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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
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.
FAQs and Expert Tips
This recipe uses smooth peanut butter, like Skippy or Kraft. I haven't tried using crunchy peanut butter, but if you like a little crunch, you can use crunchy.
If you're wanting to use natural (no sugar added) peanut butter, the cookies will be less sweet and they will likely spread out more. Using natural peanut butter will change the structure and texture of the cookies.
This is most likely a classic case of using too much flour. It's crucial to properly measure the flour in this recipe, as even 1 extra tablespoon of flour can completely change the structure of the cookies.
You also might have over baked them!
Yes! In fact - it's encouraged! I often add semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped up dark chocolate to the dough before baking. Chocolate just makes everything better. Half of a cup is usually a good amount!
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 and Freezing 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 Cookie 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
Equipment
- standing mixer or hand mixer
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter (vegan or regular, softened)
- ½ cup creamy/smooth peanut butter (SEE NOTES)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup + 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (SEE NOTES)
Instructions
- NOTE: This recipe has recently been tweaked for improvement! For the old recipe, please see "Notes" section below.Preheat oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- 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.
Video
Notes
Please note that this recipe was been updated in April, 2022. These cookies are beloved by many readers so I want to make sure that you can still make the old version. The update was as follows:
Old version: 1 cup + 1 Tablespoon flour (increased flour in the updated recipe to create a little more thickness and a little less spread in the cookies)
Nutrition
The calorie information provided for this recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.
Marella
Just made these cookies and they are Amazingly Delicious!!! Love the simplicity of ingredients. This is a MUST SAVE recipe. We are going to make a few batches of dough to shape and freeze. Thank you for sharing!
Gabby
Yay! I'm so happy you loved them! Thank you for the review!
Tam
Finally I’ve found a PB cookie recipe that makes soft, chewy cookies and not cake like cookies! I followed the recipe exact and they turned out perfect! :))
Gabby
I'm so happy you loved them so much Tam! Thanks for the review 🙂
Luci
I am a lazy baker and messed up some of the instructions and just used measuring cup lightly pack for measuring flour and these cookies still came out super delish. I mixed the pnt butter and butter and sugars all at the same time instead of seperately and then I added eggs and vanilla. I also am quite sure I over mixed the dough because I didn't read the part not to overmix before I jumped right in, ha ha. My cookies came out great at 11 min.
Gabby
So happy to hear that you loved them Luci!
Amy Braley
This is exactly the recipe I have been searching for. The cookies came out exactly as I had hoped they would. I followed the recipe as written, no modifications. Thank you.
Gabby
Hi Amy, I am so happy that you loved the cookies so much! Thanks for the review!
Melody
Best PB cookies ever, according to my husband. I am not a peanut butter fan but I even liked these. Only one question…I agree that baking should be by weight…but you didn’t give weights and with flour it really is necessary. Baking industry says 4.5 ounces are in a cup of flour but even if I do the ‘scoop and level, I come up with more than that. Can you please give a weight for the flour? Thanks
Gabby
Hi Melody! I am so happy to hear that you both loved the cookies so much! All the ingredient measurements in grams are listed, you just have to click the "Metric" tab under the Ingredient heading 🙂
Lisa
I found this recipe yesterday and made these cookies last night and OMG!!! The only thing I changed was the salt, I used half of what the recipe called for because I used salted butter and added chocolate chips and these are the most delicious peanut butter cookies I've ever made!!!
Gabby
I'm so happy to hear that Lisa! Thank you for the wonderful review!!
Bryony
I am blind I found them!!
Thought they’d be posted before the method…
Moods
I have made these cookies sooooo many times since this recipe has been posted and never reviewed. I love them!!! I always add dark chocolate peices. This time, I didn't have any brown sugar so I just added maple syrup and OMG it's even better!!
Gabby
Hi! I'm so glad that this recipe has become a favorite! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review 🙂
Justine
Love how easy and quick these cookies were to whip up. Couldn’t resist adding the chocolate chips either!
Gabby
Hi Justine! I am so happy that you loved the cookies! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review, it made my day 🙂
LaRae
I’ve been craving a soft yet crispy peanut buttery cookie for about a month and this recipe delivered! They were/are so good! My husband and son approve as well. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Gabby
Hi LaRae! I am so happy that you all loved the cookies, yay! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review! 🙂
harmony
These were the best PB cookies I've ever made. Every recipe seemed to be dry and crumbly. My son's favorite cookies are PB and he said they were AMAZING! I forgot to save the recipe but I'm glad I found it again. Thanks for a yummy cookie recipe!
Gabby
Hi Harmony! I am so happy to hear that you both loved the cookies so much! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a review 🙂
Sam Fugarino
Once I mixed the 9 ingredients and the last fleck of flour disappeared I could tell these were going to be really good cookies because of the fluffy dough. From now on, this is the only PB Cookie recipe for me.
Gabby
Hi Sam! What a wonderful review! I am so happy to hear that you loved the cookies so much! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review, that made me day 🙂
Donald McDonald
I made these last night. My wife said, "I hope you bookmarked that page because these are the best you've made." I didn't. Thank goodness I found it again, among a sea of PBC recipes on the web. It's saved now, and I'll be making these again. Thanks.
Gabby
Hi Donald! YAY! What an awesome compliment! I am so happy that you both loved the cookies! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review 😀
Tracy
This recipe is A 10!! Cookies are amazing! If you cook them a bit longer than the 8 minutes, the edges come out very lightly crispy and the middle soft. Love, love, love these cookies!
Gabby
Hi Tracy! I am so happy to hear that you loved them so much! Thank you for the wonderful feedback and for taking the time to come back and leave a review! 😀