bake · Bake
How to Make Peanut Butter Cookies
Mix half cup each of softened butter and peanut butter with half cup each of white and brown sugar. Beat in one egg and half teaspoon vanilla. Combine with one and a quarter cups flour, half teaspoon baking soda, and quarter teaspoon salt. Roll into balls, press with a fork in a crosshatch pattern, and bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes until edges are golden.
- Total time: 30 min
- Hands-on: 15 min
- Serves: 24
- Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Step by step
- Cream the fats and sugars. Beat half cup softened butter, half cup peanut butter, half cup granulated sugar, and half cup packed brown sugar until light and fluffy. This takes about three minutes with an electric mixer.
- Add wet ingredients. Beat in one large egg and half teaspoon vanilla extract until fully combined.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together one and a quarter cups all-purpose flour, half teaspoon baking soda, and quarter teaspoon salt.
- Combine wet and dry. Add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture. Mix just until the dough comes together. Don't overmix or the cookies will be tough.
- Shape the cookies. Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls and place them two inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
- Create the signature pattern. Press each ball with a fork to flatten slightly, then press again in the opposite direction to create a crosshatch pattern.
- Bake. Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes until the edges are lightly golden. The centers should still look slightly underbaked.
- Cool properly. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for five minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. They'll continue cooking slightly from residual heat.
Tips & troubleshooting
- Use room temperature butter that gives slightly when pressed but doesn't leave a fingerprint
- Don't skip the fork crosshatch pattern—it helps the cookies bake evenly and is the classic look
- Slightly underbake them for chewy centers, or bake a minute longer for crispier cookies
- Store in an airtight container with a slice of bread to keep them soft
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes if it's too soft to handle
Variations
- Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies. Use crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth for extra texture and peanut pieces throughout.
- Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies. Fold in half cup of chocolate chips after adding the flour mixture.
- No-Flour Peanut Butter Cookies. Skip the flour entirely and use just one cup peanut butter, half cup sugar, and one egg. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies. Make smaller cookies and sandwich them together with a filling of powdered sugar, peanut butter, and a splash of milk.
Questions
- Why do my peanut butter cookies spread too much?
- Your butter was too warm or you used too much. Make sure butter is softened but not melted, and measure accurately. Chilling the shaped dough for 15 minutes before baking also helps.
- Can I use natural peanut butter?
- Yes, but stir it well first since natural peanut butter separates. The cookies may spread slightly more and have a different texture than those made with commercial peanut butter.
- How do I know when they're done?
- The edges should be lightly golden but the centers still look slightly soft and pale. They'll continue cooking on the hot pan after you remove them from the oven.
- Why did my cookies turn out hard?
- Either overbaked or overmixed. Mix the dough just until it comes together and watch the timer carefully. They go from perfect to overbaked quickly.
- Can I make the dough ahead of time?
- Yes, wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for up to three days or freeze for up to three months. Let frozen dough thaw in the refrigerator before shaping.