Best Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

Must Try

Nuts And Peanut Butter Cookies:

The BEST Large Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

18. Christmas Pecan Shortbread Cookies have been in our family for a LONG time. These are the cookies your grandmother made. Delicious buttery shortbread filled with pecans, with a pecan also baked on top of the cookie, this is as classic as a Christmas cookie gets!

19. Chocolate Walnut Buttons will be the cutest addition to your cookie lineup. Each little cookie is filled with dark chocolate, milk chocolate and plenty of chopped nuts, its like a moist brownie drenched in walnut pieces!

20. Peanut Butter Blossoms are peanut butter and chocolate candy perfection! They are such a timeless treat to have on your holiday table and one of the easiest recipes you can make, perfect for all ages.

21. Christmas Shortbread Toffee Cookies. If youre a shortbread or toffee fan, youre going to love this cookie. I make them in a jelly roll pan, so they are easy to cut and serve, and they are the perfect treat to give to a friend or neighbor!

22. Peanut Butter Balls. Peanut butter + chocolate = perfection. So these homemade goodies are perfection, right?! They have a sweet, creamy peanut butter filling, shaped into a ball, dipped in smooth chocolate and rolled in chopped nuts. Theres a reason weve been making these for over four generations.

Why Are My Peanut Butter Cookies Falling Apart

  • Too much flour: did you measure your flour correctly? You should use the weight in the recipe if using a scale if using a measuring cup be sure to spoon the flour into the cup.
  • Baked too long: they should come out of the oven as soon as they are no longer glossy and the edges just start to look golden.

How To Make Homemade Peanut Butter Cookies

Here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make peanut butter cookies from scratch:

1. Make the dough: Beat the butter, peanut butter, and sugars together. Beat in the eggs. Sift the dry ingredients together, then add to the wet mixture.2. Roll into balls: Chill the dough to make it easier to work with. Roll the dough into balls, place on a baking sheet, flatten with a fork, and make a criss cross pattern.3.Bake the cookies: Bake the cookies until golden, then cool on a wire rack.

You May Like: New York Times Best Recipes

Dont Skip The Creaming Process

Creaming isnt about stirring or mixing ingredients together but its about whipping air into the fat and sugar until it is feathery and fluffy. You cant see the air that has been added but you can see the results. The batter itself becomes plumb and lighter in texture which in turn creates a cookie that is thicker and fluffier.

The creaming step is so vital to any cookie recipe that you absolutely dont want to skip it

Ingredients Needed For The Best Ever Peanut Butter Cookies:

Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
  • Butter I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt content. Set it out ahead of time so that it comes to room temperature.
  • Sugars A combo of brown sugar and granulated sugar in equal proportions.
  • Peanut Butter I use creamy in this recipe, but Im betting crunchy would be good too!
  • Eggs Room temperature works best.
  • Vanilla I use Watkins Vanilla, just like my mom did.
  • Flour All-purpose flour produces the best pb cookies!
  • Salt Just a half teaspoon of kosher salt for the perfect taste.
  • Baking Soda & Baking Powder A teaspoon of each.
  • For rolling Use a tad bit more granulated sugar for rolling the cookie ball dough in, before baking.

You May Like: Gluten Free Sourdough Bread Recipe

Expect A Very Creamy Cookie Dough

Peanut butter acts more like a dry ingredient in cookies because it soaks up a lot of moisture. Since theres not too much flour, the dough is really soft like peanut butter frosting soft. You might even think youre doing something wrong. Dont worry, youre not! After the dough comes together, chill it in the refrigerator for 3 hours. As it chills, the cookie dough solidifies and is much easier to shape.

Look how thick the cookie dough is after chilling:

What Makes This Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe Special

I wanted to give this cookie a craving-worthy, grown-up flavor. So the first thing I did was replace the classic, kids sweetened peanut butter with all-natural peanut butter made with no added sugar, just peanuts and salt. Incidentally, did you know that peanuts make my list of the Best Foods for a Womans Libido? Yes, that means peanut butter is an aphrodisiac. Crazy but true!

