These Crumbl Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies are so soft, chewy and filled with chocolate peanut butter goodness! A soft and gooey peanut butter cookie is baked inside a chocolate brownie cookie and then topped with melted chocolate and peanut butter chip toppings. 

I’m loving all these peanut butter cookies Crumbl has been coming out with! Peanut butter and chocolate is one of my favorite combinations! I’ve made a copycat recipe for the Crumbl Peanut Butter Cup Cookies, the Crumbl Classic Peanut Butter Cookies, and their Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

Chocolate and peanut butter swirled on top of a brownie cookie.

Why This Recipe Works

  • Gooey peanut butter cookie center. The best part about these peanut butter brownie cookies is the cookie center! Instead of a peanut butter filling, we’re adding a substantial peanut butter center. The peanut butter cookie stays a bit gooey in the center and it’s the perfect combination with the soft brownie cookie! 
  • Big, thick, chewy cookie. The cookie center makes this cookie big, thick and ultra chewy! It’s the perfect bakery-style cookie recipe. 
  • Delicious peanut butter + chocolate combination. Let’s just take a second and appreciate this perfect cookie anatomy: gooey peanut butter cookie center, rich chocolate brownie cookie exterior, smooth melted chocolate chips and peanut butter chips swirled on top. I mean it’s cookie perfection!  

Ingredient Notes

Crumbl Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies cut in half showing the peanut butter cookie in the center.
  • Unsalted Butter: If using salted butter instead of unsalted, reduce the amount of salt 1/4 of a teaspoon per 1/2 cup of butter in the recipe. 
  • Creamy Peanut Butter: You’ll want to use regular peanut butter for the peanut butter cookie instead of natural. Natural peanut butters have the oil separation, which is added liquid/oil that isn’t accounted for in the recipe. This means the texture of the cookie and the bake would be affected. 
  • Light Brown Sugar: A combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar will be used in each cookie to help give better flavor and texture. I’d recommend light brown sugar for the peanut butter cookie dough, since we’ll want that lighter peanut butter color. You can use either light or dark brown sugar for the brownie cookie dough. 
  • Light Corn Syrup: The brownie cookie calls for the light corn syrup. This will help the cookie stay really soft.
  • Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder: Yes, you’ll want to use Dutch process over unsweetened cocoa powder. First, the color is deeper, so you get a color that is more like a brownie. You’ll also get a deeper chocolate flavor that you don’t get from unsweetened. Read more about Dutch process cocoa powder. Cocoa Powder Guide
  • Cornstarch: Using cornstarch in the brownie cookie will give the cookie a really soft texture — and they’ll stay soft even when they are refrigerated. This is due to the cornstarch clinging to the liquid in the dough, which will keep the cookie moist.  
  • Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips and Peanut Butter Chips: These will make our separate chocolate and peanut butter toppings that will be swirled on top of the cookies.
  • Vegetable Shortening: Adding vegetable shortening to the melted chocolate and peanut butter chips will keep the mixtures smooth and help so they won’t seize up. Chips contain stabilizers that help hold their shape. These stabilizers can keep the chips from melting smoothly. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Make the peanut butter cookie dough. Cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugars for 2-3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and mix until well combined. Add the salt, baking soda, and flour and mix until combined. Portion into 2 tablespoon-sized balls. Slightly to resemble thick disk. Freeze for 10 minutes on wax paper-lined plate.
  2. Make the brownie cookie dough. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Add the egg, corn syrup, and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Add the flour, cocoa, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until the dough comes together. Form into 1/3 cup-sized balls. Create an indent in the center using a tablespoon. 
  1. Fill the brownie cookies. Take 1 frozen peanut butter cookie dough disk and place it in the indent of each brownie cookie. Wrap the brownie cookie dough around it to completely cover the peanut butter cookie dough.  
  1. Roll and flatten. Roll the peanut butter filled chocolate cookie into a ball and place 6 on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Flatten slightly to form a thick disk.  
  2. Bake. Bake at 350°F for 10-13 minutes or until edges are set and the centers are no longer shiny. Do not over bake. Remove from the oven and cool on the pan for 10 minutes before cooling completely on a wire rack.
  1. Melt the toppings. Place the chocolate chips and 1 tsp vegetable shortening in one microwave-safe bowl. Place the peanut butter chips and 1 tsp vegetable shortening in another microwave-safe bowl. Microwave each separately in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until smooth. 
  2. Assemble. Spread a 1-2 tablespoons of the melted chocolate overtop of each cookie. Then spread 1-2 tablespoons of the melted peanut butter chips over the chocolate. Use a toothpick to mix the two together. Enjoy! 

Recipe Tips

There will be some leftover peanut butter dough. You can bake them as regular peanut butter cookies if you wish!

The peanut butter cookie on the inside will be nice and soft if you enjoy these peanut butter brownie cookies warm. If you let them cool to room temperature or chill in the fridge, it will set up more like a cookie. 

When combining wet and dry ingredients, do not over mix! Over mixing at this stage in the process will make the dough tough, which will affect the bake and result in a harder cookie texture.

It’s always safer to under bake than over bake a cookie. Cookies will continue to cook from residual heat from the pan as they cool on the pan for 10 minutes. Pull the Crumbl peanut butter brownie cookies out of the oven when the edges are set and the middles are no longer shiny. The middles will look and feel soft to the touch. That’s what we want! 

