Incredibly thick and soft cookies absolutely loaded with peanut butter flavor. Our absolute favorite go-to Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies recipe!
Craving more peanut butter treats? Try my No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Bars or Peanut Butter Honey Rice Krispie Treats. You might also find yourself loving my No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie!
While my love for peanut butter doesn't run very deep, I am completely obsessed with peanut butter cookies! Not just any peanut butter cookies though, I love mine soft and thick! No flat and crispy cookies here. If that's what you're into, these aren't for you. This is my go-to chewy peanut butter cookie recipe when we need a peanut butter fix and I know you'll love them just as much as we do!
These chewy peanut butter cookies would be the perfect addition to a holiday cookie exchange! Press some Hershey kisses into the tops of each cookie immediately out of the oven for peanut butter blossoms.
Need some more ideas to add to your holiday cookie tin?! Try these delicious treats:
- Hot Cocoa Cookies - kids LOVE these
- Soft Sugar Cookies - add sprinkles for a festive touch for any Holiday
- Snowball Cookies - a personal favorite family recipe!
- Gooey Dark Chocolate Truffle Cookies - unlike any cookie you've ever tried. So good and delicious!
- Oreo Truffles - everyone always DEVOURS these!
- Homemade Soft Caramels - easier than you think to make at home! And so amazingly creamy.
- Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies
Jump to:
Why you'll love this recipe
- The peanut butter flavor in these cookies is outrageous. They're like eating peanut butter in cookie form!
- These cookies use pantry staple ingredients most of us always have on hand so you can make them whenever that peanut butter craving strikes! š
- No chilling of the dough is required! The cookies don't spread too much while baking so there is no need to refrigerate it. Just like my favorite easy chocolate chip cookie cake.
Ingredients
Most, if not all of these ingredients can be found in your pantry or fridge!
- Peanut butter: I use creamy peanut butter in my cookies. You can use chunky if that's what you prefer but it may change the texture slightly. Natural peanut butter can also be used but be aware this will change the texture to be more crumbly and they will also spread a little more.
- Granulated sugar: For rolling cookies in before baking, optional
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions.
Substitutions & Variations
These cookies are so versatile, you can really make them your own by adding your favorite mix-in's! Here are some ideas:
- Roll in sugar before baking, like you see pictured here.
- Make peanut butter blossom cookies by pressing candy kisses into the tops as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Press Reese's cups into the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Add chocolate chips or chunks to the dough before baking for peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.
- Add peanut butter chips to add even more peanut butter flavor.
- Stuff with soft caramels like my caramel-stuffed peanut butter cookie recipe.
- Add m&m's
How to make the best peanut butter cookies
Step 1: Cream butter and brown sugar together.
Step 2: Beat in the egg, vanilla and peanut butter.
Step 3: Pour in flour and baking soda and mix until combined.
Step 4: Scoop out 1-2 tablespoons of dough and roll into balls. Place on prepared baking sheet and flatten slightly They do not spread much.
Step 5: Optional: Before baking, use the tongs of your fork to press down in both directions making a criss-cross pattern.
Step 5: Bake for 7-8 minutes. Don't over-bake!
Jessica's Tips
Be sure not to over-bake your peanut butter cookies or they will not be soft and chewy, they will be crumbly.
If flour is measured incorrectly and too much is added, this can also result in crumbly, sad peanut butter cookies. š
Storage
Store cookies at room temperature for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
Freezing
You can freeze these cookies before or after baking:
To freeze raw cookie dough, roll dough into balls and flash freeze on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer. Once frozen, place into a resealable freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, take as many out as you need and bake straight from the freezer. You will need to add a few extra minutes of bake time, so adjust as needed.
To freeze baked cookies, allow the cookies to cool completely then place in a resealable, freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight and allow to come to room temperature before serving.
If you are looking for a go-to peanut butter cookie recipe for your recipe archives, look no further because these are it! They're the most perfect peanut butter cookies EVER. End of story.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can make these gluten-free! While I have not tested this out myself, I have had readers tell me that they have had great success with substituting the all-purpose flour with Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Flour.
This will happen when either the flour was measured incorrectly and too much as added OR you baked your cookies for too long. š I can guarantee they will still be delicious though!
Yup! Prepare this dough up to 2 days in advance covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.
More cookie recipes you'll love
Did you make this recipe?
