This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Soft Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
The best chewy peanut butter cookies which have everything — a chewy texture, crisp edges, and crunchy peanuts.The perfect peanut butter cookie!
I have been on the hunt for the best peanut butter cookie recipe. Since peanut butter cookies are one of my husband’s favorite cookies, I searched in order to figure out how to make the ultimate peanut butter cookie. After many batches, we have declared a winner!
I tried all sorts of different methods and ingredients. I found that butter produced the best flavor (it truly does make everything better) so it was the perfect base. Slightly softened butter (a small indention forms when pressed but it is not melted) mixed well with the sugars.
Both brown sugar and sugar play an important role in the cookie. The brown sugar creates the chewy texture, thanks to the molasses, and the sugar creates the slightly crispy edges. I tried using all brown sugar, mostly brown sugar and a little sugar, and half and half, and the 50/50 brown sugar to sugar ratio won out.
The peanut butter is always important since it is the star ingredient. If you want the cookies to be extra crunchy, reach for crunchy peanut butter. If you want them to be mostly smooth, reach for creamy peanut butter. One of my favorite parts of this peanut butter cookie is the finely chopped peanuts added to the cookies so you get a crunch in every bite. It adds so much texture!
One note on salt…if you use salted butter, just omit the salt. There will be plenty of salt between the peanut butter, peanuts, and butter. It is best to use unsalted butter in these cookies but either will work just fine.
After rolling the dough into a ball, roll into a bowl of sugar, and then take a fork and make a crisscross pattern. Place on a baking sheet and bake just until edges start to become a light golden color. They will look slightly underbaked but will set up. They are supposed to be soft and chewy so let them continue to set up on the cookie sheet after removing from the oven.
These chewy peanut butter cookies freeze so well so keep them in the freezer for a late night craving or an after school snack for your kids. They go perfectly well with a big glass of cold milk. Just ask my husband…he’s an expert on that combo.
If you LOVE Peanut Butter, check out these recipes:
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies (Levain Bakery Copycat)
- Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Pie
I love to hear from you! If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating. Also, tag me on Instagram @modern_honey so I can see your creations. Be sure to tag your photo using the hashtag #modernhoney. It’s one of my favorite things seeing you make these recipes in your own kitchen. Thank you for following along! I truly do have the greatest readers. FOLLOW ME ON: INSTAGRAM — FACEBOOK — PINTEREST
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
Soft Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter (softened)
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 cup Sugar (plus 2 Tablespoons for top of cookies)
- 1 cup Peanut Butter (creamy or crunchy)
- 2 large Eggs
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla
- 2 1/2 cups Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 3/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt (optional if using salted butter)
- 1 cup Roasted Salted Peanuts (ground or finely chopped to resemble breadcrumbs)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and sugar for 4 minutes, until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl often.
- Add eggs and vanilla and beat for 1 minute longer. Fold in peanut butter.
- Stir in flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Fold in finely ground or chopped roasted salted peanuts.
- Chill dough for at least 1 hour or overnight is ideal. After chilling, preheat oven to 350 degrees.Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Roll dough into 2-inch balls. Place remaining sugar into a small bowl. Roll cookie dough balls into sugar to coat. Place on cookie sheet and press each ball twice with a dinner form to form a crisscross design.
- Bake for 10-13 minutes or until the edges become a light golden color. Do not overbake as these are supposed to be soft and chewy. Let the cookies rest for at least 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
Video
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Happy Baking, my friends!
How many does this usually make? Sounds amazing !
Can you use natural peanut butter in this recipe?
Lynn, I tried using natural peanut butter with a different recipe mind you, but I researched it after because they did not turn out and the professionals say that it’s not a good idea to use natural peanut butter.
