The best chewy Peanut Butter Cookies are thick, soft, and practically melt in your mouth with every single bite. As for the best Peanut Butter Cookie recipe, easy is key, and dependable results are a must. It should take less than 15 minutes to whip up, require zero chill time in the fridge, and yield perfect cookies every time, without fail.
Here, you'll find both that cookie and that recipe. In addition to the easiest, most dependable recipe for Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies, we'll also uncover the secrets behind making a thick and chewy Peanut Butter Cookie, why this is a Peanut Butter Cookie recipe without baking soda, plus, a list of 9 Must-Have Tips for perfect cookie results!
When my at-home bakery was in full swing, I had dozens of cookies and handheld bars on the menu. Of all the cookies on that list, my grandma's absolute favorite was the Thumbprint Hershey Kiss Cookies -- a soft, bite-sized cookie, topped with a chocolate kiss, and this was no surprise to me.
Peanut Butter Cookies were her go-to made-from-scratch cookie, and they were the old-fashioned kind -- big and fluffy, with a perfect crosshatch and a dusting of sugar across the top. These days, my children now eagerly await for their Peanut Butter Cookies to make their way from table to oven, and from time to time, they even hop on into the kitchen and help me make them.
These are some seriously easy Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies to make, making them perfect for baking with kids! Here's why:
- The batter takes less than 15 minutes to whip up!
- There is zero chilling required.
- They finish their stint in the oven in just 12 minutes!
For another legitimately amazing cookie, try our pumpkin chocolate chip cookies next!
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST CHEWY PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES EVER
Making perfect soft and chewy Peanut Butter Cookies is not a difficult feat, and all it really comes down to is the right combination of ingredients, baked at the right temperature. It's truly as simple as that. So let's talk about those ingredients, shall we?
INGREDIENTS AND QUANTITIES REALLY MATTER
The wet ingredient to dry ingredient ratio is almost 3:1, which most definitely plays a role in a soft, melt-in-your-mouth cookie. The wet ingredients for this recipe are as follows: Melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, creamy, peanut butter, egg, and vanilla extract. The molasses that the brown sugar contains, in combination with the quantity of peanut butter in the recipe plays a roll in both the thickness and the chewiness of the cookie.
PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES WITHOUT BAKING SODA
Another aid in building a soft and chewy structure for these Peanut Butter Cookies is the fact that they are made without baking soda, and rather with baking powder. Both baking soda and powder are leaveners but make no mistake, they were not created equal. Baking powder is used to maintain the structure of a baked good when said "good" is lacking in acidic ingredients. Brown sugar can be considered an acidic ingredient, however, there is not enough of it in this recipe to amend the use of baking powder to baking soda.
Long story short, for the best, chewy Peanut Butter Cookies ever, follow the recipe.
TIPS FOR BAKING SOFT PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
- Always have your dry ingredients mixed and ready to go before you begin working with your wet ingredients.
- Use good, old-fashioned, creamy peanut butter for peanut butter cookies.
- Measure the peanut butter in a measuring cup, not a measuring pitcher.
- Make sure your wet ingredients are well-blended before adding the dry ingredients. Otherwise, your cookies may bake unevenly.
- As soon as the dough starts to come together, stop mixing! Overmixing can over-develop the gluten, which will, in turn, make for a tough cookie.
- Use a medium-sized cookie scoop if you want to ensure your cookies are of uniform size!
- Don't cram the baking sheet if you don't want your cookies to bake into one another.
- Using a silicone baking mat or parchment paper on your baking sheet ensures easy removal after baking, and will prevent broken cookies!
- Pull from the oven as soon as the edges begin to tinge with a deeper brown.
Peanut Butter Cookies are an old-fashioned favorite and a classic for good reason. If done right, they're a soft and chewy, melt-in-your-mouth cookie that often times, remind us of someone very special.
MORE COOKIE RECIPES TO TRY:
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies feature everything you know and love about classic, bakery-style peanut butter cookies, only made better thanks to the addition of melty chocolate chips.
- Chocolate Drop Cookies are every chocoholic's dream: Full of chocolate, soft, gooey, and easy to make!
- Want a little chocolate in your peanut butter cookie? Literally? Then you'll love these Thumbprint Hershey Kiss Cookies! Miniature, bite-sized cookies with the perfect cookie-to-kiss ratio!
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are made with old-fashioned oats, chocolate chips, and (surprise) vanilla pudding! It's the secret ingredient that keeps these cookies decadently moist and addictively yummy!
- Ginger Molasses Cookies are a classic cookie full of warm and cozy spices and makes a beautiful and heartfelt holiday gift!