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š Recipe
The BEST Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- Ā½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Ā¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 Ā½ cups all-purpose flour
- Ā¾ teaspoon baking soda
- Ā½ cup granulated sugar for rolling cookies in, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350Ā°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
- Cream butter and brown sugar together until smooth. Beat in the egg, vanilla and peanut butter until completely combined. Pour in flour and baking soda and mix until just incorporated, without over-mixing.
- Scoop out 1-2 tablespoons of dough and roll into balls. If rolling in sugar, do that now. Place about 1" apart on prepared baking sheet (they don't spread much).
- Optional: Before baking, use the tongs of your fork to press down in both directions making a criss-cross pattern.
- Bake cookies for 7-8 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Notes
Nutrition
The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Monica J says
I'm gonna try this with Sunbutter since I'm becoming sensitive to PB.
Sajoko says
Made these with natural pb (homemade--just ground salted peanuts, nothing else). Just added a tiny bit more flour (no more sugar--they def didn't need it) & they came out perfect! So simple & SO GOOD.
Jessica says
That's awesome! I'm happy to hear these come out great with homemade/natural pb as well! Thanks so much for sharing your results!
Casey says
these were honestly the best cookies I have ever eaten! They were so easy to make and I followed it exactly and they came out perfect! Thank you!
Jessica says
That's great! I'm so happy you loved them, Casey! š
Polly Glasgow says
Just made these , baked them 2 more minutes.Turned out as the picture .. yummy
Jessica says
Perfect! š
H says
I made these today and unfortunately the bottoms burnt on both of my batches. I rolled the first batch in sugar and thought that was the reason the bottoms burnt but my 2nd batch I didn't roll them in sugar and they still burnt. Disappointing š
Jessica says
I'm very sorry that the bottoms of your cookies burnt, that's very frustrating! I'm unable to pin point why this could have happened, because it has never happened to me or any of my readers, that I know of. Did you possibly use dark cookie sheets? Sometimes the dark cause the bottoms of baked goods to brown very fast resulting in burnt bottoms. The only other thing I can think of is maybe your oven temperature is not accurate. Again, I'm sorry these didn't work out for you!
Dana says
Made these last night and they are awesome!!!
Jessica says
Yay!! So happy you liked them.
whitney says
Late bloomer...
but just found this recipe and I don't like writing reviews till I try it. ummm WOW! Thank you for a recipe that actually creates a soft cookie. I made these and took them out at the correct time, looked under done but went for it. After letting them cool they were the perfect soft pb cookie. My new go to recipe.
Thanks!
onefarmerswife says
The recipe calls for 1 egg but in the directions it says "eggs". Is the 1 egg correct? Thanks
Jessica says
Whoops! Sorry about that. One egg is correct š
Katherine says
Did you use natural peanut butter or something like Jif? If I make them I want to be sure to do it right:).
Jessica says
I always use either Jif or Skippy, I've never tried natural because they tend to be thinner. If you try it, let me know how they come out š
Connie Leadbetter says
I have a problem with the baking time. I baked my first pan at 8 minutes and could tell they were not nearly done so I added another 2 minutes. After cooling and trying them the center was still not done.
I have not had any trouble with my oven with all the other things I have baked so I don't really feel it is my oven.
Could there be a typo with the baking time?
Jessica says
Connie, I'm so sorry you had trouble! I double checked the recipe and the bake time is correct. These peanut butter cookies are meant to be under-baked because doing so lends a very soft-baked cookie. When they are taken out of the oven they will look very under-done (this is what makes them super soft) but by the time they cool completely to room temperature they should still be very soft, but definitely not under-done like dough. If they were still not done after cooling completely, then I fear it could possibly be 1. your oven temperature is incorrect or 2. could you possibly have misread ingredient measurements? I have made these cookies a billion times (it's the only pb cookie recipe I use!) with the same, consistent results and they always look exactly like they are pictured here. Let me know if I can be anymore help!
Sara says
I just made these and had the same problem, Connie. Put them in an extra 2 minutes. Next time, I think I'll aim for 12 minutes. That said, even underdone (definitely still doughy in the middle) they're delicious!!
D says
Had the same problem.
They were basically still raw at 8 minutes. Had to put them in another 4-5 minutes.
Jessica says
There seems so be a few reviews like this on these cookies and I think it has something to do with the oven temperature. Everyone's oven temperature varies from the next so that may be why that happened. Please keep in mind though that these are meant to be underdone because that gives them their super soft-baked texture once they are cool. I hope they were still great after the extra time in the oven! š
Krystle says
Probably altitude variations