Anything with peanut butter is a huge hit in this house. We eat peanut butter on apples. Peanut butter goes on my favorite granola mix. Sometimes I just eat it straight out of the jar. One of the best ways to eat peanut butter will always be in a cookie though. This is why I was determined to find the absolute best soft and chewy peanut butter cookie recipe! This peanut butter cookie recipe makes big, beautiful, bakery-style treats that everyone will love!
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Not a fan of peanut butter ( gasp! ) or looking for something different? These cookies should do just fine with Almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or even Trader Joe’s famous cookie butter! ( Cookie-ception!) Pretty much any peanut butter alternative that you prefer should do just fine here.
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How to Make Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
For most people, this cookie comes together easily with whatever you have on hand. While I prefer to use healthier ingredients when possible I don’t like to get too fussy over things. Don’t have an egg on hand? A quarter cup of applesauce is a great replacement! Only salted butter? No big deal, just don’t add any more salt.
One thing that I am pretty steadfast on in my baking is the use of natural peanut butter. Most of the traditional peanut butter on store shelves have a lot of added sugar and hydrogenated oil in them that it really ruins what would be a fantastic protein source.
You can get away from that by sticking to natural peanut butter. In many kinds of natural peanut butter, your ingredients list is a simple one, just peanuts, and salt!
1 C unsalted butter, softened
1/2 C light brown sugar
1/2 C granulated sugar
2 medium eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
Combine the peanut butter, butter, and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium until everything is smooth.
Add the eggs to the bowl one at a time and blend until combined.
Sift the dry ingredients together in a separate mixing bowl and use a whisk to lightly stir until combined.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and blend until just combined.
Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and cover with plastic wrap. Place the covered dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Begin preheating the oven when you are about halfway through the chilling time and remove the dough from the fridge once the time has fully elapsed. You may need to let it start to come back up closer to room temperature if you find that it is difficult to work with.
Use a cookie scoop to scoop 1-inch balls of dough from the mixing bowl onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. You can use a fork to add a criss-cross pattern to the top of each cookie or just use the bottom of a glass to flatten each ball of dough slightly.
Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn a light golden brown.
Let the cookies cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
How to Store Homemade Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
You can store these cookies in an airtight container on the counter for about 1 to one and a half weeks. You can put them in the freezer for about 1 to 2 months.
Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 C natural peanut butter creamy
- 1 C unsalted butter softened
- ½ C light brown sugar packed
- ½ C granulated sugar
- 2 med eggs
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2½ C all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Blend the peanut butter, butter, and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium until smooth and fluffy.
- Add the eggs to the bowl one at a time and blend each until fluffy.
- Sift the dry ingredients for the cookies together in a separate bowl. Use a light whisk to lightly blend until just combined.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and blend on medium until just combined.
- Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and cover with plastic wrap. Chill the dough in the mixer bowl for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven 350° starting about 15 minutes before the dough is done chilling. Use a cookie scoop to scoop 1-inch balls of dough onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Use a fork to press a criss-cross pattern into each dough ball and press it down slightly. The cookies will continue to expand while cooking .
- Bake the cookies for 7-9 minutes, or until they begin to brown slightly around the edges. ( be sure to watch them carefully as oven times can vary)
- Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
