Peanut Butter Cookies

Name: Best Recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 22 min
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

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

What makes this the BEST Recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies
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
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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.

overhead shot of a plate of Peanut Butter Cookies

What makes this the BEST Recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies

What makes this the best recipe for peanut butter cookies is the perfect balance of rich, creamy peanut butter flavor and a soft, chewy texture that melts in your mouth. These cookies were created by our team of professional recipe developers with just the right amount of sweetness, ensuring they are not overly sugary, but still satisfy your sweet tooth. Tried-and-true baking method ensures consistent results every time, making these cookies a go-to treat for any occasion. Whether you’re a long-time fan of peanut butter or trying these cookies for the first time, you’ll find them irresistibly delicious and wonderfully comforting.

Peanut Butter Cookies raw ingredients that are labeled

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.

butter, peanut butter, white sugar, brown sugar, egg and vanilla being combined in a bowl

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.

cookie dough shaped into balls and rolled into sugar then placed on a baking sheet

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.

cross indented on the top of the cookie dough with a fork

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.

before and after cookies are baked on a baking sheet

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.

close up shot of Peanut Butter Cookies stacked on top of each other

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.

Why do you put fork marks on peanut butter cookies?

Fork marks on peanut butter cookies are a classic touch, and they serve a practical purpose beyond their nostalgic charm. Peanut butter cookie dough is denser and thicker than other cookie doughs, so the fork marks help flatten the cookies for even baking. Additionally, the crisscross pattern creates more surface area, allowing the cookies to cook uniformly and achieve that perfect balance of a slightly crisp edge with a soft, chewy center.

What causes peanut butter cookies to fall apart?

Peanut butter cookies can fall apart for several reasons, often related to the ingredients and baking process. One common cause is the ratio of ingredients; too much flour or not enough binding agents like eggs can lead to a crumbly texture. Overbaking is another culprit, as it can dry out the cookies, making them prone to breaking apart. Additionally, if the dough isn’t mixed thoroughly, the ingredients may not be well-integrated, resulting in fragile cookies. Lastly, using natural peanut butter, which has a different oil content compared to processed peanut butter, can affect the cookies’ stability if not properly accounted for in the recipe.

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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

Cook Time 12

Total Time 22

Servings dozen

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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

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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

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 Keeping Publisher
Layne Kangas Marketing
Sian Cox Photographer
Lexus Monroe Editorial Assistant

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

What makes this the BEST Recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies

Best Peanut Butter Cookies substitutions and additions

How to make Homemade Peanut Butter Cookies

Serving Soft Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Balls

Peanut Butter No Bake Cookie Recipe

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies storage

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