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Peanut Butter Cookies are a classic soft and chewy cookie that is full of Peanut Butter Flavor! The dough comes together quickly using standard ingredients- this is sure to be your family’s new favorite peanut butter cookie recipe!

peanut butter cookies, stacked on top of each other on the counter.

Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

Fun fact: I love love love Peanut Butter Cookies. I love peanut bars. I love Oreos dipped in peanut butter. I could eat peanut butter by the spoonful!

Also fun fact: I hate peanut butter sandwiches. I know. My tastebuds are ridiculous.

But these cookies- they are my absolute FAVORITE peanut butter cookie recipe. Honestly, I’ve eaten probably 24,879 different peanut butter cookies in my lifetime and this is my favorite recipe. You are about 20 minutes away from the best peanut butter cookie of your life!

peanut butter cookie with a bite taken out of it on the counter.

Soft Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies ingredients

  • Peanut Butter– I always use creamy peanut butter, because that is what I keep on hand, but if you want an extra crunch to your cookies, feel free to use crunchy!
  • Butter + Margarine– I use half butter and half margarine because I love the buttery crisp exterior the margarine gives the cookie. Feel free to use all butter if you prefer.
  • Sugars– Both brown sugar and granulated sugar are in this cookie, mostly brown sugar which aids to the soft chewiness of the cookie.
  • Egg– just one egg needed!
  • Flour– All purpose flour will do the trick.
  • Baking Soda– Baking soda will help the cookies spread just slightly and get a buttery crisp edge.
  • Salt

How to make Peanut Butter Cookies Chewy

  1. First, preheat your oven. 350° will do the trick!
  2. Next, cream together the peanut butter, butter, margarine and both sugars until light in color and fluffy in texture.
  3. Scrape the bowl and add in the egg.
  4. Lastly, mix in the dry ingredients. The cookie dough will be very soft, but shouldn’t stick to your hands when you roll the dough into a ball.
  5. Scoop the dough out into uniform sized balls. I always use a cookie dough scoop for this part. Makes life SO much easier!
  6. Roll the cookie dough balls in sugar. Then use a fork to press the cookie dough balls down like pictured below.
  7. Lastly, Bake at 350° for 9-11 minutes. The cookies will puff up and no longer look wet and glossy in the center of the cookie when they are done. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the pan.
peanut butter cookies before baking.

How to store Old Fashioned Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

When it comes to storing Old Fashioned Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies, you’ll want to keep them in an airtight container at room temperature. You can keep them for up to a week this way. If you want them to last longer, you can also freeze them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to three months.

Can Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies be frozen?

YES! Peanut butter cookies freeze extremely well! Wrap with parchment paper and freeze in a zip top bag. When thawing, just set out on the counter for 2 hours before eating.

Can the dough for this Soft Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe be frozen?

Sure! It will be a little different than your usual peanut butter bar, but still delicious! Just press the dough into a greased pan. Bake at 350° until the the dough has puffed up and are no longer glossy in the center and then top the cooled bars with my favorite Chocolate Buttercream frosting!

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies FAQs

How do I make my cookies chewy instead of crunchy?

To make cookies chewy instead of crunchy, you’ll want to use more brown sugar and less granulated sugar. Brown sugar contains more moisture than granulated sugar, which helps keep cookies chewy. You can also try adding a bit of corn syrup to your cookie dough, as this also helps keep cookies soft and chewy.

Why don’t my peanut butter cookies taste like peanut butter?

If your peanut butter cookies don’t taste like peanut butter, it could be because you’re using a low-quality peanut butter. Make sure you use a high-quality peanut butter with a strong flavor. Also, make sure to use the right amount of peanut butter as listed in the recipe.

Why do my peanut butter cookies get hard?

If your peanut butter cookies are getting hard, it’s likely because they’re overbaked or not stored properly. Make sure to take them out of the oven as soon as they’re done baking and let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. If you’re storing them, make sure to keep them in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out.

peanut butter cookie pin image with text overlay.

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5 from 18 votes

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

Peanut Butter Cookies are a classic soft and chewy cookie that is full of Peanut Butter Flavor! The dough comes together quickly using standard ingredients- this is sure to be your family’s new favorite peanut butter cookie recipe!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Additional Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 30 cookies

Ingredients 

  • 3/4 cup (184.5g) creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup (111g) salted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup (111g) margarine, softened
  • 1 cup (246g) brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (57.5g) granulated sugar, plus a little extra for rolling your cookie dough in
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups (304g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C).
  • Cream together the peanut butter, butter, margarine, brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Scrape the sides of the bowl and add in the egg.
  • Add the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix until a very soft dough forms.
  • Scoop the dough into equal sized balls using approx. 1 1/2 tbsp of dough for each ball.
  • Roll the balls of dough in sugar and use a fork to press the cookies criss cross.
  • Bake at 350°F (180° C) for 9-11 minutes. Pull out of the oven when they are no longer glossy on top.
  • Let cool on the pan. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 160kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 149mg | Potassium: 60mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 238IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg
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About Karli Bitner

This blog is a little glimpse into my kitchen, family & life. I hope you’ll giggle the days away with me and enjoy the craziness that goes on at my house. If you are Cookie obsessed like I am, check out my Sister Site, Cookies for Days.

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Recipe Rating




7 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Just made these peanut butter cookies and they are so good! Better than my grandmother’s recipe…sorry grandma!

  2. 5 stars
    These are now my go-to peanut butter cookie. Soft and thick. It’s like they came from a bakery. Four days later they are still soft.

  3. 5 stars
    I just made these and they are delicious! Soft, chewy and lots of yummy peanut butter taste