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These classic peanut butter cookies are perfectly chewy and full of peanut butter flavor! Send them in school lunches or enjoy them at the end of the day with a cold glass of milk.
Even though it is hard to impress my teen these days, one thing I can always rely on to prompt a smile is making cookies they can pack in their lunch. Sometimes I go all out and send sugar cookies shaped like tigers. But more often than not, I make simple staples like these peanut butter cookies. They are always a hit, they’re easy to make, and fit perfectly in our Star Wars cookie jar. 🙂
Unlike my peanut butter oatmeal cookies, these cookies have a classic cross-hatch pattern on the top. It makes them look a touch fancy, but all you need is a fork to add the pattern. A sprinkle of sugar finishes these off before your pop them in the oven and prepare for your home to smell amazing.
These peanut butter cookies are everything you want in a homemade cookie. They are:
- Easy. The cookie dough comes together in minutes.
- Chewy. Once they have cooled, the finished cookies are thick and chewy.
- Full of flavor. The peanut butter flavor is enhanced by a touch of vanilla and a smidge of salt for the ideal salty-sweet combo.
What Kind of Peanut Butter Should I Use?
I like to use smooth Jiffy brand peanut butter but you can also use crunchy peanut butter if you want to add some texture to your cookies. I don’t recommend using natural peanut butter because the oils tend to separate, which makes it trickier to get consistent results.
These peanut butter cookies are incredibly easy to make, but it never hurts to have a few tips! Here are my top ones:
- Chill the dough. It is important to chill the dough for 1 hour before baking. If you don’t the cookie dough will be sticky and nearly impossible to roll into balls for baking.
- Add a cross-hatch. This step may seem optional, but adding a crosshatch pattern with the tines of a fork flattens the cookie dough balls and ensures even baking. If you don’t have a fork (why don’t you have a fork?) you can instead press the cookie balls down with a spoon to flatten them a bit.
- Don’t press too hard. When adding the cross-hatch pattern, just press down enough with the fork to leave clear lines in the dough. If you press too hard by accident and the ball breaks, just roll it back up and try again.
How to Store
Let the cookies cool to room temperature then store them in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days. If you want to extend their shelf life, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Can I Freeze These?
Yes, you can freeze the baked peanut butter cookies or the unbaked dough:
- Baked cookies: Let them cool to room temperature, then wrap each cookie in saran wrap. Place all the cookies in an airtight freezer-safe container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter for ~ an hour or overnight in the fridge when you want to eat one.
- Unbaked cookies. Roll the cookie dough into balls and add the crosshatch pattern. Then freeze the cookie balls in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once the cookie balls are hard, which will take about 2 hours, transfer them to an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake simply proceed with the recipe as directed, adding about 2 minutes of bake time to account for the dough being frozen.
If you like these peanut butter cookies, you may also want to try these favorites:
There are even more ideas in my cookies recipes category!
Print
These classic peanut butter cookies are perfectly chewy and full of peanut butter flavor! Send them in school lunches or enjoy them at the end of the day with a cold glass of milk.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Chill Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 21 minutes
- Yield: 24-26 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Extra white sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
Combine dry ingredients. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Cream the butters and sugars. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, peanut butter, white sugar, and brown sugar together until well combined.
Add eggs and vanilla. Add the eggs and vanilla, then mix until combined.
Add the dry ingredients. Carefully add the dry ingredients to your bowl, then mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix a bit more just to make sure there aren’t any dry bits of batter at the bottom of the bowl.
Chill. Place the stand mixer bowl in the fridge and chill for 1 hour.
Prep your tools. Preheat your oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Shape the cookies. Gather 1 1/2 tablespoons of chilled cookie dough and roll into a ball. Place on the prepared baking sheet and repeat for each cookie, leaving at least 2 inches of space between each one. Flatten each ball of dough with the tines of a fork, making a cross-hatch pattern, then add a sprinkle of white sugar.
- You will need to bake these cookies in batches, so place the bowl back in the fridge between batches, or use two baking sheets to shape the second batch of cookies while the first one bakes. I usually need to bake 4 batches total.
Bake. Place the cookies in the oven and bake until golden, about 11-12 minutes. The cookies will still be soft when they are done.
Cool. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.
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