Thick and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies (+ Video)
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These Thick and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies are slightly crisp on the outside, tender and soft on the inside, plus you just scoop and bake them! No rolling in sugar and pressing with a fork required!
I have been working hard to bring you the best classic cookie recipes, or at least what I consider the best. It started off on Wednesday with my Soft Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies, and now we are moving on to these Thick and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies. If you like a crisp, crunchy, “forked” peanut butter cookie, then you might want to go somewhere else. If you like a peanut butter cookie that is soft on the inside and lightly crisp on the outside, without having to roll the dough in sugar or fork the tops, then you’ve come to the right place!
As with all cookies, it’s best to:
- – Use quality ingredients – a good butter can make a huge difference!
- – Use a cookie scoop (warm hands make cookies spread).
- – Start with a little less flour, bake a test cookie, then add more flour if needed. (We don’t want flat cookies, or dry cookies.)
- – Consider your environment: altitude, weather, if your oven is calibrated correctly, etc. and make adjustments as necessary.
*Read my Soft Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies post for in-depth tips and techniques for baking great cookies!
The best part about these cookies is that they are what I call, “scoop and bake cookies.” I LOVE SCOOP AND BAKE COOKIES! Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate all kinds of cookies: cut-out cookies, sugar coated cookies, etc., but sometimes, a cookie is just as good, scooped and baked plain. Plus, it’s less work! These peanut butter cookies are just that kind of cookie. Scoop, bake, enjoy!
I also love the little wrinkles the cookie scoop leaves behind on the top. It’s almost like a crackle cookie. 😀 Y’all are going to love these Thick and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies!!! Grab your glass of milk and enjoy!
Thick and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Cream the butter and sugars together in the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment.
- Add the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla. Mix well and scrape the bowl.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture all at once and mix until just incorporated.
- Scoop dough onto silicone lined baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until just set. Allow cookies to cool slightly on the tray before transferring them to a cooling rack. Store cookies in an airtight container.
Recipe Notes
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183 Comments on “Thick and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies (+ Video)”
Just tried today and they are perfect!! Thanks.
Awesome! Thanks Malikah!
Ok I have been looking for this kind I’d a f recipe for forever!!these are amazing! ! My husband asked me to make peanut butter cookies for him and our kids and they are getting eatin up as fast as they are coming out of the oven! Definitely a keeper this recipe!! Thanks for sharing!
That makes me so happy Amanda! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience!
I made a double batch of these and they still turned out fantastic! Thanks for a great recipe!
Sweet! Glad you liked them Stacey!
So this PB Cookie recipe has now replaced my Grandmother’s recipe from the PA Grange book. Need I say more??
I will though – I was drawn to this because you don’t have roll the cookies and anything with soft and chewy in the title is a plus. I made them last night – they’re a breeze to make, drop and bake. AND THEY ARE DELICIOUS.
Two additional comments – I made a double batch because 19 cookies (and made smaller so adjusted bake time) is not enough for our Christmas trays. Second – I have a habit of finding an online recipe, printing, trying it and losing it!! Well my 20something daughter made me put the recipe in her book immediately because she said “you cannot lose this one Mom!” So I’m back to get the recipe bookmarked, printed, handwritten in her book, and posted to her online recipe page! Thank you so much –
That’s wonderful news Sheila! I’m glad you liked them! Thanks so much for your comment!
Have been trying to find a soft chewy….lb is husbands favorite. It’s only 7 in morning, below zero and I’m headed to kitchen. They might be my breakfast and ill have to make more this aft. Great reviews. Now to find soft oatmeal.
Cookies for breakfast are never a bad thing. 😉 I have a soft oatmeal cookie recipe too if you want to check it out: https://www.dessertnowdinnerlater.com/chewy-oatmeal-raisin-cookies/
Anywhere I have ever taken theses cookies, people devour them. They sell out first at bake sales and my daughter’s boss regularly gives me a $20.00 bill and says “bake until this is gone”. I use them as gifts, also. You won’t be disappointed.
Awesome!
Can I reduce the amount of sugar by one third?
You are welcome to experiment and adjust the recipe to your tastes. I just can’t guarantee the outcome to look or taste like mine, because I haven’t tried it that way. Good luck!
I tried and it was so good!
I couldn’t get the chewy texture like yours though:) Thank you!
I’m glad it was still good!
Just spotted these on my Pinterest and am desperate to have a go. Does anyone have the conversions into grams please as I am a Brit and we don’t tend to use cups often. Ppleeeasssse I can taste them from the pics!! Thanks in advance 😊
I just googled these. Hopefully they are accurate.
