Easy Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

This Easy, Peanut Butter Cookies recipe makes soft, chewy cookies packed with peanut butter flavor. With their buttery, rich, sweet and salty flavor, they’re irresistible!

this recipe!

The Best Peanut Butter Cookies

These Peanut Butter Cookies are so addictive! This is my go-to recipe whenever we’re craving a fresh batch, warm from the oven.

Here’s why this is the BEST Peanut Butter Cookie recipe:

• Full of peanut butter flavor – from extra crunchy peanuts AND roasted salted peanuts
• The perfect balance of salty and sweet
• Spot-on texture – Ultra-soft, thick, and chewy cookies with crunchy peanuts
• Super quick and easy to make – no resting time needed

A family favorite!

This recipe for peanut butter cookies is definitely a family favorite. Everyone loves their sweet peanut butter flavor – especially dunked in a glass of milk! And my kids love helping to make these PB cookies – it’s fun rolling them out and pressing the criss cross pattern in them.

Ingredients

• Crunchy peanut butter – I recommend using a commercial brand like JIF or Skippy.
• Roasted Salted Peanuts- for even more peanut flavor
• Unsalted Butter – for a rich, buttery taste
• Granulated sugar and brown sugar –gives the cookies the perfect sweetness and the brown adds moisture and chewiness
• Egg –helps bind the ingredients together
• Vanilla – rounds out the flavors
• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda and baking powder –help the cookies to rise
• Salt –gives that addictive salty-sweet taste

How to make

1. Chop the peanuts in a food processor until they’re the size of bread crumbs.
2. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. With an electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy.
4. Add the sugars and beat for 3 minutes, until fluffy. Scrape down the bowl as necessary.
5. Beat in the peanut butter until blended,
6. Then the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
7. Add the dry ingredients and combine with the mixer on low. Don’t overmix. 
8. Add the peanuts and mix until just incorporated.

9. Scoop out dough and shape into balls (30 grams or 2 tablespoons each) then place on baking sheet, spacing them 2 ½ -inches apart.
10. Using a fork dipped in water, flatten cookies slightly then turn fork and press in the opposite direction to create a criss cross pattern.
11. Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, in the middle of a preheated oven, until turning golden around the bottom edges, pale and slightly under-baked on top, about 10-12 minutes.
12. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store cookies and an airtight container.

Recipe FAQs

My cookies turned out hard.

• Don’t overbake the cookies. The cookies should be baked only until the bottom edges start to turn golden brown, but not the tops.

What Kind of Peanut Butter Should I Use?

• I use a commercial brand (JIF or Skippy) of extra crunchy peanut butter for the perfect crunch. You could use creamy peanut butter, but the cookies won’t be as crunchy. You will be getting some crunch from the roasted peanuts.

Can I Use Natural Peanut Butter?

• No, natural peanut butter tends to separate and makes a slightly drier, more crumbly cookie.

Can I Double This Recipe?

• Yes, just double the ingredients. This is perfect for a large crowd.

Can I Make the Dough in Advance?

• Yes, the dough can be made up to 3 days in advance.  Let rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes before rolling into balls.
• The dough balls can also be frozen. Let at rest room temperature for about 30-60 minutes before baking.

Can I Freeze Peanut Butter Cookies?

• Yes, the baked cookies can be frozen. Layer in an airtight container with sheets of wax or parchment paper in between each layer. Thaw at room temperature.

Tips

• Measure carefully, or better yet, weigh your ingredients with a kitchen scale. Especially the flour. Different methods of measuring flour can vary by ¾ of an ounce. That’s up to 17.6% of the total weight of the flour. That can make a drastic difference in the final cookie.
• The most accurate way of measuring is by weight. Other methods are the dip and sweep method (5oz per cup) and the spoon and level method (4.25oz per cup). Of these two, one method of measuring is not better than the other. The important thing is that if you do measure with cups, use the same method that was used in developing the recipe.
• This recipe uses the dip and sweep method where you dip your measuring cup into the flour and use a knife to push off the excess flour.
• Don’t overbake or the cookies won’t be moist and tender.  The cookies should be baked only until the bottom edges start to turn golden brown, but not the tops. They will look somewhat undercooked.
• Dipping the fork in water before pressing onto cookies prevents sticking.
• Cookies are best within two days of baking.
• Use only real butter (not margarine or shortening).

More Delicious Peanut Butter Recipes to Try:

• Easy Peanut Butter Fudge
• Peanut Butter Blossoms
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
• Buckeyes – Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Balls
• Chewy Peanut Butter Bars

Recipe

Easy Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

Kelly

This Easy, Peanut Butter Cookies recipe makes soft, chewy cookies packed with peanut butter flavor. With their buttery, rich, sweet and salty flavor, they’re irresistible!

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 48 cookies

Calories 143 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (dip and sweep method) 12.5oz, 354g
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool 8oz, 227g
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed 7oz, 198g
• 1 cup granulated sugar 7oz, 198g
• 1 cup extra crunchy peanut butter
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup dry-roasted salted peanuts ground in a food processor to resemble bread crumbs

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350° F, with the rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Ground the peanuts in a food processor to resemble bread crumbs.
• In a medium mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• With an electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy. Add the sugars and beat for 3 minutes, until fluffy. Scrape down the bowl as necessary.
• Beat in the peanut butter until blended, then the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
• Add the dry ingredients and combine with the mixer on low. Don’t overmix.
• Add the peanuts and mix until just incorporated.
• Scoop out dough and shape into balls (30 grams or 2 tablespoons each) then place on baking sheet, spacing them 2 ½ -inches apart.
• Using a fork dipped in water, flatten cookies slightly then turn fork and press in the opposite direction to create a criss cross pattern.
• Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, in the middle of a preheated oven, until turning golden around the bottom edges, pale and slightly under-baked on top, about 10-12 minutes.
• Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store cookies and an airtight container.

Notes

• Don’t overbake the cookies. The cookies should be baked only until the bottom edges start to turn golden brown, but not the tops.
• The dough can be made up to 3 days in advance.  Let rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes before rolling into balls.
• The dough balls can also be frozen. Let at rest room temperature for about 30-60 minutes before baking.

Nutrition

Calories: 143kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 3gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 108mgPotassium: 81mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 128IUCalcium: 15mgIron: 1mg

Keyword peanut butter cookies

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!