Caramel Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (Avery’s Winning Food Wars Recipe)

These soft and chewy Caramel Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies have the most delicious caramel and peanut butter base (that actually hints of butterscotch) and are filled with chocolate chips, Butterfinger candies, and chocolate covered caramels.

Cookies on a cookie rack

Family Food Wars Winner

In case you missed it, our Family Food Wars was pretty intense last weekend! I had the kids work with a few clues and create their own cookie recipe from scratch. Make sure to check it out here if you haven’t seen it: Family Food Wars: create your own cookie recipe.

It was a close race, but ultimately, Avery brought home the WIN with her Caramel Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. She made soft and chewy cookies with a caramel and peanut butter base, using caramel extract and smooth peanut butter. She then added dark chocolate chips, Butterfinger pieces, and Rolos. So good, right?!

Westin made a delicious chocolate cookie with peanut butter and white chocolate chips. Also an amazing cookie and barely lost to Avery cookie.

Honestly, both cookies were so amazing and I was so impressed.

I made a couple small tweaks to each recipe and got the thumbs up from both kids to share them with you.

Caramel Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Let’s start with Avery’s cookies.

The flavor profile she chose was caramel, chocolate and peanut butter. To start, she added caramel extract and peanut butter to her cookie dough base. Based off my clue sheet (which you can find HERE), she used a half cup butter (to make a half batch) and went with a little more brown sugar than granulated sugar to get a chewy texture.

I thought her ratios for everything were pretty spot on. The only thing I ended up changing was adding a little more baking soda and add-ins.

NOTE: for the true soft and chewy texture, be sure you don’t overbake these cookies. I suggest baking them for 9-10 minutes. They should look slightly underdone. Once they cool, the centers set more and maintain the chewy texture.

This recipe makes 19, 1.7 oz cookies

Cookies on a cookie rack

Caramel Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

4.5 from 2 votes
Soft and chew caramel peanut butter cookies, filled with chocolate chips, Butterfinger pieces and chocolate covered caramels.

Ingredients
 

  • 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup (60 g) peanut butter
  • ¾ cup (165 g) brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 egg, cold
  • 1/2 teaspoon (2.1 g) caramel extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon (2.1 g) vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
  • ¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) baking powder
  • 1/2 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup Rolos or other chocolate covered caramels, chopped
  • 1/2 cup Butterfinger candies, chopped

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a medium size mixing bowl, beat together the butter and peanut butter until smooth.
  • With the mixer on medium speed, add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and mix until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  • Stir in the egg, the caramel extract and the vanilla extract.
  • Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder, and mix on low speed until incorporated.
  • Stir in the chocolate chips, the Butterfinger pieces and the chocolate covered caramel pieces.
  • Using a cookie scoop (I used a 1.69 oz cookie scoop – LINKED HERE) and place on the prepared cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.
  • This recipe will give you 19 cookies at that size.
  • Bake for 9 to 10 minutes. They will look slightly underdone. That's okay! Let them cool completely and they'll set but still be chewy and soft.
Cuisine Cookies
Course Dessert
Keyword Avery’s cookies, Caramel Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, cookies

Courtney Rich

I’m a self-taught baker, obsessed with cake.

I long ago ditched box mixes in pursuit of melt-in-your-mouth, to-die-for flavor combinations, fillings and textures. I believe cake must be decadent, life-changing and worthy of celebration! And I believe anyone should be able to bake that kind of cake – and I’m here to teach you just that!

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  1. 4 stars
    Made these but used a different candy bar at my son’s request and had to substitute caramel syrup for the extract. Thought they were delicious.

  2. 5 stars
    This recipe was a huge hit with my family. I followed the recipe, but the dough was very dry so I added a second egg and the cookies turned out so moist and gooey. I used Rolos and a Butterfinger bar and they added great flavor. I couldn’t find caramel extract at my grocery store; I used vanilla only and the flavor was still great.