Peanut Butter Cookies
If you’re a fan of peanut butter cookies, you need this recipe. These gems are rich in peanut flavor and deliver the perfect balance of salty and sweet. They’re also wonderfully soft and literally melt in your mouth.
Adding peanut butter to cookies creates an amazingly tender crumb! When I served these cookies to my friends, they said, “they’re so soft”! You will love how rich, buttery, and velvety this dough is. It’s a slam dunk every time.
Use your favorite brand of peanut butter for these cookies. Any variety of peanut butter will work here. If you’re using a natural variety with oil at the top, make sure to stir the mixture before using. If you’re a fan of chunky peanut butter, that works too.
Make sure you don’t over-bake these cookies. Unlike other varieties of cookies, it’s hard to tell when peanut butter cookies are ready to leave the oven. You want to pull the cookies when the edges are JUST starting to change color. The cookies will still seem soft, almost undercooked, but they will continue baking and set up as they cool.
Make sure you measure your flour correctly. If you’ve ever had dry peanut butter cookies, it’s likely because there was too much flour in the dough. Gently scoop the flour into your measuring cup with a spoon and level the top.
Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until creamy. Add both sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the peanut butter until blended.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla.
- With the mixer on low speed, beat in the flour mixture.
- Using your hands, roll the dough into 1-inch balls (use a small cookie scoop if you want to ensure each cookie is the same size). Transfer the balls to the prepared pans and flatten with a fork in a criss-cross pattern.
- Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are just starting to turn color.
- Cool cookies completely, on the baking sheet (on a wire rack) before serving.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or freeze up to 3 months.