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Vegan peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are the perfect marriage of flavors. Loaded with lots of peanut butter flavor and chocoate chips, this recipe brings out the best of both flavors.
Vegan peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are the perfect combination of both flavors. This recipe is loaded with tons of peanut butter and chocolate chips. I don't think you can have too much of either ingredient. Do you? Case and point with my favorite vegan chocolate muffins, they have an intense flavor that I almost feel quilty when I eat them for breakfast. Almost.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour - 2 and ½ cups (313g)
- Baking powder - 1 teaspoon
- Baking soda - 1 teaspoon
- Salt - ½ teaspoon
- Unsalted vegan butter - 1 cup (230g; 2 sticks)
- Organic or vegan sugar - 1 cup (200g)
- Light brown sugar - ½ cup (150g)
- Aquafaba - 6 tablespoons*
- Creamy peanut butter - 2 cups (500g)
- Vanilla extract - 1 and ½ teaspoons
- Vegan chocolate chips, vegan mini chocolate chips, or vegan chocolate chunks 1 and ½ cups (300g)
- Instead of aquafaba, you can use chia or flax seeds. Mix 2 tablespoon of seeds + 6 tablespoon of warm water. Let sit for 10 minutes to create a binding gel-like consistency.
Fun Fact: The first chocolate chip cookie recipe was created by Ruth Graves Wakefield in 1938. She ran the Toll House Inn in Massachusetts and added chunks of Nestle chocolate to her cookie dough, creating a sensation that would become one of the most popular cookies in America.
Directions
Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Combine dry ingredients: In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
Combine wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the vegan butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until thoroughly combined. Add the aquafaba and vanilla extract and fully incorporate.
Combine all ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl with the wet ingredients. Mix them with a spatula to avoid overmixing. Lastly, mix in the chocolate chips by hand.
Shape and Bake: Using a cookie scoop or a large spoon, scoop up the dough and roll it into a ball. Place the cookie dough balls on the baking sheet, spacing each ball about two inches apart. Using the palm of your hand, gently press down on the cookie to slightly flatten it. Bake the cookies for 20 - 22 minutes or until golden. Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Helpful Hint: After scooping the dough into balls and placing them on a baking sheet, store the baking trays in the refrigerator for one hour to chill the dough. This step helps to solidify the butter so the cookies hold their shape better and don't spread as much during baking.
Expert Tips
Peanut Butter: The right peanut butter is critical to perfect cookies. Thick and creamy or smooth peanut butter, which your mom did not want you to eat, works best when making peanut butter cookies.
Scooper: Use a cookie scoop for cookies that are uniform in size and shape.
Cooling Rack: When cookies are removed from the oven, they are still very hot and continue to cook for a few minutes, even after being removed from the oven. This could be why your cookies are burned on the bottom. A cooling rack allows air to circulate around the cookies, which helps them to cool down faster and prevents them from becoming soggy or sticking to the baking sheet.
Use room temperature ingredients. Before starting the recipe, allow all ingredients to come to room temperature. This step allows for everything to be uniformly mixed. I typically leave the butter out the night before; however, 2 hours before is usually enough. If you do not have room-temperature butter, place the butter sticks in the microwave, lower the power to 3 or 4, and the microwave bursts in 10 - 15 seconds. Once the butter is softened, it is good to use. However, do not let the butter get too warm or melt. That will result in cookies that are spread out.
Cream the butter and sugars well. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until thoroughly combined. Don't worry; you cannot overmix during this step.
Do not overmix the dough. While you cannot overmix the step above, you can easily overmix your dough once the dry ingredients are added. To avoid overmixing, I always recommend doing this step by hand and adding the chips by hand.
Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Lining your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat helps cookies bake evenly, gives them a golden brown bottom, and is easy to remove from the sheet.
Monitor the cookies in the oven - While baking is a fine science, and the ingredients are mixed and measured to precision, the size of the cookies and slightly different oven temperatures can change the cooking time. Ovens differ and can throw off. I recommend always watching the cookies closely, especially towards the end of the baking time, to ensure the cookies are not over bakes.
