Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

These easy homemade peanut butter cookies are soft, chewy and packed with peanut butter flavour. They're delicious dunked in milk. So simple. So irresistible. 

The flavour of peanut butter cookies is unique – they have just the right amount of sweetness, and are so hard to resist when someone has baked a batch fresh. This peanut butter cookie recipe is one you won't want to miss.

Peanut butter cookies recipe

Total time: 40 mins

Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients

1 1/3 cup (188g) all-purpose flour 

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup (105g) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (110g) light brown sugar

3/4 cup (185g) creamy peanut butter

1 large egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation

Step 01

Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Prepare two 18-by-13-inch baking sheets by lining them with silicone baking liners or parchment paper.

Step 02

Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Step 03

In a bowl, with an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until combined.

Step 04

Add peanut butter, then blend in egg and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture. Mix until combined.

Step 05

Scoop dough out and shape into balls (about 30 grams each or 2 tablespoons) and place them 2 inches apart on baking sheets.

Step 06

Flatten in a crisscross pattern with a fork. Dip your fork into flour to help keep the fork from sticking when you make a cross-hatch pattern on the cookies. 

Step 07

Bake cookies for about 9 minutes. It's normal for cookies to appear pale and slightly under-baked – they'll continue to cook slightly as they cool. 

Step 08

Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Can these peanut butter cookies be frozen?

Yes, absolutely yes. Once the cookies are completely cooled, they can be stored in the freezer, in an airtight container or freezer bag, for up to three months. When you're ready to serve them, let them come to room temperature on the counter for a few hours.

If you want to freeze the cookie dough, scoop the cookie dough with a cookie scoop, flatten each ball with a fork in a criss-cross pattern, and freeze the cookie dough for 1 to 2 hours on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once the cookie dough is frozen, freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to three months. An additional 1 to 2 minutes has to be added to the baking time if the cookie dough is baked from frozen.

 

Tips 

• Use only real butter.
• It's best to use a room-temperature egg in your cookie dough. To bring your egg back to room temperature, put it in a bowl of warm water for five to ten minutes.
• For chewier cookies, lower the oven temperature – bake them a little longer at a lower temperature.
• To make it extra sweet, you can roll the cookie dough into extra granulated sugar before baking.
• Chunky peanut butter will work great if you like texture and a nice crunch in your cookies.
• Add chopped peanuts for a crunchy peanut butter cookie.
• For best results, enjoy them within two days of baking.
• You can prepare the cookie dough in advance and refrigerate it for up to three days. You'll need to let it rest for 30-40 minutes at room temperature before scooping and shaping – in the fridge, peanut butter's fats solidify, which makes it difficult to work with until it returns to room temperature. If you need to prepare the dough further in advance, we recommend freezing it.