Packed with double the peanut butter, these very peanut butter cookies boast a dense flavor, remarkably soft texture, and a deliciously crumbly edge.
I know these cookies look familiar to you. Peanut butter cookies are nothing new in our kitchens and certainly nothing new on Sally’s Baking Addiction. Along with oatmeal raisin cookies and chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies rank high on my repeat recipes list!
I have a recipe for crispy old-fashioned style peanut butter cookies on my website and another in Sally’s Cookie Addiction. Then there’s these ultra soft and thick peanut butter cookies that serve as the base for variations like peanut butter blossoms and peanut butter and jam thumbprints. But can there be room for one more? With 2 cups of peanut butter in the cookie dough, today’s extra soft cookies steal the spotlight. We’re using the same cookie dough as my bakery-style peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and white chocolate peanut butter cookies, recipes I’ve grown to love so much because of all their flavor. Today’s cookies are easy to make, completely packed with flavor, and boast a deliciously crumbly criss-cross pattern on top. Love them!
Less Flour, More Peanut Butter
I call these very peanut butter cookies because they’re packed with 2 cups of peanut butter in the dough. This is 2x the amount of my classic peanut butter cookies AND they have less flour, so you can be sure today’s cookies are dense with flavor! They remind me of these peanut butter oatmeal cookies in terms of peanut butter flavor, but they don’t have the chewy oat texture.
By the way, did you know that nut butter can take the place of flour in some recipes? These flourless almond butter cookies require just 5 ingredients. Almond butter provides enough structure and stability so there’s no need for any flour at all. If you’re looking for a gluten free peanut butter cookie, use that recipe and replace the almond butter with peanut butter.
Here’s What You’ll Love:
- Crumbly edges
- Packed with flavor
- Extra soft
- Crisp sugar coating
- Easy straightforward recipe
My first piece of advice… make a double batch so you can freeze some for later. Here’s everything you need to know about how to freeze cookie dough. No need to thaw, just bake for an extra minute or two. You never know when a cookie emergency will rear its head. You might not have time to make cookies from scratch, but you’ll have frozen peanut butter cookie dough. That’s a lifesaver!
Success Tips
- Use room temperature butter. Make sure the butter is cool to touch, not overly warm or melted. Here’s what room temperature butter really means.
- Use more granulated sugar than brown sugar. When making chocolate chip cookies, I always prefer to use more brown sugar than white sugar because that ratio produces a softer cookie. With all of the peanut butter in this cookie dough, however, too much brown sugar made the cookies so soft that they fell apart.
- Chill the cookie dough. Chilling the cookie dough is important, but this dough is thick so it doesn’t need hours inside the refrigerator. A quick 1 hour of chilling will prevent the cookies from over-spreading.
Best Peanut Butter for Cookies
The most common mistake with peanut butter cookies is using the wrong type of peanut butter. The BEST peanut butter for today’s cookies is a processed creamy peanut butter, preferably Jif or Skippy. Natural-style peanut butter is my choice for eating, but it just doesn’t produce the same type of cookie as its processed counterpart. With so much peanut butter in this cookie dough, natural peanut butter will give you a dry, crumbly cookie.
If you prefer peanut chunks, use Jif or Skippy crunchy. See recipe note.
Want to add extra peanut flavor? Go for it! Fold 1/2 cup of chopped peanuts or peanut butter chips into the cookie dough. Or you could even drizzle peanut butter on top like we do with these peanut butter chocolate cookies. YUM!
I’ve made hundreds of different cookie recipes and can say with 100% confidence that these have the most peanut butter flavor of any cookie I’ve ever tried.
More No-Fail Cookie Recipes
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Very Peanut Butter Cookies
- Prep Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
- Yield: 40 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Packed with double the peanut butter, these very peanut butter cookies boast a dense flavor, remarkably soft texture, thick center, and a deliciously crumbly edge. Chill the cookie dough for at least 1 hour to prevent excess spreading.
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 cups (500g) creamy peanut butter*
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar for rolling
- optional: 1/2 cup (65g) finely chopped peanuts
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars together on medium speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Add the eggs and beat on high until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the peanut butter and vanilla, then beat on high speed until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, then mix on low until combined. With the mixer running on low speed, add the peanuts, if using. Dough will be thick and soft.
