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 chunk 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 (spoon & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (230g; 2 sticks) 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, 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.
- 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
Absolutely, hands down the best peanut butter cookie recipe. Stays fresh on counter for longer than 1 week. If they last that long. My hubs and I are cheffing up another batch today! Sometimes I share with friends and family. Sometimes not! I love Sally’s Baking Addiction recipes. This is my go to for sweets!❤
★★★★★
Wonderful recipe
I tried this recipe yesterday and the cookies are very delicious. I’m anxious to get the reports from my family. I spooned the flour into the measuring cup and leveled it off as opposed to dipping the cup into the flour and leveling it off and it worked great. I shall make these again.
★★★★★
These are the best cookies I have ever made. They taste like they came from a bakery. Thank you for the recipe. I was wondering if you have the BEST chocolate chip cookie recipe that compares to these.
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Best cookies ever!
Love this recipe! I’m going to add espresso morsels. Do you have any recommendations using an air fryer for these awesome cookies? I have a Cosori 5.8.
★★★★★
Hi Lisa, we’ve never tested baking these cookies in an air fryer – let us know if you do!
I used the air fryer! They came out good.
★★★★★
I’m just curious if you’ve ever tried these with “wow” butter, instead of peanut butter. My kids’ school is nut free. Just curious.
Hi Lois, I haven’t. But some readers have used sunflower seed butter and reported back great results.
I made these as directed adding the peanut butter chips. OMG! I have since made them twice more. They have wonderful peanut butter flavor. The cookies are not hard but not too soft either. I am definately making this my go to recipe for the family. Thank you very much.
★★★★★
I made these cookies once and my family was in awe! They are THE BEST peanut butter cookies ever! We made 3 more batches since and they are perfect every time. Great with or without being rolled in the sugar and using both crunchy or creamy peanut butter! Love this recipe!!
★★★★★
I just finished making these cookies as I was craving a very peanut buttery cookie! I followed the recipe exactly! I used Kraft extra creamy peanut butter, which is my favorite. The dough seemed dry before I put it in the fridge, so came back to read others comments. I removed my dough from the fridge and as suggested, added a couple of splashes of milk, and massaged it in. After forming the cookies into balls and rolling them in sugar and baking them…the first batch got too dark on the bottom.( due to the sugar) so I moved the oven rack to the middle and at 10 minutes, the results were perfect in color. I let them cool on paper towel, like I did …way….back when….and couldnt wait for my first taste. The flavor was pretty much there, but the cookie was still very dry. You definitely need a glass of milk or coffee to eat these with. 🙁 I wont make them again.
★★★
Question. Can I use this recipe to make peanut butter blossoms? I see you have a recipe for those as well that is slightly different, was thinking of trying this one in hopes of ultimate peanut butter flavor!
Hi Jill, you can! They just won’t be as puffy and thick as traditional peanut butter blossoms. Equally delicious, though!
Can I halves the recipe, if so do I have to alter anything in the recipe?
Hi Amanda, Yes you can cut the recipe in half with no other changes.
Absolutely fantastic! Deeeeeelicious! Easiest and most tasty peanut butter cookie I ever tasted! Can’t say enough about them! Thanks for this great recipe!
★★★★★
The whole batch has a bitter taste. I’m thinking because the amount of baking soda especially with the bank powder is too much.
Hello Sally. I made a double batch of these wonderful cookies yesterday. I froze most of the dough ( per your instructions) to save for Christmas cookie time.
Have you ever made this recipe with mini chocolate chips? Wondering how they would be and how much.
Thanks for the great recipe
Patricia
★★★★★
Hi Patricia, absolutely — you can add 1 cup of your favorite add-ins like chocolate chips. You might also enjoy our Big Bakery-Style Peanut Butter Chunk Cookies. Happy baking!
I can’t thank you enough for this recipe I made a double batch and they turned out perfect such a great peanut butter taste the texture was awesome thank you so much
★★★★★
Great recipe. I used natural organic peanut butter and my cookies came out perfect. Also added chocolate chips & chopped peanuts on top before baking. As usual Sally’s recipes are the best!
★★★★★
Hello Sally,
Can Chocolate Chips be added to this recipe,
If so how much would you recommend putting in the cookie dough recipe?
Hi Jessica, Absolutely — you can add 1 cup of your favorite add-ins like chocolate chips. You might also enjoy our Big Bakery-Style Peanut Butter Chunk Cookies. Happy baking!
I finally placed the dough in the freezer yesterday. That was day 3.5 from the day I first made it. Do you think I saved it?
★★★★★
Hi Suzanne, that should be fine. Hope you enjoy the cookies!
I had my own little peanut butter cookie competition and these cookies won hands down! Thanks for the great recipe and all the wisdom you shared with it! My grandchildren thank you as well!
★★★★★
the cooking time is too long; 16 minutes – compare this to the alton brown recipe, which uses similar ingredients and proportions and calls for the same temp, but only 10 minute…i have a wolf oven, 12 minutes is a better time for me.
