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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!
Peanut Butter Cookies
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
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.
Have you ever substituted peanut powder for some of the flour or used self rising flour instead of general purpose flour??
These r the best , I make them often, I dip fork in granulated sugar before the criss/cross on every cookie doesn’t stick to fork, best recipe yet, thank-u……sue
I only use your recipe when I make peanut butter cookies! I haven’t made them in a year and I was trying to remember your recipe and I finally found your website again! My family love them and I add in peanutbutter chips as well. 5 stars!
Can I use bleached flour in this recipe?
Delicious! I doubled the recipe. In my oven though, 7-8 minutes were too under done even with leaving them on the hot sheet for extra minutes. 10 min works great for me.
How much salt do you add if just have unsalted butter?
1/2 teaspoon.
Has anyone tried making these using gluten-free flour?
How do you keep the dough from sticking to the fork….made a mess..:
I know I’m a couple years late, but in case it helps someone else: just dip the fork in water. I get some in a cup or mug and just dunk the fork after every other cookie or so.
Dust your fork in powered sugar
These cookies came out better than I thought!! I am no baker but the recipe was simple, fast, and easy to follow! My only issue was that I made them a little too big so a couple came apart.
Oh my gosh! Cookies are the death of me! Peanut butter are my all-time favorite! Love this recipe!
This is my favorite cookie recipe you have!
There is something comforting about simple delicious peanut butter cookies. It reminds me of my mom and dad and snowy afternoons! My favorite! Thank you!
I love making these! Thank you!
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She lists SERVINGS: 24
Thank you for this awesome recipe. Great post with your son. Many Blessings. I appreciate the time and you put forth sharing with us.
How many cookies does this recipe make?
These look and sound amazing and I’m very anxious to try them…what size scoop or spoon do you recommend?