Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe (2024)

· Modified: by John Kanell

You'll love these ULTRA-easy peanut butter cookies. They're full of peanut butter flavor and have the perfect balance of salty and sweet with a wonderfully soft, melt in your mouth texture. This cookie is a classic for a reason!

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Adding peanut butter to cookies creates an amazing soft consistency with a very delicate, velvety crumb. These classic peanut butter cookies are complete crowd pleasers.

You can make them days in advance for instant gratification anytime and they’re so easy to make! The most difficult part is having the patience to let them set up after they’re out of the oven. For another cookie recipe that utilizes peanut butter, try my Easy No Bake Cookies!

What You’ll Need for This Recipe

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Peanut Butter: I like using a creamy peanut butter for this recipe but you can definitely use chunky peanut butter instead. If you’re using a natural peanut butter make sure to give it a VERY good mix before adding.

Brown Sugar: You can use either light or dark brown sugar in this peanut butter cookie recipe. Dark brown will impart a slightly more caramel-like flavor.

How to Make Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe (2)

1. Preheat over to 350F. Sift flour and baking powder together into a large bowl then whisk to combine.

2. Cream butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add peanut butter and mix until incorporated.

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3. Mix in the room temperature egg and vanilla extract then scrape the bowl down and mix once more.

4. Add flour mixture and beat on low until just incorporated.

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5. Roll the cookie dough into one inch balls and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

6. Flatten the cookie dough balls with a fork in a criss-cross pattern. Bake cookies for about 8 minutes. Allow cookies to cool completely on baking sheet, they need to set up before being transferred.

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Pro Tips for This Recipe

  • You will bake the cookies until almost done when the edge is just starting to change color. They will set up and continue baking with the residual internal heat after they’re pulled out of the oven.
  • Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off. If you have any questions about flour measuring check out the YouTube video I made about it.
  • The cookies will be VERY soft just out of the oven so let them rest for a while on the baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack; when cooled they will be firm enough to handle and quite delicious.
  • Store in an airtight container for up to a week for delicious anytime treats.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do They have fork marks?

Peanut butter cookies are denser than most and will not spread out in the oven very much and would not bake evenly if the fork marks were not there to flatten them out and really press them down.

How to Get the Perfect Fork Mark Pattern

To get the perfect fork mark/ crisscross pattern try using skewers instead of a fork. I used my trusty wooden skewers, snapped a few in half, lined four up and pressed down. It took more time but I got the picture-perfect cookies of my dreams. A fork works well too of course, try to use one with long tines. For a clean release pull the fork away instead of lifting up, or it you’re using the skewers try twisting them.

What’s the best peanut butter to use for these cookies?

  • For best results I use a smooth, salted peanut butter.
  • There’s no need to use a sweetened peanut butter but if that’s what you have on hand it will work just fine, you make want to decrease the sugar by 2 tablespoons though.
  • If you’re using a natural peanut butter without stabilizers make sure to mix really well after opening the jar. The oil heavy top of that jar will make very runny cookies.
  • Any brand that you enjoy the taste of plain will be a great for this peanut butter cookie recipe!

Should You Chill the Dough Before Baking?

Nope, there’re no need to chill the cookie dough but if you want to make the dough ahead and chill it the cookies will bake up just as nicely.

If you love this recipe try these out!

  • Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Sugar Cookie Recipe
  • Edible Cookie Dough
  • Cake Mix Cookies

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If you’ve tried this easy peanut butter cookies recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!

Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe (13)

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4.97 from 5274 votes

Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

These ULTRA-easy, melt-in-your-mouth peanut butter cookies with just the right balance of salty and sweet are a sure to please treat.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1 minute minute

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 18 cookies

Calories 193kcal

Author John Kanell

Video

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 180g
  • 1/2 cup butter unsalted, room temp 113g
  • 1 cup peanut butter 250g
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar 100g, lightly packed
  • 1/2 cup sugar 100g
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract 5mL
  • 1 egg large, room temp
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder 3g

Instructions

INSTRUCTIONS:

  • Preheat over to 350F

  • Sift flour and baking powder together then whisk to combine.

  • Cream butter and sugars in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. You can add an optional 1/4-1/2 tsp sea salt.

  • Add peanut butter and mix until incorporated.

  • Mix in egg and vanilla extract then add flour mixture and beat until incorporated.

  • Roll dough into one inch balls and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

  • Flatten cookies with a fork in a criss-cross pattern.

  • Bake cookies for about 10 minutes.

  • Allow cookies to cool completely on baking sheet, they need to set up before being transferred.

Notes

You will bake the cookies until almost done. They will set up and continue baking with the residual internal heat after they're pulled out of the oven.

They will be VERY soft just out of the oven so let them rest for a while; when cooled they will be firm enough to handle and quite delicious.

If your peanut butter is not on the salty side add 1/4-1/2 tsp salt to the batter.

