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Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Stir flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium-sized bowl. Pass through a sieve into a separate bowl, then set aside. 
  2. Place butter, shortening and peanut butter in the large bowl of a stand mixer and run on medium speed to combine. Beat in granulated and brown sugars, then add eggs and vanilla. 
  3. Add the flour mix and blend until just combined.
  4. Preheat oven to 350°F. 
  5. Classic version: Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place 2-inches apart on a parchment paper-lined baking or cookie sheet. Push fork down onto balls to create criss-cross pattern.
  6. Modern version: Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place ball on plate containing chopped peanuts. Using a flat-bottomed glass with plastic wrap around the base, press cookie down. Gently coax cookie off of glass, invert and place 2-inches apart on a parchment-lined baking or cookie sheet.
  7. Transfer to oven and bake 12 minutes for softer cookies, 14 minutes for crisp-edged cookies. 
  8. Remove from oven and leave cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes to cool. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.
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Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

5 / 5. 4

Whipped butter and shortening with two types of sugar and loads of creamy peanut butter, baked in two different styles…

  • clock icon
    30 MIN
  • 48 SERVINGS
Peanut Butter Cookies

This really is the better-than-bake-sale PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES recipe!

These crisp-edged PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES have a soft, almost gooey-centre, the perfect result of a true labour of love. We tested and tweaked the recipe again and again (and again) to get to a simplified version that you’d love to make. We nibbled and tasted each version – what’s not to love about that? Finally, we got creative with the presentation and now proudly provide you with a classic, old-fashioned PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE or a MODERN VERSION with even more peanut flavour. LOVE IT!

Before we share tips on making this essential homemade cookie recipe at home or at the cottage, here are the highlights:

  • The peanut butter cookie ingredients include common on-hand pantry and dairy items.
  • The dough is made using a stand mixer for ease of preparation.
  • Yield on the recipe is 48 cookies!
  • Dough can be made in advance.
  • You’ll only need a couple of mixing bowls, baking sheets, a spatula and measuring cups. That means an easy clean up too.

Last important feature; these seriously delicious cookies are highly addictive. Don’t expect them to last long, just saying!

Because these cookies are so tasty, we suggest you PIN the recipe to a favourite cookie or baking board or BOOKMARK this tab for easy access. SHARE it with friends so they can make them for people too. We’d also appreciate seeing pics of all the cookies you’re baking these days. Use #weekendatthecottage when you post those pics on on Facebook and Instagram. Thanks!

Two distinct cookies, one perfect recipe; let’s make our better-than-bake-sale PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES recipe!

Ingredients needed to make very tasty Peanut Butter Cookies.
Try to memorize the items in this image; you’ll be making this recipe often!

INGREDIENTS

As mentioned in the preamble, this cookie recipe calls for ingredients we expect you might already have on hand in your pantry and fridge. The recipe calls for two fats; butter and vegetable shortening or lard, have them both at room temperature before you begin. Same with the eggs. Other than those two little points, the ingredients are good to go.

A bowl of creamy peanuts butter plus salted peanuts and a small bowl of sea salt flakes.
We love the salty peanut flavour profile of these scrumptious cookies.

PEANUT FLAVOUR

I feel bad for my sister Dana with her peanut allergy because she always appreciates how we amp up the primary flavour of a signature recipe. In this case, it’s all about the peanut butter flavour. Although you can make these cookies using crunchy, we suggest sticking with creamy peanut butter instead; it mixes smoothly with the butter, shortening and sugars. We tested this recipe using JIF and SKIPPY peanuts butter and love the soft texture of the finished treats. Last mention about the flavour is the way we add chopped salted peanuts and sea salt flakes to the modern version of these cookies. It takes them to an entirely different level of peanut perfection.

The peanut butter cookie dough resting on a sheet of wrap.
Divide the dough into smaller portions and then bake off batches of cookies as needed.

