Peanut Butter Cookies
These peanut butter cookies bake up soft and chewy in the center with crisp fork-marked edges, using ten everyday ingredients and no chilling required.
Equipment
- Electric mixer - hand or stand mixer
- Mixing bowls - at least two, one for wet and one for dry
- Baking sheets - two rimmed sheets so you can rotate batches
- Parchment paper - keeps cookies from sticking
- Cookie scoop - 1.5-tablespoon size
- Fork - long flat tines work best for the crosshatch pattern
- Whisk and spatula - for the dry mix and scraping the bowl
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter - 115 g, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter - 250 g, at room temperature; use a no-stir brand for the most reliable texture
- ½ cup granulated sugar - 100 g, plus 3 tablespoons extra for coating and pressing
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar - 110 g, or dark brown for deeper flavor
- 1 large egg - at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract - ideally a real pure vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour - 160 g, spooned and leveled or weighed
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- granulated sugar - 3 tablespoons, for coating and pressing the cookies
- milk - for serving, optional
- vanilla ice cream - for serving, optional
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and pour 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar into a small shallow bowl.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt for about 20 seconds so the leaveners are evenly distributed. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until pale and fluffy, scraping down the sides once.
- Add the peanut butter and beat until fully blended and smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the egg and vanilla, then beat just until combined and glossy.
- Add the dry ingredients to the peanut butter mixture in two additions and mix on low speed just until no streaks of flour remain. Stop as soon as the dough comes together.
- Scoop level 1.5-tablespoon portions of dough and roll each into a smooth ball. Roll each ball in the granulated sugar until lightly coated, then place on the lined sheets about 2 inches (5 cm) apart.
- Dip the tines of a fork in the sugar, press down firmly on a dough ball to flatten it slightly, then rotate the fork 90 degrees and press again. Repeat with the rest, dipping the fork in sugar between cookies.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops look slightly puffed and dry. The centers should still look a touch underdone.
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack with a thin spatula and cool completely before stacking.
Notes
- Measure flour carefully. Spoon the flour into the cup and level it, or weigh it at 160 g. Packing in extra flour makes the cookies dry and sandy.
- Soften the butter and peanut butter. Room-temperature fats cream together smoothly and trap air, which keeps the texture light. Cold ingredients lead to a stiff, crumbly dough.
- Do not overbake. Peanut butter cookies go from soft to dry in a minute or two. Pull them when the centers still look slightly wet.
- Use the right peanut butter. No-stir creamy brands give the most predictable results. Natural styles work but need a hard stir and about a tablespoon less flour.
- Chill only if needed. The dough does not require chilling, but if your kitchen is warm and the fork marks keep disappearing, rest the dough in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Rotate the pan. If your oven has hot spots, turn the sheet halfway through baking for even color.
- Bake one sheet at a time. Center-rack baking gives the most even heat and uniform edges.
- Storage: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Tuck in a slice of sandwich bread to keep them soft. Freeze baked cookies between parchment for up to 3 months.
- Make-ahead: Scoop and shape dough balls, freeze solid on a tray, then transfer to a bag. Bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the time.
- Refreshing: Warm a cookie in the microwave for 8 to 10 seconds to bring back that just-baked softness.
Nutrition
Serving: 1CookieCalories: 140kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 4gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2.5gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 110mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9g
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