These crisp peanut butter cookies are old-fashioned style with crunchy, crumbly edges and soft-baked centers.
Peanut butter lovers rejoice! This cookie is for you.
I made a huge batch of these classic cookies for the weekend. These peanut butter cookies will melt in your mouth. The edges are chewy, the centers are soft, the tops are crinkly.
This is a super basic recipe. A classic cookie, holding a top spot near chocolate chip cookies and sugar cookies. No frills, nothing fancy. No candy bar pieces, gooey caramel, chocolate chips, or sprinkles to take away from the massive peanut butter flavor. Trust me, you won’t miss any of that stuff! Just pure peanut butter. By the way, if you want EXTRA peanut butter flavor, you must make these very peanut butter cookies. Twice the peanut butter!
Today’s cookies are large with crisp crunchy edges and soft-baked centers. For a smaller cookie that’s completely soft, I recommend my regular peanut butter cookies. That dough serves as the base for other favorites like peanut butter blossoms and peanut butter chocolate swirl cookies.
The most important part of today’s recipe? Chill your cookie dough! The dough is extremely soft due to the creamy peanut butter, eggs, and butter and if it’s not cold going into the oven, the cookies will spread all over your baking sheet. I chilled this cookie dough for 24 hours and my cookies were soft, thick perfection. I recommend chilling the dough for at least 3 hours.
Crisp Peanut Butter Cookies
- Prep Time: 3 hours, 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: 30 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These classic peanut butter cookies are always a hit. Easy to make, easier to eat!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature*
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (250g) creamy peanut butter*
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- optional: 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and both sugars together on medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs and mix on high until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and peanut butter and mix on high until combined. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, toss the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Add to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Dough will be thick, yet very sticky. Cover dough tightly and chill for at least 3 hours (and up to 2 days) in the refrigerator.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Roll balls of dough (about 1.5 Tablespoons or 27-30g of dough per cookie) and roll into granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Press fork into the tops to create the criss-cross pattern. Bake for 12–13 minutes or until very lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look very soft and undone. Remove from the oven and let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will continue to “set” on the baking sheet during this time.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Allow to come to room temperature and continue with step 3. Baked cookies freeze well—up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well—up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Cooling Rack
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure you have room temperature butter, not melted in the slightest. Do not soften in the microwave—that makes it sort of melty and greasy. Place out 1 hour before beginning. Room temperature eggs are preferred. Good rule of thumb: always use room temperature eggs when using room temperature butter.
- Peanut Butter: Chunky peanut butter works as well. I do not suggest using natural style, oily peanut butter. Brands such as Jif or Skippy work best.
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
Have you tested this with monk fruit sugar for Keto?
Hi Russ, we have not. For best taste and texture (and so you don’t waste your time trying to adapt this recipe since it may not work properly), it may be more useful to find a recipe that is specifically formulated for monk fruit. Thank you!
thank you for sharing with us, I think this website genuinely stands out : D.
Hi Sally do you think this recipe would turn out ok if I didn’t use a silicone baking mat or parchment paper but used foil instead?
Aluminum foil is not non stick and will cause the cookies to brown much faster on the bottom. We highly recommend baking mats or parchment if it’s available. You can use aluminum foil in a pinch, but make sure to grease it and expect the cookies to bake faster.
Thank you for your prompt response! Love all your recipes cuz they always turn out just right and are so delicious!! God bless you guys!!
Best peanut butter cookie I’ve ever tasted! The last batch is in the oven now. I used a smaller cookie scoop (1 tablespoon) and it made 6 dozen 2-1/2 inch cookies. That size is just right for our family (otherwise they disappear too quickly!). The dough is a dream to work with. I made the dough yesterday and refrigerated it overnight. I let it sit on the counter for about an hour to come to room temperature. These cookies are AMAZING! Because of Sally and this website, I’m wanting to bake cookies all the time. Sally has taught me so many things about good baking, such as weighing ingredients instead of measuring. It’s actually easier (fewer dishes) and very accurate! Another great tip is not over-softening the butter; it should be about 65 degrees. I just ordered my best friend a Sally’s Baking Addiction cookbook for her birthday. I already have that, plus Sally’s Cookie Addiction. Everything I make from those cookbooks, or the website, is the best, seriously the best!
