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
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 ½ cups Flour
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¾ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ 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
Happy Baking, my friends!
Libby
On a day like today I decided to make peanut butter cookies and needed a good recipe so I go online and found this one and I love the batter is so smooth and creamy and the cookies I don't know how they taste yet because they are in the oven at the moment. Thank you so much Melissa for sharing this Recipe!!!! It's the best one that I have ever tried!!!
Trish Caputi
Came out perfectly delicious! I used creamy peanut butter, as we don’t care for crunchy. Will be making them again. ♥️
Jean Ann
Chill in the refrigerator or freezer for the hour ? These sound delicious my husband only likes soft and chewy cookies, so this sounds perfect .
Danielle
These are my go to cookies! Everyone who tries them says they’re the best peanut butter cookies they’ve ever had. I don’t always chill them, they’re usually just a plop on the baking sheet but oh so chewy and delicious. I make them all the time. Easy Yum. Thanks!
Pam
These cookies turned out great. They flattened a little too much for my taste. I let them chill overnight like the recipe said, but next time I will skip this step and see how they turn out. They are delicious. Thank you for sharing.
celeste
Oh my gosh ...can I give this cookie another star! when I made these cookies for my mom she said it took her back to her childhood! so I was like oooooh ...I had to see for myself and let me tell ya after tasting this cookie and closing my eyes (cause that's what you do when food is good) I looked down and leg warmers started to appear... so my mom was right this cookie does take you back to your childhood!!!..(ha ha just kidding that part didn't happen...lol) but I wanted you know my mom and I LOVED these cookies and my son too and he doesn't even care for peanuts!! amazing job again thank you for sharing such a great yet simple and easy to make cookie recipe!
Chaelene Ratzlaff
Tasty! I used only 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup butter (I increased PB to 1.5 cup). Also added a splash of almond extract. Very good.
Rowena
I believe my search for the best peanut butter cookie recipe has come to an end. This is it!!! I used honey roasted peanuts. They are so good!!! I chilled them overnight. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
DazzlingDoodlez
Delicious PB CooKie recipe! Loved them. After reading the house-fire comment, I made sure to bake & not broil them. Lol Your recipe is a keeper. ????
Robert
I didn’t read all the comments so this may have been asked and answered already…
Am I supposed to add 2 cups of peanuts that are then finely chopped or 2 cups of finely chopped peanuts?
Also, if I don’t want the chopped nuts can I sub more peanut butter? If yes, how much more peanut butter? If no, what then?
I am new to the oven and as I understand baking is about precision. I too am in search of my perfect peanut butter cookie.
AP
Hi Robert,
I use 2 cups of finely chopped peanuts, which I do myself. I buy roasted peanuts and chop them in my “quick chop” or food processor. Once they are to the size of your liking then you fold them into the dough. If you don’t want to add peanuts then don’t! Don’t add more PB, it will be too runny.
Remember when you bake these, do not over bake, when they come out of the oven they will be soft and not hold together if you try to move them to quickly, let them cool and then you will have amazing soft chewy PB cookies. This is the best recipe I’ve found for PB cookies!
Debbie
Do I have to use parchment paper, can I just put them on an ungreased cookie sheet?
Jenny
This is the best Peanut Butter recipe I have ever used! 3 days after baking and these cookies are still super soft!! 10/10 recommend. I followed it to the T! I used high quality peanut butter that only uses peanuts and salt!
Kristen
Made these to have with coffee this afternoon. They smelled so delightful baking. And they taste EXACTLY like what I wanted. I honestly didn't let the dough get cold for an hour after mixing. They did great anyway. They're so yuuum.....
Kerrin
Lovely and chewy. I didn’t have any peanuts so I used toasted cashews instead, they worked out Just fine.
Elena
can you not add Peanuts and how long cookies stay fresh?
elena
how long cookies stay fresh?