Easy peanut butter cookies are made in one bowl with no chilling necessary in less than 30 minutes. Best of all, these soft and tender peanut butter cookies that practically melt in your mouth!
These easy peanut butter cookies are good, old-fashioned peanut butter cookies. And they couldn’t be easier to make! The cookies are made in one bowl, there’s no chilling necessary, and they take less than 30 minutes to make.
Not only are they easy, I think think that it’s the best peanut butter cookie recipe because of the taste and consistency. The cookies are soft and tender and practically melt in your mouth!
They’re perfect for beginners, for baking with kids, or for just whipping up a batch of homemade peanut butter cookies when you want tasty, soft peanut butter cookies right now!
“Made the cookies today and they were Great. Used unsalted butter so I added the extra salt, used cane sugar for granulated sugar, didn’t dip the cookies in sugar, made mine smaller and flatter, cut the recipe in half cause it’s just me and baked for 15 mins.
Got 22 cookies out of the recipe and froze half in a plastic container.” – Rhonda
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe. If you’d like to use unsalted butter, increase the salt to 3/4 teaspoon.
- Peanut butter: I use regular peanut butter. I don’t recommend using natural peanut butter in this recipe.
- Flour: It’s important to properly measure the flour. I recommend weighing the dry ingredient for the most accurate measurements. If not, you can stir or sift the flour to break it up, lightly spoon it into the measuring up, and then level. Avoid packing the flour as that will give you dry or dense cookies.
- Kosher salt: I like to use kosher salt in this recipe. The kosher salt gives the cookies more of a salty bite throughout the cookie. If you would prefer to use table salt, use half of the amount.
How to make classic peanut butter cookies
Here you’ll find step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including instructions, is given below.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350F.
Step 2: Beat the butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar together with an electric mixer in a large bowl until well-combined, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 3: Add peanut butter and mix until incorporated.
Step 4: Mix in egg and vanilla extract until combined.
Step 5: Add the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Mix in just until combined.
Step 6: Scoop 1.5 tablespoons dough, roll each of the cookie dough balls in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar.
Step 7: Place the scoops of dough 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Step 8: Flatten cookies with the tines of a fork into a criss-cross pattern.
Step 9: Bake cookies for about 8-10 minutes. The edges should look set and the middles should look soft and slightly underdone.
Step 10: Let the cookies cool completely on baking sheet.
Recipe Tips!
- Chunky cookies: For chunky cookies, either use crunchy peanut butter or stir in 1/4 cup finely chopped peanuts after the dry ingredients.
- Freezing the cookies: You can freeze the baked cookies. To freeze, let the cookies cool completely and then place the cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 1 month.
Storage
Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. The cookies will keep for 2-3 days when properly stored.
More easy cookie recipes!
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Easy Peanut Butter Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter at room temperature
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup peanut butter not natural
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour properly measured
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Beat the butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar together in a large mixing bowl until well-combined, about 2-3 minutes.½ cup butter, ½ cup light brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar
- Add peanut butter and mix until incorporated.1 cup peanut butter
- Mix in egg and vanilla extract until combined.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 large egg
- Add the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Mix in just until combined.1 ½ cup all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Scoop 1.5 tablespoons dough, roll in remaining 1/4 cup sugar.¼ cup granulated sugar
- Place the scoops of dough 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Flatten cookies with a fork in a criss-cross pattern.
- Bake cookies for about 8-10 minutes. The edges should look set and the middles should look soft and slightly underdone.
- Let the cookies cool completely on baking sheet.
Notes
-
- Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe. If you’d like to use unsalted butter, increase the salt to 3/4 teaspoon.
-
- Peanut butter: I use regular peanut butter. I don’t recommend using natural peanut butter in this recipe.
-
- Flour: It’s important to properly measure the flour. I recommend weighing the dry ingredient for the most accurate measurements. If not, you can stir or sift the flour to break it up, lightly spoon it into the measuring up, and then level. Avoid packing the flour as that will give you dry or dense cookies.
-
- Kosher salt: I like to use kosher salt in this recipe. The kosher salt gives the cookies more of a salty bite throughout the cookie. If you would prefer to use table salt, use half of the amount.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Stina says
I tried those, I’d say they were really great, so soft and delisious.
Even if I can’t try most of your recipes, but they look really great, there are most of them that I would like to try someday!
Thanks for them!!
Kate says
Thank you!
Rhonda says
Made the cookies today and they were Great. Used unsalted butter so I added the extra salt, used cane sugar for granulated sugar, didn’t dip the cookies in sugar, made mine smaller and flatter, cut the recipe in half cause it’s just me and baked for 15 mins.
Got 22 cookies out of the recipe and froze half in a plastic container.
Kate says
Thanks!