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Peanut Butter Cookies – Classic Recipe

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You will enjoy this one if you are looking for the best peanut butter cookie recipe. Recently, I was looking through my mother’s recipe cards and came across her peanut butter cookie recipe. This recipe has the best peanut butter flavor I have tried. 

Delicious Peanut Butter Cookies

Delicious Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies 

This recipe is quick and easy to make. You probably have all the ingredients in your pantry.

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 Peanut Cookie Ingredients

Peanut Cookie Ingredients

 

Mom’s delicious recipe makes delicious peanut butter cookies. 

Line your baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.

Ingredients

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 

  • 1 3/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon  salt
  • 1/2 cup room temperature butter (mom used shortening) 
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 
  • 1 egg (unbeaten)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar (extra for rolling the cookies)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Tools and Supplies

A stand mixer fitted with the batter paddle is used to cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars together. 

Next, beat in egg, vanilla, and milk. 

In a separate bowl, sift together the rest of the dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, and salt.

Beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture. 

Roll dough balls in sugar

Roll dough balls in sugar

Use a cookie scoop to measure out one-inch balls. Drop the dough balls into granulated sugar. 

I used spoons to cover the dough balls with sugar.

Using two spoons to roll the dough

Using two spoons to roll the dough

Place the sugar-coated peanut butter cookie dough balls on a cookie sheet, spacing them 2″ apart. 

Place dough on baking sheet

Place dough on the baking sheet

Press the dough to flatten with even pressure using the back of the fork. Then, do it again, crossing the first lines to create the signature fork marks. 

Scoring the peanut butter cookies

Scoring the peanut butter cookies

 

Pressing the fork the opposite way in cookie dough

Pressing the fork the opposite way in cookie dough

 

Baked peanut cookies

Baked peanut cookies

Bake cookies for 8 to 10 minutes. The cookies are done when the bottoms are slightly brown. 

Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. 

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Stack of cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies

5 from 2 votes
Classic peanut butter cookies are the perfect sweet comfort food.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Course Cookies, Dessert, Recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 30 cookies
Calories 109 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ¾ cup flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup butter
  • ½ cup peanut butter
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375-degree F
  • Using a stand mixer, cream together butter, peanut butter, and sugar.
  • Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla
  • In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.
  • Slowly add the flour mixture into the butter mixture
  • Using a cookie scoop measure out one-inch balls of dough.
  • Roll dough into a tight ball
  • Then, roll the dough ball in a small bowl of granulated sugar
  • Place balls of dough on a cookie sheet spacing 2" apart
  • Using the back of a fork, press down the dough balls and then press the fork in the dough the again forming a hashtag shape with the fork indentations
  • Place baking sheet in a 375-degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes
  • The cookies are done when the bottoms are light brown
  • Remove pan and allow cookies to cool completely on a wire rack

Notes

Peanut butter cookies have a crunchy outside and a chewy inside. They have a delicious peanutty flavor. They disappear fast, so much a double batch. 
Substitutions:
  • You can use chunky peanut butter instead of creamy.
  • You can substitute Crisco for butter. 
  • Special Notes

    1. Since I am using butter for this recipe, I allow it to sit on the counter until it reaches room temperature.
    2. I like to use natural peanut butter (do not use the peanut butter that must be stirred). 
    3. The dough can be made ahead of time then stored in the refrigerator until use (chill the dough up to 24 hours).
    4. Crunchy peanut butter can be used instead of creamy peanut butter. 
    5. Mini chocolate chips make a tasty peanut butter cookie mix in. 

Nutrition

Calories: 109kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 2gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 131mgPotassium: 44mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 105IUCalcium: 9mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Peanut butter cookies, Peanut butter cookies recipe
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Special Notes

  1. Since I am using butter for this recipe, I allow it to sit on the counter until it reaches room temperature.
  2. I like to use natural peanut butter (do not use the peanut butter that must be stirred). 
  3. The dough can be made ahead of time (chill the dough for up to 24 hours).
  4. Crunchy peanut butter can be used instead of creamy peanut butter. 
  5. Mini chocolate chips make a tasty peanut butter cookie mix. 

These cookies are best served with a cold glass of milk!

Milk and fresh baked peanut cookies

Milk and fresh-baked peanut cookies

Peanut butter cookies make a wonderful edible gift, too. 

Edible Christmas Gift

Edible Christmas Gift

You might also enjoy these recipes:

Another holiday favorite is peanut butter blossom cookies. They have the same basic cookie dough with a Hershey Kiss.

Peanut Butter and Hershey's Kisses Cookies

Peanut Butter and Hershey’s Kisses Cookies

 

 

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I hope you have a safe and healthy spring,

Kippi

5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)
Recipe Rating




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Keren Cortes

Monday 13th of January 2025

I was hesitant to make these, with some comments of them becoming flat. But I'm glad I trusted the good comments and went for it. These are amazing! They are like a CLOUD! They have volume and a crunch on the outside but not a harsh one. And they're so soft and perfect in the inside. They're like a cloud. If you want a chewy cookie I don't think this recipe is the one for you. But if you want a great fluffy, cloudy peanut butter cookie, then this recipe is for you. Thank you for sharing, I will definitely use in the future!

april

Monday 25th of July 2022

Does anyone know if these are more on the softer side of a cookie? I don't really like hard cookies.

Kippi

Saturday 22nd of June 2024

@Daphnie, Thank you so much.

Daphnie

Monday 1st of May 2023

@april, They are soft! They have a little crunch on the outside but soft in the middle! Very good!

Raj

Sunday 24th of July 2022

Very nice recipe. Nice information.

Cindy Rust

Friday 27th of August 2021

The cookies in the jars are the cutest!! I have a ton of these jars saved from mini pretzel salads that I could use for this! Thanks for the recipe too - it sounds delicious :) Pinned!

Kippi

Saturday 22nd of June 2024

@Cindy Rust, thank you for stopping by. Have a great day, Kippi

angie

Sunday 13th of December 2020

just made some last night they were delicious thanks for sharing come see us at http://shopannies.blogspot.com

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