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.
I rolled these cookies in cinnamon sugar before pressing with a fork and baking, and that was delish! I thought these cookies were a little dry though. I used regular peanut butter too.
I made this recipe. it was simple and easy. also delicious. the child asked me to make another bash today.
These are the softest peanut butter cookies I’ve made. Added chocolate chips to it and it’s perfect!
These cookies are amazing. They are very soft and very tasty. I’ve made many peanut butter cookies over the years, but this is one of my favorite recipes.
I am so glad you enjoyed these!
OMG! by far. this is absolutely the best peanut butter cookie I have ever made. Absolutely love dash- of- sanity
very simple recipe and the cookies are not too rich
Ive made these a few times and they always turn out amazing! I started adding about 3 tbs of Greek yogurt to make them a little less crumbly and it has made them irresistible….
Would it be possible to make these cookies with sunflower butter instead of peanut butter? I’m trying to figure something out for a family member who developed a peanut allergy late in life and misses peanut butter treats.
Oh, I am not sure, I will have to try that.
Best recipe I’ve tried
Oh my goodness these are amazing! I too have also made many peanut butter cookies over the years and they’ve never been this soft and perfect. I added about 3-4 TBS of honey. It really kicks it up a notch! Thank you for this amazing recipe.
So happy you love them too!
divided flour evenly with unbleached wheat and sprinkled cinnamon sugar on top! very good thank you ,searching for reasonably healthy snacks and this hit the spot!
this was very good recipe, measurements were right on. nice soft and chewy cookies
Thank you!
the cookies were very tasty. Just a bit dry. what can I do next time to correct?
What peanut butter did you use?
What peanut butter did you use? How are you measuring your flour?
Easy and it tastes great
I added a personal touch of butterscotch chips, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and of course Sailor Jerry
thanks for the wonderful recipe!
-Dan
These cookies were quick and easy to make and tasted delicious.
can these cookies befrozen
I haven’t tried that, so not sure how they hold up.
This is hands down best ever! I made it ahead of time for weekend at the lake and forgot to bring it so it sat in fridge. When we got home I made cookies and added chocolate chunks I chopped of of a chocolate bar from Anthony’s chocolate. Baked on parchment and they were incredible!!!! I think letting it sit in fridge before baking makes it even better. Now I bake as we eat each evening! Hot cookies are always better!
This is hands down the best and only peanut butter cookie I’ll ever use again! My son said “now that’s how you make a pb cookie”! Thank you for this amazing recipe. I did a double batch just in case they were great so I’m sitting here now with 72 cookies! ♥️
YAY!!!!! You know they are the best when you have to double the batch!
Was absolutely the best pb cookie recipe I have ever made! I would consider myself to be quite the pn cookie coniseur and this by far is the best recipe! Thanks
Thank you!
To make these gluten free.. I just switch flour right?
Yes!
I made these they are delicious so good I had to make a double batch they gone so quick love them.
too dry. had a funny aftertaste.
this recipe sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! do not use
Sorry it didn’t work for you; like it did for so many others.
I am not having any luck with this either! I’m in Albuquerque New Mexico, at exactly so I’m high altitude.. but 9 min at 350?? I still have raw crumbly cookies!!
so I’m hiking it up to 360 for 10… we shall see
Did you let the cookies cool on the baking sheet?
Great cookies.
Alabama has discovered “self-raising” flour, so we don’t have to use two other recipe items!!
Absolute garbage recipe. These cookies come out so dry! Why do we put 150% flour to sugar ratio on peanut butter cookies? Stop pumping out this AI bullshit
Not, AI but thank you for your comment. If you prefer to have a peanut butter cookie without flour – try this one https://praxis-platform.live/gluten-free-peanut-butter-cookies/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
This response was also not AI generated.