Peanut Butter Cookies are such a classic cookie that is easily recognized with their cross-hatched appearance that promises delightfully soft, chewy, peanut buttery cookies are soon to be enjoyed! I’m just like many other die-hard fans of peanut butter cookies, so here is my very best classic peanut butter cookies recipe!
The classic peanut butter cookie is a well-loved favorite of nearly everyone, regardless of age!
Classic Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
This is a cookie that needs no introduction! Along with the classic chocolate chip cookie, sugar cookies, and no-bake cookies, these are all some of the most commonly made cookies ever!
My peanut butter cookies are perfectly soft, tender, and chewy which is why they are such a hit here at home and wherever they are shared!
The only condition my family asks before I start baking is to make sure that there’s plenty of milk for dunking!
Ingredients You’ll Need
All of your cookie baking essentials plus delicious peanut butter combine to bake up the perfect peanut butter cookie!
- Butter – salted or unsalted butter both work wonderfully! I’ve included salted butter in the recipe below because that’s more likely what I have on hand for baking on short notice. When using unsalted butter, use 1/2 teaspoon of salt instead of the 1/4 teaspoon called for below.
- Peanut Butter – even though you may love natural peanut butters I have to recommend using one of the major name brand peanut butters like Jif or Skippy. Natural peanut butter results in cookies that can be grainy and have a much less pleasing texture. However, do feel free to go with your favorite creamy or chunky!
- Sugar – plain white granulated sugar is used in combination with brown sugar to make this tasty cookie even more incredibly delicious!
- Light Brown Sugar – is added to make your peanut butter cookies rich, delicious, and perfectly tender! Do measure your brown sugar out and pack the measuring cup tightly for best results.
- Eggs – add volume and act as a binding agent to form the perfect cookie! I suggest room-temperature eggs for your best evenly cooked cookies! To warm your eggs quickly, place them into a bowl or cup of warm water.
- Vanilla Extract – is usually missing from many peanut butter cookie recipes, but trust me the inclusion of a good vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste is essential! The extract will highlight the peanut butter flavor, even though you may first think that it would confuse or dilute your cookies’ peanut butter flavor.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder – are the leavening agents for baking. They add structure to the cookies and help them to rise and shape up to that familiar peanut butter cookie we love!
- Salt – is wonderful for highlighting your ingredient flavors, which makes the peanut butter taste shine! If you like to use less salt in your baking, start with less. There’s a lot of salt in peanut butter, so there is wiggle room in this recipe.
- All-Purpose Flour – is the bulk and structure of your cookies! Do measure your flour by spooning it into measuring cups and leveling the flour.
*Please scroll down for the printable recipe with all of the ingredient amounts.
How To Make Peanut Butter Cookies
Start out with preheating your oven to 350ºF ( 175ºC ) and lining a few baking sheets with parchment paper. Do take an extra few minutes to bring your butter and eggs to room temperature. It will help your cookies bake more evenly and quickly!
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the butter, peanut butter, sugar, and light brown sugar. Mix until creamy and just combined.
- Add the eggs, vanilla extract, baking soda, baking powder, and salt then combine until smooth. *Add a tablespoon of your flour to keep the wet mixture from ‘curdling’ with the addition of the eggs.
- Stir in the flour until it is completely incorporated into your cookie dough.
- Shape your dough into 1 – 1 1/4 inch round balls. If you want to roll your dough in sugar, use a small plate with 1/4 cup of sugar and roll each ball to coat all sides. Place the dough balls onto a baking sheet with 2 inches of spacing for spreading. Then use the tines of a fork to gently press down in a criss-cross pattern. *Only press about halfway down into your dough to prevent super flat cookies!
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350ºF ( 175ºC ) for 8 – 10 minutes, or until the cookie edges are slightly golden in color.
- Remove from the oven and allow the peanut butter cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
My aim with this cookie dough is to NOT have to chill the dough before baking, and I have great success with these amounts! If you test a few cookies and they spread too much, do refrigerate and chill the rolled and pressed dough balls. They’ll chill more quickly with this method!
More Peanut Butter Cookies
I’m a big fan of peanut butter cookies ( did I mention that already? ) and love using peanut butter with other favorite flavors and ingredients like banana, oatmeal, pecans, and more! Here are a few more of my peanut butter-based cookies to enjoy!
Be sure to bookmark this page and check back as I add more great peanut butter cookie variations!
Peanut Butter Pecan Cookies
These delightfully nutty cookies have that wonderfully chewy peanut butter cookie texture, with the addition of crushed pecans! Top your cookies off with a whole pecan if desired, for an extra special and deliciously crunchy bite!
Peanut Butter Banana Cookies
One of my family’s favorite ways to use up browned bananas, or over-ripe bananas, is to make addictively tasty banana-based cookies! I criss-cross these cookies just like their full peanut butter cousins so you can’t miss the related flavors!
Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies
Have you ever tried the full peanut butter version of the popular no-bake cookies? If not, you’re missing out! They’re ridiculously creamy and there’s no way to eat just one!
And the very closely related and equally delicious almond butter cookies can be seen here!
Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (at room temperature)
- 1 1/2 cups peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the butter, peanut butter, sugar, and light brown sugar until creamy.
- Add the eggs, vanilla extract, baking soda, baking powder, and salt then mix until smooth. *Add 1 tablespoon of your flour if the wet ingredients start to 'curdle' with the addition of the eggs.
- Stir in the flour until it has been completely incorporated into the dough.
- Shape the dough into 1 inch round balls, roll them in sugar if desired. Place onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets with approximately 2 inches of spacing between each cookie.
- Use a fork to gently press the cookies down to about half the height. Criss-cross the tine marks to make the usual checkered pattern of peanut butter cookies.
- Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookie edges begin to brown slightly.
- Remove cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma’s kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
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