Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies have everything you want in a cookie. Chewy, sweet and full of peanut butter flavor, they just melt in your mouth! The perfect cookie to make over and over again.
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Why We Love These Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies
- They are full of peanut butter flavor for all the peanut butter lovers, including my hubby and kids!
- An easy cookie recipe that requires no chilling.
- They have the perfect chewy and crisp edge texture that everyone wants in a cookie.
- This classic peanut butter cookie recipe makes a huge batch. Enough that you can share with family, friends and co-workers or freeze some for later.
- Freezer friendly! Freeze baked peanut butter cookies or the cookie dough and bake them later.
Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe Ingredients
- Salted Butter
- Creamy Peanut Butter
- Light Brown Sugar
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Unbleached All Purpose Flour
Substitution Suggestions:
- Salted Butter: Feel free to use unsalted butter if that is what you have on hand. I suggest adding an additional ½ teaspoon of salt to the cookie dough.
- Creamy Peanut Butter: If you want a little extra texture and crunch in your cookie, you can use crunchy peanut butter. You could also use almond butter, just make sure it is stirred well and creamy. If the almond butter is too sticky or thick, the cookies won't turn out chewy.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Don't skimp with this ingredient. Use pure extracts. The imitation extracts are fake flavored water that is chemically made and you can taste it when you use it.
- All Purpose Flour: You can substitute with whole wheat flour, white whole wheat flour or a blend of all of them. I like to use half all purpose flour and half whole wheat flour sometimes. It gives a little more depth of flavor to the cookies.
This easy peanut butter cookie recipe uses simple ingredients, perfect to make any day of the week. Another reason why they are the best peanut butter cookies!
How to Make Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
- Heat oven to 350°F and line at least two baking sheets with parchment paper. I like to use three cookie sheets, makes the baking process go faster.
- In a stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer and large mixing bowl, cream butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and 1 cup of white sugar together until creamy.
- Next, add the eggs, one at a time beating well after each egg.
- Then mix in the pure vanilla extract.
- Now add the dry ingredients: baking soda, salt and all purpose flour. Mix on low speed until just fully incorporated.
- Place the remaining ½ cup sugar in a separate bowl. I like to use a medium bowl with a flat bottom, so I can roll a few at the same time.
- Using a small cookie scoop or 1 tablespoon, scoop cookie dough and roll into balls. Roll cookie dough in sugar and then place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.
- Using tines of a fork press lightly in a criss-cross pattern, or you can flatten slightly with the palm of your hand or bottom of a glass. You can also use pretty cookie stamps that will give fun designs on the top of your cookies.
- Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes until the center no longer looks wet or glossy and the edges are set.
- Let cookies cool on pan for 3 minutes then remove to cooling rack and cool completely.
Storing Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies
Storing: Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container. Keep them in a cool dry place and they'll last a few weeks. If you notice the cookies starting to get a little dry or hard, add a piece of bread to the container with the cookies. It will add moisture back into the cookies.
Freezing: These cookies freeze well! Place the cooled cookies in a freezer safe airtight container in single layers, between pieces of wax paper. Label, date and freeze. Cookies will last 3-4 months in the freezer.
Thawing: To thaw the frozen cookies, simply let them sit at room temperature for a few hours.
Freezing Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
Freezing Cookie Dough: place peanut butter cookie dough balls that have been rolled in sugar and pressed gently with fork on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then freeze the dough for at least an hour or two. Once frozen, place the frozen cookie dough in a freezer safe airtight container or zip top bag. I like to freeze them between layers of wax paper. Label, date and keep frozen until ready to use.
Baking Frozen Cookie Dough: To bake the frozen cookie dough, place cookie dough on parchment lined cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Then bake frozen dough at 350°F increasing baking time to 12-15 minutes or until edges are set and the centers no longer look wet. Cook time will vary on how cold your cookies are when placed in the oven. Cool cookies on pan for 3 minutes and then remove to wire rack to cool completely.
Tips for Homemade Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
- Use room temperature ingredients. It helps the dough come together better, and also helps with even baking.
- Always fluff your flour and then spoon and level it to measure. Doing this will prevent too much flour being added and ultimately making the cookies too dense and dry.
- Use a cookie scoop to get the same size cookies, that way they will all bake evenly. I like to use the Pampered Chef small size scoop which is equal to about 1 tablespoon.
- Don't forget to flatten these cookies a bit. This peanut butter cookie dough is a more dense dough than others so it won't spread as much. Giving them some help before baking is ideal for a perfect peanut butter cookie. If you want your cookie to be thicker, taller and a bit cakey, you don't have to press them.
- If using cookie sheets more than once during baking, make sure the cookie sheet is completely cooled before adding scoops of cookie dough on it.
- For best results don't over bake the cookies. Over baking will cause the cookies to be more crisp and hard. The edges and center should look set and not glossy.
FAQs About Easy Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
A few things could cause hard cookies: too much flour was added to the dough, ingredients were too cold, or the cookies were baked too long. It is important to measure the flour properly: fluff it, then spoon flour into measuring cup and level it off. Using room temperature ingredients allows everything to mix well properly and incorporate air. Lastly, don't overbake those cookies.
Peanut butter cookie dough is a little denser than other cookie doughs so it doesn't spread as much. Giving the cookies some help before baking is ideal for a perfect peanut butter cookie. If you want your cookie to be thicker, taller and a bit cakey, you don't have to press them.
Butter and brown sugar are what create the chewy texture in cookies. If you want a chewier cookie, use more brown sugar and less white sugar. You can also let the cookie dough rest 30 minutes before baking. This will allow for some of the water to evaporate and increase the sugar content.
Yes you can use natural peanut butter in cookies. The most important thing is too make sure the peanut butter is completely stirred well and not separated at all. You may also notice the texture of your cookie being a little different since there is likely no added sugar to your real peanut butter.
More Peanut Butter Desserts:
- Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Peanut Butter Cookies
- 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
- No Bake Scotch-a-roos
- Peanut Butter Brownie Bars
- Monster Cookies
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Peanut Butter Temptation Cookies
- No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
- Peanut Butter Banana Brownies
- Peanut Butter Cereal Bars
Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1½ cups sugar, divided
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line at least 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or with hand mixer and large bowl, cream together butter, peanut butter, light brown sugar, and 1 cup of sugar until fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg.
- Then beat in the pure vanilla extract.
- Add the baking soda, salt and all purpose flour. Mix on low speed until just fully incorporated.
- Add remaining ½ cup of sugar to a separate bowl.
- Using a small cookie scoop or 1 tablespoon, scoop dough and roll into balls. Roll balls in sugar then place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.
- Using the tines of a fork, press gently on the center of the cookie dough in a criss-cross pattern, or flatten with the palm of your hand.
- Bake cookies 8-10 minutes until centers no longer look wet and edges are set.
- Let cookies cool 3 minutes on pans and then remove to wire rack to cool completely.
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