Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, fine sea salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
• In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the melted, slightly cooled unsalted butter with the packed light brown sugar and the ¼ cup granulated sugar. Mix until the mixture is smooth and uniform (no greasy or separated look).
• Add the room-temperature egg and beat on medium speed (or mix well by hand), scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until the egg is fully incorporated.
• Add the room-temperature creamy salted peanut butter, honey, and vanilla extract. Mix until combined and smooth.
• Add the dry flour mixture and stir or mix on low speed just until the dough comes together. Do not overmix. Fold in the peanut butter chips.
• The dough will be soft and slightly oily. You can bake immediately, or let the dough sit at cool room temperature for about 15 minutes to firm up slightly. If the dough is difficult to handle, chill briefly until easier to scoop.
• Using a large cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons or ~60 g) portion the dough into balls. Roll each ball in additional granulated sugar to coat, then place on the prepared baking sheet, leaving plenty of space between cookies for spreading (about 6 per sheet is a comfortable amount).
• (Optional) To freeze: arrange unbaked, sugared dough balls on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer to an airtight bag. Bake from frozen, adding about 1–2 minutes to the bake time.
• Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops are puffed and lightly cracked and the bottoms are just starting to darken.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheet for 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.