Best Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
These Best Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies are everything a classic peanut butter cookie should be—rich with peanut butter flavor, lightly crisp around the edges, and irresistibly soft in the center. Made with simple pantry ingredients and no chill time, they're an easy homemade treat that's perfect for everyday baking, holiday cookie trays, or freezing for later.
Servings: 24 cookies
Calories: 135kcal
Equipment
- 2 Baking sheets
- 1 Medium cookie scoop
- Parchment or silicone baking mats
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 large egg room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.1 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt
- Cream the butter and sugars: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a large bowl and hand mixer, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.½ cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup light brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- Add the wet ingredients: Beat in the vanilla and egg just until combined, about 20 seconds. Add the peanut butter and mix until smooth, about 20 seconds more.1 tsp vanilla, 1 large egg
- Finish the dough: Gradually add the flour mixture and mix just until no streaks of flour remain. Avoid overmixing.
- Scoop the cookies: Using a medium cookie scoop, portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart. If desired, sprinkle the tops lightly with additional granulated sugar.
- Bake: Bake for 9–11 minutes, or until the tops look dry and the cookies are set but the edges have not yet browned. Don't overbake. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Remove the cookies from the oven before the edges begin to brown. They'll continue baking on the hot cookie sheet, resulting in soft, chewy centers and lightly golden bottoms.
- For bakery-style cookies, use a large cookie scoop and increase the baking time by 1–2 minutes, or until the tops are dry and the cookies are set.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
- Baked cookies freeze well for up to 2 months. For the freshest cookies, freeze the scooped cookie dough for up to 3 months and bake directly from frozen, adding 2–3 minutes to the baking time.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 135kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 123mg | Potassium: 51mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 129IU | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 0.5mg