- Cover and chill the dough for 1 hour in the refrigerator (and up to 2-3 days). If chilling for longer than a few hours, though, allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before rolling and baking because the dough will be quite hard.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside.
- Roll cookie dough into balls, about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough per cookie (I like to use this medium cookie scoop), and then roll the balls in granulated sugar. Use a fork to make a crisscross indent on top of each. Bake each batch for 10-12 minutes until very lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look very soft.
- Remove from the oven. Cool cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Allow to come to room temperature then continue with step 5. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls, without sugar coating, freeze well for up to 3 months. Let frozen cookie dough balls sit on the counter for 30 minutes, roll in sugar, indent a crisscross pattern with a fork, then bake for an extra minute. No need to completely thaw. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Medium Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack
- Peanut Butter: It’s best to use a processed peanut butter like Jif creamy or Skippy creamy. I do not suggest using natural style, oily peanut butter. Crunchy peanut butter adds peanut chunks as well as a more crumbly texture. I prefer to use creamy in this recipe.
- Check out my top 5 cookie baking tips before beginning. It includes how to prevent cookies from over-spreading and why room temperature makes a difference.
Keywords: peanut butter, cookies, Christmas cookies
My husband and 4 year old granddaughter love these cookies, and I like that they have more protein with the extra peanut butter. Could I skip the step flattening with a fork and add a chocolate kiss after baking? My hubby loves peanut butter blossoms.
Absolutely! I also have a recipe for peanut butter blossoms.
I made a batch, dropped some off at a friend’s cabin. Before I got to the gate of the acreage, I had a text praising the cookies and begging for more. They are really delicious. About to make another batch. Thanks for the great recipe.
Dez
★★★★★
Say I have to make it with Skippy Natural because someone has a soy allergy…do you have a recommendation on how to counter the natural style peanut butter’s tendency towards more crumbly cookies?
Hi Kate! I’ve actually used Skippy Natural in this recipe before with no issue.
This turned out delicious. I never rolled peanut butter cookies in sugar before and it makes adding knife marks much more easier than the old flour method. And I actually made 48 cookies. This recipe is a keeper. Bake for 12 minutes exactly.
★★★★★
I’m made these with KAF Measure for Measure GF flour and they are Devine! Thank you for this recipe.
★★★★★
Of course these came out great! They are less sweet than my normal Betty Crocker goto recipe and I was nervous about the amount of PB and while they were definitely more peanutbuttery, they were not overpowering in flavor either. I liked them.. they were big, soft but also had a small crunch to them.. These are my new favorites. Thank You!
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Great recipe! I made 2 of your recipes today, this one and the corn, chicken chowder. Both were a hit. Everyone of your recipes I’ve tried have been great! Thank you!
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I found this recipe this summer and have made them several times and it’s the only peanut butter cookie recipe I’ll ever use! My husband loves anything peanut butter and asks me to make these cookies all the time. I’m baking these delicious cookies right now to add to my goodie boxes I give to family and friends at Christmas with cookies, candies and fudge.
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Made this yesterday and they were perfect! Question though – what’s the trick to getting the nice ‘fork” indent in the cookies? Mine were nowhere near as pretty as yours!
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I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Tracy! Did you roll the dough balls in sugar? The sugar will help the fork not stick to the dough when making the markings. Also be sure the dough is still cold – if it warmed up when you were rolling them you can pop them back in the refrigerator for a few minutes before using a fork on the top.
I did not roll in sugar so I will try that with the second batch sitting in the freezer! I want mine to look as pretty as yours! Thank you!
Tracy if you did not roll the cookies in sugar, you can just dip your fork in a little flour when making the prints on the cookies. This is a trick my Mum taught me when making her PB cookies
Thank you, Sally, for an incredible recipe! I have a severe peanut allergy but substituting soy butter 1:1 gave excellent results, and I now have some understanding of why people love PB cookies so much 🙂 The recipe is a fantastic discovery for those with allergies and for kids who attend schools with a nut-free lunchroom policy.
★★★★★
I made this recipe today for a neighbor & it was wonderful! I look forward to getting other recipes that you have! Joyce
I’m not big on peanut butter cookies but these are absolutely to die for! I’ve had requests from several people since I first made them about a month ago for the first time for more. I think in this last month I have made at least 6 batches of these cookies, and none of them were for my household! I do have one person asking if I can make them less sweet, if I use less sugar will that ruin the cookie?
