The Best peanut butter cookies are just like Grandma’s. Soft and chewy, slightly crispy edges, uses simple ingredients and full of peanut butter flavor. You can add chocolate chips or dip the bottoms into melted chocolate.
Simple and classic – my peanut butter cookies recipe has beautiful crisscross fork marks. These are guaranteed to be a hit! (they’re one of our favorite holiday cookies!)
Grandma’s recipes are always the best. Just a few of my favorite nostalgic desserts are old-fashioned pound cake, peanut butter blossoms, cream puffs, yellow layer cake and fried apple pies.
You might also like some of my favorite holiday recipes deviled eggs, Southern potato salad, Grandma’s holiday punch and baked beans.
Why this recipe works
- Nostalgic – Classic peanut butter cookies with the crisscross pattern.
- Easy to make – Simple ingredients, readily available in your pantry. Achieve perfect cookies each and every time.
- Flavor – Incredible peanut butter flavor. More peanut butter than other recipes.
- Texture – Pillowy soft center and slightly crispy & crumbly edges.
What you’ll need
- Peanut butter – Use your favorite brand of creamy peanut butter.
- Unsalted butter – Unsalted butter lets you control the amount of salt in a recipe. Let it soften overnight on the counter.
- All-purpose flour – Use a high-quality brand such as Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Flour.
- Granulated sugar and brown sugar – The combination of these two sugars makes the cookies soft and spread properly.
- Eggs – Acts as a binder, keeping the cookie dough together and makes them soft.
- Vanilla extract – Use a high-quality brand, adds a depth of flavor.
- Baking powder & soda – Leavening agents help the cookies rise.
- Salt – Added to baking recipes, it heightens the flavor of sweets.
How to make Peanut butter cookies
- Make the dough – In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar until fluffy.
Add the eggs and vanilla. Gradually incorporate the flour, salt and baking soda. Mix until incorporated into peanut butter mixture. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to be sure everything is mixed well. - Refrigerate the dough – Either cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate or transfer the cookie dough into a large zip-style freezer bag and refrigerate a minimum of 2 hours.
- Scoop cookies – Scoop chilled cookie dough into balls, using a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon.
- Roll in sugar – Roll cookie dough rounds into granulated sugar.
- Make crisscross marks – Place evenly onto half sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Use a fork dipped into sugar to make a crisscross pattern on the top of each cookie. Gently reshape with your fingers as needed.
- Bake – Bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 15-17 minutes.
12 cookies fit perfectly on a half sheet pan. Using a scoop will help you achieve more uniform cookies. Rolling peanut butter cookie rounds into granulated sugar is essential. Dip the fork into sugar before pressing into rounds prevents it from sticking.
Benefits of refrigerating cookie dough
Refrigerating cookie dough allows the flour to fully hydrate and helps prevent cookies from spreading too much while baking. Leading to a more flavorful and chewy cookie.
More cookie recipes
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Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup chocolate chips (optional)
- ½ cup granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar until fluffy. Use a spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally.
- Add the eggs and vanilla. Gradually incorporate the flour, salt and baking soda. Mix until incorporated into peanut butter mixture. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to be sure everything is mixed well. Add chocolate chips if desired.
- Cover and chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight. Or transfer the cookie dough into a large zip-style freezer bag and refrigerate.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Scoop chilled cookie dough into balls, using a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon. If using a tablespoon, roll in your hands to make rounds.
- Roll into sugar and place on place evenly on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper leaving a little bit of space in between each cookie. Use a fork dipped into sugar to make a crisscross pattern on the top of each cookie.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes or until the edges are very lightly browned. Turn the sheet pans around half way through baking.
- The cookies will look soft, but will set while cooling. Let cool on a sheet pans until set (about 10 minutes) before removing with a spatula to cool completely on a wire baking rack.
- Store any remaining cookies in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
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Megan Austin says
These are my FAVORITE childhood cookie! Dipping the fork in sugar to make the little crisscross detail on top works so much better than how I’ve previously done it.
Jessica Robinson says
Peanut butter cookies are such a classic childhood treat. I’m so glad to hear you love them!