These peanut butter cookies are everything you want in a cookie – thick, soft centers with slightly crisp edges and intense peanut butter flavor. They stay chewy for days (if they last that long)!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
- 1 cup (250g) creamy peanut butter (not natural-style)
- 1 cup (200g) packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups (345g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup (80g) chopped roasted peanuts (optional)
Instructions
- Prep: Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, beat the butter and peanut butter together until completely combined, about 2 minutes. Add both sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add eggs and vanilla: Beat in eggs one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Make dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture on low speed, mixing just until combined. Fold in chopped peanuts if using. The dough will be thick.
- Chill: Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days). This step is crucial for thick cookies!
- Shape cookies: Place about 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a small bowl. Scoop the dough using a 1/4-cup measure or a large cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons). Roll each portion into a ball, then roll in the sugar to coat.
- Press and bake: Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 3 inches apart. Using a fork, make a crisscross pattern on each cookie, pressing down slightly (but not flattening completely).
- Bake: Bake for 12-14 minutes until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underdone. The cookies will continue to set as they cool.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- For extra peanut flavor, try using crunchy peanut butter instead of creamy.
- Don’t skip the chilling step! It prevents the cookies from spreading too much.
- For a twist, press a few chocolate chips into the tops of the cookies before baking.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezer-friendly: Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months or freeze the cookie dough balls (before rolling in sugar) for up to 3 months.
- For a more traditional look, you can flatten the cookies with just parallel fork marks instead of the crisscross pattern.
Yield: About 18-20 large cookies Prep time: 15 minutes Chill time: 1 hour Bake time: 12-14 minutes per batch Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes