This Easy Recipe Makes The Best Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies (2024)

This Easy Recipe Makes The Best Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies (1) Jessica

4.4 from 1323 votes

298 comments

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

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If you’re looking for the best chewy peanut butter cookies, with super soft, chewy centers and crisp edges, this easy recipe is for you! Packed with tons of peanut butter flavor and ready in just 30 minutes, get ready to meet your new favorite cookie.

This Easy Recipe Makes The Best Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies (2)

Table of Contents

  • Why You Will Love This Chewy Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe
  • Ingredients Needed for Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
  • How To Make Peanut Butter Cookies
  • Baker’s Notes
  • How To Store Old Fashioned Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
  • More Must Make Peanut Butter Desserts
  • Get the Recipe

Why You Will Love This Chewy Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

Everyone loves a classic, and this recipe for old-fashioned chewy peanut butter cookies truly fits the bill. Here’s why you will make these cookies over and over again:

  • Easy: Made with simple baking ingredients you probably already have on hand, these chewy peanut butter cookies will be out of the oven in less than half an hour!
  • Crisp and Chewy: Crunchy edges, chewy centers, and sweet peanut butter flavor with just a hint of salt make these cookies simply the best.
  • Nostalgia: These classic flavors scream childhood favorite and the simplicity of this recipe insures it’s the only old fashioned peanut butter cookie recipe you’ll need.
  • Versatile: This simple, wholesome recipe can be used as the base of many peanut butter cookie dough recipes.

For my fellow peanut butter lovers, try these giant peanut butter cup cookies with a full size Reese’s peanut butter cup in the center! These soft Reese’s Pieces peanut butter cookies and peanut butter oatmeal cookies are other reader favorites.

This Easy Recipe Makes The Best Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies (3)

Ingredients Needed for Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

You don’t need any special ingredients and this easy peanut butter cookie recipe takesless than 30 minutesfrom start to finish. Check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact amounts.

  • Flour: Easy, inexpensive, all-purpose flour is all you need.
  • Leavening Agent: Baking soda creates the perfect crispy edges.
  • Salt
  • Peanut Butter: Regular, classic, creamy peanut butter or crunchy peanut butter creates the perfect soft texture.
  • Butter: Use unsalted butter that is softened to room temperature.
  • Sugars: A combination of granulated white sugar and light or dark brown sugar.
  • Egg
  • Vanilla
This Easy Recipe Makes The Best Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies (4)

How To Make Peanut Butter Cookies

These old fashioned chewy peanut butter cookies are easy and quick to prepare with no fancy preparation needed! For full detailed directions see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

This Easy Recipe Makes The Best Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies (5)
This Easy Recipe Makes The Best Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies (6)
This Easy Recipe Makes The Best Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies (7)
This Easy Recipe Makes The Best Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies (8)
  • Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  • Wet Ingredients: Beat the peanut butter, butter and both sugars, until light and fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
  • Combine: Add dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until smooth.
  • Scoop & Bake: Scoop about a tablespoon of dough and place onto baking sheets with parchment paper about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes.
  • Finish Cooling: Cool on the pan for around 5 minutes. Slide parchment onto a wire baking rack to cool completely.
This Easy Recipe Makes The Best Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies (9)

Baker’s Notes

  • Peanut Butter: Regular, inexpensive, creamy or chunky peanut butter will provide the best texture. Natural peanut butter is usually a looser texture with more oil and it will cause the cookies to spread too much.
  • Time: Do not overbake this classic peanut butter cookie recipe! When the edges turn slightly brown, remove from the oven. They will firm up on the baking sheet as the cool.
  • Feeling Fancy? Press a chocolate kiss in the middle of the dough ball for the perfect peanut butter blossom cookie.
  • PB & J Cookies: Use your thumb and press a hollow in the center of the dough. Fill with your favorite flavor of jam. This is a beautiful addition to any cookie platter!
  • Cookie Sandwiches: Place a scoop of your favorite ice cream between two cookies. Roll the outside in sprinkles, chopped peanuts, or mini chocolate chips. Then wrap and freeze until ready to serve. Or sandwich the cookies together with peanut butter frosting in the center like in my peanut butter sandwich cookies.
  • Fresh Cookies Daily: Scooped dough freezes beautifully. Thaw and bake fresh cookies whenever the mood strikes you.
This Easy Recipe Makes The Best Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies (10)
This Easy Recipe Makes The Best Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies (11)

