Best Ever Soft Peanut Butter Cookies are a classic. Soft & chewy, these peanut butter cookies have quickly become our favorite sweet treat.
My family can’t keep their hands off these easy peanut butter cookies. This peanut butter cookie recipe is not your traditional crunchy peanut butter cookie, but there isn’t a better recipe. Trust me, we’ve tried them all.
Now, I have made this recipe in two different ways: one with baking soda and the other with baking powder. This was all an accident, and while I originally posted the recipe with the baking soda, after making it over a hundred times, we all agreed that the best cookie results from baking powder. But if you make the same “mistake” I did, these cookies will still knock it out of the park.
My Favorite Kitchen Tools To Make This Recipe
From trusty pots and pans to handy gadgets, I’ve curated a list of products I use and love.
What peanut butter cookie recipe is the best?
While I love making homemade peanut butter cookies with just 3 ingredients, they are not as soft and chewy as these. I love three-ingredient peanut butter cookies, but I am just not as satisfied.
These cookies go right in line with my love for creamy peanut butter. Peanut butter is my go-to snack anytime I am hungry.
Whether it’s by the spoonful, with pretzels, on a sandwich or paired with some Nutella, I really could eat peanut butter in any way, shape, or form. Because I have a sweet tooth, cookies are among my favorite foods. This makes soft peanut butter cookies an obvious hit.
Should I use crunchy or creamy peanut butter to make peanut butter cookies?
While I typically love creamy peanut butter for cookies, there are moments—like when I eat my morning breakfast toast with bananas—when I reach for the crunchy peanut butter.
We are a house divided between creamy and crunchy peanut butter. My son, Aiden, and I are more in the middle and could eat either. My husband and daughter, Jersey, love crunchy, and my other three kids, Jojo, Cannon, and Madden, will only eat creamy. If I accidentally pack them crunchy, the sandwich will still be in their lunchbox when they get home, making you wonder what they ate for lunch.
We also have extreme opinions on whether soft or crunchy peanut butter cookies are the best.
I tend to lean towards chewy, soft cookies. The best cookie recipe I’ve ever had is my Best Ever Monster Cookies. But most classic peanut butter cookie recipes I’ve had are too crunchy, leaving a crumbly mess. So, I have been on a mission to find the best peanut butter cookie recipe, and finally… finally… I found it.
Everyone except for Aiden, peanut butter cookies are best when soft and chewy. Aiden loves a good crunchy cookie you can dip in milk. However, he won’t decline these Best Ever Soft Peanut Butter Cookies.
What could you add to peanut butter cookies?
Why do peanut butter cookies have fork marks?
When peanut butter is added to the batter, it densifies it. Putting fork marks in the dough makes it easier for the cookie to bake evenly. This will help keep them soft, so don’t forget this step.
How long do cookies last?
These cookies are kept in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days.
If desired, freeze the cookies in an airtight freezer bag. They can last for 1-2 months.
 If you love cookies, try these:
I can’t wait for you to get your hands on a dozen or two of these. They are easy and simply the Best Soft Peanut Butter Cookies you’ll try.
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Best Ever Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter use Jif or Skippy type peanut butter
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking pans with parchment paper, if desired.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the peanut butter, butter, sugar and brown sugar. Beat together until smooth & creamy best if using a stand mixer or hand mixer.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and continue to mix until well combined.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture and mix until well combined.
- Use a cookie dough scoop, or spoon the dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in white granulated sugar if you desire and place onto baking sheet.
- Using a fork, press down on each ball of dough to flatten, creating a criss-cross pattern.
- Bake for 8-9 minutes. Do not over bake. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.
- These keep well for a couple of days in an airtight container.
yummy p.b. cookies. thank. you
you’re so welcome!
Great easy to follow recipe! Delicious cookies!
Thank you, Sandi! Also great name 😉
I just baked a batch for the guys working on the house! HUGE hit! They are delicious. I added 1 cup of small chocolate chips I had left over. Thanks!!!
Love the idea of adding chocolate chips, I will try that next time!
awesome n quick..yummy
Thank you! We love it too!
Wonderful
These were so good! Thank you! Just made a quarter recipe so I wouldn’t eat them all. Super soft and delish
So happy they turned out for you like they did me – so delicious!
these are so yummy and quick n easy
thank you!
wonderful peanut butter cookies!
Thank you!
I love new recipes
Oh My Goodness!!! This is by far one of the better peanut butter cookie recipes! So moist and chewy (which is the way I like them). Thank you for posting. I did throw in about a cup of semi sweet chocolate chips just cuz pb/chocolate is my fav.
Thank you, so happy you liked them too!
very crumbly. cookies didn’t hold together. Tried cooking longer than suggested. cookies still fell apart. the dough didn’t melt together.
Sorry it didn’t work for you, not sure why it didn’t – did you let the cookies cool on the baking sheet first?
followed to the tee and that are the worst crumbled cookies ever made.
Sorry they didn’t work for you.
1 tablespoon of vanilla. is that correct?
Yes!
I LOVE THIS COOKIE IT WAS SO EASY TO MAKE!! AND THE TASTE OH MY GOSH WONDERFUL!!
Thank You
We love it too! So happy it worked for you too!
I tried the recipe and doing the fork marks prior to baking, caused them to disappear once out of the oven.
amazing recipe! My brother loves the cookies!
We do too, glad he enjoys them.
These were alright. Definitely too dry for my taste, and very crumbly. I’d add a Tbsp or 2 of oil if I make them again.
What peanut butter did you use?
It’s a very good recipe
Thank you!
I added 1/2 cup of brown sugar and baked at 350 for the nine minutes exact/. Turned out very well. Good recipe!
Great recipe for great cookies!