Thank you so much for your kind feedback and for making and trusting our recipes!
The Cookies are great but the yield of 30 was WAY off. I did exactly 1.5 tablespoons per cookie and ended up with 5 dozen big cookies.
Has this recipe been changed recently? I used it when it was titled “classic peanut butter cookies”. My last batch was too crispy and my husband did not like them as much.
Hi Liz, this recipe hasn’t changed since publishing. I did change the name to “crispy” as they are on the crispier, crunchier side compared to softer-style peanut butter cookies. Try reducing the bake time by 1-2 minutes for a softer cookie.
These are my go-to cookies. I probably make them about 10 times a year (food is my love language, there’s a batch chilling in my fridge right now!). I always use chunky peanut butter, it makes them extra chewy. Even people who don’t like chunky peanut butter love these cookies. I’ve made them peanut butter blossom style with kisses on top, added caramel and white chocolate chips, but my favorite is classic chocolate chips, they are my all time favorite cookie!
Hello Ori! I am 12 and also celiac, so I understand how difficult it is to find gluten-free baking recipes! I use 1-1 King Arthur Gluten Free Baking Four! I haven’t tried it with these cookies yet, but I’ve tried it with other recipes, and it works great! Let me know how it goes!
I followed the recipe to a ‘t’ weighing the ingredients and baking for 13 minutes. They were delicious, but not at all crispy. Mine turned out to be a nice thick peanut-buttery cakey cookie. Maybe the temp of my oven is off. Still, I had no problem polishing off these cookies.
I just walked my 8-year-old son through this recipe tonight and the cookies came out amazing. We can’t stop eating them. They really hit the spot when you want something sweet.
Holy Moley! Wow, these are good! Soft, with a sandy texture. Just the right amount of peanut butter. Not too sweet, but great with a cold glass of milk!
These were so good. I don’t even why to try the “very” pb ones because I don’t want to mess with the perfect taste! I may have eaten half the dough too (shh…I don’t mind living dangerously with raw egg). But…I have a flattening problem. I weighed the ingredients to make sure I have recipe perfect. I used parchment. I chilled the dough over night. I have a thermometer in the oven that says the temp was right. And still, mine were super flat. I tried baking from frozen too and the same thing happened. They are still delicious was hoping for the classic thicker cookie with the cross marks. Maybe I should try less butter next time?
Hi Danielle, We are so happy you enjoyed these! If yours are spreading too much check the temperature of your butter. Butter that is too soft is one of the most common reasons cookies spread. This is what room temperature butter really means. Also make sure you are using a creamy style commercial peanut butter like Jif or Skippy, and not a natural or oily type. You can also check out all of our tips for preventing cookies from spreading for more troubleshooting ideas. If you are still having trouble, try adding an extra TBS of flour to the dough which can help bulk it up. Hope this helps!
i’ve done this one and the very peanut butter ones, they are both very yum!!
but i want to do some egg-free ones for my friends, can you help me with some idea?
thanks!!
Hi Lily, we haven’t tested any egg substitutes in this recipe but let us know if you do! Here’s all our egg-free recipes if you’re interested.
Could I use this recipe to make bars instead of cookies? If yes, what size pan would I use?
Thank you! I love your recipes – they are the best!
Hi Jan, We haven’t tested this exact dough as bars, but it should fit into a 9×9 inch square baking pan. We are unsure of the exact bake time needed. Let us know if you give it a try!
Can I substitute pistachio butter for peanut butter
We haven’t tested that! You may love our pistachio drop cookies as well 🙂
One of the best peanut butter cookie recipes! My family and friends loved them!
Why do you have to chill the dough if you bring the dough to room temperature before baking?
Hi Carol, chilling the dough solidifies it. If chilling for longer than 3 hours, the dough will be very hard. Bring it to room temperature so it’s easier to roll into balls. It will not be as soft as it is right after mixing the dough together.