If you are looking for more peanut butter + chocolate desserts, try my Peanut Butter Blossoms Cookie, No Bake Peanut Butter Pie, Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars, and popular Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls!

This recipe uses Dutch process cocoa powder. For more information about Dutch-process cocoa powder, see my Cocoa Powder Guide

Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing

To make ahead, you can make the peanut butter cookie dough and the brownie cookie dough ahead of time and store them in separate airtight containers in the fridge for 1-2 days. After 2 days, I would prepare and bake the cookies. 

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the fridge for 5-6 days. 

To freeze, flash freeze on a baking sheet until the toppings are firm. Wrap each cookie in plastic wrap then store in an airtight container or Ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for 1-2 months. Remove and let thaw in the fridge. Enjoy cold or microwave for 8 seconds to enjoy warm. 

You can freeze the doughs separately. Flash freeze until firm, then store in airtight containers or Ziplock bags in the freezer for 1-2 months. Remove and let the chocolate brownie cookies thaw in the fridge overnight. You can keep the peanut butter cookie dough in the freezer and remove them about 10-15 minutes minutes before you need them. You want the peanut butter cookie dough to be firm but the brownie cookie dough to be soft since you need to wrap it around the peanut butter one. 

Chocolate and peanut butter swirled on top of a brownie cookie on a wire cooling rack.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use natural peanut butter?

No. The peanut butter cookie recipe doesn’t account for the added oil in natural peanut butter. Use a regular peanut butter or else the bake and texture of the cookie will be off. 

Can I use crunchy peanut butter?

Yes, you can use crunchy peanut butter for the cookie center. You’ll just have that crunchy peanut texture.

Can I use unsweetened or natural cocoa powder instead of Dutch process?

No. The chocolate brownie cookie recipe is made to produce a deep chocolate flavor and color. Using unsweetened will result in a lighter color and flavor of chocolate. The make up of unsweetened cocoa powder is different than Dutch process as well. Read more about this in my Cocoa Powder Guide.

Is the peanut butter cookie filling soft? 

If you enjoy the Crumbl peanut butter brownie cookies warm, the cookie on the inside will be nice and soft! This is also why you don’t want to over bake the cookies. You want the filling to be a little gooey so it isn’t hard. 

A hand holding Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies against a white background.

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A brownie cookie topped with melted chocolate and peanut butter that has been swirled together.
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5 from 9 votes

Crumbl Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies

These cookies are so amazing they are going to blow your mind!!! A peanut butter cookie is baked inside of a brownie cookie. Then add melted chocolate and peanut butter to the tops for the final touch. This recipe makes 6 gourmet cookies that your friends and family will be doting over!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 cookies

Ingredients
 

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough

Brownie Cookie Dough

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter - softened
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar - packed
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat, set aside.

Make the peanut butter cookie dough

  • Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or a hand mixer, cream butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for 2-3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and mix again until well combined.
  • Add the salt, baking soda, and flour and mix until combined. 
  • Portion into heaping 2 tablespoon sized balls. Flatten slightly so they resemble a thick disk. Place on a wax paper lined plate and freeze for 10 minutes or until firm.

Make the brownie cookie dough

  • Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream the butter, brown sugar, and sugar on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Add the egg, corn syrup, and vanilla extract and mix until combined. 
  • Add the flour, cocoa, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until the dough comes together. 
  • Using a 1/3 cup, portion the dough into round balls. Use a tablespoon to create an indent in each brownie dough ball.
  • Take 1 frozen peanut butter disk and wrap the brownie cookie dough around it so that the peanut butter ball is now in the center and the brownie cookie dough is surrounding the entire peanut butter dough. Roll into a ball and place 6 balls on the baking sheet. Using the palm of your hand press down on each ball until it creates a thick disk, like a hockey puck.
  • Bake for 13-15 minutes or until edges are set and the tops appear sort of crackly. Do not overbake. Remove from the oven and cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Melt the toppings

  • Melt the chocolate chips and 1 tsp of vegetable shortening in a microwave-safe bowl until smooth. 
  • Melt the peanut butter chips and 1 tsp vegetable shortening n a microwave-safe bowl until smooth. 

Assembly

  • Spread a 1-2 tablespoons of the melted chocolate overtop of each cookie. Then spread 1-2 tablespoons of the melted peanut butter chips over the chocolate. Use a toothpick to mix the two together.
  • Enjoy warm or store in an airtight container for 3 days. 

Notes

There will be some leftover peanut butter dough. You can bake them as regular peanut butter cookies if you wish!
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the fridge for 5-6 days. 
To freeze, flash freeze on a baking sheet until the toppings are firm. Wrap each cookie in plastic wrap then store in an airtight container or Ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for 1-2 months. 
Flash freeze the dough balls until firm, then store in airtight containers or Ziplock bags in the freezer for 1-2 months. Remove and let the chocolate brownie cookies thaw in the fridge overnight. Remove the PB cookie dough about 10-15 minutes minutes prior to baking. 

Nutrition

Calories: 853kcal (43%)Carbohydrates: 102g (34%)Protein: 15g (30%)Fat: 46g (71%)Saturated Fat: 24g (120%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 123mg (41%)Sodium: 516mg (22%)Potassium: 435mg (12%)Fiber: 6g (24%)Sugar: 60g (67%)Vitamin A: 798IU (16%)Calcium: 89mg (9%)Iron: 5mg (28%)
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
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