Peanut Butter Cookies

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These Peanut Butter Cookies are soft, chewy, and what dreams are made of! Sweet and a little salty too, you will never need another peanut butter cookie recipe. Be sure to check out my other amazing cookie recipes while you’re at it!

Peanut Butter Cookies | Classic + Well Loved

This Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe is heaven-sent! I’ve had plenty of these kinds of cookies before and they always missed the mark. Either with texture, flavor, or both! So, I’ve been testing different ingredients and baking options and this peanut butter cookie recipe is the be-all-end-all. I love a chocolate chip cookie or even sugar cookies are fabulous, but nothing holds a candle to soft, warm, peanut butter cookies.

Main Ingredients Needed

• Butter + Peanut Butter – this combination of softened, salted butter, and Jif peanut butter is the key to this cookie recipe. Shortening, butter-flavored shortening, unsalted butter, and all-natural peanut butter just didn’t give me the kind of soft, salty-sweet, chewy cookie I was looking for, but creaming the salted butter together with the Jif and sugars is what made the difference.
• Sugar + Brown Sugar – speaking of sugars, I used both kinds here. Both are used to sweeten but brown sugar specifically helps keeps these cookies soft.
• Egg – this is used for structure.
• Vanilla – use the real stuff if you can!
• Baking Soda – this is the leavening agent.
• Flour – this fills out the rest of the cookies while not taking away from the PB flavor!

Can I use natural peanut butter for this recipe?

For best results opt for a Jif or Skippy peanut butter. Now is not the time for all-natural peanut butter. Sorry, friends!

How to Make Peanut Butter Cookies

You’re only a few simple steps away from enjoying these unforgettable peanut butter cookies. For full recipe details see the recipe card below!

Step 1: Preheat + Prep

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper and set aside.

Step 2: Make Cookie Dough

Cream salted butter, Jif smooth peanut butter, and sugars together until combined. Add in eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy. Slowly incorporate the flour and leavening until it’s *just* combined.

Step 3: Scoop + Press Dough

Scoop and press the cookies with a fork on a prepared baking sheet. Because these cookies are filled with peanut butter, they are a little denser than regular cookies. Crisscross pressing the dough helps them bake more evenly, plus it’s cute.

Step 4: Bake + Cool

Bake 7-8 minutes to keep cookies soft, leaving on the hot baking pan for three minutes post oven to finish baking. Transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling and serve.

Keeping Peanut Butter Cookies Soft

I purposely designed this Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe to be soft. Ingredients, method, and baking all help with this, but sometimes if they have been left out too long, the edges can get a little crispy.

To combat this and keep them fresh, once the cookies have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container with a slice of plain white bread. Just like the bread softens brown sugar, it will help keep your cookies soft and fresh. Of course, this is an optional step, but every little bit helps.

More PB Cookies to Try!

• Peanut Butter Blossoms
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
• Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies
• Peanut Butter Toffee Cookies
• Peanut Butter Caramel Cookies
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
• Reese’s Pieces Cookies

Be sure to pin/save/bookmark or print because this is a classic recipe you’re going to want to save and make again and again. Have a great day, friends!

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5 from 5 votes

Peanut Butter Cookies

These Peanut Butter Cookies are soft, chewy and what dreams are made of! Sweet and a little salty too, you will never need another peanut butter cookie recipe.

servings 24 cookies

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 8 mins

Total Time 23 mins

Ingredients

• ▢ 1/2 cup butter softened
• ▢ 1/2 cup peanut butter such as Jif
• ▢ 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• ▢ 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 egg
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups all purpose unbleached flour

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper and set aside.
• Cream peanut butter, butter, and both sugars together until light and fluffy. Stir in egg and vanilla. Scrape sides and mix again. Incorporate baking soda and flour until just combined.
• Scoop dough balls onto the baking sheet leaving lots of room around each cookie to expand. Press down cookie dough balls using a fork. 
• Bake 7-8 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 3 minutes and then remove to cooling rack. Serve immediately or store in airtight containers for up to 3 days.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 85mg | Potassium: 51mg | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 130IU | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.5mg

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: how to make peanut butter cookies, peanut butter cookie recipe, peanut butter cookies