This classic recipe for peanut butter cookies gives perfectly chewy cookies every time with ingredients you probably already have on hand.
Jump to RecipeTable of Contents
- Peanut Butter Cookie ingredients
- Best Peanut Butter Cookies substitutions and additions
- How to make Homemade Peanut Butter Cookies
- Serving Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
- Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies storage
- More Recipes You’ll Love
- JUMP TO RECIPE
- Even More Easy Recipes
This classic peanut butter cookie recipe could not be easier. With this fool-proof recipe, you’ll have an extra-large batch of soft, chewy homemade cookies ready in no time.
Peanut Butter Cookie ingredients
Peanut butter cookies are the perfect combination of sweet and salty, with a nutty richness that can satisfy any dessert craving.
These cookies can have a crunchy or soft texture that melts in your mouth. One bite of a freshly baked peanut butter cookie and the familiar taste fills your senses with childhood memories.
You’ll need:
- ½ cup of butter
- ½ cup of peanut butter
- ½ cup of sugar
- ½ cup of brown sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups of flour
- ¾ teaspoon of baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
Best Peanut Butter Cookies substitutions and additions
CHOCOLATE CHIPS: You could easily add some chocolate chips to your perfect peanut butter cookies, or even add them just to half the batch to give some extra deliciousness and satisfy chocolate lovers.
You could also use peanut butter chips if you’d like even more peanut buttery flavor.
PEANUT BUTTER: You can choose creamy peanut butter or crunchy peanut butter for an extra little crunch.
If you prefer, you could also use almond butter in place of the peanut butter in this recipe. The texture may be slightly different, but overall the outcome will be the same.
PRO TIP:
These easy peanut butter cookies are seriously the best. To make them perfect, we chilled the dough overnight after mixing, then the next day, let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before forming it into balls and baking.
This step is optional, but you are welcome to give it a try if you have any trouble with the cookies spreading too much.
How to make Homemade Peanut Butter Cookies
These soft cookies will come together quickly, and we’ll show you how to create the classic pattern on top. Let’s get started.
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 375°F.
STEP TWO: In a medium bowl with a hand mixer at medium speed, cream butter, peanut butter, white sugar, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla.
STEP THREE: In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Then, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix them together well.
STEP FOUR: Create 1-inch balls with your batter and roll them in granulated sugar.
PRO TIP:
Use a small cookie scoop to create uniform-size dough balls.
STEP FIVE: Place the cookie balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
STEP SIX: Using the tines of a fork, create a crisscross pattern by pressing down on the top of each ball.
STEP SEVEN: Bake cookies in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. This will make about 4 dozen cookies.
Serving Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
These soft cookies will no doubt bring back memories of after-school snacks from childhood, right down to the crisscross on top.
Serve these up with a glass of cold milk or Wendy’s frosty when your munchkins roll in the door after a big day.
Looking for a few more fun baked goods to curb that sweet tooth? Try out these delicious and easy-to-make lunch lady brownies.
You’ve also got to try our peanut butter oatmeal cookies.
PRO TIP:
After the cookies have cooled, add a dollop of your favorite jam to make a PB&J thumbprint cookie.
MORE PEANUT BUTTER RECIPES
No Bake Desserts
Peanut Butter Balls
Cookie Recipes
Peanut Butter No Bake Cookie Recipe
Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies storage
Here are some simple tips to ensure your cookies stay in top-notch condition, whether you plan to keep them in the fridge or store them in the freezer for a future treat.
ON THE COUNTER: To maximize the freshness of your leftover peanut butter cookies, I recommend storing them in a Ziploc bag or airtight container at room temperature. To keep them nice and chewy, place a small piece of bread inside the Ziploc bag.
IN THE FREEZER: You can freeze your classic peanut butter cookies as baked cookies or as cookie dough. If freezing the already baked cookies, place them in a freezer-safe container with a sheet of parchment paper between each layer. When ready to enjoy, let the cookies thaw completely before serving.
If freezing the cookie dough, you will want to roll the dough into balls and place them on a cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer until the balls are frozen (1 to 2 hours).
Then, place the balls in a freezer-safe container with a sheet of parchment paper between each layer. When ready to bake, the frozen dough balls can go straight into the oven.
You can’t go wrong with a batch of homemade peanut butter cookies, and this recipe for this classic cookie is so simple to make.
In no time at all, you’ve got four dozen soft and chewy cookies packed with peanut butter flavor and the perfect texture, ready to share. But beware, these delicious treats won’t last for long!
Peanut Butter Cookie FAQs
Can I use crunchy peanut butter?
This delicious cookie would be yummy using either crunchy or smooth peanut butter, depending on your preference and what you have on hand.
Can I add nuts or chocolate chips to my cookies?
Chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or nuts would all be tasty additions to these classic cookies.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Texas Sheet Cake
- Vanilla Cupcakes
- S’mores Bites
- Dole Whip
- Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Peanut Butter Ball
- Texas Sheet Cake Bites
- Thumbprint Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookie Cups
- Valentines Cookies
- Homemade Nutter Butters
- Peanut Butter Lava Cookies
- Raspberry Freezer Jam
- Nutter Butter Dessert
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Peanut Butter Dream Bars
- Cookie Cheesecake
- Disneyland Peanut Butter Squares
- easy American flag cake
Get Recipes on Pinterest
Best Recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies
5 from 8 votes
This classic recipe for peanut butter cookies gives perfectly chewy cookies every time with ingredients you probably already have on hand.
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes minutes
Total Time 22 minutes minutes
Servings 4 dozen
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Cream butter, peanut butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Then, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix them together well.
Shape into 1-inch balls and roll in granulated sugar.
Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
Crisscross with a fork to flatten cookie dough.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
Notes
- If this recipe yields too many cookies all at once, freeze some of the cookie dough balls for easy baking in the future!
- We chilled the dough overnight after mixing then the next day let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before forming it into balls and baking. This step is optional but you are welcome to give it a try if you have any trouble with the cookies spreading too much.
- Use a small cookie scoop to create uniform-size dough balls.
- After cookies have cooled, add a dollop of your favorite jam to make a PB&J thumbprint cookie.
Nutrition
Calories: 754kcal | Carbohydrates: 88g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 756mg | Potassium: 303mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 55g | Vitamin A: 768IU | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 3mg
Have You Tried This Recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @spaceshipslb
Get Recipes on Facebook
Even More Easy Recipes
- Peanut Butter Bread
- Peanut Butter Brownies
- Cookie Dough Cupcakes
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
- Butter Cookies
- No Spread Sugar Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
- Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
- Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Bars
- Peanut Butter Stuffed Cookies
- 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!
Stephanie KeepingPublisher
Layne KangasMarketing
Sian CoxPhotographer
Lexus MonroeEditorial Assistant