Description
This indulgent cookie combines three classic flavors in one soft, chewy dessert: creamy peanut butter, rich chocolate, and buttery caramel.
The cookies have crisp, lightly golden edges while the centers remain soft and chewy. Chocolate chips melt into the dough, caramel pieces create sweet, gooey pockets, and peanut butter gives every bite a rich nutty flavor.
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Chocolate and Caramel Add-Ins
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup caramel bits or soft caramel pieces
- ½ cup peanut butter chips
- ½ cup additional chocolate chips, for topping
- ¼ cup additional caramel pieces, for topping
Optional
- Flaky sea salt
- Chopped roasted peanuts
- Milk chocolate chips
- Dark chocolate chips
- White chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Using parchment helps prevent the caramel from sticking excessively to the baking sheet and makes cleanup easier.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Mix thoroughly so the leavening agents and salt are evenly distributed throughout the flour.
Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and creamy.
This should take approximately 2–3 minutes with an electric mixer.
The brown sugar adds moisture and a soft, chewy texture while the granulated sugar helps the cookies develop lightly crisp edges.
Add the creamy peanut butter to the butter and sugar mixture.
Beat until completely smooth and well combined.
For the best texture, use regular creamy peanut butter rather than very runny natural peanut butter.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Add the vanilla extract and beat until incorporated.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are evenly mixed.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture.
Mix on low speed just until the flour disappears.
Do not overmix the dough. Overmixing can develop too much gluten and make the finished cookies less tender.
Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips, caramel pieces, and peanut butter chips using a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula.
Distribute the ingredients evenly throughout the dough.
The dough should be thick and loaded with chocolate, caramel, and peanut butter pieces.
For thicker, chewier cookies, refrigerate the dough for approximately 30 minutes.
This step is especially useful if your kitchen is warm or the butter became very soft while mixing.
Chilling helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough into balls approximately 2 tablespoons each.
Place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving approximately 2 inches of space between each cookie.
The cookies will spread as they bake.
For a bakery-style appearance, press a few extra chocolate chips and caramel pieces into the top of each dough ball.
This makes the finished Sumbitches Cookies look especially loaded and gives you visible pockets of chocolate and caramel on the surface.
Bake for approximately 10–13 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies.
The edges should look lightly golden and set while the centers should still appear slightly soft.
Do not wait until the centers look completely firm in the oven. The cookies will continue cooking from the residual heat of the baking sheet after they are removed.
If desired, sprinkle a tiny amount of flaky sea salt over the warm cookies.
The salt creates a delicious contrast with the sweet caramel and chocolate while enhancing the peanut butter flavor.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for approximately 5 minutes.
This gives the caramel time to firm slightly and allows the cookies to finish setting.
Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the ultimate experience, enjoy one while still slightly warm.
Notes
The biggest secret to soft and chewy Sumbitches Cookies is to avoid overbaking them.
When the edges are lightly golden but the centers still look slightly underdone, remove the cookies from the oven. They will continue to cook and firm up while sitting on the hot baking sheet.
Caramel can become extremely hot during baking, so allow the cookies to cool for several minutes before eating.
If your cookies spread too much, chill the dough longer before baking. If they remain too thick, allow the dough to sit at room temperature for several minutes before scooping.
The consistency of peanut butter can also affect the dough. Regular commercial creamy peanut butter generally produces a predictable cookie texture.
For the best-looking cookies, reserve some chocolate chips and caramel pieces for the tops rather than mixing everything into the dough.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Chill Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10–13 minutes per batch
Nutrition
- Calories: 310
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Protein: 5 g