- Sugar Cookies with Buttercream Frosting are another classic cookie you just can't go wrong with. The perfect, buttery sugar cookie, topped with a homemade frosting. Everyone will rave over the taste and the look of these gorgeous cookies!
The Easiest Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar, plus ¼ cup extra for rolling
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 Large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° and have ready a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Also, have ready a small bowl with about a ¼ cup of sugar for coating the cookie dough balls.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, peanut butter, egg, and vanilla. With a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, mix until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. Do not overmix.
- Scoop out heaping tablespoons of dough, and roll into a ball. Roll in the granulated sugar, and transfer to the baking sheet spacing them 1 ½"-2" apart.
- Make crosshatch lines across the tops of the cookies using the tines of a fork, and bake for 12-14 minutes, just until the edges are a deeper brown. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
Bianca says
Could I use this recipe to make cut out cookies?
Kelly Anthony says
Hi, Bianca! No, I would not advise using this recipe for cut out cookies.
Kassandra says
I made these tonight and although I am sure I messed up along the way (the dough was not able to be shaped into little balls, it was so very soft- again, my error, I am sure!) These still managed to come out soft and chewy and with good flavor! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Rebecca says
How do you think they would turn out with crunchy peanut butter?
Vicki says
These were too liquidy. Had to add extra flour.
Morgan Walser says
Fantastic recipe, love the high peanut butter to flour ratio and the low sugar. The fact that most recipes have at least twice as much sugar as peanut butter seems insane to me. This was really the perfect balance, great soft cookies that melt in your mouth, fantastic flavor. Definitely more fragile than traditional cookies, but I'm okay with that.
Kateena Innis says
Can in make the dough ahead of time and refrigerate?
Kelly Anthony says
Absolutely! But, the dough will be hard once cold so I would recommend making the dough, rolling it into balls, placing the dough balls in rows in an airtight container, separated by sheets of wax paper or parchment paper. Happy baking!
Rebekah says
A friend shared this recipe with me several months ago and it is the best peanut butter cookie recipe I've tried! I love that the peanut butter flavor really comes through. And the texture is heavenly. So tender and melt-in-your-mouth good!
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you, Rebekah! That is so kind of you to say and it's very appreciated!
Helen McGill says
I only have salted butter. Can I eliminate the extra salt? Will they still turn out chewy?
Kelly Anthony says
The salted butter won't affect the texture of your cookies. And yes, I would suggest eliminating the salt in the cookie if you use it 😉
Jasmine Perez says
This is a perfect recipe! Thank you for sharing! This was a definite winner in our family and is now apart of our cookie recipe box! The batter held up perfect and was easy to roll! Very impressed thank you again!
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you, Jasmine! We love them too!
Melissa says
I had to use soda .. ugh .. they were still good but not chewy 🙁
Kelly Anthony says
I'm glad they were still good for you, but yes, you should definitely use baking powder when a recipe calls for it. Soda and powder are (unfortunately) not interchangeable 😉
Lisa Yambra says
In your video you said Baking Soda - but in instructions you explicitly say baking powder - which one is it??
Kelly Anthony says
Powder! Use what is written in the recipe. All the way. I must have misspoken in the video. Yikes!
Becky of Mi says
These are amazing,I made mine a little to big so there a little dry around the edge,but so yummy
Amy says
Fabulous cookies! Will definitely make again. Thank you for the recipe.
Pamela K Scott says
I made these today, I used Baker's Joy spray. I left them in for the suggested time but they were burnt on the bottom and I never saw the golden brown around the edges of the cookies. They were not chewy at all.
Kelly Anthony says
Hi Pamela!
When oil is on food and it comes into contact with heat, it has a browning effect (called the Maillard Reaction). This is the reason this recipe calls does not call for the use of cooking spray, but instead, parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Hope that helps! 🙂
Lindsay says
Hi I am making the cookies right now when I added the flour in I didn't get the dough it was to sticky and it was ll over my hands sadly how do I fix it please advise.
Kelly Anthony says
Hi Lindsay! The dough is not going to be a super thick dough and a little sticky is normal, but my first thought is perhaps there was either not enough flour or too much butter added to the mix. If you're sure you measured the flour and butter correctly, then all you would need to do is wait about 10-15 minutes for the dough to firm up (the melted butter will harden making it easier to scoop) or refrigerate until chilled and then scoop. I hope this helps and best of luck with your baking!
Kathleen says
I am allergic to peanuts. Have you ever tried this with almond butter?
Kelly Anthony says
No, I haven't Kathleen! I would think you would need to change quantities of both the flour and the sugar to make almond butter work in this recipe. It might not be the best for subbing that in!