(and yet i ate the overdone ones)
Dough was dry, I should’ve added a bit of milk. I did bake 15 min. They look very cracked.. hope they hold together.
Help! I made these tonight and normally have no problem with any of the site’s recipes but these came out dry. I know everything was exact on ingredients and measurements so I’m not sure where I went wrong. Any recommendations on how to fix it or what to fix the dough with?
★★★
I made these cookies exact to recipe but added butterscotch chips. These are the best peanut butter cookies I have ever had! I live alone and they made so many I took some to work and my neighbors. Shaped the rest in balls rolled them in raw sugar and froze them. I just pull out a couple and bake when I have that sweet tooth. Perfect every time!!!
★★★★★
An absolute classic. Great consistency, just follow the directions exactly as written. Why add any item such as chips to these, detracting from the peanut butter heaven? I always use creamy Jif when making peanut butter cookies, which I’ve been making all my long life. It never fails. Now I can bake with my granddaughter! Sally, thank you for another great recipe and clear instructions.
Amanda
★★★★★
Made this recipe and cookies turned out so crumbly you could not pick them up . They were so dry no one could eat them without having a glass of water to go along after each bite. Sorry.
★★
Same thing happened to mine with the dry crumbly texture. Mine didn’t break apart but were dry not chewy or soft. Taste was nice, dough was nice and tasty and soft, but I underbaked slightly due to high altitude and they were dry.
★★★
i can’t tell you how many times i’ve used this peanut butter cookie recipe! the texture and flavor is absolutely perfect! i always have pre-made dough in my freezer, they are just that good. i always get so many compliments when I make these, thank you sally! 🙂
★★★★★
Smells great! Somehow my dough came out too crumbly. I can’t imagine adding more butter, it’s oily to the touch. Suggestions?
★★★★
Hi Ellie, did you use a natural style peanut butter by chance or processed? While I love natural peanut butters, processed peanut butter such as Jif or Skippy really is best for traditional peanut butter cookies like this recipe. How about adding a splash of milk to bring the dough together?
Everyone loves your Peanut Butter Cookie recipe! I’m starting a batch right now! Thank You for the double the peanut butter recipe. ⭐️
★★★★★
Ellie mine did the same. Very grateful for this question and the response bc the milk worked for me as I only buy natural peanutbutter.
Thank you both!
I am curious what skippy has it]n it that holds it more together? I only had natural peanut butter (and read your recommendation as I rested when the first batch was in the oven (reminder – read a recipe fully first e]before making it)!
★★★★★
Hi Helen! Processed peanut butters (like Skippy) have many ingredients in them that make them less oily than a natural peanut butter (that have just the ingredients of peanuts and salt).
These were a huge hit with my mom and dad(note: mom doesn’t even eat peanut butter). I did use natural no-stir because that was all I had on hand and withheld the salt. I did have to wait longer than usual to handle the cookies, and once they cooled, they didn’t crumble. Another one for my box, thank you!
★★★★★
Sorry, forgot one very important note. .I did have to bake for 15 minutes.
★★★★★
Can you use self rising flour
The flavor is good, but my cookies were big and puffy. My husband liked them more than I did, so I suspect I will make them again. I think I would prefer my cookies a bit thinner.
★★★★
I made these with crunchy peanut butter and without the sprinkled sugar. I like the frothy lightness of the batter, for cookies, and it certainly stiffens up to shape and fork-down after chilling. This took more than a full jar of peanut butter, which was great and it certainly tastes like it. I’ll make them again, and again.
My only real concern here is the gadgetry. Silicone baking sheets (which off gas enough to kill a pet bird in the same room while baking) or wasting parchment paper? Why? I lifted the cookies off the sheet when they cooled, with my fingers, not even a spatula necessary. There is no mess. Why are we using toxic materials or wasting paper? Are we steep walking? July 2021 was the hottest on record. Fires are burning from Vancouver BC to the Sierra Nevada, historic towns have been burned off the face of the earth. Even Athens, Greece had fires on both sides. An island the size of Texas, full of plastic floats in the Pacific. Why are we baking on silicon and wasting paper? Shame.
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Silicone doesn’t off-gas; Teflon does. And it must not off-gas much as I’ve had birds all my life and Teflon pans all my life and no casualties.
In my mind silicone mats are a great reusable product. And I love parchment paper too. Sometimes a clean silicone mat isn’t ready for use. The production and use of parchment paper isn’t responsible for an island of floating plastic in the ocean. We all can do more for our environment but misinformation and accusatory language doesn’t help. I hope you’re having a better day.
Thank you Janie! Well said 🙂
I use one piece of parchment paper for several batches of cookies, so I don’t think of it as being very wasteful. I have a fish spatula-metal-that I use for everything–especially cookies. I could just see using the spatula here and protecting my fingers. Why would I want to risk a burn or these delicious cookies falling apart because I chose not to use my metal spatula? I haven’t made these cookies yet…but the recipe looks like something I will enjoy!
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