Peanut Butter Cookies

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After years of an on and off again relationship with peanut butter in my desserts, I've reached my full potential and I am obsessed with these Peanut Butter Cookies!!!

Eight Peanut Butter Cookies spread out across a piece of parchment paper.


 

Ingredients & Substitutions

Mise-en-place of all the ingredients to make peanut butter cookies.
  • Creamy Peanut Butter – It's best not to use the natural kind in this recipe where the oil separates.
  • Unsalted Butter
  • Dark Brown Sugar – Light brown sugar can be substituted if you don't have dark brown sugar on hand.
  • Granulated Sugar
  • Kosher Salt
  • Large Eggs
  • Vanilla Extract
  • All Purpose Flour
  • Baking Soda
  • Peanut Butter Chips - we order these in bulk so we never run out!
  • Honey Roasted Peanuts
  • Granulated Sugar
  • Maldon Salt

*For a full list of ingredients and instructions please see recipe card below

How to Make Peanut Butter Cookies

A glass mixing bowl with flour and baking soda.

Step 1: Whisk the flour and baking soda together in a small bowl.

A stand mixer bowl with brown sugar, white sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, peanut butter and butter added to it.

Step 2: Beat the peanut butter, butter, the sugars and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer, on medium-high speed.

A stand mixer bowl with a light, smooth and fluffy of peanut butter, butter and white and brown sugar.

Step 3: Beat until light and fluffy, about 6 minutes.

A stand mixer bowl with a smooth peanut butter, butter and sugar mixture with eggs added to it.

Step 4: Lower the speed and add the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla.

A stand mixer bowl with a smooth mixture of all wet ingredients and sugars, with a mix of flour and baking soda added to it.

Step 5: Slowly add the flour to the peanut butter mixture mixing until just combined.

A stand mixer bowl with peanut butter cookie dough and peanut butter chips and peanuts added to it.

Step 6: With the machine on low add in the peanut butter chips and ¾ cup of the peanuts. Refrigerate dough for 2 hours.

A parchment-lined baking sheet with scoops of peanut butter cookie dough flattened with a fork leaving a crisscross pattern on them, topped with Maldon salt and ready to be baked.

Step 7: Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Scoop the dough with a heaping tablespoon and roll into a ball, about 1.25 ounces. Place on the baking sheet about 3 inches apart. Dip a fork in sugar and make a crisscross pattern on the cookie while flattening it. Sprinkle with crushed peanuts, give it a tap with your hand and a sprinkle of maldon salt.

A wire rack along with a parchment-lined baking sheet, both with peanut butter cookies and a few crumbs and peanuts on the parchment.

Step 8: Bake cookies in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a rack to cool completely

How to Store Peanut Butter Cookies

These are best stores in a ziptop plastic bag! I prefer to store all my cookies in the freezer so they stay fresh the longest and just pop them into the microwave for 10 seconds before eating!

A stack of four peanut butter cookies sits next to 2 other cookies and some crumbs on a piece of parchment paper.

Tips & Tricks

Pay attention to the type of peanut butter you're buying - you cannot use natural for this recipe! I mean, you can, but the result won't be the same!

If you want to add some chocolate to the mix, because who wouldn't, you can replace ½ of the peanut butter chips with chocolate chips and do a combo!

FAQs

Why are my peanut butter cookies always hard?

Peanut Butter firms up when baked so I love to just slightly underbake my cookies to ensure a soft center at all times.

What is the shelf life of peanut butter cookies?

If you store them in the freezer, it could be months! If you're storing them at room temp, you'll be good for 4-5 days.

A single peanut butter cookie with crushed peanuts and Maldon sea salt flaked across the top of the cookie.

Similar Recipes

If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today!

Peanut Butter Cookies

Author: Gaby Dalkin
5 from 5 votes
Hands down, the best peanut butter cookies you will ever make!! Adam and I both pinkie promise!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chilling Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 40 Cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter not natural
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter room temp
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar packed
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • cup all-purpose flour
  • teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ cup peanut butter chips
  • cup honey roasted peanuts lightly crushed and divided
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • Maldon salt to garnish

Instructions
 

  • Whisk the flour and baking soda together in a small bowl.
  • Beat the peanut butter, butter, the sugars and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer, on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 6 minutes. Lower the speed and add the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla.
  • Slowly add the flour to the peanut butter mixture mixing until just combined. With the machine on low add in the peanut butter chips and ¾ cup of the peanuts.
  • Refrigerate dough for 2 hours.
  • Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Scoop the dough with a heaping tablespoon and roll into a ball, about 1.25 ounces. Place on the baking sheet about 3 inches apart. Dip a fork in sugar and make a crisscross pattern on the cookie while flattening it.
  • Sprinkle with crushed peanuts, give it a tap with your hand and a sprinkle of Maldon salt. Bake cookies in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Notes

 

Pay attention to the type of peanut butter you're buying - you cannot use natural for this recipe! I mean, you can, but the result wont be the same!
If you want to add some chocolate to the mix, because who wouldn't, you can replace ½ of the peanut butter chips with chocolate chips and do a combo!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 120mg | Potassium: 100mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 118IU | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
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7 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Have been on the hunt for years for a Peanut Butter Cookie standout! Bombdiggity!
    This is a winner! I used your suggestion for the addin of Chocolate chips 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup peanut butter chips ratio! Yum! Thank you!

5 from 5 votes

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