The peanutbutter cookies turned out great .They are not lasting very long lol . I waited 4 hours after getting them out of fridge and I made them smaller and got 3 dozen cookies. Thank you
Hi! I love your website. I am wondering for this recipe or cookie recipes in general can I just cut all the ingredients in half to make a half-batch? I thought I remembered reading once that some recipes just don’t work out the same when cut down proportionally. Thank you!
Hi Laura, in most cases, that should work just fine! It gets a bit trickier when halving cake recipes, but for most cookie recipes you can simply halve by halving all ingredients. Hope this helps!
Thank you!!!
Question — in step 2 of directions, you say to chill the dough for at least 3 hours and then proceed with rolling dough into balls. In your make-ahead directions, you say the dough can be chilled up to 2 days but then remove dough from fridge and bring to room temperature. Bringing to room temp would defeat the purpose of chilling the dough to prevent excessive spreading when baking. I must be missing something. Can you please clarify?
Hi Jerri, after the dough comes together, it’s quite soft and crumbly. Chilling it will solidify the dough. Even after it comes back to room temperature after chilling, it will still be much more solid and compact than it was right after mixing together.
Can you use crunchy peanut butter too?
Hi Paige! Chunky peanut butter works well in this recipe. Enjoy!
Hi, Sally! First off, I think your recipes are AMAZING! I am really looking forward to baking these cookies, but I really want to freeze the dough and was curious if I still needed to chill the dough for 24 hours.
Thanks so much!
Hi Anna, no need to chill the dough for 24 hours, but it may still be helpful to chill them for a bit before rolling into balls, as this dough can be very sticky. Then, once they’re in balls, you can freeze them. Hope this helps!
This is my favorite peanut butter cookie recipe. In fact I keep it on my Favorite recipes board on a Pinterest. The cookies have great flavor and come out perfect every time. If my husband had his way I’d be making these every night. I followed the recipe as is.
So glad these cookies are such a hit for you, Annette!
Can I add Chocolate chips.
Yes! Add 1 cup of chocolate chips. Tastes wonderful.
Can I use vegetable oil as a substitute for the butter
We don’t recommend it, Becky. You want the solid butter to cream with the peanut butter. Oil would make these cookies very thin and they would spread out too much when baked.
I made these cookies a couple days in advance and froze them. After defrosting them, I rolled them in sugar and then used a meat tenderizer to give shapes to the cookie dough. I liked that the cookies were not overpowered with the peanut butter flavor. Next time, I may bake them for just 10 minutes. My cookies were a little too crunchy for my taste. The middle of the cookie however was perfectly chewy.
Note: I was able to make 48 cookies with this recipe instead of 30 cookies.
Sally, I’m 7 years old, and I am making this peanut butter cookie recipe for my uncle. I have my own baking business and I’m making a lot of money. Today I made a an apple bundt cake and chocolate chip cookies. And both recipes are yours. Yours recipes are awesome!!!
I mixed up the batter last night and planned on baking them in the morning. I got anxious and baked 6 cookies right away. They were very dry. I left the remainder of the dough in the fridge overnight and baked more in the morning. What a difference chilling the dough made !
Soft, chewy, delicious cookies. Best Peanut Butter cookies I have had since my childhood !! Thank You for such great directions.
Just made these again tonight! They’re amazing – the flavor is just right. I leave them in the oven an extra minute because otherwise the middles are too underdone for me. Sally’s site is my go-to site! 🙂
I love these too, I refer to Sally’s for any and all baking recipes that I need!! PS if you haven’t tried her cinnamon rolls, you must!
These are “our” peanut butter cookie. We add PB chips, don’t really know how much. And they are soooo tasty. But, the last batch we made were awful. I dumped a bag of peanut butter chips, hubby thinks that’s what made them bad. I mean they weren’t that bad, very crunchy. Could it have been the PB chips?
What is the difference between Classic Peanut Butter cookies, and Very Peanut Butter Cookies on this site?
Thanks
Hi Raquel, The very peanut butter cookies are made with twice the amount of peanut butter for a dense flavor and softer texture.