This EASY recipe for homemade Peanut Butter Cookies will win you over. The cookies are soft and packed with peanut butter flavor.
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Classic Peanut Butter Cookies:
This is an easy peanut butter cookie recipe anyone can bake, and so fun to make with kids. They are as classic as Sugar Cookies and Chocolate Chip Cookies. The cookies are irresistibly soft and chewy with just the right amount of peanut butter so they aren’t overly sweet.
You’ll love these cookies, they are:
- So EASY to make
- Use staple kitchen ingredients
- Can be made ahead
- Freezer friendly cookie recipe
- Easy to double the recipe
How to Make Peanut Butter Cookies:
- Dry ingredients: In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients; the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sifted flour (measure the flour before sifting).
- Wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add the peanut butter and egg and mix until combined.
- Cookie batter: Add the dry ingredients to the peanut butter mixture.
- Shape cookies: Form twenty-four 1″ balls. Flatten the cookies in a crisscross pattern using a fork.
- Bake 8-9 minutes at 350˚F for soft cookies, just until cookies start to turn golden at the base. Bake 10-11 for firm cookies. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Peanut Butter Cookie Variations
This is a recipe for classic peanut butter cookies. However, here are some great ideas for addons:
- Sugar: Roll cookie dough balls in coarse sugar before pressing and shaping with a fork.
- Hershey’s kiss: Shape the cookie into a thicker shape (without pressing with a fork) and bake. As soon as the cookie comes out of the oven, press in a Hershey’s kiss into the center.
- Peanut: You can substitute regular peanut for crunchy if you want nuts in your cookies.
How Long do Peanut Butter Cookies Keep?
You’ll want to enjoy the cookies within two days of baking for the best results. Once they are cooled to room temperature, transfer the cookies to an airtight container and it will help to keep cookies soft.
Can Peanut Butter Cookies be Frozen?
You can freeze the cookies before and after they are baked. Freezer-friendly cookies like Baklava and these peanut butter cookies are perfect for a make-ahead holiday cookie platter.
- Cookie dough: Freeze shaped cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once frozen, transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Baked cookies: Once the cookies cool, transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze up to three months. Leave cookies out at room temperature to thaw and enjoy. Repeat in the microwave for a few seconds for warm cookies.
Make-Ahead Option:
This peanut butter cookie dough can be made up to three days in advance and refrigerated. Just shape and bake to enjoy.
I hope these soft peanut butter cookies become a new favorite that you are and your kids will enjoy and make over and over again.
More Cookie Recipes to try:
- Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies – these stay soft for days
- Almond Snowball Cookies – these melt in your mouth
- Tea Cakes – filled with walnuts and rolled in sugar
- Oatmeal Cookies– with raisins and coconut flakes
- Chocolate Meringue Cookies– with chocolate chips
Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2/3 cup peanut butter
- 1 large egg
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- With an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Add the peanut butter and egg and mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl, add baking powder, baking soda, salt, and flour (sift flour once measured). Add to the peanut butter mixture, mix until combined.
- Form dough into 1" balls. Place the balls about 3-inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Flatten in a crisscross pattern using a fork.
- Bake 8-9 minutes until cookies just start to turn golden at the base. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool 5 minutes then transfer on a wire rack.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Hello
My grandson is coming over this weekend and I decided to make pb cookies. Google the recipe and decided to try yours. Easy to make, all ingredients in the pantry. Came out delish and beautiful. Thank you. Five Stars!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
I just made these for the PB lover in my life! I subbed in 1/3 cup whole wheat flour & added some chocolate chips just because. Very good flavour! Next batch I will add 1 cup PB. I baked some longer for a crispier cookie which also taste great!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I have tried many peanut butter cookie recipes. This one is definitely the best! I’m a big foodie, find all your recipes great! So glad I found you!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
It was a little salty but to be far I put to much salt.please put how much to add for the ingredients .
I had fun making this recipe.
Hi Elliot, just use ¼ tsp salt and make sure that you will be using unsalted butter
I made the chocolate chip cookies a few days ago, they were delicious. I just finished making dough for the peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies to bake and bless my nephew/godson tomorrow. Thank you for your recipes, I enjoy your videos you are a delight to watch.
You’re welcome, Rose! I’m so glad you’re enjoying our recipes.
Do you I could stick some chocolate bits inside the cookie before baking , for a filling ? Or will it ruin the bake of the cookie ?
Hi Anna, I haven’t tried this with chocolate bits, but I imagine that may work. One of our readers mentioned adding chocolate chips successfully.
LOVE this cookie it so good and its easy to make
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
By far, the best peanut butter cookie I have ever tasted. I added a little vanilla extract to my batter (scant tsp.) and it worked well. Thank for sharing your recipe.
That’s so awesome, Kim. You are very welcome! Thanks for giving this recipe an awesome feedback.
This is a HUGE hit with my boyfriend and his kids. They are PB freaks!! They were fighting over them LOL
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Daniella!
This is sooooo good ……!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that, Nancy!
OMG! These cookies were delicious!! Crunchy on the edges and soft in the middle and just sweet enough!! Yummmm!!!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for that wonderful review, Jean!
Not sure why I never tried to make homemade pb cookies, but this recipe was so easy and sooooo good!!! I haven’t tried a recipe off your blog that we haven’t liked!!!
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles
These turned out very well but the peanut butter needs to be measured with a 1/3 cup but it is listed before the flour which also needs to be measured with a 1/3 cup, and it would have been a pain to wash peanut butter out of my measuring cup… other than that easy recipe, normal ingredients, good cookies overall
Thanks for your feedback and input, Jessica. We appreciate it and I’m glad you liked these cookies.
Hi Jessica, No matter what I’m baking, I prep my bowl of ‘flour and/or dry ingredients’ ready to whisk 1st; then I measure out any sugars which usually are combined with fats and/or eggs with a hand or stand mixer; then I measure any wet ingredients like milks, sour cream, PB or cream cheese and put those in separate small bowls ready to add-in at various steps or the end of a recipe. Hope this tip helps!
Hi Natasha! My sister and I made your peanut butter cookies today. They were good! My family loved them so much! We’ve been using a lot of recipes by you. We know your recipes are good. Thank you again for sharing this recipe 🙂
Hello Zoie, that is wonderful! I’m happy to know that your family enjoyed these peanut butter cookies.
I’m not a baker by any means, but I thought I would help my wife out this year and tried my hand at making these cookies. I couldn’t believe how easy it was and the cookies came out great. My wife even liked them better than the ones she normally makes. Thank you so much.
Great job and that is so sweet of you! I hope that you will both love every recipe that you will try.
I just made peanut butter cookies last weekend. They are so easy to make and super delicious! Definitely a must-have dessert for the holidays. I will make them again for Christmas. Thank you Natasha! 🙂
You’re welcome, Lydia!
this is super awesome
Thank you! I hope you try this recipe soon!
I made these peanut butter cookies today and they came out delicious. Thank you for the receipt.
You’re most welcome, Norma. I’m glad you enjoyed these cookies!
Any high elevation edits you’d suggest?
Hello Meg, I haven’t tried that yet to advise but these tips can help.
Hi Natasha,
Can I replace the brown sugar with white granulated sugar? I don’t have brown sugar on hand.
Thank you.
I haven’t tried using just white granulated sugar to advise how it would work.
Molasses and white sugar make brown sugar just mix some up