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.
The perfect amount of peanut butter flavor, this cookie was amazing!
It is so good! I’m definitely making this again!
These peanut butter cookies were to die for! I’ve been searching for the perfect recipe, and I think I’ve finally found it.
I baked these peanut butter cookies the other night and everyone loved them! They were easy to make and smelled amazing.
These came out soft and delicious, with a great peanut butter taste. Sharing them with my family was the best part, and they were a big hit.
I love these cookies. I added just an small extra bit of peanut butter and baked for only 8 mins. so yummy
It is so yummy! One of the best I’ve ever made!
These were fantastic! They reminded me of my grandma, I will definitely be making them again.
I made your Peanut Butter Cookie recipe over the weekend, and OMG, they were the best I’ve ever had! They were perfectly soft with just the right amount of crunch on the edges.
We tried them and they are delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe. We gave it to our dogs (since it is dog friendly) and one of them gobbled it down immmediatly. The other one just doesn’t know what it is. But the other one still ate it happily.
Thank you for the recipe.
It’s clear that the writer has a passion for peanut butter and a knack for creating soft, chewy cookies that everyone in their family enjoys. The accidental discovery with baking powder over baking soda adds an interesting twist to the recipe’s evolution. Whether you prefer creamy or crunchy peanut butter, these cookies seem to be a hit either way. Overall, it’s a heartfelt endorsement of a beloved cookie recipe that promises to satisfy any sweet tooth.
These peanut butter cookies look absolutely amazing! I can’t wait to try out this recipe—thanks for sharing such a delicious treat!
Awesome recipe!
Excellent cookie! I made them 3 oz. each. Thank you!
Flipping FABULOUS! I tossed out my old recipe and this is now in my recipe file. They are soft and amazing. Only cooked for 8 minutes and cooled on the rack for 6. What a perfect Peanut butter cookie. Thank you
I can’t wait to try these cookies
The cookies were delicious
These cookies got such great reviews, I’m going to try them for a cookie bake off at work tomorrow. I want to put a twist on them though by adding a dollop of strawberry jam either before or after baking. Have you ever done this? PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY COOKIES.
No but that sounds amazing, let me know how it goes!
I like a chewy cookie and these are the best.
Can this dough be chilled before baking?
Thanks…
I have never tried that, but I don’t see why not.
Great. A little dry but delicious. I added a bag of peanut butter chips at the end. Mixing in by hand
Nice snack
Can I double the recipe to double the servings?
Yes, you can 🙂
just made this today, and even added 1/4 tspn of ground cinnamon to kick up the flavor a notch and rolled the tops of the balls in some Sugar in the Raw before flattening slightly to bake. Awesome!!!
love the cinnamon idea, I will so try that!
I made this recipe using the new chocolate Jif and they turned out AMAZING!!!!
ohhh, I need to try that!
I’ve never seen cookies go so fast in my house before! Double, maybe triple this recipe! It is low key amazing. Just made it 2 days ago and kids are asking for it again!! Wouldn’t change a thing although I have using a whole tablespoon of vanilla at a time cause it’s expensive lol
Awe, I love this.