Levain Style DOUBLE Peanut Butter Cookies

BIG AND CHUNKY

Grace Fahey

Jun 23, 2026

So so many of you have requested a peanut butter version of my chunky Levain style cookie. AND I LIVE TO SERVE OKAY.

I wanted a cookie that had all the things we love about a thick levain-style chocolate chip cookie. Soft gooey centers, crispy edges, and a super rich flavor that’s unmistakably peanut butter.

My first test used the same flour ratio as my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe, and while the flavor was there, the texture was just too dry. After reducing the flour and adjusting the fat balance, these cookies landed exactly where I wanted them! Thick, soft, and packed with peanut butter flavor.

If you’re a peanut butter lover, these are for YOU.

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 375g (3 cups) all-purpose flour
• 8g (2 tsp) baking powder
• 6g (1 tsp) baking soda
• 5g (¾ tsp) salt
• 4g (1 tsp) cornstarch

Wet Ingredients

• 125g (½ cup + 1 tbsp) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 100g (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) creamy peanut butter
• 200g (1 cup) brown sugar
• 120g (⅔ cup) granulated sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix-Ins

• 227g (8 oz / about 1⅓ cups) peanut butter chips (can sub any kind of chocolate chip as well!! OOOO OR M&M’S WOULD BE SO GOOD)

Instructions

1. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the cold cubed butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until just combined. Scrape down the bowl as needed.

3. Add the egg yolks, whole egg, and vanilla. Mix until combined.

4. Add the dry ingredients half at time and mix on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.

5. Fold in the peanut butter chips.

6. Scoop the dough into large portions (classic Levain cookies are 6oz, I tend to prefer 4oz per cookie) and place on the prepared baking sheet.

7. Cover and freeze the scooped dough until frozen solid before baking.

8. Bake at 375F for 18–20 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the centers still look slightly underdone.

9. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Final Thoughts

What I love most about these cookies is that they don’t have the texture you’d typically expect from a peanut butter cookie. They’re thicker and more reminiscent of a bakery-style chocolate chip cookie, but with enough peanut butter flavor to make them feel like their own thing.

A few notes:

• Use a conventional creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy for the most consistent results.
• Don’t overbake! The centers should still look slightly underdone when you pull them from the oven.
• I highly recommend you finish the cookies with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt right before baking,

If you make them, let me know how they turn out! If you’re anything like me, they’ll disappear FAST.