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These easy peanut butter cookies are everything you want in a classic: thick, soft, chewy, and just the right balance of sweet and salty. They don’t overspread in the oven, you don’t need to chill the dough before baking, and they’re perfectly tender (never dry or crumbly!). Ready in just 30 minutes – a total win for peanut butter fans!
I’ll let you in on a secret: I can’t stop making these cookies. I’ve baked them six times this month, and I’m seriously obsessed!
They’re the perfect bake anytime, homemade cookie for your peanut butter cravings. Made with creamy PB, they bake up soft, chewy, and packed with nutty peanut butter flavor.
Craving more cookies? Try my reader favorite fudgy brownie cookies or ultra chewy brown butter chocolate chip cookies next!
Success Tips
Use creamy peanut butter. I tested this peanut butter cookie recipe with Skippy and Jif, and both work well. Natural peanut butter is runnier, so only use it if you can give it a really good mix to incorporate all of the oil.
Add a little extra moisture. Even though peanut butter adds fat, I’ve learned through my recipe tests that it can cause baked goods to dry out. An extra egg yolk and splash of milk ensure a soft baked texture (no dry cookies here!).
And finally, don’t overbake! For soft cookies, pull them out of the oven when they’re just set (about 10 minutes). They’ll continue to bake through from the residual heat of the baking sheets as they rest.
How to Make Peanut Butter Cookies
Beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until soft and creamy.
Add peanut butter and beat until combined. Scrape down the mixer bowl with a spatula.
Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Beat until combined.
Reduce speed to low and gradually mix in dry ingredients until incorporated.
Add milk and mix in on low speed just until a soft, thick dough forms. Don’t skip the milk – it helps hydrate the dough and adds extra tenderness to the cookies.
Scoop the dough with a medium cookie scoop, then roll each ball in sugar to coat. Place two inches apart on baking sheets. Gently flatten the tops, then press with the tines of a fork to form a criss-cross pattern. This helps them spread out a bit and bake evenly.
Bake cookies for about 10 minutes, just until they’re set. Sprinkle the tops with flaky salt (to bring out the flavor!), then let them cool for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack.
You’ll love these cookies with a glass of milk… they’re next level!
More favorite cookies:
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Iced Oatmeal Cookies
- Thin Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Soft Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies
Super Simple Peanut Butter Cookies (No Chill)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 26 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Super simple peanut butter cookies, no chilling required! These cookies bake up thick, soft, and perfectly chewy. A total win for peanut butter cookie fans!
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 1/2 cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp (3 g) baking powder
- 1/2 tsp (3 g) salt
- 1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 g) light brown sugar
- 1 cup (256 g) creamy peanut butter
- 1 large egg (50 g)
- 1 large egg yolk (18 g)
- 1 tsp (4 g) vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp (15 g) milk
For Rolling
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
Topping
- flaky salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Make dough: Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter and sugars in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until creamy (about 2 minutes). Beat in peanut butter until fully incorporated. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula. Beat in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined. Reduce speed to low and gradually add dry ingredients; beat just until incorporated. Add milk and mix on low speed just until a soft, thick dough forms.
- Place granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Use a medium cookie scoop coated with nonstick spray to form 1 1/2-inch balls of dough (approximately 30 grams each). Roll in granulated sugar to coat and place two inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Press tops to flatten slightly, then press with the tines of a fork to form a crisscross pattern.
- Bake cookies for 10 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until just set. Sprinkle tops with flaky salt and let cookies cool for 10 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
Cookie scoop: Use a medium cookie scoop which holds approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons of cookie dough.
Photography by Saltwater Studio
How long will these keep at room temperature? I want to ship some cookies to my father in another town. Are they sturdy and stable enough to ship? Thanks.
Hi Jody, the cookies are definitely stable enough to ship. Wrap the cookies in pairs with plastic wrap, then place in an airtight storage bag or container. If you happen to have a vacuum sealer, use that to seal the cookies to ensure freshness. And if it’s not beyond budget, use the fastest shipping method available. Hope this helps!
These were so delicious. Classic peanut butter cookie, perfect texture. Definitely a keeper.
Great to hear this, thank you Renee!