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I’m thrilled that these are such a hit, Cherie! Sugar in a recipe is certainly for taste but it’s also required for the correct texture and helps the cookies spread. You can however skip rolling the cookies in the sugar in step 6 to make them less sweet.
I made the peanut butter cookie recipe and its definitely the best peanut butter cookie recipe ever they are so good and freeze well too my 2nd son and I really love peanut butter cookies and this recipe is a keeper.Thank you for sharing. marneemcfarland@yahoo.co.
Just baked these fir a bake sale at work tomorrow. Absolutely delicious!
★★★★★
I made these and chilled the dough and wished that I hadn’t. I found the cookies quite dry so I’m wondering how to combat that? Larger cookies? Less baking time?
I have made so many of your recipes and they are fantastic! My first disappointment.
Hi Robin! Happy to help. Make sure you’re using creamy peanut butter (not natural style). Spoon and level the flour and avoid over-baking. You can add 1-2 Tablespoons of milk to the dough if needed. Next time you can slightly under-bake to avoid drying out, too.
Just made these and they came out perfect
Thank you
★★★★★
Made these this evening and they came out great I ended up with around 5 dozen!
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Making cookies now. They are great. Did not have brown sugar and had to make with maple syrup. Put choc chips in and they are so good. Had to cook longer for first batch, but soo good. Thanks
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HI Sally,
Is there any way to make these Keto friendly? I miss my sweets and you are the only one I trust to come up with a delicious alternative. I know that isn’t your field, but I thought I would throw it out there. Thanks! Susan
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Hi Susan, I know many people follow the Keto diet but I have never tried it so I’m unsure of the nutritional requirements to know how to alter a recipe to fit.
Awesome, as all of your cookie recipes are! I didn’t even chill the dough and they were thick and so soft. I always use your chocolate chunk cookie recipe and decided to try a copycat Levain bakery cookie from another website. Not even close to your chocolate chip cookies. Will not do that again!
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Why would chunky peanut butter make these more crumbly when you have an option of adding chopped peanuts and that wouldn’t make it crumbly?
Hi Michelle! Chunky peanut butter isn’t as creamy– it’s firmer, so the consistency of the cookies will be different. Adding peanuts directly to the dough doesn’t change the texture of it. Hope this helps!
Hi Sally, these peanut butter cookies were delicious! Another success! I followed all your instructions and tips. They needed to bake a couple extra minutes, but turned out perfectly once they cooled! I love your recipes, videos, and detailed instructions. My next challenge is to make homemade pie crusts!
★★★★★
I LOVE the Big Bakery PB Cookies — the texture, the crunch of the peanuts and intense PB flavor. These sound a bit similar in texture so I’m hoping for some suggestions to make them chewier. All white sugar and 1 egg? Would really appreciate your input.
Hi Lori! This is actually the same recipe minus the chocolate chips and peanuts. 🙂 If you’d still like them chewier, though, you could try adding another egg.
Hi Sally, do you have a recipe for crispy peanut butter cookies? I’m looking for a similar flavor profile ie super peanut buttery but want the crispy texture. Thanks.
Hi Faye! I don’t. You can bake these for 1-2 extra minutes for a crisper edge.
Hi Sally! Made these tonight – delicious!! Any reason you recommend not rolling in sugar before freezing?
★★★★★
You can, but I find the sugar disintegrates on the cookies in the oven. I prefer rolling right before baking. 🙂
No kidding, these are the best peanut butter cookies we’ve tried. I love the chunk version with the chocolate chips too. Great recipe Sally!!
★★★★★
Simply delicious! They were a hit with the family because of the extra peanut butter punch! Thank you!
★★★★★
Could chocolate chips be added to these?
Yes! Fold 1 cup of chips into the cookie dough.
I love peanut butter cookies! These look so delicious and perfect with a cup of coffee ♥
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Hello. Would these cookies turn out well if I add mini chocolate chips?
Knita
Yes – YUM! Add a total of 1 cup of add-ins 🙂
Made these today after reading the email subject line. You had me at very peanut butter! They did not disappoint! Definitely will make again and again. Kudos for her another winning recipe and thank you for sharing it.
★★★★★
These are great ! Hubby loved them , and after 47 years of my recipe , that’s saying
Something . Thank you for sharing and keep the delicious recipes coming !!
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