Description
These chewy peanut butter cookies offer a perfect balance of rich peanut butter flavor and chewy texture. Made with simple pantry staples like butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar, these cookies are easy to prepare and bake, resulting in a delightful treat that is crisp on the edges and soft in the center.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (softened)
- 1 1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Sugars
- 1 1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1/2 cup white sugar
Dry Ingredients
- 2.5 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat: Preheat your oven to 375˚F to ensure it’s ready for baking once the dough is prepared.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Set this mixture aside for later use.
- Cream Butter and Peanut Butter: In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer or beat by hand to cream the softened butter and peanut butter together until smooth and creamy.
- Add Sugars: Mix in the brown sugar and white sugar to the peanut butter mixture and continue mixing until the mixture is light and fluffy. This will incorporate air and improve texture.
- Incorporate Eggs and Vanilla: Stir in the eggs and vanilla extract until the batter is fully combined and smooth.
- Combine Dry and Wet: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture into the peanut butter mixture in three parts, mixing well after each addition. The dough should become firm enough to handle but not sticky, suitable for shaping.
- Scoop and Shape: Using a 2-tablespoon measure, scoop out portions of dough and roll them into balls. Slightly flatten each ball by pressing the top with a fork in a criss-cross pattern. Alternatively, measure with a 1/4 cup and divide in half before rolling to achieve the same size.
- Bake: Place the shaped dough balls onto a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 12 minutes, depending on desired crispness. Cookies will be soft initially but set as they cool.
- Cool: Remove from the oven and let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- You can use either creamy or crunchy peanut butter depending on your texture preference.
- Adjust baking time to get the desired cookie crispness—less time for softer cookies and more for crunchier ones.
- Using light or dark brown sugar will slightly affect the flavor depth; dark brown adds a richer molasses note.
- Ensure butter is softened to room temperature for easier creaming with peanut butter.
- For uniform cookie sizes, use a cookie scoop or measuring spoon consistently.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: peanut butter cookies, chewy cookies, homemade cookies, easy dessert, American cookies