COOKIE DOUGH

The cookie dough itself is a joy to make: cream the fats, add the sugars, eggs and vanilla, follow with the dry mix, and you’re done. Although you can make the dough old-school by simply stirring everything together with a wooden spoon or spatula, we found using a stand mixer way easier with less prep time. 

A cookie sheets with twelve peanut butter cookie dough balls.
Kids will have a ball making these cookies.

The dough will come together very quickly, so be sure not to over-process it. The last thing about the dough is that once it’s made, you can divide and conquer. The dough is stable enough that you can make it the day before you intend to bake. Then you just divide and shape the dough in quarters, each disc yielding 12 cookies. This is a stellar make-ahead dough recipe for your next weekend at the cottage. Make it, take it and go! 

A fork pressing down into the dough to create the classic crisscross detail.
Here’s to the time-honoured classic look.

CLASSIC VERSION

There’s one burning question everyone asks about this recipe; why put crisscross patterns on a PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES recipe? Experts tell us it’s to ensure the cookies are pressed properly, so they cook evenly. I guess it makes sense, the dough is so dense, if you don’t press them down they’ll never bake through.

Old fashioned peanut butter cookies with the traditional criss cross pattern on the top of each cookie.
Reminds us of the cookies we used to buy at bake sales.

The classic crisscross pattern is traditionally made by indenting the tines of a fork into the cookie dough balls. If you have kids in your midst, get them to do this. It’s nice passing this know-how down to future generations of cookie makers.

Balls of cookie dough resting in the chopped peanuts ready to be pressed.
Sometimes brilliant ideas are easy to replicate.

MODERN VERSION

Our modern take on  PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES happened when we decided to give them even more peanut flavour. Seriously, what’s wrong with that? In the end, we worked up a method that creates a scrumptious-looking peanut-crusted cookie with bold flavours.

Peanut Butter Cookies topped with chopped, salted peanuts and a sprinkle of seas salt flakes.
Loaded with peanut flavor plus a salty-sweet finish!

Make sure to watch this VIDEO to see how easy making them truly is. Pro tip: sprinkling some sea salt flakes on this version knocks this homemade cookie recipe out of the park. A grand slam!

Peanut Butter Cookies
Imagine serving these to your weekend guests and family.

THE RESULT

We are tickled pink with both the CLASSIC and MODERN versions of our best PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES yet. Split one open and marvel at those crispy edges and soft, chewy centres. Just like our PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES, our zesty GINGERSNAPS and these chewy OATMEAL COOKIES, they all love being dipped in a glass of milk. That said, we know you’ll find your own way of enjoying them; trust us, it won’t be tough!

A plate of our peanut-crusted Peanut Butter Cookies served with a big glass of cold milk.
They taste really wonderful dipped in milk, too.

Enjoy these truly better-than-bake-sale PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES.

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Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

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Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

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Ingredients

  • 2-½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ cup butter, room temperature
  • ½ cup vegetable shortening or lard, room temperature
  • 1-½ cups creamy peanut butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Modern style: 
  • 1 cup salted peanuts, chopped
  • sea salt flakes, optional

Directions

  1. Stir flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium-sized bowl. Pass through a sieve into a separate bowl, then set aside. 
  2. Place butter, shortening and peanut butter in the large bowl of a stand mixer and run on medium speed to combine. Beat in granulated and brown sugars, then add eggs and vanilla. 
  3. Add the flour mix and blend until just combined.
  4. Preheat oven to 350°F. 
  5. Classic version: Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place 2-inches apart on a parchment paper-lined baking or cookie sheet. Push fork down onto balls to create criss-cross pattern.
  6. Modern version: Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place ball on plate containing chopped peanuts. Using a flat-bottomed glass with plastic wrap around the base, press cookie down. Gently coax cookie off of glass, invert and place 2-inches apart on a parchment-lined baking or cookie sheet.
  7. Transfer to oven and bake 12 minutes for softer cookies, 14 minutes for crisp-edged cookies. 
  8. Remove from oven and leave cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes to cool. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.

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