Secrets to Make the Best Peanut Butter Cookies

 These thick, chewy Peanut Butter Cookies are loaded with sweet and salty goodness, with just the right amount of crunch. This simple recipe guarantees perfectly soft and flavorful cookies every single time!

If you saw my Facebook post last week, you know how much everyone loved my Marshmallow & Peanut Butter Cookie Cobbler Recipe. As I mentioned, I like to whip up full batches of cookie dough and freeze half for cobblers, “just one cookie” cravings, or last-minute school events.

Chris, my resident cookie connoisseur, can’t resist these peanut butter cookies—they’re his favorite! They strike the perfect balance of soft and chewy with a slight crunch, all wrapped up in a rich peanut butter flavor. For an extra indulgent treat, enjoy them fresh out of the oven or reheat for 10 seconds in the microwave for that warm, just-baked bliss!

If you like these cookies, be sure to try out some of my other popular recipes, like my M&M cookies, Salted Caramel Sugar cookies, or Oatmeal Lace cookies.

Peanut Butter Cookie Ingredients

Peanut Butter cookies are classic for a reason! They’re quick, easy and made entirely from staple ingredients

• Peanut Butter: Use your favorite peanut butter; natural, creamy and crunch all work well.
• Brown Sugar, butter and sugar: All the basics for the best cookies!
• Vanilla: To add an extra layer of flavor and sweetness.
• Baking powder and baking soda: The addition of baking powder gives these cookies a little added rises and balances the acidity of baking soda. The combination also results in a beautiful brown color when baked.
• Flour: You will need a good all purpose flour
• Salt: Adds a hit of saltiness to this sweet cookie recipe.

How to Make the Best Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

There’s just a few steps to make these simple Peanut Butter Cookies. If you want to skip my tips, tricks and secrets, you can scroll to the printable recipe card below.

1. Cream the butters, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl. Add eggs.
2. Combine dry ingredients.
3. Gradually blend dry ingredients into peanut butter mixture.
4. Drop dough balls onto a prepared baking sheet or sheet lined with parchment paper. 

Secrets to Make the Best Peanut Butter Cookies

First, I roll the dough into balls. The key to their size and shape, as with most cookies, is refrigerating the dough. I know it’s hard to wait, but so worth it!

Roll your peanut butter cookie dough in brown sugar for a little added crunch. Granulated sugar adds great texture and makes these cookies stand out among the rest!

Press the dough in a criss cross pattern with a fork on the baking sheet. This gives them pretty bakery style design.

And now onto my favorite secret – the moment you’ve all been waiting for…

Add a few cracks of sea salt on top just before baking.

This takes ALL cookies and cookie cakes OVER THE TOP!

And add a little crack of sea salt to top. Set your salt grinder for the thickest flakes. They’re pretty and add the incredible flavor to this sweet and salty recipe!

Variations for peanut butter cookies

Of course you don’t have to stop there! You can add in chocolate chips, nuts, M&M’s, Reese’s Pieces, or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups! The options are endless!

Can You Use Natural Peanut Butter in This Recipe?

You can use natural peanut butter to make these peanut butter cookies, however, you may want to add a touch of salt. Natural peanut butter is often made from only nuts, and therefore is unsalted.

Regular peanut butter is made with oil and sugar so that it lasts longer. While I prefer creamy peanut butter, but you can use crunchy, too. Use whatever peanut butter you have and love!

Why Do Peanut Butter Cookies Have Fork Marks?

Fork marks on top of the cookies are a traditional design, that is thought to originate from a 1936 Pillsbury cookbook. Though there seems to be no real reason for the fork marks, it is thought that they help the cookies bake more evenly. The peanut butter makes the cookies denser, so it is harder for the to cook through. The fork lines help to flatten the cookies for a more even bake.

How Do You Know When The Cookies are Done?

Peanut butter cookies have a very short cooking time – less than 10 minutes, and it’s easy to over bake them. Set a timer and check the cookies at 8 minutes. The edges should be light brown when cooked, you may need to take them out of the oven to check this.

Tips

• Refrigerate the dough for an hour before pressing into cookies.
• Bake the cookies in a pre-heated oven for the best results.
• Feel free to add in some chocolate chips to this recipe!
• Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.

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