Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
User Reviews
4.7
465 reviews
Excellent
Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
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Soft Peanut Butter Cookies combine creamy peanut butter with a blend of sugars, butter, and vanilla to create a tender, chewy cookie. The dough includes both baking soda and baking powder for a subtle rise and softness. Rolling the dough in sugar before baking adds a slight exterior texture. The cookie maintains softness thanks to the peanut butter and careful mixing, offering a rich nutty flavor and pleasant chewiness.
Description
These Soft Peanut Butter Cookies start with creamed butter and a mixture of granulated and brown sugars for sweetness and moistness. Peanut butter is added alongside an egg and vanilla to bind the dough and amplify flavor. The dry ingredients include all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, which balance the texture by providing leavening without making the cookies cakey. The dough is rolled in granulated sugar, which forms a subtle sweet crust after baking.
The baking process results in cookies that are soft yet hold their shape, with a tender crumb and a chewy center. The peanut butter flavor is prominent but integrated smoothly with the butter and sugars, creating a classic cookie profile. The use of conventional peanut butter (non-natural) helps maintain the dough’s consistency and chew.
This cookie dough may benefit from chilling for 15 minutes to improve handling and deepen flavors, though this step is not mandatory. Soft peanut butter cookies work well as a snack or dessert, pairing nicely with milk or tea.
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 cup peanut butter don't use natural pb, 2 tablespoons
- 1 large egg
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 & 1/3 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar for rolling dough
Instructions
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat 1/2 cup butter until it is smooth and creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl.
- Add 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup packed brown sugar. Beat well until fluffy, scraping the sides. There should be no chunks of butter.
- Add 1 cup peanut butter plus an additional 2 tablespoons. I like Jif best. You can use crunchy peanut butter if you like! Beat well until combined.
- Add 1 egg and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat until combined.
- Add 1 and 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, but don't stir it in yet. Add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt on top of the flour. Stir it in with your teaspoon to combine the dry ingredients together a bit.
- Turn the mixer on to combine the dry ingredients into the dough. Don't overdo it! Once the dough barely starts to come together (with some flour still visible), stop and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Continue mixing until you no longer see flour streaks, then turn off the mixer. Over mixing cookie dough results in tough cookies.
- Cover the bowl and chill the dough for 15 minutes to an hour.* (Or up to 2 days!)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Add about 1/2 cup granulated sugar to a bowl.
- Shape the dough into 1 and 1/2 inch balls. I used this cookie scoop. Don't smooth out the ball of dough by rolling it in your hands! Leave it textured from the scoop.
- Roll each ball in the sugar to coat. Place on a baking sheet. I added 15 cookies to an 11×17 inch pan. The cookies don’t spread much at all, so you can place them closer together than regular cookies.
- Dip a fork in the bowl of sugar and press into the top of a cookie. Turn the fork perpendicular and press one more time. Your cookies will puff a little bit in the oven, but not a ton. Whatever thickness you press them down to is about how thick your cookie will be. I like my cookies to be about 1/2 inch thick. Dip in sugar whenever the fork starts to stick to the dough.
- Bake the cookies at 350 for about 10-12 minutes.
- The cookies are done baking when the edges are set. They should not be shiny in the middle. If you like REALLY soft cookies, under bake them slightly so there is no browning at all. I like a very slight browning just on the very edges.
- Sprinkle with additional granulated sugar right after you pull them out of the oven.
- Let the cookies set on the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- If you know what's good for you, eat at least one of these warm, with a tall glass of milk!
- This recipe makes about 26 cookies. Store leftovers in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days.
- The dough freezes very well. Since these cookies need to be flattened before baking, I like to shape the dough, roll it in sugar, and press with a fork, then transfer to a ziplock to freeze. That way you can just put them on the baking sheet frozen and bake immediately. No need to thaw, just add 1-3 minutes to the bake time.
Notes
- Chilling the dough for at least 15 minutes improves flavor and makes the dough easier to handle; however, chilling is optional.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
1cookie
Calories
169kcal
(8%)
Carbohydrates
19g
(6%)
Protein
4g
(8%)
Fat
9g
(14%)
Saturated Fat
3g
(15%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
2g
(12%)
Monounsaturated Fat
4g
(20%)
Trans Fat
1g
(50%)
Cholesterol
17mg
(6%)
Potassium
89mg
(2%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
13g
(26%)
Vitamin A
119IU
(2%)
Calcium
16mg
(2%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 26cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 169 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1cookie | |
| Calories | 169kcal | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 19g | 6% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 9g | 14% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 17mg | 6% |
| Potassium | 89mg | 2% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 13g | 26% |
| Vitamin A | 119IU | 2% |
| Calcium | 16mg | 2% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
465 reviews
Excellent
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