The search is over! These are the best, SOFTEST peanut butter cookies you will ever make! Instead of having an equal ratio of butter and peanut butter (like most pb cookies) this one has double the peanut butter. Double the flavor, double the softness! (Double the fun?) This chewy cookie recipe is tender and melt-in-your-mouth-delicious. I will show you how to make them! Originally posted on December 2, 2011.
Table of Contents
- Melt-in-your-mouth recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies
- Ingredients for Peanut Butter Cookies
- How to make Peanut Butter Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe Variations
- How to store Homemade Peanut Butter Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies FAQs
- More cookie recipes you are going to love!
- Soft Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
We are two weeks into January and I still haven’t found homes for some of the gifts our family was given for Christmas. Does anyone else struggle with this?? I have a gift sitting on my desk right now, no idea where to store it. Don’t even get me started on the kids’ toys. Usually I get rid of a bunch of their old toys to make room for new ones, but I need to wait until they are not around so that I don’t start WWIII.
When we got home from traveling for the holidays, I told Eric that putting away all the new gifts after Christmas is the same exact way that I feel when I come home from Costco. Like, technically I’m glad I have food now. But I still have no idea how I’m going to fit these jumbo items into my kitchen! Small house problems, am I right? It’s like one giant game of Tetris that you never win.
Instead you are punished with packets of food falling in your face when you open the cupboard, because last time you were so fed up that you literally threw stuff in and slammed the door, hoping you aren’t the next one to open it. (Oh, is this just at my house??)
I may not be good at organizing but I am pretty amazing at making super soft cookies. Check out these Softest Sugar Cookies, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, these Bakery Style Double Chocolate Chip Cookies. I’m a sucker for a super soft, tender cookie!
And today I’ve got another winner for you: these are the BEST Peanut Butter Cookies in the world. Hands down. Stop the search. This is THE ONE!
Melt-in-your-mouth recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies
They are ultimately moist and soft because of all the extra peanut butter. Most peanut butter cookie recipes call for 1/2 cup of peanut butter (equal parts butter and peanut butter). This recipe calls for more than double that amount, 1 full cup + 2 tablespoons (I kept the butter amount at 1/2 cup). This is not a traditional cookie ratio. There is more fat in this cookie than in your average chocolate chip cookie, for example. This makes them rather delicate.
But this is NOT an apology!! These cookies are peanut butter flavored to the MAX, and if you accidentally lose half your cookie in your milk because you dipped it for too long, then so be it. That’s just the price you are going to have to pay for this level of flavor and unbeatably soft texture.
Someday I will share my mother-in-law Kris’ peanut butter cookie recipe. Hers is the classic version with a slightly chewy center but a definite snap on the edges, the kind your grandma probably made. (Hint: it’s similar to Betty Crocker).
Today’s cookies do not snap. They are melt-in-your-mouth tender and soft. I almost named them Double Peanut Butter Peanut Butter Cookies. Or One-Cup Peanut Butter Cookies!
Both types of cookies (crispy vs soft) have their place in the world. Sometimes you want a nice snappy cookie that will hold up to multiple milk dippings. Other times you want a completely decadent, indulgent, knock-you-out-with-peanut-butter cookie experience, the kind you might need to sit down for. That’s what today’s recipe is.
Ingredients for Peanut Butter Cookies
The full recipe is at the bottom of the post, but here’s a quick overview!
- Butter. I like to use salted butter, but unsalted is fine too
- Granulated sugar and brown sugar. Use both to get the right texture!
- Peanut butter. Jif is best in my opinion. Use crunchy pb if you must, but get that natural peanut butter out of here! We need the extra sugar and oil in regular pb.
- Egg. Acts as a binder to hold our cookies together
- Vanilla and salt. For flavor
- All purpose flour. Spooned and leveled
- A combo of baking soda baking powder gives us the perfect level of spread and crispy edges.
How to make Peanut Butter Cookies
First we start out with some butter, just like any decent cookie recipe! Beat it until it is smooth and creamy. A stick of butter is not much, so sometimes it can be hard to get it nice and creamy on it’s own. (I hardly ever soften butter if I’m using my stand mixer. If using a hand mixer, you might need to soften a bit.) Once you have it at least roughly beaten, you can add in your white sugar and brown sugar.
