cookies cool on the pan for at least 10 minutes to set before moving them.

Tips for Success

• Chill the Brownies: Cold brownies are much easier to handle and won’t crumble when you’re trying to wrap the cookie dough around them.

• Don’t Overbake: The cookies will continue to firm up as they cool. Take them out when the edges are set but the centers still look slightly soft.

• Room Temp Eggs: Ensure your eggs are at room temperature so they incorporate smoothly into the butter and sugar mixture.

Storage and Freshness

• Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

• Freezing: These cookies freeze beautifully! Freeze the assembled, unbaked balls for up to 3 months and bake from frozen (just add 2-3 minutes to the bake time). Baked cookies can also be frozen for up to 2 months.

• Pro Tip: If the cookies get a little firm, pop one in the microwave for 10 seconds to get that gooey, fresh-from-the-oven texture back.

Tons of items I use to bake with including my baking sheets, mixing bowls, favorite extracts and food colorings, self-sealing cookie bags and more are linked for you in my Amazon Storefront!