(The Actual Best) Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

Overhead view of peanut butter cookies next to a bowl of peanut butter on a parchment lined baking sheet.

(The Actual Best) Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

A soft, buttery, yet crisp-edged peanut butter cookie recipe. This recipe yields the most flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth peanut butter cookies. Recipe includes a how-to video!

Course Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 11

Chilling Time 30

Total Time 56

Servings large cookies

Calories 184kcal

Author Sam Merritt

Equipment

Ingredients

10 Tablespoons (141 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
½ cup (140 g) creamy peanut butter¹
⅔ cup (135 g) light brown sugar, tightly packed
¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups (188 g) all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
Additional granulated sugar for rolling

Instructions

Combine butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar and ¼ cup granulated sugar in a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer) and use an electric mixer to beat until creamy and well combined.
10 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature, ½ cup creamy peanut butter¹, ⅔ cup light brown sugar, tightly packed, ¼ cup granulated sugar
Add egg and vanilla extract and stir until well-combined.
1 large egg, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt
Gradually stir the flour mixture into the peanut butter mixture. Make sure to pause periodically to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are well-combined.
Cover mixing bowl with plastic wrap and place peanut butter cookie dough in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes to one hour (start with 30 minutes, if the dough is too sticky or your cookies are coming out of the oven too flat, chill for an additional half an hour. This dough may be chilled overnight if you'd like).
Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Once dough has chilled, remove from refrigerator and scoop into heaping 1 ½ Tablespoon-sized balls (39g).
Roll the cookie dough between your palms until smooth and then roll thoroughly in additional granulated sugar. Place on prepared cookie sheet, spacing cookies at least 2" apart.
Additional granulated sugar for rolling
Use the tines of a fork to gently make a criss-cross pattern on the surface of each cookie by slightly pressing down.
Bake on 350F (175C) for 9-12 minutes. Edges should be just turning golden brown but the cookie centers should appear slightly under-baked, allow cookies to cool completely on the cookie sheets and the centers will finish baking (but remain soft and chewy) as they cool on the cookie sheet. Don't over-bake or the cookies will be dry.
Allow cookies to cool completely on baking sheet before enjoying.

Video

Notes

¹Type of Peanut Butter

Crunchy peanut butter would work fine here (just adds texture to the cookies!). While "natural" peanut butter will "work", the cookies tend to be a bit more dry and crumbly.

Freezing

This cookie dough freezes well. Chill the dough as instructed then scoop and roll through sugar and criss-cross with a fork (if desired) before freezing in an airtight container. Cookie dough will still need to bake on 375F but may need an additional minute or so in the oven.

Storing

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Nutrition