Nutrition

Serving: 105g | Calories: 193kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 115mg | Potassium: 129mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 170IU | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 0.8mg

*Nutrition Disclaimer

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Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients for peanut butter cookies? ›

Why do you put fork marks in peanut butter cookies? ›

So it looks like that there are utilitarian reasons for the cross-hatching—to allow for even cooking—but it might have been passed along for nearly a hundred years for primarily aesthetic reasons, where the cross-hatching is more to identify the cookies as peanut butter ones, rather than to cook them well.

What causes peanut butter cookies to fall apart? ›

The wrong ratio of ingredients, such as too little sugar or peanut butter will make them fall apart.

Why do my peanut butter cookies not taste like peanut butter? ›

The most common mistake with peanut butter cookies is using the wrong type of peanut butter. The BEST peanut butter for today's cookies is a processed creamy peanut butter, preferably Jif or Skippy.

How to improve peanut butter cookie mix? ›

Peanut Butter Cookie Mix Hacks

Easy Add-Ins: After creating the dough according to the peanut butter cookie mix instructions, try introducing 1 cup of add-ins like REESE'S PIECES, toffee bits, dried fruits, mini marshmallows or even cooked bacon bits, if you're feeling adventurous!

What are the ingredients in three ingredient peanut butter cookies? ›

Indulge in the simplest yet most satisfying treat with these 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies. Made with just peanut butter, sugar, and an egg, these cookies are a breeze to whip up, requiring minimal effort and time (under 30 minutes!).

Should you refrigerate peanut butter cookie dough before baking? ›

"When your dough is refrigerated, the butter hardens. So when you bake them, they spread less and hold their shape better," adds Epperson. "Which means a better likelihood of a soft, chewy cookie in the center." Chilling the dough creates fluffier cookies with better consistency.

What happens if you don't flatten peanut butter cookies? ›

If you don't flatten the cookies first, then the fork does double duty – it performs both functions. One very subtle result of creating the pattern is that the little tips of dough bake up crisper than the rest of the cookie, giving you both a bit of additional texture and deeper taste where the dough is more baked.

What is butter bleed in cookies? ›

Warm weather during the summer can bring on butter bleed, which happens when the butter from the cookie stains the royal icing and leaves it looking blotchy.

How to tell when peanut butter cookies are done? ›

Unlike many other cookies, peanut butter biscuits only fully harden once they've been removed from the oven. Here's how to tell when peanut butter cookies are done: The tops of the cookies are a uniform light brown. They're soft to the touch but not moist or mushy.

How do you make peanut butter cookie dough less crumbly? ›

To avoid this, try using as little flour as possible while preparing to roll your dough. Dry – “Dry” or “Crumbly” dough is a product of over-mixing or using too much of any ingredient during the mixing process. This can be reversed by adding one to two tablespoons of liquid (water, milk or softened butter) to your mix.

Why are peanut butter cookies so greasy? ›

If you've had this happen to you, odds are you made one of two mistakes: either you didn't allow the ingredients to thoroughly mix during the creaming process or you didn't allow the dough to rest enough before baking. Watch the video below to see how both these mistakes happen and how to fix them.

Is it better to use butter or shortening in peanut butter cookies? ›

Yes, shortening yields chewier cookies than butter does, because butter contains water and shortening doesn't. But you can easily make up for butter's crisping tendencies by using crucial ingredient No. 3… Brown sugar instead of white sugar.

What kind of peanut butter is best for cookies? ›

Conventional creamy peanut butter works best for peanut butter cookie recipes because it has a smooth and even texture. My favorite creamy peanut butter brands are Skippy or Jif.

Why did my peanut butter cookies burn on the bottom? ›

Be A Mindful Measurer. Especially with sugar. Beyond providing sweet flavor, sugar is a key player in developing a crispy texture in your cookies. However, going overboard on the sweet stuff can promote fast and excessive caramelization, ultimately resulting in cookies with overly-darkened bottoms and edges.

What ingredient is added to peanut butter? ›

Old-school peanut butter was made from one simple ingredient: ground roasted peanuts. But nowadays, if you pick up a jar from a supermarket shelf, odds are that it contains much more. Today many commercial brands have added sugars, salt, hydrogenated oils and other preservatives.

What is the key ingredient in cookies? ›

Flour is the main ingredient that provides structure in a cookie – without it, there would be no cookie! The gluten in flour forms a web of sorts – the framework that catches the air bubbles/gasses given off during rising. This helps provide the structure.

What are the ingredients in Franz peanut butter cookies? ›

Nutritional Information

Contains Wheat and Their Derivatives,Eggs and their derivates,Other Gluten Containing Grain And Gluten Containing Grain Products.,Milk and its derivates,Peanuts and their derivates,Corn and its derivates. May contain Peanuts and their derivates.

What are the ingredients in Girl Scout peanut butter cookies? ›

INGREDIENTS: PEANUT BUTTER (PEANUTS, SUGAR, HYDROGENATED PALM OIL, SALT), SUGAR, ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, VITAMIN B1 [THIAMIN MONONITRATE], VITAMIN B2 [RIBOFLAVIN], FOLIC ACID), VEGETABLE OIL (PALM KERNEL, PALM AND SOYBEAN OIL), COCOA, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF INVERT SUGAR, CORNSTARCH, SALT, ...

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