114 grams butter
100 grams granulated sugar
180 grams brown sugar
125 grams creamy peanut butter
1 large egg
4.2 grams vanilla
225 grams all-purpose flour
5 grams baking soda
2.5 grams salt
That is brilliant thank you. My first job Saturday morning. Can’t wait. Will have a happy household x
For How many people is this receipe??
This recipe makes about 18 medium/large sized cookies.
Hey, thanks for the recipe! These look super great 🙂
I’ve been searching for the perfect peanut butter cookie recipe for YEARS, and now I’ve found it! The texture, flavour and size are ideal (for me and my family’s preference, anyway). Thank you for sharing and for ending my search.
That’s great news Ash! Thanks for your comment! I’m so glad the search is over!
I’ve made this recipe three times now and just can’t seem to get the cookie in the picture. I’ve read all the comments and replies. My cookies will not flatten. I’ve stirred the flour to “put air in it”, used a little less flour and I’ve tried using half the baking soda. I even tried with melted butter. I end up smashing them down halfway through baking, but that chewy texture (from the picture) is not achieved. I don’t have a Kitchenaid, only a hand mixer. The dough is always too dry. Should I try again mixing it by hand? What else should I be doing? Help! I’m desperate to achieve this cookie. Thanks for sharing and in advance for all your help!
Hi Monica,
The dough shouldn’t be dry at all. You can try doing 1 cup of flour instead of 1 1/2. You must use butter, not margarine or shortening, but it sounds like you are using real butter. What brand of peanut butter are you using? I use Jif Creamy Peanut Butter. If you use an all natural peanut butter, it may not work. Maybe try smaller balls of cookie dough as well. The hand mixer should be just fine, I don’t think that’s the problem. I’m so sorry you’re having problems! I hope one of these suggestions helps!
These cookies are a hit with my family 🙂 it’s my go to recipe!!
I’m so glad! Thanks for your comment Liz!
Obsessed with these cookies!! Im super picky when it comes to peanut butter cookies and these are hands down the BEST! Love the slightly crisp outside and the soft chewey inside…YUM!!! This will be my forever recipe! Thanks 🙂
I’m the same way. I love a crisp outside and soft, chewy inside! So glad you like my recipe! Thanks for your comment Rebecca!
Hi,
I have made these cookies numerous times and love them!
I have a family member that wants peanut butter cookies for a diabetic, donyou think these would work with Splenda? Do you think I would need to adjust anything?
This is my favorite recipe and wanted to use it
Thanks in advance Chantell
I haven’t tried it myself, but it’s supposed to work okay. Here is some info from the Splenda website: “One cup of Splenda granulated sweetener or 24 individual Splenda packets is equal to 1 cup of sugar. When using Splenda sugar or brown sugar blends, 1/2 cup is equal to 1 cup of sugar.”
Thank you so much
Yeah I seen that on their website
I will give it a try 🙂
Hi,
Really want to try this. Just wondering if you think this would work for a layer in a giant cookie layer cake?
I bet it would. Press the cookie dough flat and bake for about 12-15 minutes.
Amazing thank you, can’t wait!! 😊
Omg best peanut butter cookies ever. They almost taste like subway peanut butter cookies thanks so much for sharing.
I’m so glad you like them Zena! Thanks for your comment!
I Love Love Love this recipe. I’m the type of person that reads reviews so i know what I’m dealing with and these didn’t disappoint. I tried making a different recipe one time and they came out with a sandy texture however these were perfect. A little crisp but chewy. I also added 2tbs of crunch peanut butter and 1/4 cup of chocolate chips but they still would have been perfect without them… PS: I hate that fork and sugar method
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe with your minor alterations. I’ve definitely added chocolate chips every now and then too. 🙂
I needed a chewy peanut butter cookie recipe for my dad’s birthday and these were so so good and so easy to make (and came out great in an electric oven I had never used before!) ! I could memorize this one. Thanks for making such a delicious cookie!
That’s great! So glad you enjoyed them so much!
These are some of the easiest cookies I’ve ever made, and their taste certainly didn’t suffer because of it! Prep time was 20 minutes, bake time clocked in at 25 and my family adores them! They turned out just like the Pinterest pictures (which isn’t usually the case) and I would make these again for sure! Thank you for such a great, simple recipe!
That’s the best news! I’m so glad it was a success for you! Thanks for your comment Olivia!
