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Perfectly Soft Peanut Butter Cookies are such a classic recipe! This recipe makes the most perfect and soft peanut butter cookies. This will be the only recipe you ever need!

Peanut butter is an obsession at my house. You should also try these No Bake Buckeye Balls, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars, or Homemade Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups!

Stacks of soft peanut butter cookies on a cooling cookie rack.

Peanut Butter Cookies

My grandma would have a jar of homemade peanut butter cookies for us every time we would visit her house. She would also have homemade bread when we would visit. She was quite the baker and cook and that is probably where my obsession for peanut butter and carbs started. I like my peanut butter cookies to have a slightly crisp outside and a soft inside. This recipe is absolutely perfect. You can not pass up on a classic peanut butter cookie and they are always a favorite!

What are the ingredients for peanut butter cookies?

  • creamy peanut butter
  • sugar
  • brown sugar
  • butter
  • eggs
  • baking soda
  • baking powder
  • vanilla
  • flour

How do I make Peanut Butter Cookies?

  • Start by Preheating the oven to 350 degrees. In a mixer, (Hand or Standing) Cream together the Peanut Butter, Sugar, Brown Sugar, and Butter. Then, add in the eggs and beat until combined.
  • Next, Add Baking Soda, Baking Powder, and Vanilla Extract. Mix again, then add the Flour and mix until will incorporated. Roll the cookies into 2 inch balls and roll in Sugar. Flatten the centers with a Fork, making a Criss-Cross Pattern.
  • Last! Bake on an Grease Free cookie sheet for 6-7 minutes or until slightly brown on the edges.

Peanut butter in a one cup measuring cup.

How do I keep my Cookies Soft?

This Recipe is so simple you probably already have the ingredients in your kitchen. But what makes these Peanut Butter Cookies different from most others? Well, Spoiler Alert! The Secret is rolling the dough in the sugar. It leaves them almost Caramelized on the outside, while keeping the middles so soft and moist, that you wont want to go back.

Why are my Cookies Dry and Crumbly?

Dry flour or too much flour, can be the cause of a dry cookie. Well, what causes dry flour? Using Butter substitutes such as Margarine, that contain water can cause more crumble. This is because they do not have enough fat to coat the flour. This and over baking of course can be the cause of a dryer, more crumbly cookie.

Several peanut butter cookies spread out on a white granite countertop.

What makes cookies soft and chewy?

High moisture content does. Recipe, baking time, and temperature should be adjusted to retain moisture. Binding the water in butter, eggs, and brown sugar (it contains molasses, which is 10 percent water) with flour slows its evaporation.

Tips for making your cookies chewy again

  1. Slice an apple and place a few slices into the airtight container with your hard cookies.
  2. Store your hardened cookies in a zip lock bag with a slice of bread.
  3. Place them in the microwave to help soften them.
  4. Wrap stale cookies in a damp paper towel and microwave them for 10 seconds.

Several peanut butter cookies stacked on top of each other on a cooling rack.

Looking for more delicious cookie recipes? Look no further!

Peanut butter cookies stacked on top of each other on a cooling rack.

 

 

 

 

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Perfectly Soft Peanut Butter Cookies

4.20 from 5 votes
Perfectly Soft Peanut Butter Cookies are such a classic recipe!  This recipe makes the most perfect and soft peanut butter cookies.  This will be the only recipe you ever need! 
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 36

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, cream together the peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, and butter. Add in the eggs and beat until combined.
  • Add baking soda baking powder, and vanilla. Add the flour and mix until incorporated. Roll the cookies into 2 inch balls and roll in sugar. Flatten the center with a fork making a criss cross pattern.
  • Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 6-7 minutes or until slightly brown on the edges.

Nutrition

Calories: 118kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 2gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 112mgPotassium: 63mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 170IUCalcium: 11mgIron: 0.2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Alyssa Rivers is the author of 'The Tried and True Cookbook', a professional food photographer and experienced recipe-developer. Having a passion for cooking, her tried and true recipes have been featured on Good Morning America, Today Food, Buzzfeed and more.

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Recipe Rating




11 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These were a big hit! Love them! Traditionally peanut butter cookies tends to harden & dry out after a couples days. These do not! The only thing I did different is combine the flour, baking powder, & baking soda in a separate bowl–only because I’ve always done this with every other recipe when baking.

  2. These cookies are soooo soft and delicious! They re like eating a warm and sweet peanut butter sandwich. Great cookies! I should let them cool a bit before devouring! Thanks for sharing!

    1. Hello!

      Thanks for the great comment. I love to hear this. I love these cookies as well. Thanks for following along with me!

    1. Anything that you use regularly as a substitute should work on these cookies. Hope you enjoy them gluten free! Let me know what you used! XOXO

  3. These look yummy. Do you use salted butter? I noticed there wasn’t any salt in the recipe and the type of butter wasn’t specified.

    1. I prefer unsalted butter. It is more of a preference for this recipe. There is enough taste in these cookies you will not need the added salt. XOXO

      1. 2 stars
        Thanks for the recipe but…
        I made the cookies 100% following instructions just added some some on the top before baking. As a result cookies appeared too sweet (too much sugar even some salt on the top could balance the taste) and too soft (cooking time 12 min in my case). Its one of the worst cookies recipe i followed so far.