I haven’t baked them yet but the dough is phenomenal! I did not fold in the peanut butter. I mixed it with the butter, brown sugar and white sugar. nice and fluffy. I then added eggs and vanilla, mixed for about a minute, scrapping the bowl well throughout. I added the baking soda, baking powders and salt while it continued mixing. I then added the flour, very slowly as to avoid flour splashing everywhere. I scrapped well throughout still. I skipped the peanuts and substituted for Reese’s peanut butter chips. (I tried a peanut butter cookie with these before and man were they delicious.) I got a very smooth dough and yes, i eat dough before it’s baked and the taste, already, is absolutely amazing and i cannot wait to bake them after I’ve chilled them for about an hour. I will not be rolling in sugar and I will leave them a bit on the thicker side. I don’t care if I get a crosshatch even though that’s the Peanut butter signature. I will be flattening them with a fork to get some type of show as I don’t mind that at all. Already I have added this recipe to my folder and it will be a go to for peanut butter deliciousness! 🙂
You are the. Bomb.com absolute best pb cookies out there. I love pb cookies and could never fond a chewy recipe until now
These cookies are perfect! I used chopped almonds because I didn’t have any peanuts on hand and it was delicious – the little crunches here and there is everything!!
Can I leave out the chopped peanuts?
Wow???? Yummy warm from the oven or cold with milk❣️ I used a cup of peanutbutter chips and chunky peanutbutter and they are by far my favorite ????
Lol…as a professional baker and chef I can attest this is not a good recipe…it’s a GREAT recipe! I loathe cookie recipes lacking sugar and this one doesn’t. I also am a HUGE fan of letting cookie dough of every type sit for 12 hours in the fridge, NOT the freezer! You cant fool science by sticking cookie dough in the freezer. Great job darling. ????
I’ve never been fond of pb cookies, I only make them for my family. After making these though, I ended up eating lots of them! I don’t know if it’s the chewiness or rolling in sugar…? I dunno but I love them so much I had to research how to retrieve my safari history so I could make more!
Yes this is a great recipe to burn your house down, i follow recipes to the T and thats what i did with yours i measured everything 2 times and i checked the recipe every second just to make sure. The first time i put them in the suger and had them in for 6 minutes because when i checked them one was on fire. The se ond tome i didnt put the sugar on them they were in for 3 minutes and burned to the point of no reurn. This is a terrible recipe and your a terrible person. I have lowered the heat to 250 maybe i can do somethimg and not waste 4 dollars of butter.
Seriously? If you think a RECIPE was the cause, you need both your head and oven checked by a professional!
Girl, my daughter is 3 years old and made this recipe with little help and they turned out good! Stop being a hater and get with the program. You must of done something wrong because if a 3 year old can do it then you need to check yourself…I’m just saying….lol!
That’s not the recipe, it’s either your oven, you had the rack set too high or your baking sheet!
You don’t need to be cooking
This peanut butter cookie recipe is so delicious. So soft and chewy. It was a hit in our house. Thank you!
The fact that you almost burned your house down by making these cookies has NOTHING to do with this recipe being terrible or MH being a terrible person!! More like you’re a terrible cook! You have no right to call MH a terrible person, you don’t even know her!! Get off social media if you can’t be nice.
How dare you! Instead of finding blame how about you check to see what you missed. Maybe your oven is just crap. Your 1 complaint against many compliments means very little. Move on.
Wow! Not very nice. I don’t think the recipe was the problem.
Seriously? Baker’s error or oven is broken. You obviously have no baking experience. This is a great recipe.
It was not the dough could be your oven temperature not correct. This does NOT make her a terrible person what a lousy thing to say. This is the best recipe I have tried for PB cookies!!!!
The recipe is NOT the cause. I think you need to leave the baking to someone else. Maybe get a new oven too. Your comments are rude and unnecessary.
I hope you have been enjoying your new oven!
I’ve been cooking both in as a homemaker and catering for 30+ years. I think I know what happened. From experience with teaching others the way around the kitchen…. Other than mixing up the salt and sugar measurements, is setting the oven to broil instead of bake… It will light up sugar crystals very quickly!!!
Please try to be a little kinder, it doesn’t cost anything and is very profitable to both yourseand victim.