To give these Salted Peanut Cookies an even more adult flavor profile, and to add some texture, I sprinkled the just-baked cookies with large granules of sea salt. With each bite, the tongue is surprised by the sharp spike of salt followed by the smooth, mellow sweetness of the roasted peanut cookie. Its so good!

Incidentally, these Salted Peanut Cookies are naturally gluten-free. Ive always made my peanut butter cookies without flour, long before it was the fashion. I find a flourless cookie has a softer, more pliant texture something I find incredibly comforting in a cookie.

Also Check: Best Tasting Juice Cleanse Recipes

Why Do You Press A Fork Into Peanut Butter Cookies

You can almost always decipher which cookies on a cookie plate are peanut butter cookies because of that traditional criss-cross pattern fork press in the top of the cookie. Home bakers have done this for decades. But why?

The simple answer, besides tradition, is that if you dont flatten the peanut butter cookie dough ball, the cookie will not flatten while it bakes and therefore bake a little unevenly. Flattening the cookie dough ball helps level the dough, helping it to bake evenly.

Chocolate And Mint Cookies:

Low Carb PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE Battle – The BEST Keto Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe!
  • Christmas M& M Cookies. Lets start out list with this classic treat everyone loves. These cookies are absolutely delicious and the perfect treat to make with kids. Its our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, with red and green M& Ms for a fun pop of festive color!
  • Chocolate Sandwich Candy Cane Cookies are a great treat to make ahead, and assemble later with some little helping hands. Theyre small chocolate cookies, sandwiched with pink peppermint frosting and rolled in crushed candy canes. YUM!
  • Chocolate Peppermint Cookies are a peppermint and chocolate lovers dream! Theyre a scrumptious blend of gooey dark chocolate-chocolate chip cookies, drizzled with creamy icing, and topped with crushed candy cane.
  • 4. Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies. Satisfy your craving for Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies with these homemade Thin Mints! A simple, but delicious treat thats as close to the real deal as it gets.

    5. Triple Chocolate Mint Swig Cookies are the most decadent and swoon-worthy of all chocolate-mint cookies! A dense fudgy chocolate cookie, topped with melted Andes Mints, frosted with smooth dark chocolate frosting and topped again with chopped Andes Mints. Seriously, if youre a mint guy or gal, this is your cookie.

    You May Like: Tito’s Mixed Drink Recipes

    Making The Cross Marks In The Cookie

    One of my favorite things about these cookies is the way they look. We all know and love the cross-hatch pattern on the top of a classic peanut butter cookie. To get this look you use a plain dinner fork!

    After rolling your cookies into balls and tossing them in sugar, use the fork to press the cookies down into a disc. Then, press the fork across the cooking in the other direction, making an X shape. This not only looks super enticing but creates a texture on the top of the cookie making for the crispy parts and soft parts that I love.

    Can You Freeze These Cookies

    These cookies freeze wonderfully. Make sure they are completely cooled before heading to the freezer. First of all, place them individually on a cookie sheet until completely frozen. Then place six to eight cookies in a quart freezer bag and then place the smaller bags in a gallon size freezer bag. This way if you only need one bag, you wont get air into the others which tends to cause freezer burn. Cookies will last anywhere from six to eight months depending on how well they were sealed.

    When you are ready to take them from the freezer, I would recommend letting them thaw completely. The chocolate kiss tends to stay hard unless reheated in the microwave. If youre only heating one or two cookies, 10-15 seconds works perfectly.

    Read Also: Gifts In A Jar Recipes

    How Long To Cook Peanut Butter Cookies

    Bake cookies in preheated oven, one sheet at a time, for about 9 minutes. Peanut Butter cookies will appear pale and slightly under-baked, they’ll continue to cook slightly as they cool.

