Classic homemade Peanut Butter Cookies with a soft and chewy center, crisp edges and the signature criss-cross top. Easy to make with pantry staples and packed with rich peanut butter flavor!
My dad LOVES chewy peanut butter cookies, so whenever we have a family get together, someone will bake a batch for him. That someone is usually ME.
This recipe was originally published in February 2011. The photos and recipe notes were updated in May 2025.
Aimee’s Recipe Notes
Taste & Texture: soft chewy peanut butter cookies with crisp edges from rolling in granulated sugar.
Ingredient Tip: Swap out creamy peanut butter for crunchy to change the texture.
Make ahead: Scoop and freeze cookie dough balls and bake straight from frozen. Add an extra minute or two to bake time.
Storage: Keep baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Top Tip: For uniform cookies, use a metal cookie scoop.
When I think back to childhood or a time when I’m truly happy, it usually results in a memory around food.
From learning how to make no bake cookies in grade school, to enjoying a chocolate chip cookie after my first day of high school, to being surprised with a batch Oatmeal Raisin cookies in college.
Today’s cookie recipe is no exception.
These peanut butter cookies are amazing!!! The perfect balance of peanut flavor with a soft middle and lightly crisp exterior.
– Valerie
Pantry Ingredients You Need
Unlike other cookie recipes, there’s a good chance you have everything you’ll need for these peanut butter cookies right in your pantry. Today.
- Peanut Butter. The type of peanut butter for perfect peanut butter cookies is important. This is not the time to be healthy and opt for a natural brand. Go ahead and be choosy, pick Jif or Skippy. The sugars in the peanut butter and the lack of oils (like you find in a natural brand) help create and perfect texture to these cookies!
- Sugar. Today’s easy peanut butter cookies will have a combination of white sugar (granulated sugar) and light brown sugar. This helps create that chewy texture you’re craving in peanut butter cookies!
- Unsalted Butter- Start by softening your butter (use my guide on how to soften butter quickly). Be sure to choose unsalted to make sure you can control the salt in the recipe.
Aimee’s Pro Tip
Today’s cookie dough recipe can be made 48 hours in advance. If chilling dough longer than one hour, let it warm up at room temperature until you can handle it without it sticking or crumbling!
How to Make Peanut Butter Cookies
Make the cookie dough. Start by making the simple peanut butter cookie dough. Don’t overmix after adding the dry ingredients.
Shape. Roll cookie dough into peanut butter balls. Roll in sugar then press with a fork to create the classic criss-cross pattern.
Bake. Peanut butter cookies bake on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. I prefer to under bake slightly for an even softer center!
More Cookie Recipes
- Love easy cookie recipes? Try my 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter cookies for a true 3 ingredient recipe.
- These Oreo Cheesecake cookies are soft and pillowy and loaded with Oreo cookies.
- This recipe for kolache cookies has been in my family for several generations. That is how amazing it is!
- My cut out sugar cookie recipe is one that is not only great for Christmas, but you can make a batch any holiday. If you love sugar cookie frosting, bake and frost a batch today.
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Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar divided
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with 1 cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Beat until creamy.
- Add in eggs, vanilla, and peanut butter. Mix until combined. Slowly add in flour mixture, blending until combined (do not over beat). The crumbs will come together to form a dough, that's when you stop mixing!
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate cookie dough for one hour.
- When ready, add remaining 1/2 cup sugar to a small bowl. Using a 2 Tbsp cookie scoop, spoon dough and roll into a ball. Roll in sugar and place on parchment covered baking sheet.
- Use the tines of a fork to press criss-cross marks.
- Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove and cool on wire rack. ENJOY.
Notes
- Use parchment paper or silpat when baking. The extra sugar on the cookie can stick to the pan.
- Wonder why fork marks are used? Peanut butter cookies are dense and don’t spread as much as most types. The fork marks help ensure even baking.
- Want to change up the flavor? Try mixing in some chocolate chips or M&M’S candies to the dough.
- Need something even easier? This 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookie recipe is THE BOMB. No flour needed!
- Chilling the dough in this recipe is important! It helps the softened butter bind to the peanut butter creating the perfect texture!
- Dry dough? Be sure you use your hands to roll the cookie dough balls, the warmth will help dough form.
Video
Nutrition
More Cookie Recipes
Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies. Soft and chewy, easy to make, and topped with a sweet sugar coating. You’re going to love this delicious recipe!
These are the best peanut butter cookies!! I used crunchy peanut butter and they really are delicious!
These peanut butter cookies are amazing!!! The perfect balance of peanut flavor with a soft middle and lightly crisp exterior. Do not overbake, remove from the oven when they are slightly underbaked and let them finish baking on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to wire rack. I baked for 12 minutes on parchment lined cookie sheets. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
I have some arthritis in my thumb/wrists so using the fork to make the lines is very uncomfortable. I saw something in a drawer one day when making PB cookies and I never looked back. It was the pusher tool for my Cuisinart food processor. I put a tablespoon or so of water in a custard cup lightly dip the end of the pusher tool and lightly push it onto the cookies…makes a nice design on each cookie. Lots of people ask how I got that “design” on them.
What a fun tip, thank you!
Hi Aimee,
Your Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe is my only go-to recipe!
What I love about your recipe, you can make them as big or small as you like! 😊
Glad you love them Lenore 🙂
My husband is super picky when it comes to his peanut butter cookies. Well let me tell you this is the recipe he said I HAVE to use from now on! They came out a little crispy around the edges, soft in the middle. The only adjustment I made was I added 1T of cornstarch to the dry ingredients. Over my years I’ve learned this helps them to stay softer longer. I shared this recipe with my daughter in law and now it has become her go-to!
Great tip! Glad the hubby loved them!
Followed the recipe exactly and the cookies look like picture and taste delicious!
Hello! Will this work with natural peanut butter? I’ve seen some recipes that specifically say not to use with theirs. Thanks
I made these using Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter, chunky style. Only ingredients are peanuts and salt. Turned out great.
These were hands down
THE BEST PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES EVER!!
You can say THAT again!😉
These were hands down
THE BEST PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES EVER!!
Hi Aimee
I made your peanut butter cookies they are the best ones I’ve ever made!! Thank you for sharing !
Bessie
So glad to hear this!!
These were very crumbly.
made my day 🙂