Peanut butter and chocolate fans, get ready! I’ve packed at least three amazing cookies into one incredible recipe with my big, fat peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Fair warning: these cookies are bursting with flavor, ridiculously thick, and totally addictive. They’ll hit the spot for just about any cookie craving.
One reader, Dyna, raves: *“Hands down the BEST cookie recipe I’ve ever made—and trust me, I’ve baked a ton of cookies in my 50+ years as a mom of three. These are insanely satisfying. And all the extra tips? Spot on. Following them gave me the most gorgeous, delicious cookies ever. Thank you for sharing this with the world!”*
These big, fat peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are the ultimate cookie experience. I got the idea to make them after seeing the cover of my cookbook, Sally’s Cookie Addiction, for the first time. The giant, gorgeous monster cookies on the cover are packed with M&Ms (you’ll find them in Chapter 2, and they’re now on my website too!).
But this recipe? We’re skipping the candy and focusing on the unbeatable duo: chocolate chips and peanut butter. A match made in cookie heaven! Here, we’re mixing that perfect pair with hearty oats to create the thickest, richest, most satisfying cookie ever.
What Makes These Cookies So Special?
- Texture: Packed with goodies, these cookies have chewy edges, soft centers, and are shockingly thick. (Seriously, I’m always amazed at how thick they turn out!)
- Flavor: Regular chocolate chip cookies are sweet and buttery, but the peanut butter-chocolate combo here takes them to a whole new level of indulgence. If you love this pairing, don’t miss these peanut butter chocolate cookies too.
- Ease: Super simple to make—the dough comes together in minutes with basic pantry staples like old-fashioned oats and peanut butter. Perfect for last-minute cravings or prepping ahead for a special occasion (see Note).
- Time: The dough is ready to chill in under an hour. Just 20 minutes in the fridge (same as my brownie cookies) lets the oats soak up moisture and keeps the cookies from spreading too much.
No oats? Try these peanut butter chocolate chip cookies instead. Need gluten-free? Go for these flourless peanut butter oatmeal cookies or flourless monster cookies. We’ve got you covered!
Recipe Testing: What Worked & What Didn’t
- Peanut butter weight: This dough is based on my oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, but peanut butter can make it heavy. Solution? A little baking powder for lift.
- Spreading issues: During testing, the cookies weren’t spreading enough. Fix? Swapped the amounts of granulated and brown sugar. Granulated sugar (dry and thin) helps with spread, while brown sugar (moist and thick) keeps cookies compact. The extra granulated sugar makes all the difference—and don’t worry, you won’t miss the brown sugar flavor because peanut butter steals the show.
- Fewer oats, more chocolate: Early versions had more oats, but I cut back to make room for extra chocolate chips. Can you really blame me?
Choosing the Right Ingredients
- Peanut butter: I love natural peanut butter for snacking, but for this recipe, stick with non-natural kinds like Jif or Skippy. Natural peanut butter works in my regular peanut butter cookies (though they’re a tad crumblier), but it’s not ideal here. Creamy is best—crunchy can dry them out. You’ll need 1 cup.
- Butter temperature: Like my basic soft chocolate chip cookies, this recipe starts with creaming room-temperature butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Too warm or too cold butter? Disaster. Room temp is around 65°F (18°C)—cool and slightly firm, not soft or greasy. Leave it out for an hour before baking, or use my quick butter-softening trick if you’re in a hurry. You’ll need 1 cup.
Preparing the Dough
After mixing the dough, chill it for 20 minutes. Then scoop and bake—each cookie uses 2 Tablespoons of dough (same size as my regular chocolate chip cookies). Space them 3 inches apart—they’re big! I use a medium cookie scoop and overfill it (since it only holds 1.5 Tablespoons).