    Remove from the oven, and then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool. Let cool on baking sheet 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

    Why Are My Cookies Crumbling

    The Best Peanut Butter Cookies

    This is a great question, and one I get asked a lot. The main reason you have a crumbly cookie is because youve added too much flour. You might think the dough looks too wet when you mix it, so you think, Ill just add a little flour and see. But this just results in a crumbly cookie.

    Other reasons you might have a crumbly cookie is that youve used margarine or another butter substitute or youve cooked them too long. Sorry, but you just cant get these soft, delicious cookies without using real, unsalted butter. And you have to make sure to not overcook them and that includes on the sheet afterwards. Watch your time and remove them to cool fully on a cooling rack a minute or two after they come out of the oven. Dont wait I promise this is an important step.

    Recommended Reading: Organic Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

    How To Keep Peanut Butter Cookies Soft

    There are two keys to soft and even chewy peanut butter cookies.

  • Room temperature butter. Dont melt the butter at all to mix it in. It shouldnt be too soft. This will ensure the butter creams properly leading to a soft cookie.
  • Measure the flour correctly. I provide the grams in the recipe below for accurate measuring. If you dont have a kitchen scale, spoon the flour into the measuring cup, then level it with a knife. Dont pack the flour into the cup!
  • Brown sugar. Some cookie recipes only call for granulated white sugar, but brown sugar actually makes cookies softer because it has more moisture content.
  • Dont overbake. As with just about any cookie, if you want them soft, dont overbake them. In fact, bake them maybe 1 minute under the time. For this cookie, they baked for 9 minutes. If your oven tends to run hot, start them at 8 minutes and see how they look. Golden brown is usually a good thing, but not with cookies.
  • Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

    This peanut butter cookie recipe is so easy and tastes so good, I cant imagine why anyone would make them more complicated.

    All you need is granulated sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, egg, and vanilla. No flour or butter! Crazy. And honestly, you could omit the vanilla and just use all granulated sugar or all brown sugar, making them 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies. But, I really like the two-sugar combo and a touch of vanilla, which takes the flavor up a level.

    You May Like: Diabetes And Heart Healthy Recipes

    What Are The Ingredients For Peanut Butter Cookies

    Rather than being built on a structure of butter, sugar, and flour, this quick cookie dough solely depends on peanut butter, sugar, and egg for its shape. The oil in the peanut butter and the proteins in the egg blend together with the sugar to make a cookie with a soft texture.

    Hannah Zimmerman / Southern Living

    In addition to being fast to make, these easy peanut butter cookies are conveniently gluten-free and dairy-free, so you can make them for a get together with friends or for a party away from home without the worry of gluten and dairy allergies.

    How Do You Freeze Cookies

    Peanut butter cookies/Best peanut butter cookie recipe

    The cookies can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. When youre ready to eat them, just remove them from the bag and allow them to thaw on the counter for around 20 minutes.

    The next time that youre craving something sweet with tons of peanut butter flavor, you need to hold onto the recipe for this good peanut butter cookie. Dare I say that this recipe makes the best peanut butter cookies of your life? The only change that I would make would be to have them never run out!

    You May Like: Espresso Martini Recipe With Coffee

    Coating In Cinnamon Sugar

    Roll the chilled dough into balls, about 1 heaping Tablespoon of dough each. Then, roll the dough balls generously in cinnamon sugar for that classic snickerdoodle-y taste.

    Arrange about 3 inches apart on your lined baking sheet and bake:

    The cookies puff up in the oven, and then fall to their crinkly destiny as they cool. These cookies are fragile right after baking, so let them cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