Annette says
Hello,
I was very satisfied with this recipe for soft chewy peanut butter cookies. They were just right! Thank-you
Ruth says
Super duper biscuits. Been trying every peanut butter recipe known to man kind and this is the best! Thank you. Ruth
Arlene says
I have a huge jar of chunky peanut butter. Would that work in place of creamy?
Kelly Anthony says
The batter will be thicker, but you could certainly try it if you're in a pinch! Let us know how it turns out if you go for it 😉
Deb Grupe says
I made this with chunky peanut butter. Came out great!
Kerri says
Can I use bread flour?
Kelly Anthony says
Sorry, Kerri! Definitely do not use bread flour. It will change the texture of the cookie completely.
Deborah says
The video for the peanut butter cookies states you used baking soda. The recipe on the website uses baking powder. Is baking soda an error??
Thx Deb
Kelly Anthony says
You should use baking powder! I misspoke in the video, and oh, how I wish I could go and take it back. Great question!!!
Brittany says
I made these today and they came out tasting great but were very crumbly even though I followed the recipe exactly. Any suggestions??
Kelly Anthony says
If you mix them longer, you'll increase the gluten and the cookies will tighten up!
Bonnie says
As far as the sticky dough goes I have found it sticky as well. Perhaps it has something to do with measuring the butter. Are you measuring 2/3 of a cup and then melting it or are you melting it and then measuring 2/3 of a cup. I’m wondering if there is a difference. The recipe says 2/3 cup of butter melted and in your video you show 2/3 of a cup of melted butter. Perhaps it’s just in the wording?.I have made them once and they were fine but I’m in the process of making them now and I doubled the recipe they are very sticky.
Kelly Anthony says
Hi Bonnie! I measure and then melt. But, no there should not be a difference! Was your butter hot going in the second-go-round?
Gwen says
Just made these. Love the flavor and texture. I had a little trouble with the dough being too soft for pressing the fork but I kept dipping the fork in the sugar used for rolling the dough and that worked fine. Love these cookies. Thank you for the recipe!
Gwen
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you, Gwen!
Carolyn says
Love these cookies. Made this recipe but turned them into Vegan used egg replacement and they turned out fabulous. My family's favourite peanut butter cookies ever. Thanks for sharing.
Mkatsanevas says
I made these peanut butter cookies tonight. They are the best peanut butter cookies I’ve ever eaten. So amazing. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Kelly Anthony says
That is so awesome to know! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Lindsay says
I made this for my fiancé as a surprise this year. His first comment was “they are a little dry” but now he is sitting on the couch eating the entire tin. I would definitely say this was a success!
He told me “Scratch that first comment and save the recipe” and so I am!
Thank you!
Kelly Anthony says
Ha! This makes me laugh!!! Thank you for sharing that, Lindsay 😉 So funny.
Jami says
I made this recipe with cashew butter and used a small cookie scoop. Came out perfectly with 10 min baking time.
Sport says
The Nutrition Facts is missing one crucial piece of info. How many cookies is one serving?
Ty for the recipe! Going to make some today!
Donna says
Absolutely wonderful. I even added chocolate chips to half batch. The dough rolled beautifully
Merry says
Can I substitute self rising flour for the flour?
Kelly Anthony says
Self rising flour has additional leaveners and is not recommended for this recipe.
Melissa O says
Your recipe says baking powder but you said baking soda in your video. Can you tell me which one is right? I used baking powder like the recipe calls for.
Kelly Anthony says
Unfortunately, I misspoke in the video. The written recipe is correct 😉
Chelsea says
I used Crunchy Peanut Butter (with about 2 heaping tbsp extra peanut butter and 1/3 cup additional dry roasted peanuts. Added 1 tbsp of sour cream to make it creamy just in case the extra nuts dried it out. Turned out to be a Huge success. Thank you for the recipe had the perfect amount of sugar, and love that you didn't have to refrigerate it.
Thanks so much
Kelly Anthony says
Glad you loved it!!! You're so welcome 🙂
Penny Finn says
I’ve made many peanut butter cookies in around 50 years, but these are the best. Yes, they have more than 3 ingredients like some others tout, but it’s well worth using it to use the few extra ones. The cookies are easily rolled and sugared with no sticking, the times listed are accurate, and the cookies are excellent. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you so much, Penny!
Kelly Marie says
I made these for someone who hadn't had homemade peanut butter cookies since their Mom passed over a year ago and they loved them! Even got feedback saying they're better than the ones made by their Mom (hers weren't as soft and chewy). My kids went crazy over them, even my Mom who isn't a fan of peanut butter loved them! I did add a few chocolate chips to the top of a few as soon as they came out of the oven and those were a hit with the kids, as well. Thank you so very much for sharing this recipe - it's now my go-to recipe!
Kelly Anthony says
Compliments don't get sweeter than this! Thank you, Kelly!