Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
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These chewy peanut butter cookies are perfectly soft in the middles with slightly crisp edges. This quick and easy recipe takes 20 minutes, there’s no chill time, and you only need 9 simple ingredients!
I absolutely LOVE peanut butter. I probably eat it every day in some form or another and whenever I make chocolate peanut butter sandwich cookies they are gone within 24 hours.
But here’s the thing: most traditional peanut butter cookies that I’ve tried are dry and crumbly, and I’m more of a gooey soft cookie kind of person.
These dairy free peanut butter cookies provide all the nostalgia of the traditional recipes, but with the soft chewy texture of a chocolate chip cookie.
Why These Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies Work
- These dairy free peanut butter cookies are baked at a low temperature to allow them time to spread out instead of being puffy.
- Peanut butter has a tendency to make cookies dry and chalky. This recipe uses just the right ratio of butter to peanut butter and a low amount of flour to create a soft middle.
- This recipe only requires just 9 basic ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry!
Step By Step Instructions
Note: Full ingredient measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda then set aside.
STEP TWO: Use a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, or a hand mixer to beat the butter and peanut butter together until nice and smooth.
STEP THREE: Beat in both sugars until light and fluffy, then add in the egg and vanilla and mix again.
STEP FOUR: Slowly add in the dry ingredients until just combined.
STEP FIVE: Use a cookie scoop or your hands to form 1.5 tbsp-sized balls of dough and place them on the baking sheets.
STEP SIX: Bake one sheet at a time for 8-10 minutes. The edges will look set but the middles will look quite soft. Leave the cookies on a baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Expert Tips
- Properly weighing your flour is CRUCIAL for soft and chewy peanut butter cookies. Even half of a tablespoon under or over the amount stated in the recipe will completely change the texture of the cookies. I texted this recipe 6 times – trust me!!! Either measure your flour using a food scale or use the proper scoop and level method.
- When mixing the dry ingredients with the wet, stop mixing right away when those last specks of flour have disappeared. Over-mixing the dough will lead to tough cookies.
- When the cookies are done, the edges will look set, but not golden brown. The middles will look really soft – don’t worry, the cookies will set on the baking sheets for 10 minutes once you take them out of the oven. Taking the cookies out at this stage is the key to soft cookies!
- When you remove the cookies from the oven, they might look a bit puffy so give the baking sheet a gentle but firm tap on the edge of the counter to flatten them a little bit.
Storage Instructions
These cookies should be stored for up to 5 days in an airtight container. You can also freeze the baked cookies in a freezer bag for later.
To thaw them, just remove from the freezer and leave them at room temperature until they’re ready to eat!
More Peanut Butter Recipes You’ll Love
If you make this recipe, let me know how it went in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup (105) butter (vegan or regular, softened)
- ½ cup (130 g) creamy/smooth peanut butter (SEE NOTES)
- ¼ cup (50 g) brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup + 3 tablespoons (150 g) all-purpose flour (SEE NOTES)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. NOTE: The video says 325℉ – this is incorrect.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda then set aside.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer with the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer, beat peanut butter and butter together until smooth.
- Add in the granulated and brown sugars and beat until light and fluffy, then mix in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl and mix until just combined. It is important not to over-mix the dough!
- Use a cookie scoop or your hands to form 1.5 tbsp-sized balls of dough and bake one tray at a time for 8-13 minutes. The middles will look soft and the edges should look set, but not golden brown (if the edges are brown the cookies are already over-done!).
- When removing the cookies from the oven, gently but firmly bang the pan on the edge of the counter a couple times if they look too puffy. Let the cookies cool on a baking sheet for 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Equipment
Video
Notes
The calorie information provided for this recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.
Good
Truly!! These are THE BEST peanut butter cookies I’ve ever made or tasted! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. Fellow cookie makers, bakers and eaters, you will not be disappointed!
This comment is so sweet! I appreciate your review!
Love this! So fun and perfect my parents and friends love this! Only recipe I make
The cookies were perfect! Half batch peanut butter and half batch peanut butter and chocolate chips. I like the fork crisscross print with a sprinkle of sugar. Shall I do that before I bake them or after they are baked?
