You’ll love these classic soft and chewy peanut butter cookies! With the perfect texture and crispy edges, these sweet and nutty cookies are made with simple ingredients.
Bring them along to a cookie swap, gift them as an edible treat, or just make them for a quick and tasty pick-me-up snack. It doesn’t get any easier than these iconic cookies, and the flavors will bring about lots of sweet nostalgia!
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💚 Why You'll Love This Recipe
Next time you get a craving for old-fashioned chewy peanut butter cookies, this easy recipe has you covered! Made from just a handful of ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen, this delicious cookie recipe is loaded with sweet and nutty flavor and lots of nostalgia.
And if that wasn't yummy enough, you can also use this recipe to make my super tasty Peanut Butter S'mores Cookies! You'll love how easy and fast these cookies are to make, and they'll satisfy any peanut butter cravings that may crop up!
But if you need a super fast and easy peanut butter treat, make these Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies. And for another adorable cookie dessert, make these super cute Oreo Penguins!
🧂 Ingredients Needed
- flour - an essential ingredient for maintaining cookie structure--use less flour for softer cookies.
- baking soda - as a leavening agent, this powder helps the cookies rise.
- salt - helps balance out the sweetness and pull out more nuttiness from the peanut butter.
- butter - unsalted butter works best, that way you can add salt to your own taste.
- white sugar - for sweet and yummy cookies!
- brown sugar - brings a deeper and more developed sweetness that provides moisture and a nice color.
- peanut butter - provides both flavor and color, and also acts as a binding agent.
- egg - ensures the cookie dough comes together well.
- vanilla - feel free to use real or imitation vanilla for an extra splash of sweet flavor.
🔪 Instructions
- Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Cream butter, peanut butter, white sugar and brown sugar using a hand mixer for about 2 minutes, until fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla to the peanut butter mixture.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the peanut butter mixture.
- Ensure all of the ingredients are incorporated without overmixing.
- Scoop the cookie dough in 1-inch balls onto a baking sheet with some parchment paper.
- Use a fork to flatten the balls of dough, then bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes.
❔ FAQs
Because these cookies tend to be a bit dense, they typically don't flatten out on their own while baking. Giving them some assistance ensures you won't just have hot balls of dough!
Absolutely! Scoop the dough into balls and toss them in a freezer safe bag and pop them in. You may want to roll them lightly in flour beforehand to prevent sticking.
Yes, I recommend letting the dough sit for 10-15 minutes before baking from frozen. You'll probably need to add a minute or two of baking time as well.
You'll want to use creamy peanut butter for these cookies, as crunchy peanut butter can lead to crumbly cookies.
Sure! Just be sure to mix it well before using it, as you'll want some of those oils that may separate out to incorporate into the batter in the right amount.
💭 Expert Tips and Tricks
- If you're using a stand mixer, be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl as you mix. Start on a lower speed and increase as you go.
- Overmixing the dough can add too much air, which will make the cookies rise and then flatten in the oven. It can also develop too much gluten, which will make your cookies too dense. Make sure you mix only until everything is incorporated.
📌 Whether you need something classic and reliable for a cookie swap or you want a quick and nostalgic treat, these soft peanut butter cookies are simple to make and so yummy!
💡 Substitutions and Variations
- Feel free to substitute almond butter if you want to avoid any peanut allergies.
- Gluten-free flour can be used in lieu of all purpose flour.
- Add chocolate chips for more flavor. You'll want to use ½ cup-1 cup or so.
- You can also drizzle or dip these cookies in melted chocolate and/or white chocolate.
- Roll the balls of dough in granulated sugar before baking for a sweet and shiny finish.
🥫 Storage and Reheating
Store your peanut butter cookies in an airtight container somewhere cool and dry. They should be good for a week or so, but they'll be at their best in the first couple of days.
⏲️ Make Ahead Instructions
This dough holds up well in the freezer, so feel free to make it ahead of time and freeze up to 2 months! You can bake a few cookies at a time if you have a craving, or bake the whole batch!
🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
Before serving these old-fashioned peanut butter cookies, prepare a filling and healthy meal! Try these bold and flavorful Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos or spicy and savory Air Fryer Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken. For an elegant Sunday dinner, make this Sous Vide Ribeye Steak or super easy Crock Pot Pork Chops with Mushroom Soup.
✔️ More Cookie Recipes You'll Love
- Matcha Cookies with White Chocolate - Combine sweet and earthy matcha with white chocolate for a delectable cookie experience!
- Maple Thumbprint Cookies - Perfect for fall, these easy cookies have a delicious maple-y icing.
- Lemon Cookies - These light and simple cookies are bursting with citrus flavor.
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies - All my chocolate lovers will adore this decadent cookie recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction!
Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies
Love this recipe? Awesome! Snap a photo and tag me on Instagram. You can find me at DizzyBusyandHungry or #dizzybusyandhungry!
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📋 Recipe Card
Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cups flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, unsalted
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt.1 ⅓ cups flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Using a hand mixer, cream the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated white sugar together for 1 to 2 minutes or until it’s light and fluffy.½ cup butter, unsalted, ½ cup brown sugar, packed, ¾ cup creamy peanut butter, ½ cup sugar
- Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until fully combined.1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until they are all combined. Do not overmix.
- Scoop the cookie dough with a spoon or cookie scoop and shape it into approximately 1-inch balls. Place the cookie dough balls about 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Gently press each ball of dough down to about ⅜ inch thickness using the back of a fork. Press again in the opposite direction to make a criss-cross pattern.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the cookies are browning at the edges. Let cool for about 5 to10 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack.
Notes
- Use chunky peanut butter to add some crunch.
- Add peanut butter chips for additional sweetness and peanut butter flavor. Or add chocolate chips!
- If the cookies crack when pressing them down, simply mold them back into a
round shape using clean hands. - The cookies will almost be ready when you start to smell the delicious smell of
peanut butter. The bake time can vary depending on the type of oven you’re using. - You can freeze the dough. It is recommended that you freeze it in individual portions in an airtight container or ziptop bag and then thaw as many as you need and bake.
- You can also freeze the cookies once they are baked. Thaw before eating.
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Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
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Happy cooking!
Aimee Mars
Heaven! These cookies are delicious. I made a batch and my family could not stop reaching for one. They were extra yummy right out of the oven!
Dana
Love how chewy these are, and how simple. I love a good ol' PB cookie, nothing fancy added! Just a classic.
Kelley
Yum! I love peanut butter cookies! These look so amazing!
Holley
Delicious and so easy to make! The perfect recipe for a cookie exchange!