What is better than the best classic, soft and chewy peanut butter cookies? Umm... to be honest, not a whole lot comes to mind. Get ready to fall in love with a cookie. A puffy, thick, circular pile of baked goodness.
Why Make Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies?
Growing up, peanut butter cookies meant thin, hard and crunchy cookies to me. The ones that were in my great aunt's tin for what seemed to be a few weeks too long -- way past their expiration date. But then something amazing happened a few years ago. I tried an incredible, soft peanut butter cookie from the bakery section of my local grocery store. I was forever changed. Now, I cannot even imagine going back to those crumbly, stiff, practically stale cookies that I grew up on.
These cookies may be a smaller version of that decadent first chewy cookie that I tried but they taste even better. I mean, obviously they taste better, they are the best soft and chewy peanut butter cookies.
Ingredients in Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut butter cookies are pretty much solely made with pantry staples. So I always have all the ingredients in my pantry, which is pretty awesome since I don't have to worry about making a trip to the grocery store.
- creamy peanut butter - can substitute for chunky peanut butter too but it will give a different texture.
- butter
- sugar - both granulated sugar and brown sugar.
- egg
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- baking soda
- salt
How to Make the Best Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
Soft and chewy is my new standard peanut butter cookie, and thank goodness for it!! They are my go to treat of choice to make when I am craving something sweet. I also love that don't have to wait an hour before I can eat these. It takes 10 minutes to prepare (basically while the oven is preheating anyways) and 8 minutes to bake. Yup, 8 minutes. When you are craving a delicious treat, nothing else is on your mind other than taking that first bite. So the amount of time it takes really matters!! Are you with me?
- Combine the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, cream together the peanut butter, butter and sugars using a hand mixer (or a stand mixer), until soft and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and continue to mix until fully combined.
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add these dry ingredients to your large bowl slowly, continuously mixing using your mixer.
- Form the cookies. Roll the dough into 1 to 2-inch balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a fork, press down on each ball of dough to slightly flatten and create a criss-cross pattern.
- Bake the cookies. Bake for 8-10 minutes in a preheated 350 F oven, or as soon as tops begin to slightly crack. To keep them soft and chewy, be careful to not over-bake. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.
So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and bake a batch of these little beauties and pour yourself a nice tall glass of cold milk. It's time to dunk away!
FAQ and Tips for Making the Best Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
- Why did my cookies turn out dry? You need to be careful not to overcook. Even cooking an extra 5 minutes will cause these cookies to get dry. If they look a little undercooked at the 8-10 minute mark, the residual heat from the pan will continue to bake them.
- Can I add chocolate chips? Absolutely. I highly recommend my chocolate chunk peanut butter cookies. Or just fold in some chocolate chips after you have added in the dry ingredients. Or sprinkle some chocolate chips on top.
- Can I use crunchy peanut butter instead? Yes you can, but the texture will be different. The cookies will still be soft and moist but not as chewy.
- How long do these cookies last? You can store these cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks... if there is even any left after 2 weeks!
- Do the cookies stay soft? To keep the cookies soft, place a slice of bread in the container. It really works.
- Can I freeze peanut butter cookies? Yes, of course! Freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
More Cookie Recipes
- Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Cookies
- The Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
- Soft and Chewy White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
- Soft and Pillowy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Cookie Bites
- Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Heart Cookies
Did you make this recipe? I would greatly appreciate a comment and rating below, letting me know what you thought of the recipe. You can also snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @aheadofthyme or share it on the Pinterest pin so that I can follow along.
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The Best Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 18 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
What is better than classic, soft and chewy peanut butter cookies? Umm... not a whole lot comes to mind. Get ready to fall in love with a cookie.
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 + 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- In a large bowl, cream together the peanut butter, butter and sugars using a hand mixer (or a stand mixer), until soft and creamy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and continue to mix until fully combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add these dry ingredients to your large bowl slowly, continuously mixing using your mixer.
- Roll the dough into 1 to 2-inch balls and place on an ungreased, parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a fork, press down on each ball of dough to slightly flatten and create a criss-cross pattern.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or as soon as tops begin to slightly crack. To keep them soft and chewy, be careful to not overbake. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.
Notes
If you are like me and love vanilla, you can increase the vanilla amount to 1 tablespoon.
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: peanut butter cookies, chewy cookies, chewy peanut butter cookies, cookies
DIana says
I give this recipe a 5 star for sure.. over the past couple months I have been baking ALOT!! lol.. My boyfriend loves treats, yes cookies mainly.. He wanted the 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies and I made for him.. then he asked me to try another recipe... SO I found this one... and well I made 72 at one time , that was like maybe 3 weeks ago.. between him and his mother they are cleaned out.. so now tomorrow I am gonna be making more.. thank you so much for this awesome recipe.. oh and he also says they are soooooooo good dipped in a big glass of milk 🙂
★★★★★
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Hehehe I love it! I think we have all become bakers these last few months! I am so happy you all liked these cookies. They are my favourite! To change things up, they are also really good with some chocolate chips or chunks folded in at the end. 🙂
brooke withrow says
put mini reese’s cups in the middles! (yes the ones you have to individually unwrap every one of them!) but so worth it! also added a half teaspoon of cornstarch & make sure egg is room temp & definitely froze the dough for 10-30 mins, & used an ice cream scoop, (i think, might’ve been a cookie scoop but I know it was about 2 tablespoons maybe even three) OH, & DOUBLE UP YOUR COOKIE PANS WHILE BAKING TO INSURE YOU DON’T BURN THE BOTTOMS! 😊😊 made about 20-24 cookies with the reese’s involved😋
★★★★★
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Yum! Mini reese's cups sounds amazing! So glad you liked the recipe, and thank you so much for sharing your tips!
Linda T. says
These cookies are delicious! Moist and a bit on the soft side so they just melt in your mouth. I've even used it to make a sugar free version for my husband who's diabetic. Just substitute Swerve for the sugars and add a couple of extra tablespoons of butter. They turn out great.
★★★★★
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
You describe it so well! Also, good to know that it still turns out when sugar-free. Thanks for sharing!
Kaniece says
My stepmom prefers her cookies crumbly, but they get dry the older they get and I don’t like mine like this. I looked at quite a few recipes before settling on yours, and these are absolutely DELICIOUS!!!! I added some chocolate chips because I love the peanut butter, choco chip combo. They were just PERFECT! Will definitely make this my go to recipe. I accidentally added baking soda instead of baking powder, and so I added a little more baking powder with no adverse affects thus far. I suggest people chill the cookie dough. Even my little sister, who baked them with me, loved them.
★★★★★
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
So happy you liked the recipe! Thanks for sharing your experience and what you did. I love these with chocolate chips too!