So glad they turned out perfect! Love the half-and-half idea. You’ll want to do both the fork crisscross and the sugar sprinkle before baking!
Do you measure the butter while it’s soft or solid?
If you are weighing it, either one is fine! If using cups, it’s easier to do when soft. Enjoy!
This recipe definitely a winner! I added mini chocolate chips
Super moist and delicious!! One of my new favorite recipes for sure!
Was really bored from this snow storm of 12 + inches..so I made these..these are awesome..thank you for sharing
Glad you enjoyed these snow day treats! Thank you for your review!
Just a little too shy on the peanut butter flavor.
These are hands down the BEST peanut butter cookies I’ve ever made (and tasted)! They have the perfect soft, chewy texture paired with a rich peanut butter flavor. My siblings practically beg me to bake them— and trust me, their cookie standards are seriously high! Even my mom, who usually hates peanut butter, can’t resist these. They’re just that good.
I’ve tried this recipe both as-is and with a few small tweaks. My favorite adjustment is adding an extra egg yolk (just the yolk, not the whites) along with the egg and vanilla—this makes the cookies melt-in-your-mouth soft every time. I highly recommend giving that a try! I also love rolling the dough balls in sugar before baking to add a touch of extra sweetness and a little crunchy top.
Overall, these cookies are fantastic and have definitely earned a permanent spot in my recipe binder!
Thank you so much for your review! So glad you enjoyed these cookies!
These are the best peanut butter cookies I’ve ever made! They have a lovely light, soft, and chewy texture! These are not like the typical nasty crunchy peanut butter cookies. My siblings BEG me to make these–they are that good (and my siblings have high cookie standards hahah)! They are delicious!
Love that these are such a hit with your siblings! Thank you for your review 🩵
Thank you for including the gram weights!
I absolutely love this peanut butter cookie recipe. It’s perfectly crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Its very easy to follow and to make recipe.I’ve been looking for a really good recipe for a long time and I think I found it. The only thing I would change is more of a peanut butter taste. I’m not sure if it’s the peanut butter I used or what but other than that the recipe is amazing.
Thank you Courtnie! So happy you enjoyed these!
These are the best peanut butter cookies that I have ever had
Wow! I’m so honored 😍 Thank you!
Can I sub coconut oil for butter?
I haven’t tested it with coconut oil so I can’t recommend it personally, but if you give it a try let us know how it works for you!
Best oeanut butter cookies ever!! For the second Christmas in a row I have made these as part of the 8 cookie types I make – my husband’s boss asked if I was making them again this year b/c they are so good. I roll them in green and red sanding sugar before baking for a holiday twist. One question, how do you get yours so perfectly round after baking?
Love this idea! To get perfectly round, bakery-style cookies, place a round biscuit cutter (slightly larger than the cookie) over a hot cookie immediately after removing it from the oven. Gently swirl or spin the cutter in a circular motion to reshape the edges, creating a uniform,, thick, and polished cookie.
My daughter is allergic to dairy, so we used her play based butter and they turned out wonderful! We did one batch a couple of minutes longer, so we had crispy for hubby and chewy for us!
We did not have parchment paper but they still turned out good! Hubby couldn’t believe they were dairy free! Perfect celebration cookie for his new promotion! 🙂 thank you!
Delicious and great consistency- im on the hut for more Peanut butter though! I think next time I will substitute some of the butter for more Peanut butter!
These are not VEGAN or DAIRY FREE!
Click bait is what it is.
Hi Jacq! I have great news for you – these cookies are, in fact, dairy free since they use dairy free butter 🙂 They’ve also been tested with regular dairy butter though, so they can be made both ways.
Sorry if you thought these were vegan, but they do use an egg so they definitely are not vegan. IF you’re looking for vegan peanut butter cookies, try these.
Enjoy!
Can I double the recipe or should I make two seperate batches?
Yes you can double it! There’s the “2x” button on the recipe card the automatically converts the measurements for you.