Best Ever Soft Peanut Butter Cookies are a classic. Soft & chewy, these peanut butter cookies have quickly become our favorite sweet treat.
My family can’t keep their hands off these easy peanut butter cookies. This peanut butter cookie recipe is not your traditional crunchy peanut butter cookie, but there isn’t a better recipe. Trust me, we’ve tried them all.
Now, I have made this recipe in two different ways: one with baking soda and the other with baking powder. This was all an accident, and while I originally posted the recipe with the baking soda, after making it over a hundred times, we all agreed that the best cookie results from baking powder. But if you make the same “mistake” I did, these cookies will still knock it out of the park.
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What peanut butter cookie recipe is the best?
While I love making homemade peanut butter cookies with just 3 ingredients, they are not as soft and chewy as these. I love three-ingredient peanut butter cookies, but I am just not as satisfied.
These cookies go right in line with my love for creamy peanut butter. Peanut butter is my go-to snack anytime I am hungry.
Whether it’s by the spoonful, with pretzels, on a sandwich or paired with some Nutella, I really could eat peanut butter in any way, shape, or form. Because I have a sweet tooth, cookies are among my favorite foods. This makes soft peanut butter cookies an obvious hit.
Should I use crunchy or creamy peanut butter to make peanut butter cookies?
While I typically love creamy peanut butter for cookies, there are moments—like when I eat my morning breakfast toast with bananas—when I reach for the crunchy peanut butter.
We are a house divided between creamy and crunchy peanut butter. My son, Aiden, and I are more in the middle and could eat either. My husband and daughter, Jersey, love crunchy, and my other three kids, Jojo, Cannon, and Madden, will only eat creamy. If I accidentally pack them crunchy, the sandwich will still be in their lunchbox when they get home, making you wonder what they ate for lunch.
We also have extreme opinions on whether soft or crunchy peanut butter cookies are the best.
I tend to lean towards chewy, soft cookies. The best cookie recipe I’ve ever had is my Best Ever Monster Cookies. But most classic peanut butter cookie recipes I’ve had are too crunchy, leaving a crumbly mess. So, I have been on a mission to find the best peanut butter cookie recipe, and finally… finally… I found it.
Everyone except for Aiden, peanut butter cookies are best when soft and chewy. Aiden loves a good crunchy cookie you can dip in milk. However, he won’t decline these Best Ever Soft Peanut Butter Cookies.
What could you add to peanut butter cookies?
Why do peanut butter cookies have fork marks?
When peanut butter is added to the batter, it densifies it. Putting fork marks in the dough makes it easier for the cookie to bake evenly. This will help keep them soft, so don’t forget this step.
How long do cookies last?
These cookies are kept in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days.
If desired, freeze the cookies in an airtight freezer bag. They can last for 1-2 months.
If you love cookies, try these:
I can’t wait for you to get your hands on a dozen or two of these. They are easy and simply the Best Soft Peanut Butter Cookies you’ll try.
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Best Ever Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter use Jif or Skippy type peanut butter
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking pans with parchment paper, if desired.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the peanut butter, butter, sugar and brown sugar. Beat together until smooth & creamy best if using a stand mixer or hand mixer.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and continue to mix until well combined.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture and mix until well combined.
- Use a cookie dough scoop, or spoon the dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in white granulated sugar if you desire and place onto baking sheet.
- Using a fork, press down on each ball of dough to flatten, creating a criss-cross pattern.
- Bake for 8-9 minutes. Do not over bake. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.
- These keep well for a couple of days in an airtight container.
Hi , I have always had a hard time making peanut butter cookies. I found your recipe 3 days ago January 28th. Today is February 2st and this is my second time making your peanut butter cookies.
These cookies are amazing!!!! I do think the key here is rob watch your baking time and under bake. I am so thrilled that I found this recipe. The cookies are soft and peanut buttery….you can’t just have 1 cookie.
Thank you for sharing this recipe I am so grateful!!’
Have a great week and stay safe
Regards from maine
Amazing even with my low carb substitutes . I used Swerve white and brown sugar instead of regular sugar. Also substituted half almond flour and carbalose flour for the regular flour. Baked them at 325 for 10 mins. Came out nice and soft and rich. My boyfriend and I love them. Will definitely make again.
Hi, I’ve always had a hard time making peanut butter cakes. I found your recipe 10 days ago on January 28th. Today is February 2nd and this is my second time making peanut butter cakes.
This cookie is awesome !!!! I think the main thing here is to look at the baking and baking times. I am so thrilled to have found this recipe. Cookies are soft and with peanut butter … there can be only 1 cookie.
Thanks for sharing this recipe with us. I am so grateful !! ‘
Have a great week and stay safe
As for tomorrow
Oh my WOW! These look so good. Can’t wait to try!
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Thank you for sharing! With the calories you stated, can I use them (because I am in the process of losing weight)? Sorry for my question, since I’m not really calorie savvy!
Hi, the calories listed are an estimate based on the ingredients we used, so it could vary slightly if you use different ingredients but it should be very close either way! Enjoy!
this is really nice to read..informative post is very good to read..thanks a lot!
Superbly written article, if only all bloggers offered the same content as you, the internet would be a far better place..
Best Peanut Butter cookies I’ve ever made. Amazing!! I even Made several batches and added some chocolate chips in some and peanut butter chips in some! ❤️
I am looking for and I love to post a comment that “The content of your post is awesome” Great work!
You completely match our expectation and the variety of our information.
SO yummy and perfectly soft!
Turned out so soft and chewy just how I like this. A new family favorite!
My whole family loves peanut butter cookies. I can’t wait to try these soft cookies!
Soft peanut butter cookies are my favorite! These are so tasty!
Peanut butter cookies are my favorite! I can’t wait to try this recipe!!
My kids are gonna love these Peanut Butter Cookies! They sound amazing!
Yummy! My teens and husband loved this recipe! Definitely making these again!
My kids love peanut butter cookies, so I wanted to make them differently and found your recipe. thanks for sharing it!
My kids love peanut butter cookies, so i will make this recipe for them
My niece loves cookies 🙂 I will try it for her. Thanks for sharing such a nice recipe.
I love cookies. Looks so delicious 🙂 Can’t wait to try it, Thanks for such a unique and amazing recipe.
Warm & right out of the oven is the best.
I bake often and this was such an easy recipe. They came out Perfect following your recipe directions. Only addition was a sprinkle of chopped peanuts with sugar before baking. Puzzling how anyone had problems with dry crumbles of cookies. Good recipe. Thanks for your recipe.