How To Store Old Fashioned Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

These cookies stay soft and chewy for days! Here’s all the options for storing them:

  • Store: Once the cookies are fully cooled, you can store them in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week. To keep cookies extra soft, place a slice of bread in the container with the cookies. Replace the bread every few days as it becomes stale.
  • Freeze Cookies: Freeze baked cookies in an airtight freezer safe container or zip top freezer bag for up to 3 months.
  • Freeze Dough: Freeze unbaked dough balls on a sheet pan until solid to the touch. Transfer dough to an airtight, freezer safe container and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw frozen dough in refrigerator overnight and bake as directed. Or bake from frozen, just add an extra 2 to 3 minutes to the bake time.

More Must Make Peanut Butter Desserts

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie

Giant Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • Chocolate Peanut Butter Mug Cake
  • No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
  • No Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecakes
  • Peanut Butter Pretzel Crockpot Candy

This Easy Recipe Makes The Best Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies (16)

4.4 from 1323 votes

Print Pin Recipe

Yield: 20 Cookies

The Best Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

If you’re looking for the BEST Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies, with super soft chewy centers and tons of peanut butter flavor, this easy cookie recipe is the one for you!

Prep Time15 minutes minutes

Cook Time10 minutes minutes

Total Time25 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • sugar for sprinkling, optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

  • Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the peanut butter, butter and both sugars, until light and fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla.

  • Gradually add in the flour mixture on low speed. Stir until dough forms.

  • Using a medium cookie scoop (about 1 heaping tablespoon of dough), drop rounded balls of dough onto prepared cookie sheet. Leaving space for spreading. (For a sparkle look, I like to sprinkle the tops of the dough with extra granulated sugar — but it’s totally optional.)

  • Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are slightly browned, and remove from oven. Let cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheets before transferring cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Video

Notes

Store: Once the cookies are fully cooled, you can store them in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week. To keep cookies extra soft, place a slice of bread in the container with the cookies. Replace the bread every few days as it becomes stale.

Freeze Cookies: Freeze baked cookies in an airtight freezer safe container or zip top freezer bag for up to 3 months.

Freeze Dough: Freeze unbaked dough balls on a sheet pan until solid to the touch. Transfer dough to an airtight, freezer safe container and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw frozen dough in refrigerator overnight and bake as directed. Or bake from frozen, just add an extra 2 to 3 minutes to the bake time.

Peanut Butter: Regular, inexpensive, crunchy or creamy peanut butter will provide the best texture. Natural peanut butter is usually a looser texture with more oil and it will cause the cookies to spread too much.

Bake Time: Do not overbake this chewy peanut butter cookie recipe! When the edges turn slightly brown, remove from the oven. They will firm up on the baking sheet as the cool.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 cookie, Calories: 154kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 21mg, Sodium: 147mg, Potassium: 61mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 160IU, Calcium: 14mg, Iron: 1mg

© Jessica – The Novice Chef

Cuisine: American

Category: Cookies

Categories:

  • 30 Min or Less
  • Christmas
  • Cookies
  • Desserts
  • Holidays
  • Recipes
  • Videos

Post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

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This Easy Recipe Makes The Best Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to making cookies soft and chewy? ›

It's not the egg, all-purpose flour, or even the vanilla extract. The simple, yet oh-so-necessary component is cornstarch. That's right, the flavorless thickening agent used for soups, stews, and curries is also the secret weapon for baked goods that boast a silky-smooth mouthfeel.

What factors cause a cookie to be crisp soft and chewy? ›

17, 2021. The ingredients you use and how you shape your cookies both play an important role in whether your cookies turn out crispy or chewy. The type of flour and sugar you use, if your cookie dough contains eggs, and whether you use melted or softened butter all factor into the crispy-chewy equation, too.