Beat the butter and sugars together for 1-2 minutes until completely mixed. There should be no chunks of butter, it should be completely smooth like this picture on the left.
Next add in the peanut butter! I love Jif. I’m a choosy mom like that. I didn’t feel this way until recently, actually. I was using generic peanut butter for testing these very cookies when my brother Nathan came over and helped me do a blind taste test between generic and Jif.
I spun around in a circle 3 times to disorient myself, closed my eyes, and he was supposed to feed me a bite of each one, but instead he smashed it all over my face (brothers, amiright?) and then he gave me 2 spoonfuls of the same peanut butter in a row to throw me off, but it didn’t matter, once I tried them both I could tell immediately which one was higher quality. Jif won hands down (the texture is SO much creamier and more homogenous), so now I can say I’m a choosy mom. A choosy mom with peanut butter all over her chin and in her hair. THANKS A LOT NATE.
Anyway. Add in that full cup of peanut butter, plus 2 tablespoons for good measure. Mix it in until combined.
Add in an egg and some vanilla. Mix it up.
Then add in your dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder. I did a lot of testing with the baking soda and powder for this recipe. A 1/2 teaspoon each is my favorite combo. Using only baking soda makes your cookies crisp up on the edges a bit more, and they flatten more. A combination of both lands you with the perfect texture, just enough crisp on the edges (but not too much!) and the perfect puffiness level.
Mix the dough together, but don’t overdo it! Over mixed dough makes for tough cookies.
At this point you can chill…if you want. This is a really soft dough, so it’s actually easier to handle if you chill it a bit. It’s not necessary, though.
Use a cookie scoop to shape your cookies. I love the textured edge of a cookie released from a dough scoop. I don’t roll them in my hands to smooth out the edges. I feel like this is actually one of the secrets to that gorgeous textured, layered cookie-top that you love.
Next, smash with a fork (I know, I know, I was just talking about the texture of the top…you still get it on the edges if you don’t roll smooth in your hands. Am I going a little too deep here??)
I like to dip the fork in sugar if it starts to stick to the dough. Flour will work too. (But who wants flour all over their cookie?)
Don’t smash them too much. The thickness of your cookie when it goes in the oven is about the thickness it will be when baked. I like to smash them to be about 1/2 inch tall.
Bake until they are just baaaarely starting to brown on the very edge, and devour immediately.
Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe Variations
I love me a good traditional peanut butter cookie. But I also love EVERY type of peanut butter cookie. I just searched my own blog and I have nine separate peanut butter cookie recipes! Nine! Here are some ideas for how to take today’s regular recipe to the next level:
- Add semi sweet chocolate chips or peanut butter chips
- Add M&Ms. Bonus points if their color matches the nearest holiday!
- Use chunky peanut butter for some crunch
- Drizzle finished cookies with melted peanut butter and let cool
But if you really want to step it up a notch, try out some of my other favorite peanut butter cookie recipes, like this Outrageous Pretzel Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookies or Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies (even the frosting has peanut butter in it!). Or my new easy favorite, No Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies. A childhood classic!
How to store Homemade Peanut Butter Cookies
The best part about homemade cookies is snacking on them all week! Assuming you don’t have 4 kids and a kitchen full of neighborhood kids, a husband, plus a voracious cookie appetite, like me myself and I.
Once they’re cool, place cookies in a tightly closed plastic container or resealable bag. They will stay fresh for 3-5 days. Good luck.
Another great option is the freezer. Gently stack cookies in freezer-weight ziplocks after they are cooled, or store in an airtight container. Let thaw on the counter in the container until they reach room temp.
Also, don’t ignore your reheat options. Warm yesterday’s cookies in the microwave for 10-20 seconds to soften them. It almost tastes like they are just out of the oven!
Can I freeze peanut butter cookie dough?
But why freeze baked cookies when you can have freshly-baked peanut butter heaven anytime by freezing dough balls?
All you have to do is roll out the dough balls as if you were going to bake. Roll them in sugar and store in a ziplock. (I do this all the time, and rarely is there a moment in my life when I don’t have cookie dough balls of some kind in my freezer.)
