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 am craving for something sweet and this just might hit the spot. Thanks for the recipe share. Take care.
Thanks, hope you enjoy!
Hi. I used this recipe to bake for the very first time! I was confused about the soft butter part so i saw online to microwave the butter or leave it out to room temp. I left it out for a bit. After the cookies were done are they supposes to be soft? The edges were so i thought they should bake longer? Also after they were done the dough crumbled. When i used the fork i pressed the edges together but after the cookies fell apart. Also they tasted maybe to salty or something. Please let me know how i can fix them. Thanks.
Make sure you don’t use too much flour or the dough will be crumbly. I would double check what peanut butter you used, natural brands seem to not work with the recipe. They definitely should come out soft and chewy! Be sure not to over cook these. The peanut butter may make it look like it isn’t finished but they will set on the tray while cooling.
Left butter overnight to soften, used the peanut butter that separates oil and mixed it well first. I smushed them down with a fork and watch most of them break off with my gentle push. I followed the recipe exactly, measuring everything. Never flattened out and looked and felt like the dough that went in after the timed 8 minutes….cooked them longer, 5 min more per batch. Taste good, but they are dry from the mix.
It may be the peanut butter that you used. We only make it with Jif and it always comes out soft! They do need to be flattened with the fork before baking so they cook evenly. If you let them cool before removing from the tray they should set and not need the extra cooking, otherwise they can dry out. I’m glad you enjoyed the taste, hope this helps!
This is one of my best dessert friend I still remember I brought some packs of peanut butter cookies that I made to my offices for my colleagues, they were totally hooked! One of them even asked me to do more packs for him to give his friends I was more than happy with this!
– Natalie Ellis
That’s awesome; I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them! Thank you!
My sister made cookies following your recipe, and it so amazingly soft that I have to beg her to give me the link. I will make it tomorrow!
Would I be able to use self rising flour and omit salt?
Oh. My. Goodness. I know my way around a Peanut Butter cookie and these are the best I’ve ever had. The recipe makes a good amount of cookies. These babies stay soft and tender for over a week in a plastic zip bag. Well done!! (tried to leave 5-star rating, but system isn’t letting me mark stars).
These are soooooo good next time I’m using crunchy peanut butter.
Amazing cookies Made sure all my ingredients were room temp, only really mixed the first ingredients with my hand mixer. Then added the egg and vanilla. Then slowly mixed in the dry ingredients just until they were incorporated.
Thank you for the recipe ❤️
So glad you enjoyed it. Thank you!
Just a suggestion to those who are ending up with crumbly dough…may be too much flour? If measured incorrectly it’s easy to get too much. I weighed my flour, used 3/4 c brown sugar and 1/4 cup white, made 30 cookies, and baked 8.5 minutes. They looked underbaked but set up more on baking sheet after cooling. Perfectly not crumbly dough and wonderful soft cookies. Thank you!
Too much flour would definitely dry these out, as will over-baking them. Thanks for sharing the tips! I’m glad you enjoyed these cookies.
These are definitely the best peanut butter cookies I’ve ever tasted! Everything came out perfect! Don’t forget to fluff up your flour before measuring though. I ate one out of the oven and it fell apart but let others cool 10 minutes and they’re not falling apart at all! I also used 3/4 c brown sugar and 1/4 c sugar like a reviewer had suggested. These are great! Thanks for posting this recipe!
The Peanut Butter Cookies is great! This is my daughter’s favorite dish. I didn’t think about doing it before, but today is different, you helped me to do it easily. thank you very much
Thank you! I’m so glad your daughter likes them so much.
I visited my friend’s house on the weekend, we had an intimate party, I ate the cake she made, I was really stunned, why it was so delicious, I was so surprised About my friend’s cooking skills, when I asked, she showed me your website. Great
My son is 3 years old, he love cookies, and usually prefer soft cookies, I’ll make this for him, and he can have it with milk. Many thanks.
These definitely are delicious with milk. I hope he likes them, enjoy!
How easy to make and kids will devour these. They look so crunchy!
They’re perfectly crunchy and soft! I hope you enjoy!
Just made this today and it turned out soo good!
I’m so glad you liked them!
It’s easy to make and I like peanut so definitely this cookies will be my favorite. Thanks a lot.
It really is simple! I hope you enjoy!
Thank you so much for the recipe! They turned out soft and delicious!!
I’m so glad you liked how they turned out!
My kids like cookies, especially soft cookies, I will make this for them. Thanks.
Then I’m sure they’ll love these! Enjoy!