Simple Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cream peanut butter and sugar together until well combined. Add the beaten eggs and mix well.
- Stir in the 2 cups chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
- Drop dough by tablespoonful onto ungreased cookie sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are set but centers are still soft. Don’t overbake.
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Common Problems and Solutions
Q: Why are my cookies spreading too much?
A: Make sure your peanut butter is the standard creamy kind, not natural or no-stir varieties which have different oil content. Also, don't skip the cooling time on the pan—it helps them set up properly.
Q: Can I make these without eggs?
A: Eggs are critical in this recipe since there's no flour to provide structure. You could try flax eggs (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water per egg, let sit 5 minutes), but the texture will be different—more crumbly and less chewy.
Q: Why didn't my cookies get crispy?
A: These cookies are meant to be soft and chewy, not crispy. If you prefer a crunchier texture, bake for an additional 2-3 minutes and let them cool completely on the pan.
Tips and Techniques
Don’t overbake these—they’ll look slightly underdone when you pull them out, but they’ll firm up as they cool. Letting them rest on the hot baking sheet for 5 minutes is key to the perfect texture.
Ingredient Substitutions
- creamy peanut butter: crunchy peanut butter
- white sugar: light brown sugar
- chocolate chips: peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, or chopped chocolate
Equipment Needed
- Mixing bowl
- Electric mixer or wooden spoon
- Cookie sheets
- Tablespoon or cookie scoop
- Wire cooling rack
Historical Context
Flourless peanut butter cookies became popular during World War II when flour was rationed. The simplicity stuck around because, well, why mess with perfection? The chocolate chip addition is a modern twist on the classic three-ingredient version.
