Quick and easy peanut butter cookies are made with simple pantry staples for a thick cookie recipe that’s soft and full of nutty flavor. Serve them warm with a glass of milk!
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need to Make Easy Peanut Butter Cookies
A classic treat, these easy peanut butter cookies are made with old-fashioned ingredients and taste just like those you remember from your childhood! Take a look at what you’ll need:
- All-Purpose Flour – A medium-gluten flour, all-purpose flour is crucial to creating the thick, soft texture we’re looking for with these cookies.
- Unsalted Butter – Using unsalted instead of salted butter allows for the other ingredients to shine through without being overpowered by the savory flavor of salt. As a result, these peanut butter cookies have the perfect blend of sweet and nutty tastes.
- Creamy Peanut Butter – This recipe does not work well with natural peanut butter varieties that tend to separate. For the best results, we used Skippy natural peanut butter.
- Brown Sugar – The natural moisture found in brown sugar helps preserve the soft texture of the cookies while also helping to sweeten the dough.
- Sugar – By using white sugar along with brown sugar, we are able to create soft, fluffy cookies that also have a strong, sweet peanut butter flavor that is not overpowered by the caramel taste characteristic of brown sugar.
- Vanilla Extract – Vanilla extract helps elevate the other ingredients in any baked good!
- Egg – In addition to contributing healthy fats and protein, eggs help provide the structure that helps peanut butter cookies rise and maintain their shape.
- Baking Powder – The carbon dioxide in baking powder helps provide enough pressure in the dough to allow the cookies to rise and stretch without cracking and crumbling to pieces as they bake.
How to Make Peanut Butter Cookies
You’ll never find easy peanut butter cookies that are quicker or more delicious! From start to finish, they’re ready in less than 20 minutes and taste like they took all afternoon to bake.
- To begin, preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
- Then, sift the flours and baking powder together in a large bowl, and set them aside.
- Cream the butter and sugars together with a stand mixer before incorporating the peanut butter.
- Mix until the ingredients are well-combined.
- Add the egg and vanilla to the butter mixture, and stir to combine.
- Beat the flour mixture into the bowl until it is well incorporated.
- Portion the dough with a small ice cream scoop, and roll each portion into a ball.
- Place the dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Gently flatten each cookie dough bit with a fork, creating a criss-cross pattern.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove the cookies from the oven, immediately sprinkle each cookie with sugar and allow them to cool completely before removing them from the baking sheet.
Baking Tips and Tricks for Extra Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
- Dip your fork in sugar. To prevent the tongs from sticking to the cookie dough, dip your fork in granulated sugar before flattening the cookies.
- Don’t overbake! You’ll want to remove your peanut butter cookies from the oven before they look fully baked but are no longer wet. Otherwise, they will crumble to pieces!
- Chill the dough before baking. This helps prevent the cookies from becoming greasy and helps create the soft fluffy texture you’re looking to achieve.
- Press down the cookies. Contrary to popular belief, pressing the cookies down with a fork is not just for looks! Without doing so, the cookies do not deflate and spread out to create the round shape everyone wants in a cookie.
Storage Options
Room Temperature: Once cooled, these easy peanut butter cookies can be kept in an airtight container for 4-6 days.
Freezer: Place your baked cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Then, when you’re ready to eat, just let them thaw in the fridge overnight!
Or, freeze the unbaked dough! To do so, form the balls, and place them on a baking sheet as normal. Then, place them in the freezer to solidify before transferring them to a container.
More Easy Cookie Recipes
- Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies are loaded with white and dark chocolate flavors for the most decadent dessert you’ll ever taste!
- Everything you love about s’mores in the convenience of cookies, S’mores Cookies are loaded with rich dark chocolate, gooey marshmallows, and graham cracker pieces.
- Thick and chewy, this Monster Cookie Recipe is loaded with rolled oats, chocolate chips, butterscotch, and more for a sweet treat that will satisfy all your cravings!
Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
Made with simple ingredients and ready in less than 30 minutes, these easy peanut butter cookies are sweet, salty, and perfect for every occasion!
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 9 Tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar loosely packed
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter See notes
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- granulated sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Sift the flours, baking powder, and salt together. Whisk to combine.1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- Cream butter and sugars in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.9 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- Add the peanut butter, and mix until incorporated.3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- Mix in the egg and vanilla extract. Then, add the flour mixture, and beat until it is well incorporated.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 large egg, 1 egg yolk
- Scoop the dough with a small ice cream scoop, and roll the dough into balls.
- Place the balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Flatten the cookies with a fork in a crisscross pattern.
- Bake the cookies for about 8-10 minutes. Option: sprinkle each cookie with granulated sugar.granulated sugar for sprinkling
- Allow the cookies to cool completely on baking sheet to set before being transferred to a wire rack.
Notes
Natural peanut butter that separates does not work well for this recipe. For the best results, we prefer to use Skippy.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 160kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 89mg | Potassium: 75mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 197IU | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe?Please leave a comment!
does this recipe use BOTH cake AND all purpose flour??
i can ONLY find amount od All purpose…
thank you
Sorry about the confusion, it only has all-purpose flour!
Could I substitute 1:1 gluten free flour in this recipe? Like the bobs red mill gluten free flour?
We haven’t tested it, but it should work just fine!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa