Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cookies… ugh. I hate these cookies. I hate them because I love them. Made in under a half hour and then taunting me from the pan as they cool… they are the worst. And by the worst I hope you know I mean the best. They are rich, sweet and salty, and full of delicious chocolate-y landmines. If you need a quick cookie fix, these are an excellent cookie to take for a test drive, but be aware they won’t last long if they are within arm’s reach.
A few baking notes:
Natural peanut butter just doesn’t work well with these - they will spread too much as the oil separates, resulting in a really flat cookie. Instead, use your favorite brand of regular ol’ PB (I chose JIF).
You could use any kind of chocolate chunk or chip you want - I like the more rustic look of chunks and I prefer dark chocolate.
The flaky sea salt sprinkled on top is purely optional, but I’ve found it balances the super rich flavors well. Plus, it provides a smidge of crunch when your tooth hits a flake. If you haven’t tried finishing salt on your cookies yet, you could try it on a few and see what you think. You don’t need much at all - you’re not going for a salty flavor.
Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
From King Arthur Flour
1 cup peanut butter
161 grams (3/4 cup, packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of kosher salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
85 grams (1/2 cup) dark chocolate chunks (or chips)
flaky sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350℉ and make sure your racks are in the middle and upper third spots. Prep two rimless cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpats.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat together the peanut butter, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add in the beaten egg and vanilla extract, beat on low at first to combine, then on medium until completely mixed. Remove the mixing bowl from the mixer and stir in the chocolate chunks with a wooden spoon until evenly disbursed.
Portion the dough out in 1/4 cup amounts and roll in between your hands until the dough forms a ball. Place cookie dough balls about 3 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Using a fork, press each cookie down just slightly. If the fork starts to stick to the dough ball, you can lightly spray the fork with a non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle each with a little flaky sea salt, if using.
Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, rotating the pans once halfway through the bake time. The cookies are done when they start to crack and split on top and the tops are starting to dry. You’ll want to remove them before they begin to darken on the edges (helloooooo overcooked cookies). Allow them to cool directly on the pan completely (or snag one while they are still a little warm…).