You can even bake straight from frozen, no need to thaw first. You might need to add 1-2 minutes to the bake time. Watch them!
Here is the original photo I took of these peanut butter cookies back in 2011! I added chocolate chips to the dough, never a bad idea right? You can also try swapping in a cup of peanut butter chips for the ultimate peanut butter experience! Tell me you are going to make these soon!!!
Peanut Butter Cookies FAQs
You have all the questions, here are all the answers!
Peanut Butter is heavy stuff. And it’s basically pure fat. Much more fat than goes in your average cookie. Baking soda and baking powder are powerful leaveners, but even they can’t do their job properly in the face of so much fat.
If you don’t press down peanut butter cookies, they will stay in the exact same shape they were in when you started to bake them. You don’t need to use a fork to press. Use a spoon, use your fingers, smash with the bottom of a drinking glass. But…don’t you secretly love those fork marks? They are so nostalgic, right?? Be sure not to flatten your cookies too much, we don’t want them baking up crispy. You want to press them to about ½ inch.
Optional! This is a really soft dough, so it’s easier to handle if you chill it a bit (plus it gives the flavors a chance to deepen). But if you put them in the oven right away, it will work just fine. I tried it!
1. Measure your flour by spooning it into the cup, then leveling with a knife. Using too much flour will make your cookies dry every time!
2. Don’t over bake! You want the edges of your cookie to be barely setting, and not browned at all. See the recipe!
1. Use a tonna peanut butter.
2. Don’t over smash your dough balls. ½ inch thickness! Or thicker!
3. Don’t overbake! I’m telling you guys!
We’re going for a thick, soft cookie full of flavor that bends deliciously rather than snapping in half. Someday I’ll share my mother-in-laws snappy recipe!
Here are a few tips I have for making the softest, chewiest peanut butter cookies EVER!
1. Use brown sugar and granulated sugar. Both sugars sweeten the cookies, but the high moisture content in brown sugar contributes a lot to their soft, chewy texture.
2. Use baking soda and powder. Using just baking soda makes them crispier. A combination of the two creates the perfect crispy edges with a soft middle.
3. Underbake slightly. The cookies will look slightly underdone in the middle when you pull them out. They’ll finish baking as they cool on the baking sheet. This is the key to that soft texture.
Peanut butter cookies are naturally delicate because peanut butter has so much fat in it. All the extra fat makes it a little harder for the binding ingredients (egg, butter) to hold it together. This recipe has the perfect ratio of fat to flour, giving you a super soft and tender cookie that is not meant for tossing like a hockey puck. Treat it with some respect. Adding more flour would of course solve the delicacy problem, but then you would be missing out on the amazing flavor. Resist! Use your refrigerator to chill your dough, making it more manageable.
More cookie recipes you are going to love!
- Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies << The only thing better than a peanut butter cookie is a peanut butter oatmeal cookie.
- Texas Cowboy Cookies << people go crazy for this recipe. Probably one of the most-made recipes on my site!
- 30 Minute Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies << you really just can’t beat this classic.
- The Softest Sugar Cookies of Your Life << Check out the reviews on this recipe! They are so soft and chewy.
- Nathan’s Peanut Butter Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies << these are legit.
- No Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies << you’ve made no-bakes before, right? This recipe is a classic.
- Soft Peanut Butter Cookies with Maple Glaze << have you ever put peanut butter on your pancakes? BEST FLAVOR COMBO.
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies << have you had the Girl Scout version? These are even better.
- Gingerbread Snickerdoodles from Crunchy Creamy Sweet
- Crisp and Chewy Strawberry Sugar Cookies from Wild Thistle Kitchen
- Levain Bakery Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies from Domestic Rebel
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Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, (1 stick)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons peanut butter, don’t use natural pb
- 1 large egg
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 & 1/3 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, for rolling dough
Instructions
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat 1/2 cup butter until it is smooth and creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl.
- Add 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup packed brown sugar. Beat well until fluffy, scraping the sides. There should be no chunks of butter.
- Add 1 cup peanut butter plus an additional 2 tablespoons. I like Jif best. You can use crunchy peanut butter if you like! Beat well until combined.
