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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
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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!
Hi Melissa, I have been avidly baking for 55 years. My mom encouraged us to bake and I started when I was 10. Peanut butter cookies are expected of me for Thanksgiving and Russian Teacakes for Christmas. I always use crunchy peanut butter. 10 years ago I realized that the peanuts displaced some of the peanut butter. I add 20% more and the level of peanut butter taste becomes equivalent to using creamy. Also, I allow all refrigerated ingredients for any recipe to get to room temperature before preparing batter. Your recipe came out just as you described and was delicious! Jim Post
you had me till I came to ground peanuts :(-rarely have them on hand- but have everything else. Bummer
Dam good
Making these cookies for the second time they are absolutely the best. I am going to try them in the future with different add ins.
Hello, I’m wondering how these will do if the dough is prepared through step 4 and frozen? I’m wanting to keep a batch in the freezer for when we want to bake up a little treat or two 🙂 Will freezing affect the chewiness/texture of these?
When I say best ever babyyyyy yesssss these cookies will not disappoint
These cookies are amazing! Just made them this evening for my youngest child. He wanted peanut butter cookies, so I Googled “Best Peanut Butter Cookies” and this recipe came up. So true!!!
Don’t make these if you don’t want to fall in love with said recipe and said PB cookies! There’s your warning because these babies are it. Thank you for a great recipe, the best practices, notes and suggestions were on point. My house smells like peanut butter bliss. Sorry yall me and peanut butter have a great relationship and a better one after the cookies! What a great treat. Enjoy.
these cookies came out sooo GOOD! I chilled the dough for 3 hours. this one is for the books! thank you for sharing.
I made these thumbprint with a Hershey’s kiss in the middle and oh my gosh they are actually the best cookie I’ve ever made! Amazing recipe.