How do you make cookies soft and chewy vs hard and crisp? ›

Different types of sugars affect the texture because they absorb different amounts of water. Remember moisture is the key! White sugar creates crispier cookies and brown sugar creates chewier cookies.

Should you refrigerate peanut butter cookie dough before baking? ›

Chill your cookie dough! The dough is extremely soft due to the creamy peanut butter, eggs, and butter and if it's not cold going into the oven, the cookies will spread all over your baking sheet. I chilled this cookie dough for 24 hours and my cookies were soft, thick perfection.

What is the secret ingredient to keep cookies soft? ›

There's an ingredient that will make your cookies extra flexible and soft. It's corn syrup. That's it! That, my friend, is the secret ingredient to the best SOFTEST chocolate chip cookies.

What is the trick to keep baked goods like cookies soft? ›

There are two tricks to keeping cookies soft, and they are so simple and obvious you might be doing them already, but hear me out: Don't overbake your cookies, and store them in an airtight container. That's it!

What makes a cookie more soft? ›

What Makes Cookies Soft?
  1. Brown sugar, as it has a high moisture content and retains moisture better than white sugar. ...
  2. Shortening instead of butter or in addition to butter. ...
  3. Baking powder instead of baking soda. ...
  4. Eggs, particularly egg yolks. ...
  5. Cake flour instead of all-purpose flour.
Oct 5, 2020

What keeps cookies chewy? ›

Keep Them Sealed

The key to keeping cookies fresh and soft is to seal them in an airtight container, like a resealable freezer bag. And here's a nifty little trick: add a piece of bread to the bag.

Does baking soda or baking powder make cookies chewy? ›

Baking soda is typically used for chewy cookies, while baking powder is generally used for light and airy cookies. Since baking powder is comprised of a number of ingredients (baking soda, cream of tartar, cornstarch, etc.), using it instead of pure baking soda will affect the taste of your cookies.

Why do you put corn syrup in cookies? ›

So, when you mix corn syrup into your cookie batter, all of that moisture will make and keep your baked cookies deliciously tender. The texture of cookies benefits from corn syrup as well. As you combine your ingredients to make your cookie batter, corn syrup will pull some of the surrounding air into your batter.

What happens if you don't chill peanut butter cookie dough? ›

Firm dough prevents the cookies from spreading too much, which is why chilling the dough is a crucial step for cut-out and rolled cookies. "The colder and more solid the fat is, the less the cookie will spread," says food stylist and recipe developer Caitlin Haught Brown.

What happens if you don't flatten peanut butter cookies? ›

Certain cookies — Sugar Cookies, Snickerdoodles, Classic Peanut Butter Cookies — need to be flattened a bit before they bake, lest they end up emerging from the oven looking like ping-pong balls rather than typical flat, round cookies.

Why do they use Criss Cross peanut butter cookies? ›

So it looks like that there are utilitarian reasons for the cross-hatching—to allow for even cooking—but it might have been passed along for nearly a hundred years for primarily aesthetic reasons, where the cross-hatching is more to identify the cookies as peanut butter ones, rather than to cook them well.

What are 3 factors that contribute to a chewy cookie? ›

  • Brown sugar is key. Brown sugar has molasses in it which is like a more liquid ingredient. ...
  • Use baking soda / powder. It helps give your cookie a little rise which makes the center a little more chewy/cakey hence sort.
  • Freeze your cookie dough before scooping.
May 17, 2018

Should I use baking soda or baking powder in cookies? ›

Baking soda is typically used for chewy cookies, while baking powder is generally used for light and airy cookies. Since baking powder is comprised of a number of ingredients (baking soda, cream of tartar, cornstarch, etc.), using it instead of pure baking soda will affect the taste of your cookies.

What determines the moistness of a cookie? ›

Butter contributes milk solids and water to a cookie, both of which soften it. Brown sugar contributes molasses – again, a softener. Using lower-moisture sugar (granulated) and fat (vegetable shortening), plus a longer, slower bake than normal, produces light, crunchy cookies.

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