These classic peanut butter cookies are chewy, full of flavor and have the perfect balance of sweet and peanut butter! They are made with simple ingredients and perfectly baked with a classic crisscross pattern. They are simply the best!
Did you know that the idea of peanut butter cookies didn’t take off until the mid-1900s? Since peanut butter itself has been around for centuries, it’s hard to imagine a world where people didn’t have access to gooey peanut goodness in cookie form!
Invented right here in the States, these cookies come with a mouthwatering chewy texture and the classic waffle pattern on the surface—and there are few things more tempting than the smell of them wafting from the oven!
Here, we’re sharing our best peanut butter cookie recipe: moist, chewy, and full of flavor. As you get to baking, check out the tips below to make the perfect batch.
How to Make Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- All-purpose Flour
- Unsalted Butter
- Smooth Peanut Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Granulated Sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla Extract
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Salt
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and give it a whisk with a fork.
Cream together the butter and both sugars using an electric mixer, with the paddle attachment on medium speed for about 5 minutes. Make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Add in the egg and vanilla extract and continue to mix on medium.
Turn the mixer to medium low and add in the peanut butter. Mix for about 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl so all of the ingredients are incorporated.
Turning the mixer to low, slowly add in the flour mix. Blend only until the ingredients are incorporated.
Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Use a cookie scooper to roll the dough into 1 1/2″ balls.
Place 9 dough balls on the sheet, spaced out.
Then, using a fork press into the dough twice making a crisscross pattern.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cookies are a very light golden brown.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
If you love a peanut butter chocolate combination, you can easily add a chocolate drizzle over the peanut butter cookies.
Simply, melt milk chocolate chips or semisweet chocolate chips in the microwave for about 1 minute. Remove and stir until the chocolate is smooth.
Using a spoon, drizzle the chocolate over the cookies. Best to add a baking sheet under a wire rack and drizzle while the cookies are cooling on the rack. The extra chocolate will fall below and it makes for a much easier clean up!
Add crushed peanuts for a crunchy texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Do Peanut Butter Cookies Have Fork Marks?
We actually press peanut butter cookies down to ensure that they have a more standard height. This helps the dense dough to cook more evenly.
As for why we use a fork for pressing, it all goes back to the 1936 Pillsbury cookbook that made the cookies famous! This recipe popularized the use of forks for pressing, and the tradition continues today.
Should You Refrigerate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Before Baking?
The short answer is yes. Whenever possible, chilling any cookie dough can keep your cookies from spreading under the oven’s heat. Chilling the dough keeps the softer ingredients—namely the peanut butter, eggs, and butter—from melting too much.
If time allows, chill your dough for up to 24 hours. However, even a 30-minute chill makes a big difference in a pinch!
What’s the Best Peanut Butter to Use?
Traditional recipes call for smooth peanut butter, which makes the best peanut butter cookies. Experimenting with crunchy peanut butter can be fun, but it may change the ratio and resulting texture of your cookies.
What Ingredient Makes Cookies More Moist?
Soft peanut butter cookies have eggs and sugars to thank for their moist, chewy texture. Eggs can keep a dough fluffy and help prevent cookies from drying out and hardening once the batch is out of the oven. This is why adding an extra yolk can sometimes make a difference.
Sugars help as well. It’s worth noting that because of how brown sugar is made, it contains more moisture than white sugar. This is why many peanut butter cookie recipes call for at least a little brown sugar.
Why Did My Cookies Get Hard?
It’s natural for the moisture in your cookies to evaporate once they’re out of the oven, but your cookies shouldn’t get too stiff or crumbly. If you aren’t eating them the day they’re baked—a foolproof way to keep them from getting hard —make sure to seal them in an airtight container.
Can These Cookies Be Frozen?
Peanut butter cookies are easy to freeze! Make sure they’re completely cooled, wrap them in foil or plastic wrap, and place them in an airtight container. To thaw them, let them sit in the container until they come to room temperature.
Can I Prepare the Dough Ahead of Time?
For easy peanut butter cookies whenever you want them, you can prepare ahead. There are two ways to do this.
First, you can prepare the dough and let it sit in the refrigerator for up to 72 hours.
However, if you won’t be baking the cookies for a while, you can also freeze the dough. To do this, shape the cookies and press them with a fork. Place them in the freezer on the baking tray until frozen, and then move them into an airtight container.
More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love!
The Best Shortbread Cookie Crumble Bars
The Best Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Our Favorite Thumbprint Cookies
Chocolate Cherry Chunk Cookies
Lemon and Thyme Shortbread Cookies
Mini Heart Shaped Sugar Cookies
Butterless Chocolate Chip Cookies
Try These Easy Peanut Butter Cookies
Now that you know how to make peanut butter cookies, it’s time to try your own. These cookies are a genuine crowd-pleaser and they may even disappear within minutes of coming out of your oven!
Let us know what you think by leaving a comment and review below.
Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp.
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup peanut butter, smooth
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and give it a whisk with a fork.
- Cream together the butter and both sugars using an electric mixer, with the paddle attachment on medium speed for about 5 minutes. Make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add in the egg and vanilla extract and continue to mix on medium.
- Turn the mixer to medium low and add in the peanut butter. Mix for about 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl so all of the ingredients are incorporated.
- Turning the mixer to low, slowly add in the flour mix. Blend only until the ingredients are incorporated.
- Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Use a cookie scooper to roll the dough into 1″ balls.
- Place 9 dough balls on the sheet, spaced out.
- Then, using a fork press into the dough twice making a criss-cross pattern.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cookies are a very light golden brown.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Erin says
A classic cookie we make over and over again! Love them!
Eden says
Thanks Erin!
Kara says
Just like the peanut butter cookies I grew up with. I dipped them halfway and chocolate and sprinkled them with chopped peanuts. Oh my. Scary delicous!
Eden says
Thank you Kara!
Jen says
Thanks for the idea to dip them in chocolate! No one can resist that flavor combination in my house. A huge hit!!
Eden says
Yay! Thank you Jen!
Betsy Carney says
These are my absolute favorite. They freeze really well too!
Eden says
Thanks Betsy! So glad you like them 🙂
Beth says
Yum! These look so delicious! My hubby and daughter are going to love these! So excited to try these!
Eden says
Thanks Beth!
Allyson Reed Zea says
These turned out perfectly! Thank you for explaining it so well!
Lisalia says
Just like my mom used to make. These are classic and no fuss. Thanks for the helpful pictures along the way too! SO SO yummy.
Betsy says
This classic has stood the test of time! Love these peanut butter cookies! Super delicious! Lovely flavor – both a little salty, a little sweet and also just really the perfect cookie to pair with hot chocolate!