- Add 1 egg and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat until combined.
- Add 1 and 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, but don’t stir it in yet. Add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt on top of the flour. Stir it in with your teaspoon to combine the dry ingredients together a bit.
- Turn the mixer on to combine the dry ingredients into the dough. Don’t overdo it! Once the dough barely starts to come together (with some flour still visible), stop and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Continue mixing until you no longer see flour streaks, then turn off the mixer. Over mixing cookie dough results in tough cookies.
- Cover the bowl and chill the dough for 15 minutes to an hour.* (Or up to 2 days!)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Add about 1/2 cup granulated sugar to a bowl.
- Shape the dough into 1 and 1/2 inch balls. I used this cookie scoop. Don't smooth out the ball of dough by rolling it in your hands! Leave it textured from the scoop.
- Roll each ball in the sugar to coat. Place on a baking sheet. I added 15 cookies to an 11×17 inch pan. The cookies don’t spread much at all, so you can place them closer together than regular cookies.
- Dip a fork in the bowl of sugar and press into the top of a cookie. Turn the fork perpendicular and press one more time. Your cookies will puff a little bit in the oven, but not a ton. Whatever thickness you press them down to is about how thick your cookie will be. I like my cookies to be about 1/2 inch thick. Dip in sugar whenever the fork starts to stick to the dough.
- Bake the cookies at 350 for about 10-12 minutes.
- The cookies are done baking when the edges are set. They should not be shiny in the middle. If you like REALLY soft cookies, under bake them slightly so there is no browning at all. I like a very slight browning just on the very edges.
- Sprinkle with additional granulated sugar right after you pull them out of the oven.
- Let the cookies set on the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- If you know what’s good for you, eat at least one of these warm, with a tall glass of milk!
- This recipe makes about 26 cookies. Store leftovers in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days.
- The dough freezes very well. Since these cookies need to be flattened before baking, I like to shape the dough, roll it in sugar, and press with a fork, then transfer to a ziplock to freeze. That way you can just put them on the baking sheet frozen and bake immediately. No need to thaw, just add 1-3 minutes to the bake time.
I made these today. The SU [spousal unit] says the recipe is a keeper. I rolled them in Demerara sugar – loved the little bit of crunch that gave the cookies. Next time I’ll add in some mini-chocolate chips before I chill the dough. Thanks!
Asking why you never respond to any of the questions about the dough being crumbly because every time I make these they’re very crumbly and I follow your recipe exactly. Tasty but very dry
Hey Karissa! Try taking them out of the oven a few minutes earlier!
I’m going to use your tips of white AND brown sugar. I just make the 111 kind of PB cookies: 1 c. sugar, 1 c. PB, 1 egg. Mix with wooden spoon, then a tsp onto plain cookie sheet, 350, 10-15 min. THEN smush a bit with fork so its able to hold sprinkles of sugar. Voila easy peasy. And ohhhhh so wonderful.
I’ve made those cookies before Patti! They are pretty good but too much snap for me. Lmk if you try out today’s recipe!!
Literally the best peanut butter cookies I’ve ever had!!!!!!! My whole family loves them , I make them after dinner and by noon the next day they are all gone 🫢 I decided to go with this recipe given the fact that it was a 5star recipe. I do not regret coming across this recipe 🥰 usually peanut butter cookies are a little “crunchy” but these are so soft I fell in love!
Made the “softest peanut butter cookie” recipe. It was fabulous. Next time I will have to double the recipe so the cookies will last longer than a day!!
My last review was a bit premature. I did it after the 2nd batch. I said they were 4 stars but wasn’t fabulous or enough pb for my liking. I tried to rush through the rest & did them bigger on different pan, turned out completely different than the first couple batches. And I lied (not on purpose), I am going to make more right now. Because they were fabulous like that! Thank you for the recipe!
