Description
These soft, chewy peanut butter cookies are easy to make with simple pantry ingredients and deliver classic comfort in every bite. Perfect for bake sales, parties, or a cozy homemade treat, they stay tender and flavorful even the next day.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (240g) creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (110g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (190g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt (skip if your peanut butter is salty)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Optional: 1/2 cup (90g) chocolate chips or chunks
- Optional: Chopped roasted peanuts
- Optional: Flaky sea salt for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes with mixer, or vigorously by hand).
- Mix in peanut butter and egg until fully combined. Add vanilla extract and mix briefly.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in optional mix-ins like chocolate chips or chopped peanuts if desired.
- Scoop dough onto prepared baking sheet using a medium cookie scoop or tablespoon, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart.
- Gently flatten each cookie with a fork in a crisscross pattern. Dip fork in sugar for extra sparkle.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, until edges are set but centers look slightly soft. Do not overbake.
- Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm or let cool completely.
Notes
For extra soft cookies, use room temperature ingredients and avoid overmixing. Chill dough for thicker cookies or if using natural peanut butter. Underbake slightly for a gooey center. Store with a slice of bread to keep cookies soft. Recipe can be made gluten-free with a 1:1 baking blend.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (about 30g)
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 8
- Sodium: 90
- Fat: 7
- Saturated Fat: 2
- Carbohydrates: 13
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 3
Keywords: peanut butter cookies, soft cookies, easy cookies, homemade cookies, chewy cookies, classic cookies, dessert, bake sale, kid-friendly, comfort food