Best peanut butter cookies I’ve ever made, and so easy. Turned out just like the picture and so soft and chewy! Thank you Amber for such a great recipe! Will be my new go to Peanut Butter cookie recipe!
So good! I split my dough in half and added chocolate chips to one of the halves. So yummy
Awesome! We love adding chocolate chips sometimes too!
I make these quite often. A chewy center with a slight crisp outside?!?!? These are the BEST PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES EVER!!!
Thanks for your comment Jay! I’m so glad to hear that you feel the same way I do about these cookies. 🙂
I just took a tray of these out of the oven. Are they going to flatten out to look like yours? Mine are still in a mounded scoop shape. I can’t wait until they cool enough for me to try one. I LOVE peanut butter cookies.
That’s strange. They should spread. Make sure that when you measure the flour, stir it up to incorporate air first, then spoon it into the cup and level it off. The only other thing it could be is the type of peanut butter. I use JIF creamy peanut butter. I hope they were tasty at least.
Yes, I do spoon the flour into the measuring cup. I use a smooth, no stir organic peanut butter. That could be the difference. It’s not quiet as ‘loose’ as non-organic. They were fantastic and my kids loved them. The loaded all of them up and took them back to Austin. Next time I will be dipping a glass in sugar and then giving them a little press before I cook them.
Is the dough supposed to be light and whippy?
I guess you could say that’s what it’s like. I hope it worked out for you.
I have made these cookies a number of times and they are always great! I do have a question if you needed to bake a batch and didn’t have enough butter would the recipe work with margarine? Or half butter and half margarine? I always bake with butter but I have definitely run out and not noticed till I needed it and couldn’t get out.
I believe I got your question answered over on Facebook, but in case anyone else wants to know. You can use margarine, but you may need to flatten them slightly before baking. If you use shortening, you will definitely need to flatten the cookie prior to baking. Butter is preferred though.
Hi, love this recipe, have used it several times now, can you elaborate on your instruction of using “good” butter?
thank you
Hi Pamela! Glad you are enjoying this recipe. I’ve found that a butter like Land o’Lakes has better results than a store-brand (i.e. Great Value, Member’s Mark, etc.) The quality definitely makes a difference in the spread of the cookie. The cheaper store name brands tend to spread more than the higher quality brands.
Has anyone tried this recipe using gluten free all purpose flour?
My friend Heather has and says it works great!
I have a great cookie recipe for a half brownie, half choc. chip cookie.
But I was trying to find a peanut butter cookie that could replace the choc.. chip side Yours recipe looks amazing. I don’t want the cookie to flatten to much..So I am going to give it a try. Thank You!!
I hope it worked out for you! Sounds delicious!
How long peanut butter cookies stay fresh?
I would say 5-7 days.
What about using a hand mixer for cookie?
A hand mixer would work great too!
What size cookie scoop to use?
I typically use a #40 scoop for all of my cookies.
These turned out perfect! Thank you!
Great! Glad it was a success!
I had to come on here to tell you that this Peanut Butter cookie recipe is the BEST I have ever tried. I have looked for a chewy peanut butter cookie recipe that also has a great peanut butter flavor and this one is IT. I have made this probably 12 times since I found the recipe 2 weeks ago. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us…it is truly amazing. I have shared this recipe with so many people. You can’t eat just one! (by the way I followed the recipe exactly and is perfect. No need to change a thing!)
Thank you!
I’m so glad you love it as much as we do! Thanks for coming back to share your experience!
The best cookie ever!! Just made today for my kids, I didn’t have any eggs (hubby didn’t think it was important to tell me he used all we had making pancakes and eggs for the kids!) so I used 1/4 cup of homemade apple sauce instead, also add 1/2 cup of Reese’s peanut butter chips, I used an ice cream scoop and made 22 cookies, really delicious! Since it’s almost gone already, I’m making again tomorrow! Thanks for the recipe!!
Glad it was a success Bianca! Thanks for sharing your experience!
I have been baking for many years but have never tried my hand at peanut butter cookies. Someone at work requested PNB cookies. I found your recipe and delighted that I didn’t need to roll them. Rolled cookies are my nemesis.
I went right by the recipe but they didn’t seem to have a prominent PNB flavor. Mine seemed to have more of a flour taste. Could I have done something wrong or try something differently?
I’m sorry you feel these didn’t have enough peanut butter taste. You can try adding peanut butter chips next time.
Wonderful! Thank you for our new favorite cookie! Outstanding!
Glad they were a hit! Thanks Wendy!
These are amazing! I followed the directions exactly and they turned out wonderful. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
That’s great! Thanks for your comment Barbara!