Best Ever Soft Peanut Butter Cookies are a classic. Soft & chewy, these peanut butter cookies have quickly become our favorite sweet treat.

My family can’t keep their hands off these easy peanut butter cookies. This peanut butter cookie recipe is not your traditional crunchy peanut butter cookie, but there isn’t a better recipe. Trust me, we’ve tried them all.

Now, I have made this recipe in two different ways: one with baking soda and the other with baking powder. This was all an accident, and while I originally posted the recipe with the baking soda, after making it over a hundred times, we all agreed that the best cookie results from baking powder. But if you make the same “mistake” I did, these cookies will still knock it out of the park.

What peanut butter cookie recipe is the best?

While I love making homemade peanut butter cookies with just 3 ingredients, they are not as soft and chewy as these. I love three-ingredient peanut butter cookies, but I am just not as satisfied.

These cookies go right in line with my love for creamy peanut butter. Peanut butter is my go-to snack anytime I am hungry.

Whether it’s by the spoonful, with pretzels, on a sandwich or paired with some Nutella, I really could eat peanut butter in any way, shape, or form. Because I have a sweet tooth, cookies are among my favorite foods. This makes soft peanut butter cookies an obvious hit.

stack of peanut butter cookies

Should I use crunchy or creamy peanut butter to make peanut butter cookies?

While I typically love creamy peanut butter for cookies, there are momentsโ€”like when I eat my morning breakfast toast with bananasโ€”when I reach for the crunchy peanut butter.

We are a house divided between creamy and crunchy peanut butter. My son, Aiden, and I are more in the middle and could eat either. My husband and daughter, Jersey, love crunchy, and my other three kids, Jojo, Cannon, and Madden, will only eat creamy. If I accidentally pack them crunchy, the sandwich will still be in their lunchbox when they get home, making you wonder what they ate for lunch.

hand holding peanut butter cookie

We also have extreme opinions on whether soft or crunchy peanut butter cookies are the best.

I tend to lean towards chewy, soft cookies. The best cookie recipe I’ve ever had is my Best Ever Monster Cookies. But most classic peanut butter cookie recipes I’ve had are too crunchy, leaving a crumbly mess. So, I have been on a mission to find the best peanut butter cookie recipe, and finally… finally… I found it.

Everyone except for Aiden, peanut butter cookies are best when soft and chewy. Aiden loves a good crunchy cookie you can dip in milk. However, he won’t decline these Best Ever Soft Peanut Butter Cookies.

What could you add to peanut butter cookies?

  • The first time I made these cookies, I stuffed them with Rolo candies. I drool as I think about those Rolo Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies they were to die for. The second time I made them, I left them plain ole’ Jane – although the word plain seems a little harsh for these cookies as they are far from it.
  • I mean that they are so dang good that you don’t need any fanfare-like chocolate chips, Rolos, or M&M’s. The cookie is perfect just the way it is. These cookies are so good it will be hard to resist eating them right off the beaters.

Why do peanut butter cookies have fork marks?

When peanut butter is added to the batter, it densifies it. Putting fork marks in the dough makes it easier for the cookie to bake evenly. This will help keep them soft, so don’t forget this step.

How long do cookies last?

These cookies are kept in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days.

If desired, freeze the cookies in an airtight freezer bag. They can last for 1-2 months.

stack of peanut butter cookies on plate
peanut butter cookies baked on cookie sheet

I can’t wait for you to get your hands on a dozen or two of these. They are easy and simply the Best Soft Peanut Butter Cookies you’ll try.

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collage image of stack of peanut butter cookies with recipe title

Best Ever Soft Peanut Butter Cookies

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 8 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Servings: 30 cookies
Calories: 130 kcal
Best Ever Soft Peanut Butter Cookies these classic cookies have quickly become my favorite cookie. Soft, chewy and made with peanut butter, there isn’t a better peanut butter cookie out there, trust me I’ve looked. 

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter use Jif or Skippy type peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking pans with parchment paper, if desired.
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream together the peanut butter, butter, sugar and brown sugar. Beat together until smooth & creamy best if using a stand mixer or hand mixer.
  • Add the egg and vanilla extract and continue to mix until well combined.
  • In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture and mix until well combined.
  • Use a cookie dough scoop, or spoon the dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in white granulated sugar if you desire and place onto baking sheet.  
  • Using a fork, press down on each ball of dough to flatten, creating a criss-cross pattern.
  • Bake for 8-9 minutes. Do not over bake. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.
  • These keep well for a couple of days in an airtight container.

Video

Calories: 130kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 3gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 99mgPotassium: 69mgSugar: 7gVitamin A: 100IUCalcium: 9mgIron: 0.5mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know what you think!

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446 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These peanut butter cookies were to die for! I’ve been searching for the perfect recipe, and I think I’ve finally found it.

  2. 5 stars
    I baked these peanut butter cookies the other night and everyone loved them! They were easy to make and smelled amazing.

  3. 5 stars
    These came out soft and delicious, with a great peanut butter taste. Sharing them with my family was the best part, and they were a big hit.

  4. 5 stars
    I love these cookies. I added just an small extra bit of peanut butter and baked for only 8 mins. so yummy

  5. 5 stars
    I made your Peanut Butter Cookie recipe over the weekend, and OMG, they were the best I’ve ever had! They were perfectly soft with just the right amount of crunch on the edges.

  6. We tried them and they are delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe. We gave it to our dogs (since it is dog friendly) and one of them gobbled it down immmediatly. The other one just doesn’t know what it is. But the other one still ate it happily.
    Thank you for the recipe.

  7. 5 stars
    It’s clear that the writer has a passion for peanut butter and a knack for creating soft, chewy cookies that everyone in their family enjoys. The accidental discovery with baking powder over baking soda adds an interesting twist to the recipe’s evolution. Whether you prefer creamy or crunchy peanut butter, these cookies seem to be a hit either way. Overall, it’s a heartfelt endorsement of a beloved cookie recipe that promises to satisfy any sweet tooth.