Peanut butter chocolate swirl cookies are a delicious combination of rich, creamy peanut butter and indulgent chocolate. The swirls in the dough create a beautiful marbled effect, giving each bite a perfect balance of sweet and nutty flavors. They’re soft, chewy, and sure to satisfy any sweet craving! These cookies not only taste amazing but also have an eye-catching presentation, making them perfect for sharing or gifting.
These peanut butter chocolate swirl cookies are made in small batches, which makes them perfect for when you want just a few treats without the commitment of a large batch. Baking in smaller quantities also ensures that each cookie gets extra attention and comes out perfectly soft and fresh. It’s a great way to enjoy a homemade indulgence without any waste!
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Step by step instructions
Note: Find the full ingredient measurements and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Microwave butter in heatproof bowl for 30 seconds on high until melted. Set aside to cool for a couple minutes. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar and mix until combined. Add egg yolk and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Add salt, baking soda, and flour and mix until just combined.
- Divide the dough in half. Place one piece in the original bowl and the other in a separate small bowl. Add peanut butter to one bowl and cocoa powder to the other. Fold in with a spatula until fully combined, but be sure to wipe the spatula off between bowls.
- Flatten each dough in the palm of your hand and place them on top of each other and press them back into a ball. Mixing them into each other a bit as you go.
- Place back in bowl and scoop out 12 cookies.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop out 12 cookies. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Bake for 10-11 minutes.
Why you’ll love these peanut butter chocolate swirl cookies
- One-Bowl Recipe – These cookies are made in a single mixing bowl, and all you need is a whisk—no complicated cleanup required.
- No Mixer Needed – Skip the stand mixer entirely. This easy recipe comes together quickly with simple tools you already have.
- Fun Chocolate Swirl – The marbled peanut butter and chocolate pattern makes each cookie look bakery-worthy with zero extra decorating.
- Perfect Small Batch – This recipe yields 12 peanut butter chocolate swirl cookies, making it ideal for small households or satisfying a quick craving.
- Freezer-Friendly – The dough freezes beautifully, so you can bake fresh cookies whenever the craving strikes.
Frequently asked questions
If your cookies didn’t spread, you probably added too much flour. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, you can use the scoop and level method. Even an extra tablespoon of flour will make a huge difference!
Chilling the dough for 30 minutes allows the fats to solidify and the dough to dry out resulting in a higher concentration of sugars. The cookie will not spread as much and will be chewy and delicious.
If your cookies aren’t soft, chances are you over baked them. Even an extra minute will make a big difference. When you pull them out, the center will look soft, but they will set as they cool on the baking sheet.
My favorite is a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop. I like this one here.
As soon as you remove the cookies from the oven, use a cookie/biscuit cutter and gently scoot them into a circle. Be careful not to scoot too hard or they may smoosh together. You could also use a small bowl that’s slightly larger than the cookies too!
Tips for the best peanut butter chocolate swirl cookies
- Use Creamy Peanut Butter – Stick with regular creamy peanut butter for the best texture. Natural peanut butter can cause the dough to be too oily or crumbly.
- Don’t Overmix the Swirl – Gently swirl the chocolate into the peanut butter dough. Overmixing will muddy the marbled look and blend the flavors too much.
- Bake Just Until Set – Remove the cookies when the edges are set and the centers still look slightly soft. They’ll finish setting as they cool.
- Let Cookies Cool on the Pan – Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a rack so they hold their shape.
Storing and freezing instructions
These cookies are best fresh, but can be kept in an air tight container up to 3 days.
To freeze the cookie dough, roll the dough into balls and place them on a plate and set in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Then transfer them to a freezer safe ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Remember to label the dough with what it is, the date you made the batch, and the baking time as well. Add an additional 1-2 minutes onto the baking time when baking frozen dough.
Did you make this?
Please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. This helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Be sure to tag me on Instagram using @schmidtybakes so I can see. I love to see what you’re baking!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Cookies
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup (67g) light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg yolk (room temperature)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (80g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon (16g) creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon (5g) cocoa powder
Instructions
- Microwave butter in heatproof bowl for 30 seconds on high until full melted. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar and mix until combined. Add vanilla extract and egg yolk and mix until combined.
- Add salt, baking soda, and flour and mix until just combined.
- Divide the dough in half. Use a kitchen scale to help with accuracy. Each dough should be around 150g. Place one of the halves of dough in the original bowl. Add peanut butter and fold in using a spatula. Use your hand at the end to make sure it’s fully combined. Add the other dough to a separate small bowl. Add cocoa powder and mix until combined.
- Flatten each dough in the palm of your hand. Place them on top of each other and press back into a ball. Mixing them together a bit as you go. Place back in bowl.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop out 12 cookies using a #40 (1.5 tablespoon) cookie scoop. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Bake for 10-11 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
Notes
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
These turned out great, my favourite kind of cookie – nice and soft, not too sweet or rich, plus they were quick and easy to make using ingredients I already had on hand! I’ve made other marbled cookies before that were more tedious to put together but the instructions for these definitely simplified the process.
Just wondering if the recipe for the peanut butter is correct?
2tbsp of peanut butter defo not = 157g of peanut butter right?
Hi Bastian! Thank you so much for the question. It looks like the metric conversion isn’t calculating for some reason. 1 tablespoon of peanut butter is about 15g and 2 tablespoons would be about 30g.
These are amazing and so easy to put together! Thanks Tyler!
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed them 😊