Peanut Butter Cookies (2024)

Peanut Butter Cookies (1)

This classic recipe for peanut butter cookies gives perfectly chewy cookies every time with ingredients you probably already have on hand.

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Table of Contents
  1. Peanut Butter Cookie ingredients
  2. Best Peanut Butter Cookies substitutions and additions
  3. How to make Homemade Peanut Butter Cookies
  4. Serving Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
  5. Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies storage
  6. More Recipes You’ll Love
  7. JUMP TO RECIPE
  8. 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 Cookies (2)

Peanut Butter Cookie ingredients

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Peanut Butter Cookies (10)

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.

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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

PrintRecipeReviewRecipe

Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter
  • ½ cup peanut butter
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 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

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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

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  • Layne KangasMarketing

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  • Sian CoxPhotographer

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  • Lexus MonroeEditorial Assistant

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Peanut Butter Cookies (2024)

FAQs

Why do you score peanut butter cookies? ›

The reason is that peanut butter cookie dough is dense, and unpressed, each cookie will not cook evenly. Using a fork to press the dough is a convenience of tool; bakers can also use a cookie shovel (spatula).

What happens if you add too much peanut butter to peanut butter cookies? ›

This may not sound like a lot, but it is enough that it can affect the quality of your cookies – adding too much peanut butter can make them dry, hard, and crumbly.

How to make boxed peanut butter cookies better? ›

For a delicious peanut butter flavor, add peanut butter or peanut butter cups to your basic cookie mix. Smooth peanut butter adds flavor, while crunchy peanut butter adds to the overall texture as well. Simply cream peanut butter with margarine or butter before following the recipe instructions.

What happens if you don't flatten peanut butter cookies? ›

Certain cookies — Sugar Cookies, Snickerdoodles, Classic Peanut Butter Cookies — need to be flattened a bit before they bake, lest they end up emerging from the oven looking like ping-pong balls rather than typical flat, round cookies.

How do you know when PB cookies are done? ›

Unlike many other cookies, peanut butter biscuits only fully harden once they've been removed from the oven. Here's how to tell when peanut butter cookies are done: The tops of the cookies are a uniform light brown. They're soft to the touch but not moist or mushy.

Why do my peanut butter cookies taste dry? ›

Why are my cookies dry and crumbly? This is most likely a classic case of using too much flour. It's crucial to properly measure the flour in this recipe, as even 1 extra tablespoon of flour can completely change the structure of the cookies. You also might have over baked them!

How unhealthy are peanut butter cookies? ›

Peanut butter cookies contains 90 calories per 19 g serving. This serving contains 4 g of fat, 1 g of protein and 12 g of carbohydrate. The latter is 6 g sugar and 0.3 g of dietary fiber, the rest is complex carbohydrate. Peanut butter cookies contains 1.5 g of saturated fat and 0 mg of cholesterol per serving.

What happens if you eat too much peanut butter every day? ›

Eating peanut butter in moderation provides you with wholesome nutrients. However, eating too much can make you gain weight because it is packed with calories and fats. The risk of weight gain increases even more if you consume commercial peanut butter brands, which often have added sugars, oils, and fats.

What is the best peanut butter to bake with? ›

The most common mistake with peanut butter cookies is using the wrong type of peanut butter. The BEST peanut butter for today's cookies is a processed creamy peanut butter, preferably Jif or Skippy.

Can I use butter instead of oil in Betty Crocker peanut butter cookie mix? ›

You sure can. The good news is that butter, margarine, shortening and all types of oil can be used in place of the vegetable oil in SuperMoist package directions.

Why are my peanut butter cookies crumbling and falling apart? ›

If your cookies are crumbly, you probably cooked them a tad too long. Next time, take them out of the oven as soon they no longer look wet. They will finish cooking on the baking sheet after you remove them from the oven.

Why do my peanut butter cookies taste grainy? ›

If you don't cream butter and sugar long enough, it will still be gritty and dense, which may result in grainy cookies that don't puff or spread.

Why do people put fork marks in peanut butter cookies? ›

Basic reason..the dough is more dense than most cookie doughs, and the pressing with the fork tines helps the dough bake evenly. Secondarily, its pattern makes it easier to tell them apart from other cookies with similar appearance.

Should I let peanut butter cookie dough rest? ›

Add the peanut butter and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat on low speed until combined. The dough will be very creamy and soft. Cover and chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least 1–2 hours, and up to 3 days.

Why do you smash peanut butter cookies? ›

It's been the “mark” of this classic treat for more than eighty years, and for good reason: by flattening this dense cookie dough, it ensures that each cookie bakes evenly. Our kitchen-tested recipe is a classic.

Why indent peanut butter cookies? ›

Pressing a fork into these peanut butter cookies prior to baking helps flatten the cookies slightly, promoting oven spread. The fork marks also encourage the cookies to bake more evenly and brown evenly.

Why do you mash peanut butter cookies with a fork? ›

Peanut butter cookie dough is typically quite dense and needs to be pressed down to encourage spreading and even baking. Typically this is done with the tines of a fork.

How do you keep peanut butter cookies from falling apart? ›

  1. Brown sugar is key. Brown sugar has molasses in it which is like a more liquid ingredient. ...
  2. Use baking soda / powder. It helps give your cookie a little rise which makes the center a little more chewy/cakey hence sort.
  3. Freeze your cookie dough before scooping.
Aug 8, 2022

Why do my peanut butter cookies burn? ›

The Right Baking Sheet Color

Darker color pans absorb heat and can cause the cookie bottoms to burn. Instead, choose lighter gray or heavy dull-aluminum baking sheets.

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