    Recipe Notes And Tips

    • The type of peanut butter matters: Use a commercial creamy peanut butter like Jiff or Skippy. Natural peanut butters dont really work for this recipe.
    • Different sugar will affect the taste and texture: Ive made these cookies with all granulated sugar, all brown sugar, and a mix of both. My preference is a 50/50 ratio of both, but they are all good! Brown sugar creates a softer cookie with a slightly deeper flavor and a hint of toffee. Its personal preference.
    • Use a cookie scoop: Using a cookie scoop is best for ease and uniformity, so they all cook the same.
    • Take them up a notch: Roll the raw cookie dough balls in granulated sugar before they bake for an even sweeter touch.
    • Why do Peanut Butter Cookies have fork marks? Peanut butter cookie dough is dense. By pressing the cross-hatch pattern on the dough balls, it flattens them and allows for more even baking. They will cook unevenly if you skip this step. Plus, they look neat!
    • Keep the fork from sticking to the peanut butter cookies: To help keep the fork from sticking when you make the criss-cross pattern, dip the tines in a little granulated sugar between cookies.
    • How do these stay together without flour? The egg binds the sugar and peanut butter together.
    • Why did my cookies fall apart? If your cookies are crumbly, you probably cooked them a tad too long. Next time, take them out of the oven as soon they no longer look wet. They will finish cooking on the baking sheet after you remove them from the oven.

    Read Also: Wheat And Corn Free Recipes

    Tips From The Betty Crocker Kitchens

    • tip 1 Have a household full of kids? Mix up and chill the dough for up to to 24 hours ahead, cover it and refrigerate so you are ready to bake effortlessly bake on demoand. If too firm to scoop, let it stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
    • tip 2 The fork crisscross is the classic way to make the distinctive look of peanut butter cookies, but you can use the bottom of a decorative juice glass like an old-fashioned cookie press.
    • tip 3 You can use either chunky or creamy peanut butter, but look for one that doesnt need to be stirred before measuring.
    • tip 4 For a special treat, sandwich two of these all-time favorites together with a scoop of chocolate ice cream. Roll the edge in chopped candy bar or nuts.
    • tip 5 For extra sparkle, roll cookie balls in coarse sparkling sugar before baking.

    Can I Use Natural Peanut Butter In Peanut Butter Cookies

    Soft Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies â Modern Honey

    Yes, you can use natural peanut butter in this dough! Over the past decade, Ive made these exact cookies with processed peanut butter such as Jif or Skippy as well as natural-style where the ingredients are only peanuts and salt. Here are my notes:

  • Processed: The cookies truly taste perfect with great texture. They spread less and arent as crumbly.
  • Natural-Style: The cookies spread a bit more and are somewhat sandier/crumblier.
  • But, most importantly, both cookies have fantastic peanut butter flavor. Keeping the above notes in mind, you can use either kind.

    Don’t Miss: Recipes For Cancer Patients With Diabetes

    How To Make No Bake Cookies

    1. Add the oats and peanut butter to a bowl and set aside.

    2. Add the butter, milk, sugar, cocoa powder in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.

    3. Boil the mixture for exactly 1 minute.

    4. Remove from the heat and add the oats, peanut butter and vanilla.

    5. Stir until fully incorporated.

    6. Use a cookie scoop to scoop out the cookies onto a baking sheet and allow to set for 20-30 minutes.

    How To Make The Best Soft And Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

    Soft and chewy is my new standard peanut butter cookie, and thank goodness for it! They are my go-to treat of choice to make when I am craving something sweet. I also love that don’t have to wait an hour before I can eat these. It takes 10 minutes to prepare and 8 minutes to bake. Yup, 8 minutes. When you are craving a delicious treat, nothing else is on your mind other than taking that first bite. Am I right? Okay, let’s get started.

  • Combine the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the peanut butter, butter and sugars using a hand mixer , until soft and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and continue to mix until fully combined.
  • Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add these dry ingredients to your large bowl slowly, continuously mixing using your mixer.
  • Form the cookies. Scoop out 1-2 tablespoons of dough and roll into 1-inch balls and then flatten into a disc . If it cracks, smooth out the cracks with your hands. Place on a half sheet baking pan lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Use a fork to press down on each disc of dough to create a criss-cross pattern.
  • Bake the cookies. Bake for 8-10 minutes in a preheated 350 F oven, or as soon as tops begin to slightly crack. To keep them soft and chewy, be careful to not overbake. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
  • You May Like: Mac And Cheese Recipe With Cottage Cheese

    Popular Articles

    More Recipes Like This