These easy Peanut Butter Cookies come together in just one bowl with simple ingredients! They’re soft and chewy and freezer friendly!
Table of Contents
I shared this recipe first on Spend With Pennies.
I don’t know about you, but around here we love peanut butter.
We love it in our oatmeal, on our toast, in our desserts (any and all of them, please!), our Banana Cream Pie, and these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.
But these easy Peanut Butter Cookies?
They’re some of our favorites.
These cookies are so easy to throw together, and you can mix them up in a variety of different ways to make them more exciting (but really, who needs to detract from that glorious peanut butter?!)
How to make easy Peanut Butter Cookies:
- Combine your butters: cream your butter and peanut butter together until smooth.
- Add your sugars: be sure you whip your sugar in until it’s light and fluffy! It will become noticeably lighter in color and texture.
- Beat in your eggs and vanilla — just until smooth and combined.
- Add your dry ingredients — Don’t pack your flour in the cup! Be sure to fluff and level your flour to avoid dry, crumbly cookies! Mix until the dough comes together.
- Bake — but don’t overbake! Overbaked cookies are dry and hard and not soft and chewy like they should be. Make sure you bake until they appear just set, even a little glossiness in the center is okay. They will continue setting up on the hot pan out of the oven. I find 9 minutes is perfect for 1″ dough balls.
Variations on these Peanut Butter Cookies:
- Can’t resist the urge to add chocolate to peanut butter? How about a chocolate drizzle! Simply melt some chocolate carefully, then pour it into a ziploc bag, snip the end and drizzle over cooled cookies.
- Stir in some chopped peanuts for a double whammy peanut butter cookie.
- Add some chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, M&Ms (oh my word, how amazing would those be??), or butterscotch chips for a new spin your family will go crazy for!
How to store peanut butter cookies:
There are two ways to store these peanut butter cookies if you happen to have leftovers that last beyond the first couple hours on the counter 😉
- Room temperature: You can store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4-6 days (they will last past that point, they just won’t be as good). The only problem with storing them at room temperature is you know they’re not going to last long! The freezer is a much safer option 😉
- In the freezer: these cookies can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag up to 3 months. This means you always have something delicious on hand if surprise guests drop in or you need an after school snack!
Tools you’ll need to make this easy cookie recipe:
I promise, you don’t need much! Here’s what I use to make this recipe the best it can be:
- A mixer: cookie dough is a tough thing to mix by hand! I use either my KitchenAid hand mixer or KitchenAid stand mixer (what can I say, I’m loyal!) — it makes the dough come together so quickly and easily!
- Good baking sheets: dark non stick baking sheets will make your cookies brown faster, so I like to use a light or medium colored baking sheet — you can choose what you like depending on how brown you like your cookies to be on the bottom.
- Parchment sheets: Once I started using parchment paper for cookies I never went back. There’s no worrying about sticking, no scrubbing pans, and – bonus! – you can reuse parchment paper for all the cookies. Just brush it off, fold it up and stash it in a cupboard for next time.
Easy Peanut Butter Cookies
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter 240g — not natural
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup sugar 200g
- 1 cup brown sugar 205g packed
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all purpose flour 390g
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer (a paddle attachment on a stand mixer works best for this recipe), beat peanut butter and butter until smooth.
- Add sugars and beat on high speed until light and fluffy – 2-3 minutes.
- Add eggs and vanilla and beat on low speed until combined.
- Add flour (fluffed and levelled!), baking soda and salt and beat on low speed just until cookie dough comes together.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll into 1″ balls and place 2″ apart on baking sheets.
- Press down slightly with fork.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, just until set (a slight glossy sheen in the very center is okay). Remove and let cool on baking sheets before moving to an air tight container to store.
Nutrition Information
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Ruthie Dunlap says
BEST peanut butter cookie ever! Everyone that had one loved it! Thank you so much for this great recipe.
Ruthie Dunlap
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Ruthie!
Renee says
Made these two ways. First time I let them chill 24 hours, came out delicious but a little tough to press down on with the fork (crumbly). The second time I made them right away and it was so much easier to shape and press and they looked better. Both ways were delicious, but probably not a recipe I will chill again. Thanks for the great recipe!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m glad they turned out well!
Sheryle says
Followed directions, actually added twice the amount of peanutbutter, was somewhat chewy/soft, but dough was definitely to crumbly/dry. If I made them again think I’d cut back on the flour. Dough was to dry. Taste was ok
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Sheryle, I’ve only tested the recipe as is, so unsure if adding more peanut butter caused the result that you had. I would try them as is. Also make sure the ingredient are precisely measured, such as the flour to attain the correct result. Hope this helps!
Ginger says
Just tried this recipe and it will be a keeper. Very simple and easy with clear directions. They are crispy and delicate around the edges and chewy in the middle.
The Recipe Rebel says
Thank you Ginger!
Celina says
I used natural peanut butter and they came out perfect!
Melissa Stewart says
Great recipe and if you want to really take it to the stars use Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips and 1-2 tbsp of raw honey . I have a following in my town over these cookies!!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Yum! Thanks Melissa!
Tina says
Searched long and hard to find the perfect pb cookie and this IS IT!!!
Britt says
This is my go-to peanut butter cookie recipe!! It is such a bit, every single time!
The Recipe Rebel says
Great to hear, thanky you Britt!
Traci Samaya Hill says
How does this turn out if using gluten free flour? I’ve never tried pb cookies with gf flour
Nona says
Great, gf flour is what I use.
The Recipe Rebel says
Wonderful to hear, thank you Nona!
Gretchen says
Can you make the dough ahead of time and freeze it?
Liz says
I do all the time. Turns out great
Naomi H. says
Super quick to make! Easy and yummy. Mine came out perfect, thank you🥰
Victoria G. says
Love it! I didn’t use all the cookie dough, can I freeze that? Thanks!
The Recipe Rebel says
Glad you enjoyed it Victoria. I would bake the cookies, then freeze them.
Darla says
The cookies taste great, but they are too pale in color. I even used dark brown sugar, but they look more like a sugar cookie. Lovely flavor, but I think I need to keep looking.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Darla! It’s pretty typical in a peanut butter cookie for it to be lighter in color. You could try using a different rack in your oven if you are looking for a darker color.
Rachel says
Great recipe! This is the best peanut butter cookie recipe!!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Rachel! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!