• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Meals by Molly
  • Home
  • Order Online
  • All Recipes
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Order Online
  • All Recipes
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Order Online
  • All Recipes
×

Home » cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies

July 26, 2020 by Molly Walcome 3 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

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!

Peanut Butter Cookies

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. 

Peanut Butter Cookies

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).

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough

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.

Cookie Dipped in Milk

More Cookie Recipes: 

  • Snickerdoodles
  • Matcha Cookies
  • Frosted Sugar Cookies
  • Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • French Macarons
Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies

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!
4.75 from 8 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes
Servings: 36 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.

Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container for 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 116kcal | Carbohydrates: 9.5g | Protein: 3.1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2.8g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 102mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 0.7g | Sugar: 7.2g | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg
« No-Churn Ice Cream with Edible Cookie Dough
Chicken Katsu »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Steve

    November 04, 2022 at 10:19 pm

    Why shouldn't you use natural peanut butter?

    Could you substitute Almond Butter?

    Reply
    • Molly Walcome

      December 01, 2022 at 11:01 am

      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!

      Reply
  2. thomasr1106

    July 26, 2020 at 4:25 pm

    I always feel like I learn so much when I read your posts!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Footer

Copyright © 2023 Meals by Molly