Soft, thick peanut butter cookies studded with coarsely chopped peanuts and colorful M&M’s. These cookies are comforting, satisfying, and perfect for brightening a rough day.
This chunky peanut butter cookie recipe started as a happy accident. I once grabbed plain peanuts instead of salted ones, and they sat untouched. Around the same time, a few M&M’s were left behind in a shared-size bag. I combined those misfit peanuts and candies with my favorite peanut butter cookie base, and the result quickly became my go-to cookie. The mix of rich peanut butter, crunchy peanuts, and sweet chocolate candies is irresistible.
These cookies contain over a cup of peanut butter and a half cup of peanuts, so if you enjoy loaded peanut butter treats, you’ll love these. More peanut butter usually means better flavor and a tender, rich texture.
I prefer the classic fork crosshatch on top of peanut butter cookies, but that’s optional. These cookies don’t spread much, so if you skip the fork marks, gently flatten each ball before baking. Note: they won’t brown much on top — remove them when the centers are set but the tops are still pale to avoid overbaking, which can lead to dry, crumbly cookies.
While you’re here, you might also enjoy trying more cookie recipes for variety:
- Smore’s Cookies
- Chewy French Toast Cookies
- Key Lime Pie Shortbread Cookies
- Peanut Butter Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chunky Peanut Butter Cookies with M&M’s
Print
Rate
Save
Ingredients
- 6 Tablespoons salted butter (softened)
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup plain peanuts (coarsely chopped)
- 1/2 cup M&M candies
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
-
In a medium bowl, cream together the softened butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the peanut butter, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, beating until combined. Add the flour and baking powder and mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Stir in the chopped peanuts and M&M’s by hand.
-
Use a small cookie scoop or roll the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls and place them on the prepared sheets, spacing them a couple of inches apart.
-
Gently press each ball with the tines of a fork to create a crosshatch pattern, or flatten them slightly with the bottom of a floured glass so they are about 1 cm tall.
-
Bake at 350°F for 12–13 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
Did You Make this Recipe?
Please leave a review or a photo — I’d love to hear your feedback!