Allow the cookies to cool completely before serving. Letting the cookies cool for a few minutes gives them time to firm up and set. Plus, whoever said they loved hot cookies? It is always warm cookies that taste best.
How to Store These Cookies
| Location | Instructions |
|---|---|
| Counter | Store peanut butter cookies in an airtight container on the counter. The cookies will stay fresh for up to three days. |
| Refrigerator | Allow the cookies to cool to room temperature. Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to one week. |
| Freezing Cookie Dough | After making a batch of cookie dough, divide it into equal parts and shape it into balls. Place the dough balls on a baking sheet in the freezer for one hour or until frozen solid. Once frozen, transfer the balls to an airtight container or ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for up to three months. |
| Freezing Baked Cookies | Place the cookies in an airtight container or a freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to three months. Let warm up to room temperature and reheat if desired. |
FAQ
When finding the best peanut butter for baking, I recommend cream Skippy or Jiff. The texture is perfect for baking. I do not recommend natural peanut butter. These tend to be dry and create cookies that fall apart.
To test if the cookies are ready, lightly press down on one cookie —if your finger leaves an imprint, the cookies need to be baked a little longer.
Target is my favorite place to buy vegan chocolate chips. They have a great price and different sizes. I have consistently found vegan chips at Target, Sprouts, and Whole Foods. My local Kroger has been hit or miss.
In the mood for something else? Check out my other cookie recipes
Recipe
Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- 1 Baking sheet
- 1 Parchment paper
- 1 Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
- 1 cookie scooper (recommended)
Ingredients
- 2 and ½ cups (313g) All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup (230g; 2 sticks) Unsalted vegan butter
- 2 cups (500g) Creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup (150g) Light brown sugar
- 1 cup (200g) Organic or vegan sugar
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon (6 tablespoons) Aquafaba
- 1 and ½ teaspoons Vanilla extract
- 1 and ½ cups Vegan chocolate chips, vegan mini chocolate chips, or vegan chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until thoroughly combined. Set aside.2 and ½ cups (313g) All-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon Baking powder, 1 teaspoon Baking soda, ½ teaspoon Salt
- Combine wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, cream the vegan butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until thoroughly combined. Add the aquafaba and vanilla extract and fully incorporate.1 cup (230g; 2 sticks) Unsalted vegan butter, 1 cup (200g) Organic or vegan sugar, ½ cup (150g) Light brown sugar, ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon (6 tablespoons) Aquafaba, 2 cups (500g) Creamy peanut butter, 1 and ½ teaspoons Vanilla extract
- Combine all ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl with the wet ingredients. Mix them together with a spatula to avoid overmixing. Lastly, mix in the chocolate chips by hand.1 and ½ cups Vegan chocolate chips, vegan mini chocolate chips, or vegan chocolate chunks
- Shape and Bake: Using a cookie scoop or a large spoon, scoop up the dough and roll it into a ball. Place the cookie dough balls on the baking sheet, spacing each ball about two inches apart. Using the palm of your hand, gently press down on the cookie to flatten it slightly. Bake the cookies for 20 - 22 minutes or until golden. Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.Helpful Hint: After scooping the dough into balls and placing them on a baking sheet, store the baking trays in the refrigerator for one hour to chill the dough. This step helps to solidify the butter so the cookies hold their shape better and don't spread as much during baking
Notes
| Location | Instructions |
|---|---|
| Counter | Store peanut butter cookies in an airtight container on the counter. The cookies will stay fresh for up to three days. |
| Refrigerator | Allow the cookies to cool to room temperature. Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to one week. |
| Freezing Cookie Dough | After making a batch of cookie dough, divide it into equal parts and shape it into balls. Place the dough balls on a baking sheet in the freezer for one hour or until frozen solid. Once frozen, transfer the balls to an airtight container or ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for up to three months. |
| Freezing Baked Cookies | Place the cookies in an airtight container or a freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to three months. Let warm up to room temperature and reheat if desired. |
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