These Ultimate Peanut Butter Cookies are soft, chewy and loaded with peanut butter chips, peanut butter candy pieces and peanut butter cups. An easy drop cookie recipe that has the perfect amount of peanut butter flavor, and an end result of the best peanut butter cookies ever!
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Why We Love these Ultimate Peanut Butter Cookies
- A simple drop cookie recipe that requires no chilling.
- Makes a large amount of cookies perfect for freezing.
- Cookies are soft, chewy and full of peanut butter flavor!
- Classic peanut butter cookies are loaded with all things peanut butter. Made especially for all the peanut butter cookie lovers!
- A perfect sweet treat to send in lunches or share at parties and potlucks.
Ultimate Peanut Butter Cookies Ingredients
- Salted Butter
- Brown Sugar
- White Sugar
- Creamy Peanut Butter
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Large Eggs
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- All Purpose Flour
- Peanut Butter Chips
- Candy Coated Peanut Butter Pieces (or Reese's Pieces)
- Miniature Peanut Butter Cups
Substitution Suggestions
- Salted Butter: Unsalted butter can be used, but I suggest adding an extra ½ teaspoon of salt to the cookie dough to balance out the flavors.
- Creamy Peanut Butter: You can use crunchy peanut butter if you like, the cookies will turn out a bit more crunchy. I like using regular creamy peanut butter because it gives a more soft and chewy texture to the cookies. I prefer to use JIF natural peanut butter, but you can use your favorite brand.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Don't skimp and use imitation extract. It leaves a not so pleasing after taste to the cookies and any other baked goods. Please use the pure extract.
- All Purpose Flour: Whole wheat flour, white whole-wheat flour or a combination of any of those flours will work in this recipe.
- Candy Coated Peanut Butter Pieces: I always opt for the dye free versions due to allergies so I like to use the Little Secrets Peanut Butter Pieces. You can use Reese's Pieces or peanut butter M&M's would work too.
- Peanut Butter Cups: I like to use the miniature peanut butter cups you buy in a bag, not the large cups in the store check out aisles. The large cups will work, but I like the miniature ones because you get a bit more chocolate in the cookies. You could also try using the unwrapped mini peanut butter cups and not have to chop them.
This ultimate peanut butter cookie recipe creates the perfect cookies full of rich peanut butter flavor. You'll want to fill your cookie jar with these fabulous homemade cookies.
How to Make Ultimate Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer with paddle attachment or large bowl with hand mixer, cream together: softened butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy.
- Next, add the peanut butter and vanilla extract and mix until smooth and creamy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg and scraping sides of the bowl.
- Now to the wet ingredients add the dry ingredients: baking soda, salt, and all purpose flour. Mix on low speed just until incorporated.
- Fold in the peanut butter chips, peanut butter pieces, and chopped peanut butter cups.
- Using a medium scoop or 2 tablespoons, scoop and drop cookies 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes until tops are no longer glossy and edges are barely golden brown.
- Cool cookies for 2-3 minutes on pan then remove to wire rack to cool completely.
Storing Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
Store cookies in an airtight container or zip top bag on the counter. They will stay fresh for 3-4 days on the counter. To keep them soft for longer, add a piece of bread in with the cookies. The cookie will absorb the moisture from the bread keeping them soft and fresh for longer.
These cookies can also be frozen! Simply put the cooled baked cookies in a freezer safe air tight container or zip top bag in between layers of wax paper or parchment paper. Label, date and freeze. Cookies can last up to 6 months in the freezer. Thaw the cookies at room temperature for about 15-30 minutes until soft enough to eat.
How to Freeze Cookie Dough
To freeze this loaded peanut butter cookie dough: place cookie dough scoops on a parchment lined sheet pan. Freeze the dough for a few hours, once frozen, place the frozen dough balls in a freezer safe air tight container or zip top bag. Label and date.
To bake the frozen dough: place dough on parchment lined cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Then bake frozen dough at 350°F for 12-15 minutes or until edges are golden brown and the centers no longer look glossy. Cook time will vary on how cold your cookies are when placed in the oven. Cool cookies on pan for 2-3 minutes and then remove to wire rack to cool completely.
Here are some more fabulous peanut butter sweet treats for all the peanut butter fans out there: Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies, Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Peanut Butter Cookies, 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, No Bake Peanut Butter Bars, and Scotcharoos.
Tips for Ultimate Peanut Butter Cookies
- Gather all the ingredients and chop the peanut butter cups before you start making cookies. It is so much easier to bake when all the ingredients are ready. There is also less room for error, like forgetting an essential ingredient. I'm not saying I've done this, however, I am speaking from experience!
- Read the recipe from start to finish before you start. Again, I am speaking from experience.
- 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 dry and crumbly. To fluff your flour, just scoop it and dump it a few times and then measure it out or give it a fluff using a whisk.
- Use a cookie scoop to get the same size cookies, that way they will all bake evenly. I like to use the Pampered Chef medium size scoop which is equal to about 2 tablespoons.
- 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 crunchy and crumbly. The center should look set and not glossy and edges just barely golden brown.
More Delicious Drop Cookie Recipes:
- Chocolate Chunk Coconut Cookies
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Coffee Cookies
- Confetti Sugar Cookies
- Monster Cookies
- Cowboy Cookies
- Coconut Oatmeal Cookies
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Oatmeal Scotchies
- Peanut Butter Chip Chocolate Cookies
- Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ultimate Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2¼ cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups peanut butter chips
- 1 cup candy coated peanut butter pieces, reese's pieces
- 1 cup miniature peanut butter cups, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer with paddle attachment or large mixing bowl with hand mixer, cream together: softened butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy.
- Next, add the peanut butter and vanilla extract and mix until smooth and creamy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg.
- Now add the dry ingredients: baking soda, salt, and all purpose flour. Mix on low just until incorporated.
- Fold in the peanut butter chips, peanut butter pieces, and chopped peanut butter cups.
- Using a medium scoop or 2 tablespoons, scoop and drop cookies 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes until tops are no longer glossy and edges are barely golden brown.
- Cool cookies for 2-3 minutes on pan then remove to wire rack to cool completely.
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