High Altitude Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Peanut butter and chocolate set the relationship standard in the cookie world. Dare I say it’s the ultimate match? I love all things peanut butter and chocolate and these High Altitude Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies are no exception.
HIGH ALTITUDE PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES
I could wax poetic all day about my love for peanut butter cookies. Growing up, my mom made them often. Rolling the cookie dough in sugar before giving the cookies their signature branding: Two forks to make a criss cross before baking. The only real difference with this version is that I added dark chocolate chunks. Pretty sure my mom wouldn’t mind!
FYI, my favorite chocolate chunks are from Trader Joes! In a pinch, I’ll cut up a full chocolate bar into chunks.
HIGH ALTITUDE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE TIPS
You’re likely here because you’re looking specifically for a high altitude cookie recipe. I get so many emails asking if my recipes are already adjusted for high altitude and the answer is: YES!!! Often times (like this one) I’ll find a well rated cookie recipe on the Internet and then adjust it until I get it right. Decreasing the sugar a tad, decreasing the leavening a bit, and boosting the flavor are my not so secret rules when playing around with a recipe.
You can find all my high altitude cookie tips—-> ON THIS PAGE HERE!
CHUNKY OR SMOOTH PEANUT BUTTER?
If this isn’t the million dollar question I don’t know what is! My answer: chunky peanut butter for sandwiches and smearing on to apples, creamy for baking and especially when baking cookies. The reality is you can use whatever you like best. I will say that I rarely use a natural peanut butter when baking. While it’s my favorite for everyday use, the blended store bought variety is best for baking!
The peanut butter I like for baking is JIF Natural.
SUBBING CHOCOLATE CHIPS FOR CHOCOLATE CHUNKS
Chocolate chunks, chocolate chips, a chopped up chocolate bar…..any and all will work! A few weeks ago I made these and used up the last bit of three different bags of chocolate chips: Regular sized milk chocolate chips, mini semi-sweet chips, and also some chocolate toffee bits. As you can imagine, the cookies were amazing. If you prefer a less sweet cookie, use dark chocolate and if you want one a little more sweet, opt for milk chocolate or even sub for some white chocolate!
TIPS FOR FREEZING PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE DOUGH
I almost always freeze either unbaked cookie dough or the baked cookies when I’m making a batch. To freeze the cookie dough, form the dough into balls and freeze in a ziplock bag or something airtight. When ready to bake, thaw the cookie dough just a bit and then roll the cookies in sugar just before baking as directed. If freezing the baked cookies, let them cool completely before placing in a ziplock or airtight container. Baked cookies will freeze for up to 3-4 weeks.
OTHER HIGH ALTITUDE COOKIE RECIPES:
In case you want to make even more cookies, here are a few of my favorite recipes! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and as always, thanks for being here. Happy baking and enjoy the cookies! xo, Kelley
High Altitude Cowboy Cookies
High Altitude Sugar Cookies
No Bake Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies with Dulce de Leche
High Altitude Flourless Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
recipe by Mountain Mama Cooks, photos by Deborah DeKoff
PrintHigh Altitude Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Prep Time: 15- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 36 cookies 1x
Prep Time:
Yield:
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Chewy interior and a crispy exterior, these peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies are one of my favorites!
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups dark chocolate chunks
- 1/3 cup coarse sugar for rolling cookies
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
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In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
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In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, peanut butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla and mix. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add flour mixture and mix just until combined. Stir in chocolate chunks.
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Use a heaping tablespoon and scoop the cookie dough into a small bowl. Gently roll between your hands to form a ball.
- Put the coarse sugar in a shallow bowl or plate. Roll the cookie balls in the sugar and place on a lined baking sheet. Gently press the cookies down with the bottom of a cup.
- Bake cookies at 375 F degrees for 9-10 minutes just until cookies are set. Remove from oven and let the cookies cool on the rack for 5 minutes and then transfer cookies to a cooling rack to finish cooling fully.
26 Comments
Really want to make these! But we live in Wisconsin with no altitude How do I adjust the recipe?
Add an extra tablespoon of sugar and an extra 1/8th teaspoon of leavening. Bake as directed!
These are great cookies! These are better than peanut butter cookies I used to make for years ago. Everyone loved them, a keeper for sure!
Yummy! Or as my son said, “mom, those are some high quality cookies you got there!”
I’m at 6800ft. No alterations other than baking closer to 14min.
Just made these tonight in Breckenridge, CO ~9300ft. Turned out amazing! Thanks for all your great high altitude recipes. Your website is my “go to” when it comes to baking at altitude.
Needed to bake today. Made these! Amazing! Perfect recipe for Santa Fe, NM (7,000 ft.). Some for us right now and some for later in the freezer!
Wow, these cookies look delicious. I look forward to making these soon. Thanks a lot for sharing the recipe.
Do you think I can sub Nutella for the peanut butter? I have some I’m trying to use up.
I don’t think it would work, sorry!
Is it possible to use honey instead of sugar? Thanks.
I don’t think the cookies will turn out since the honey is liquid.
I used 1 1/2 cups of honey and no sugar and they came out great!
Thanks!
Well you proved me wrong! Love it. Thanks for commenting and sharing your swap. I’ll have to try them with honey next time I make them.
Just made three today and they turned out amazing. I’m really impressed because I haven’t baked in years! Going to make it a news years resolution to bake more. It’s one of the things I enjoyed doing as a child and realized today how much I miss it. Thanks for your amazing recipe.
Great recipe but each time I’ve made this, I’m left with almost two cups of flour that didn’t make it into the batter. I’m in Colorado Springs at 6,500’.
Does anyone else have an excess of flour left over?
Make sure you are measuring the flour correctly! Cut down to 3 cups and add as you need!
Made these at 7000 feet in Kenya without a reliable oven. Turned out perfect on the first try! Thank you for the great high altitude recipes (I didn’t have chocolate chunks so just made traditional peanut butter cookies and the recipe was perfect.)
Thank you! After what can only be described as a catastrophic failure on a different recipe I was desperately searching when I came across this one! It worked amazing! We are at about 5,300 feet. Absolutely keeping this recipe.
BEST cookie recipe I’ve made here in Denver. Turned out absolutely delicious.
When I made these, I didn’t have enough PB for a full cup so I add enough almond butter to substitute. Everyone really liked the mixed nut flavor- especially the little one who says she doesn’t like PB cookies.
I love peanut butter cookies but they are always so hard and you need a glass of milk to dunk them to eat. Not this recipe. Thank you. No milk required (but is nice to have).
These came out perfectly and so delicious. At 5,600 feet it’s tough to make baking recipes work!! Thank you!!
Finally! These cookies look and taste perfect—and so easy to make! Follow the recipe exactly and these cookies will be done in 10 minutes at 375. I’m right outside of Denver at about 5,800 ft. They will be given as gifts this fall so I needed them to be pretty. THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing this recipe!
My kids just told me these weee the best cookies I ever made. I’ve made two batches this week and will another on tomorrow.
We subbed white chocolate instead of milk or dark for the first batch. Both ways they are delicious at 11,000 feet.
Thanks for reliable recipes!
This is my go-to cookie recipe anytime I need to impress someone with my baking! They come out beautiful and delicious every single time. Thank you!
I live at 4100′ in Eastern Wyoming. Raising two grandsons and these are their favourite peanut butter cookies. Because of allergies we have to use natural peanut butter. I think the cookies come out fine, I have no safe way to compare the difference.
Thanks so much for researching and sharing your delightful recipes.