Easy Peanut Butter Cookies {Classic}

The best, classic, old fashioned, quick and easy homemade peanut butter cookies recipe requiring simple ingredients. Soft and chewy with sugar coating. The tops also have an iconic criss cross pattern using a fork.

Peanut butter is somewhat of a guilty pleasure when it comes to desserts. It can be used it a variety of ways or eaten by the spoonfuls because it's so delicious. If you like my Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies (Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies) or my Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, today's recipe will be exciting to try as well. It's soft, chewy, loaded with peanut flavor. These are way better than the old fashioned 3 ingredient or even the 4 ingredient versions which are both known for being too dense. The addition of eggs, baking powder and baking soda really helps to create the best texture.

Jump to:

• Key ingredients
• Variations
• How to make peanut butter cookies recipe from scratch?
• Tips and techniques
• Recipe FAQs
• Storage
• More peanut butter recipes
• Recipe

Key ingredients

• Butter- This should be unsalted and at room temperature.
• Peanut butter- I like to use the creamy kind but some people like to use the chunky one for added texture.
• Sugar- Both, granulated and brown sugar are required in this recipe. If you are out of brown sugar, check out this post on How to Make Brown Sugar (2 Ingredients). If your brown sugar is rock hard, check out this post on How to Soften Brown Sugar.
• Eggs- These should be large and also at room temperature.
• Vanilla extract- Use the best quality you can find for the best overall flavor.
• Leavening agents- You need to use both, baking powder and baking soda.
• Flour- All purpose flour yields the best results.

Variations

• Add toffee bits or m&m or other small candies- They all add a nice crunch and a pop of color too.
• Stuff them- Stuff the cookie with a mini peanut butter cup (Reese's cups) in the middle of the cookie, prior to baking. You can also stuff with small pieces of chocolate bars, caramel or even peanut butter.
• Add oatmeal- Mix in ¼ to ⅓ cup quick oats.
• Add chocolate- Stir in chocolate chips in the dough or mix in some cocoa powder like I did in these Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies . You can also drizzle melted semisweet chocolate on top of the cookies, once they cool down completely. Instead of that, you can also dip them in melted chocolate halfway or fully, once the cookies cool down.
• Make cookie sandwiches- By adding a filling between two cookies. My favorite is Peanut Butter Frosting.
• No bake version- That's a different recipe and most commonly refers to these Classic No Bake Cookies.

How to make peanut butter cookies recipe from scratch?

1. Cream butter and sugar- Until mixture becomes light and fluffy.
2. Mix in remaining wet ingredients- This includes eggs and vanilla extract.
3. Mix in dry ingredients until combined- This includes flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
4. Cover- And chill in fridge.
5. Form balls- By scooping out small portions of the dough.
6. Coat- In granulated sugar.
7. Make a criss-cross pattern- With a fork.
8. Bake- Until cookies are firm along the edges.

Tips and techniques

• Crunchy peanut butter vs. Cream peanut butter- It is all based on personal preference as well. If you like a crunch in the cookies, use crunchy version.
• You must chill cookie dough- Because this makes it easier to roll dough into balls without a sticky mess and also prevents cookies from spreading too much during baking.
• Use unsalted butter- Because that prevents these cookies from becoming too salty.
• Both baking powder and baking soda are used- Don't replace one with the other or omit one because that will alter the texture.
• All ingredients must be at room temperature- Because they blend together smoothly and evenly.
• Don't use oil or margarine- Because they cause the cookies to spread too much while baking. Only butter works well in this recipe!

Recipe FAQs

Storage

• Refrigerate- In a sealed container for up to 5 days.
• Freeze- Store unbaked cookie dough balls in a sealed container for up to 1 month. When you are ready to enjoy them, roll balls in granulated sugar and bake as per instructions below.
• Room temperature- Store in a cookie jar for up to 3 days.
• Make ahead- These can easily be made 1-2 days in advance.

More peanut butter recipes

• Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
• Peanut Butter Chocolate bark
• Peanut Butter Fudge
• No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

Recipe