I made a few changes to this recipe and it came out DELICIOUS. Here’s what I did: I melted the butter completely to create a runnier dough, replaced 1/2 a cup of the flour with peanut butter powder, and added an extra 1 and 1/2 cup of peanut butter powder. I like a very strong peanut butter taste and some of the reviews said there wasn’t enough of that, so I added the powder for that reason. The result was scrumptious. Crumbly (but not too much,) slightly crispy around the edges, and moist and chewy in the center. I also added a cup and a half of semi-sweet chocolate chips. I made them at night to take to work and when I woke up there were a several missing…seems husband snuck some in the middle of the night, lol. They were a huge hit with my coworkers too. I’ll definitely make these again.
Love the idea of using peanut butter powder Nahla!! I will have to try it! Thanks so much for reviewing!
These were the best peanut butter cookies I’ve ever had! I added semi-sweet chocolate chips because I love PB and chocolate together. So soft and crumbly. I’m glad I doubled the batch but I still want more! Definitely keeping this recipe 👍🏼
These are AMAZING!! I’ve tried so many pb cookies and recipes and they never packed enough of a peanut buttery punch… until these. Perfect balance of sweet/salt, soft but dense and melts-in-your-mouth good, like little pb pillows. Some ppl said they crumble and mine did too, until I double checked the recipe where it says you must LET THEM REST before taking them off the pan. This is the key. Once they rest, they crumble no more. My Mom is a huge foodie and seeker of perfect recipes and asked for the recipe.
They are good but not quite as peanut buttery as I like mine. A little on the floury side. But I am extremely picky. I would def eat if someone else made them though. And they are very soft.
First peanut butter cookies in a long time and this recipe is a keeper! Used Jif crunchy and added chocolate chips. Baking cookies at 375 for 9 minutes makes for a crispy outside and tender in the middle. There is 4.09 ounces to a cup of flour and spooning the flour into the cup and leveling the top comes very close to the correct weight. I made a double batch and got 5 dozen using a cookie scoop. Made these yesterday and only one dozen left. My son and daughter-in-law took them to work. Can’t wait to make this recipe for our church dinner, these cookies will be a favorite! Thank you for the recipe!
I haven’t tried these yet . I don’t like hard peanut butter cookies. Many recipes end up with the cookies hard.
This recipe says soft so that’s good. I wonder why some said they were dry while others said perfect?
They are so good I made them for our son
Said he hadn’t had any of those for a long time.
Very soft and so easy to make. Thank you.
I’m so glad it was a hit Joyce! peanut butter cookies forever! Thanks so much for coming back to comment :)
For the brown sugar – is it best to use light or dark brown sugar?
Hi Tess! Either one will work for this recipe! I used dark brown. Enjoy!
char·la·tan
/ˈSHärlədən,ˈSHärlətn/
noun
a person falsely claiming to have a special knowledge or skill; a fraud.
“a self-confessed con artist and charlatan”
By no means am I saying that you are a fraud. However, when I looked up the word, it cracked me up so much that I had to post it Lol! This recipe is fantastic btw
Oh you are spot on Andrew! When I started this blog 10 years ago, I had no special training or kitchen skills, so indeed felt like a charlatan. I’ve learned a lot about cooking and baking over the last decade, but I definitely still feel like I’m faking it most of the time!! Haha! Fake it til you make it I say! ;) Rest assured, everything you see published on the blog is well tested and not thrown together, but I often have to try recipes like a bazillion times before they are ready for posting!! Enjoy the cookies!
Made these cookies today . My new best peanutbutter cookie recipe . Easy to make . Delicious to eat . Thank you very much .
Thank you for the beautiful Recipe
I have this powdered peanut butter that was given to me. It’s huge and I wouldn’t have bought it myself. (Milspouse PCS “gift” 🙄) anyway any idea if the powdered stuff would work in this recipe? Or is this technically natural PB?
Hi Candace, no I’m sorry, I don’t think the powder kind will work for this recipe. I would add it to smoothies!
Love these cookies! A friend of mine only gets Smuckers Natural PB. Can she use it in this recipe? How might it change the consistency? Thanks.
Hi Lena! So glad you are loving the cookies! I haven’t tried this with natural pb, but the problem is that “regular” pb has extra oil added to it to make it super homogenous and smooth, which helps our cookies be smooth. If you use a natural pb, your cookies will likely be more crumbly and chalky-ish. They will still taste good but the texture might be off. Let me know how it goes if you try it!