Calling all peanut butter lovers, allow me to introduce the BEST peanut butter cookies! They are soft, chewy, and packed with major peanut butter flavor. They're also quick and easy to make - no chill time necessary!
It's hard to beat the taste of homemade peanut butter cookies, fresh out of the oven, dunked in a glass of milk. These peanut butter cookies are soft, chewy, bursting with peanut butter flavor, and seriously addicting. And making them is so easy! The dough comes together in less than 15 minutes and then they are baked for just 12 minutes. That means that in under 30 minutes you can have these peanut butter cookies sitting next to you on a plate just waiting to be devoured!
Ingredients for Peanut Butter Cookies:
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder and baking soda: Using both makes the cookies extra soft and chewy.
- Salt: Just a pinch since the peanut butter is already salty.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch serves as extra insurance against spreading and also helps make the cookies extra thick and chewy.
- Butter: Unsalted and softened to room temperature. Let the butter sit out at room temperature until it is slightly pliable when gently squeezed. Cutting the butter into cubes will also speed up softening. Make sure you are using unsalted butter, if all you have is salted butter then omit the extra salt in the recipe.
- Brown sugar and white sugar: The brown sugar makes the cookies extra chewy and moist and the white sugar adds caramelization and helps the cookies spread.
- Peanut butter: 1 and ½ cups might sound like a lot, and it is! I wanted there to be no shortage of peanut butter flavor in these cookies. Just make sure to use regular (not natural) peanut butter. I used creamy peanut butter, but you can also use chunky peanut butter for these cookies.
- Eggs: Use room temperature eggs, which mix into the dough easier and more evenly. Simply place the eggs in a bowl of room temperature water before you start the recipe. They will be perfect by the time you need them.
- Vanilla extract: Two full teaspoons for great flavor.
How to Make Peanut Butter Cookies:
1. Preheat oven and prepare a baking pan. Preheat oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
2. Combine the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, sift the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch. Sifting the dry ingredients gives them a finer texture, which produces a softer, lighter cookie. It also ensures that everything will be evenly mixed without any lumps.
3. Combine the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, beat the butter with both sugars until light and fluffy. Creaming butter with sugar whips air into the butter which makes the cookies soft and light. Add the peanut butter and continue to beat until evenly incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until just combined after each. Add the vanilla and mix until smooth.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 2 batches. Mix until smooth and no more flour pockets remain. The dough will be thick.
5. Form the cookie dough balls. Take 2 tablespoons of dough at a time and roll into a ball with your hands. Arrange on the prepared pan about 2 inches apart. Use a long fork to flatten each dough ball in a criss-cross pattern. Sprinkle coarse or sanding sugar on top of each (optional).
6. Bake. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes.
7. Enjoy! Allow the baked cookies to cool in the pan for at least 5 minutes before serving. Keep in an airtight container for 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
More Cookie Recipes:
Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 and ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. cornstarch
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 and ½ cups creamy peanut butter
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, sift the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cornstarch.
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter with both sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in the peanut butter, scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add eggs one at a time and mix until just incorporated after each. Add the vanilla and mix until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 2 batches. Mix until smooth and no more flour pockets remain.
- Take 2 tablespoons of dough at a time and roll into balls with your hands. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart. Use a long fork to flatten each ball into a criss-cross pattern. Sprinkle the tops with more sugar, if desired.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm.
Steve
Why shouldn't you use natural peanut butter?
Could you substitute Almond Butter?
Molly Walcome
I suppose you could use natural peanut butter, just be sure to stir it well before measuring. The cookies may not come out exactly the same since natural peanut butter is unsweetened. I haven't tried using almond butter but I imagine it would work just as well!
thomasr1106
I always feel like I learn so much when I read your posts!