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.
These are by far the BEST peanut butter cookies I have ever had !!! Thank you for sharing
I love the softness of these cookies and the Tbspn of vanilla is perfect. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
You bake for 8-9 minutes on 350
I’ve done this cookies before and I lost the recipe, today I found it on your blog, they are just delicious, I might add some chocolate cover to one side. Thank you!! Oh I forgot, use Mexican vanilla, is the best…
I make my own vanilla! It’s the best! Yummy!
What is your recipe for homemade vanilla? I’d love to make some but want a really good recipe!
Salted or unsalted butter??
Should salted or unsalted butter be used? Thank in advance! 🙂
The taste was great! However, mine were dry and crumbly? I know this is operator error. Any tips? my butter wasn’t completely room temp. Could this be the problem?
Well here goes nothing going to give them a try!
Followed the recipe except I used egg replacer (due to egg allergy). Dough *looked* super crumbly, but once I scooped it up, the dough formed nicely into balls and it was just fine. Cookies turned out great and no one could tell I used egg replacer. I will definitely be making these again!
This is the first time I’ve ever left feedback on a recipe, but I just had to say thank you so so much!! These are so rich and buttery, they came out a gorgeous golden brown (which never happens for me!) and I haven’t been able to keep my hands off them.
Wonderful recipe! Thank you!!
super good!
Can I use cookie sheet instead of parchment paper?
I made these cookies, and they were the best peanut butter soft cookies. The only problem I had was they were too flat. Where did I go wrong???
Amazing cookies! Definitely the recipe to keep made them today & everyone loves them. Thank you!
Question: will these cookies remain soft after a week? If not, how long will they remain soft? And is there a trick I do to keep them soft?
Thank you!
(Really trying to find a peanut butter cookie recipie! Might use yours!)
If you use all white sugar cookies will be crunchy. That’s where the brownie sugar comes in. I’ve used equal amounts of sugars in my key lime thumbprint cookies & they weren’t as dry/crumbly as using all white sugar! Get to know ingredients & their purpose & have fun testing. It’s not hard to find ‘testers’!!! Google or find info in an old Betty Crocker cookbook. Happy baking!!!
If you place a slice of bread I use just cheap white bread and place just one slice in the bottom of your cookie jar and then put your cookies in they will stay super soft for several days if you don’t have a cookie jar any container with a lid well do hope this helps
Katt Mattox
Love this tip!
To keep your cookies soft longer or even to soften some overcooked ones, place cookies in a sealed container with a couple slices of bread. This will keep the cookies nice and fresh to enjoy longer!! 🙂
This tip definitely helps, enjoy!
Put the cookies in an airtight container with a piece of bread. The cookies will absorb the moisture from the bread. I crumble up the bread after and feed it to the birds. Win for everyone. My grandmother taught me this trick a long time ago. Depression baby never wasted anything!
I actually got a call from my grandkids saying this was the best ever peanut butter cookie in the world. Was soft and chewy and not hard. They want another batch next week. I give it 5 stars!
I chilled the batter in the fridge and just made about half of it. The cookies are rather dry and crumbly. Assuming this is due to not totally softened butter, is there anything I can do to improve the rest of the batter?
Cookies are in the oven, such an easy recipie, thanks for sharing. My husband is very excited!
I tried making these tonight but like all of the other recipes I’ve tried, the dough was dry and crumbly. I don’t usually use butter when baking, I use coconut oil instead as a healthier option. I use coconut oil in all of my cookie recipes and never had an issue. Why did it turn out dry and crumbly?
My mix looked dry and crumbly, and it might have to do with the moisture content in the peanut butter. My eggs were on the small side, so that could also be a factor. But I added coconut oil, hoping they would bind together with that, instead of using another egg.
easy clean up, I just mix the baking soda in the measuring cup for the flour.
My batter came out super creamy and whipped the 2nd time I made it.
My husband loves how they are not overly sweet.
Such a good recipe! Kinda rustic. Just perfect. Love it.
Yes, I think after some of the comments I read, my batter was more creamy because
my butter was more SOFT (I initially thought too soft) than the first time I made them.
Best Peanut Butter Cookies Ever, Made these exactly as directed twice now. LOVE THEM!!! Perfect amount of vanilla, I was short on time waiting for the butter to soften so I just put in microwave for about 15-20 secs and soften with fork before creaming together. Thanks for a wonderful recipe that will be made often 🙂
made this again. like the 4th time.
First time I think was messed up.
2nd and 3rd time super good and whipped.
I changed nothing every time I made it and the 4th time it was greasy-like clumpy.
Not whipped.
Not sure what the process does to this batter but its strange how sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.
Can chunky peanut butter be used in this recipe?
WOW! Just the smooth and creamy peanut buttery recipe I was looking for! Exactly follow the recipe and you will have exactly an amazing peanut butter cookie!