Created On:  |Updated: | 20 Comments | Jump to Recipe
These peanut butter cookies are amazing peanut butter cookies, that are a peanut butter lover’s dream.
Easy Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe
These simple peanut butter cookies are a classic cookie flavor, with their crisscross pattern and nutty flavor. I could eat a peanut butter cookie every day of the year, and always be happy and once you make our cookies you’ll never need another recipe!
Simple Peanut Butter Cookies Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this easy Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- unsalted butter
- peanut butter – I prefer creamy peanut butter for a smooth texture, but you can add crunchy peanut butter if you like the peanut crunch.
- granulated sugar
- brown sugar
- egg
- vanilla extract
- all purpose flour
- baking soda and baking powder
- salt
How to make Easy Peanut Butter Cookies
- Mix together the butter and peanut butter in a large bowl (I love to use my stand mixer, but a bowl and electric mixer works great) and cream them together.
- Add in the sugars and cream them into the butter mixture for a couple of minutes until the color has lightened a bit and it’s nice and fluffy.
- Stir in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Add in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients; you’ll add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and stir it together until you have a nice soft cookie dough.
- Scoop the cookie dough into 2 TBS of dough, and roll them into smooth balls between your hands.
- Roll the cookie dough into granulated sugar if desired.
- Place the cookie dough balls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, a couple of inches apart.
- Press the top of the cookies with the tines of a fork in a criss-cross pattern.
- Bake cookies in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden on the edges, and the center looks slightly under baked.
- Remove the baking pan from the oven and let the cookies rest for about 5 to 10 minutes on the wire rack.
- Transfer them to a cooling rack to cool for another 10 minutes to enjoy warm, or let them cool completely.
Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe Easy Tips & Tricks
- I recommend using a regular peanut butter not a natural peanut butter for the best results.
- Double the recipe if you need more cookies for an event, want to enjoy more, etc.
- If you want thicker cookies you have a couple of options, you can replace half of the butter with a Crisco Baking Stick. Or you can chill the dough even longer than called for in the recipe.
- Add in 1 cup of chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, or other mix ins if desired.
- Make the cookies a little larger by doubling their size (or I even made a cookie with 1/4 cup dough) and adding a couple extra minutes to the baking time. This will give you a great end result if you love giant cookies that are extra soft in the middle.
Easy Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe storage
You can store any cooled peanut butter cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. The cookies will loose their crisp texture the longer you store them, but will still taste great.
You can also freeze the cookies. Transfer the cookies to a freezer safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Let the cookies thaw for a couple hours at room temperature to soften.
How to store cookie dough?
You can also store the cookie dough if you want to bake the cookies up from fresh. You can store the dough in the fridge, or you can freeze it.
I like to scoop the cookie dough and prepare it with the fork pattern and everything, then flash freeze the cookie dough balls on a cookie sheet. Transfer them to a freezer safe bag once they are frozen solid.
Then you can bake the cookie dough straight from the freezer when the craving strikes. Add a couple of minutes to the baking time to bake them from frozen. The cookies will probably be a little thicker than the first time you made them as they won’t spread as much.
Simple Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe FAQs
Why are my peanut butter cookies always hard?
The biggest reason that homemade peanut butter cookies are hard is from overbaking. The cookies should look golden on the edges, and just set on the tops because they will continue to bake on the cookie sheet out of the oven as they cool. You want to remove them from the oven slightly underbaked so as they keep cooking they will not turn overbaked, and hard.
Another culprit is using too much flour. Make sure you measure your flour with the spoon and level method to avoid over packing the flour into your measuring cup.
Why do you put fork marks on peanut butter cookies?
Fork marks on peanut butter cookies is more of a personal preference, and adds a classical appeal to the cookies. This is also a great way to distinguish the cookies if you are taking them to a potluck, or other event so those with allergies, or dislikes can know to avoid them.
However the fork marks also can promote even baking in your peanut butter cookies, and flattening them slightly can help them to have more crispy cookie edges that everyone loves.
You can skip adding the criss cross marks to the top of your peanut butter cookies if you prefer them without that look.
Why are my peanut butter cookies dry and crumbly?
Peanut butter cookies can turn dry and crumbly if they do not have enough liquid or fat. This is another important reason for carefully measuring your flour so you don’t have too much of it. Also make sure not to overbake the cookies as that can cause them to crumble from drying out tin the oven.
We also recommend not using a natural peanut butter for this recipe as it may have less fat in it and can cause a drier cookie dough and cookie.
Why do peanut butter cookies go flat?
If you use too much butter, and too little flour, your peanut butter cookies may end up flat and greasy. It’s a fine line between too much and too little flour to ensure your cookies don’t spread too much, but also enough for that nice chewy texture.
This can also happen if your baking soda and baking powder are old or expired. If these products are not fresh they will not work properly. Once the packages are opened they should be replaced every 6 months at the longest.
These perfect peanut butter cookies are delicious chewy cookies with the best peanut butter flavor. They’re one of my husband’s favorite cookie recipes, and they’ll be your favorite too.
Looking for more peanut butter recipes:
- Peanut Butter Ice Cream
- Peanut Butter Cake with Cake Mix
- Microwave Peanut Butter Fudge
- Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Connect with Like Mother, Like Daughter
Be sure to follow us on social media, so you never miss a single post!
Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Email
Simple Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe
Created By: Aimee
Servings 25
These peanut butter cookies are amazing soft, and chewy peanut butter cookies, that are a peanut butter lover's dream.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Equipment
Large Mixing Bowl
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet or two with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
Add the butter and peanut butter to a large bowl and mix them together until combined.
Add in the sugars and cream the mixture for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Add in the egg, and vanilla extract and stir them until just combined.
Add in the dry ingredients, and stir them into the mixture to make a nice soft cookie dough.
Cover the dough and place it in the fridge for 1 hour to chill.
Scoop 1.5 tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough, and roll them into balls. Roll them into granulated sugar if desired.
Place them onto the prepared cookie sheet a couple inches apart.
Slightly flatten the balls with a fork, making a criss cross pattern.
Bake the cookies in the oven for 8-9 minutes, or until the edges of the cookie are lightly golden and the tops are almost set.
Remove the cookies from the oven and let the cookies the cookies sit on the cookie sheet for 5 to 10 minutes. Then transfer them to a cooling rack.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 122kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 2gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 112mgPotassium: 54mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 124IUCalcium: 13mgIron: 0.5mg
These peanut butter cookies were first posted on June 12, 2013. The photos and text were updated for clarity on December 1, 2022.
