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.
Your feedback helps me a lot, A very meaningful event, I hope everything will go well
Thank you!
Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe is great! To be honest, I’m not good at cooking but I like them, they give me joy and excitement every time I finish the dishes, which is a great thing. With your recipe, I just need to follow the instructions and the rest is simple. Thanks for sharing.
I’m so glad the recipe helped! Enjoy!
I made these tonight and they turned out amazing! I used 1/2 cup crunchy PB and 1/2 cup creamy and cooked for 10 minutes. Yum!
I’m so glad you liked them! I love the addition of crunchy PB, that sounds amazing!
My family loves this cake and especially I like your recipe that will make my family’s welcome cake
thank you
They really looked good. I think my mom is going to love this if I made this on her birthday.
Thank you! I’m sure she would love the cookies for her birthday 🙂 Enjoy!
Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe is awesome! It’s my family’s favorite food, it’s great to be able to prepare it at home for everyone to enjoy. Thanks for your detailed instructions, just follow the instructions and everything is easy. Best regards!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!!!
nice post great job!!
Thank you!
My love peanut butter cookies. Can’t wait to make these. Thank you for sharing.
I hope you enjoy them!
Thank you SO MUCH for this recipe. These cookies were a hit with my family! They are amazing
I’m so glad to hear you and your family enjoyed the cookie! Thanks for reviewing!
These cookies are delicious!!!!
I did add another egg, but followed everything to the exact measurement! I sprayed a cookie sheet with canola, rolled the dough in white sugar, did the whole cross cross and baked for exactly 8 mins
Yes, when you take them out they look way under cooked, but if you peek underneath they’re a beautiful golden brown. They set in a few mins.
Perfect! Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! The key definitely is to take them out at 8 minutes for perfect results. Thank you for reviewing!
These cookies were a huge hit! Every one said they were the best peanut butter cookies they’ve ever had. Thank you for this!!
I’m so glad to hear everyone liked the cookies! Thank you for sharing!
Very dry and crumbly. I followed the recipe exactly. I won’t be making them again.
I’m so sorry to hear that! We have heard this before, and these were some of the solutions. Make sure to cook no longer than 9 minutes. 8 should be enough! They will look like they aren’t ready but they will set while cooling. Also be sure to measure the ingredients correctly. If you scoop flour with a measuring cup it will pack it, which will definitely make the cookies dryer than they should be. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup, then scrape off excess with a knife to get an exact measurement. The last tip would be to make sure to soften the butter on the counter, instead of microwaving. If it is melted or too soft the cookies may cook too fast in the oven which will cause them to dry out. I hope this helps for next time!
I’ve made these twice now! Both times …PERFECT! I used raw sugar, no sugar p.b and added 1 1/2 TBS molasses. My husband is a huge fan. They are moist and we love the texture!
That sounds delicious! I’m so glad you enjoy them!
These ARE the best peanut butter cookies!! I put chocolate chips in half of the batter and a pinch of salt on top. Yummy! Thank you!
We’re so glad to hear you love them! Chocolate chips sound like such a delicious addition.
These cookies are not the best . They are dry . I won’t be making again. I have made many peanut butter cookies over the years and I have never had them turn out like these.
I’m so sorry to hear that! We have heard this before, and these were some of the solutions. Make sure to cook no longer than 9 minutes. 8 should be enough! They will look like they aren’t ready but they will set while cooling. Also be sure to measure the ingredients correctly. If you scoop flour with a measuring cup it will pack it, which will definitely make the cookies dryer than they should be. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup, then scrape off excess with a knife to get an exact measurement. We have found best results with regular creamy peanut butter. Think Jif, Skippy, or generic. Sometimes natural peanut butter can be too oily for this recipe. I hope this helps next time!
I can’t stop eating these cookies! They hit the spot in every way and are everything I could ever wish for in a pb cookie. I froze my dough in scoops and have been making these a few at a time to avoid demolishing the whole batch. Yum yum yum. Look no further for the best and only pb cookie recipe you’ll ever need.
Thank you! So glad to hear you love the cookies.
Love these!!! Just made them with coconut peanut butter. They are really soft!! Next time I might cook them 1-2min longer just so they aren’t so soft they easily fall apart. But they are so good!!
So glad you enjoyed them!
I saw the doigh was a bit dry so I added 2 tsp water and they tuned out great!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
I never comment on stuff like this but these were the best EVER peanut butter cookies I have ever made. Thank you so much for sharing your amazing cookie recipe. ❤️
So glad to hear that! I’m happy you enjoy the recipe.
This recipe is my favorite recipe. It was perfectly baked.
Thank you!
I really enjoy simply reading all of your weblogs.
Thank you!
Peanut Butter Cookie recipe is great! I made it according to your recipe and the taste is great! Everyone in the family likes it, it makes me happy. thank you
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Keep going the good work..
Thank you!
The ratios aren’t right with this recipe. I’m a long time baker and thought I would try the best PB cookie recipe ever. These were dry, almost sandy in texture. They completely fell apart when we tried to eat them. They were not overbaked as the interior was almost raw and the exterior was falling apart. I wanted to like them, but have better recipes that I’ll use in the future…sorry!
I’m so sorry to hear that! We will review the recipe to see what’s going on.
I agree 100% with this comment. I’ve made cookies for decades. These have good flavor but they crumble as soon as you pick it up. I watched the video and I feel like my dough looked a lot more dry than the outcome on the video. Someone else mentioned using 2 eggs instead of 1. I wonder if that makes all the difference.
I am 12 years old and I love to bake in my free time!! I DEFINITELY recommend these if your craving some peanut butter type thing or you just need a snack. 10/10. I wanted to make these for my family because they love peanut butter, they say it’s delicious!! Thank you!
I’m so glad you love this cookie recipe, Mykenzie!