Bakery-Style Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thick, bakery-counter cookies with crinkled tops, golden edges, and soft, fudgy centers — the kind that stay chewy for days. A high ratio of peanut butter to flour gives these serious nutty depth, while a blend of baking soda and a brief dough chill keeps them tall rather than spreading flat. Chocolate chips go in generously, and a few extra pressed on top right before baking make them look like they came from a glass jar on a bakery counter.

Ingredients

• unsalted butter, at room temperature – 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
• light brown sugar, packed – ¼ cup
• granulated sugar – 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon
• ¼ cup (67g) Natural creamy peanut butter, stirred very thoroughly until fully homogenous before measuring
• large egg – 1 large egg
• pure vanilla extract – ½ teaspoon
• all-purpose flour – ⅔ cup
• baking soda – ¼ teaspoon
• fine sea salt – ¼ teaspoon
• semisweet chocolate chips, divided – ½ cup
• flaky sea salt, for finishing – 1 pinch

Instructions

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 4 minutes until pale, fluffy, and noticeably increased in volume. Scrape down the bowl.
2. Add the peanut butter (make sure it was stirred completely smooth before measuring) and beat on medium speed for 1 minute until fully incorporated. Add the egg, beating well, then add the vanilla. Scrape the bowl and beat for another 30 seconds — the mixture should look smooth and cohesive. Note: natural peanut butter carries more free oil, so the mixture may look slightly looser than a commercial-style dough; this is normal.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and fine sea salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture all at once and mix just until no dry streaks remain — don't overmix. Fold in about three-quarters of the chocolate chips by hand with a rubber spatula.
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours, and ideally 24 to 48 hours. Because Teddy's natural peanut butter contains more free oil than commercial styles, a longer chill is especially important here — it firms the fat and significantly reduces spreading, keeping the cookies taller and more cohesive.
5. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C (convection: 350°F / 175°C). Line one baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop the dough into balls of about 55g / 3 tablespoons each and place them at least 3 inches apart on the prepared sheet. Press a few of the reserved chocolate chips onto the tops of each ball.
6. Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden but the centers still look slightly underdone and glossy. The cookies will look too soft — that's correct. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
7. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. They firm up significantly as they cool.