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    You are here: Crunchy Creamy Sweet / Dessert / Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

    Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

    Published: Dec 17, 2018 · Modified: Mar 22, 2020 by Anna 53 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies that taste like roasted peanuts and have slightly crunchy exterior thanks to being rolled in sugar before baking. Easy cookies that will quickly become your favorite!

    If you love peanut butter cookies, you will love my Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies as well or the Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies with craisins.

    Side close up shot of peanut butter cookies stacked up on each other.

    It's all the cookies in our house recently! I think I've made several different kinds last weekend and even shared some with our new neighbors! I have my list of cookies I will make for Christmas and these Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies are on top of the list. These cookies taste like roasted peanuts and literally melt in your mouth! They have a slightly crunchy exterior, thanks to being rolled in sugar just before baking. The center is gooey and chewy and so delicious!

    Ingredients:

    • unsalted butter
    • smooth peanut butter
    • granulated sugar
    • brown sugar
    • egg
    • vanilla extract
    • bleached all-purpose flour
    • baking soda
    • salt

    Instructions:

    • Start by creaming softened butter and peanut butter together with a hand mixer. Mix for 30 seconds. Add both sugars and beat for 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and mix just until combined.
    • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking soda. Add to butter and sugar mixture in 3 additions, mixing just until combined. If desired, you can add chocolate chips or chopped nuts to the cookie dough.
    • Cover the bowl with dough and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Scoop 1.5 tablespoon size balls of dough, roll in your hands in balls and roll in sugar. Place on baking sheet, about 2" apart, and bake for 8 to 9 minutes.
    Close up shot of peanut butter cookie dough ball rolled in sugar, placed on baking sheet.

    Chilling the dough:

    I highly recommend chilling the dough before baking. Cover the bowl with cookie dough with saran wrap and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours. You can also make the dough the day before and keep it in the fridge. The cookies will be thick, soft and chewy.

    How to shape the dough?

    You can scoop the cookie dough with a medium cookie scoop (1.5 tablespoon size), roll in sugar and bake. The cookies will puff up during baking and be thick. For slightly flatter cookies, you can press each dough ball down with a bottom of a glass.

    Side shot of four peanut butter cookies on white plate.

    Bleached vs. unbleached flour:

    I tested a few of my cookie recipes with both flours and there was a big difference in the final results. Unbleached flour will cause the cookies to spread and have crispy edges, sometimes once the cookies cooled they were too hard. Bleached flour works the best here. The cookies will be thick, soft and chewy.

    Peanut butter type:

    I used smooth peanut butter and did not test the recipe with crunchy peanut butter. I am not sure how it will affect the creaming step of making the cookie dough. If you have experience making cookies with crunchy peanut butter, feel free to try it and don't forget to share your results with the rest of us!

    Seven peanut butter cookies stacked up on each other.

    More peanut butter cookies:

    • Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
    • Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies
    • Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
    Stack of peanut butter cookies.

    Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

    Author: Anna
    Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies that taste like roasted peanuts and have slightly crunchy exterior thanks to being rolled in sugar before baking. Easy cookies that will quickly become your favorite.
    4.92 from 24 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 8 mins
    Cook Time 8 mins
    chilling time 2 hrs
    Total Time 16 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 24 cookies
    Calories 147 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • ½ cup unsalted butter softened
    • ½ cup smooth peanut butter
    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • ½ cup packed brown sugar
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 ¾ cup all-purpose bleached flour see note
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup granulated sugar for rolling

    Instructions
     

    • In a large mixing bowl, cream softened butter and peanut butter together with a hand mixer. Mix for 30 seconds. Add both sugars and beat for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix just until combined.
    • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking soda. Add to butter and sugar mixture in 3 additions, mixing just until combined. If desired, you can add chocolate chips or chopped nuts to the cookie dough. Cover the bowl with dough and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
    • Preheat oven to 350° F. Scoop 1½ tablespoon size balls of dough, roll in your hands in balls and roll in sugar. Place on baking sheet, about 2" apart, and bake for 8 to 9 minutes. Cool on sheet for 3 to 5 minutes, then remove onto a cooling rack.

    Notes

    • To properly measure flour, fluff the flour in the container you store it in. I do it with a fork or a whisk. Next, scoop the flour with a spoon into the measuring cup. Level the top off and place in a mixing bowl. Repeat until you get the needed amount.
    • Do not use unbleached flour in this recipe. It will affect the final result, the cookies will spread and won't look like the ones in my photos.
    • You can add chopped nuts or chocolate chips to the dough before chilling or place a Hershey Kiss candy on each cookie after baking.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 147kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 127mg | Potassium: 54mg | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 130IU | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.6mg
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment with rating below!

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    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Aimee says

      November 13, 2022 at 1:32 pm

      Do these have a strong peanut butter flavor? I've seen some recipes where people have added more peanut butter to get a stronger flavor.

      Thank you!

      Reply
    2. Phill M. says

      July 30, 2022 at 8:10 pm

      Amazing cookies, I added chocolate chips to the batter and chilled them first before baking and they were amazing...

      Reply
    3. Elena says

      April 25, 2022 at 9:33 am

      Do you to Chilling the dough?

      Reply
    4. Tanya M Trotman says

      August 04, 2021 at 4:55 pm

      5 stars
      Best peanut butter cookie recipe I've ever had!

      Reply
    5. Sheron says

      December 02, 2020 at 2:56 pm

      Can you still use a fork to make the cross-stitch pattern?

      Reply
      • Precious says

        February 26, 2022 at 8:35 pm

        My cookies seem very grainy. it was having trouble combining Do you have any tips or is that normal?

        Reply
    6. Jenn says

      October 09, 2020 at 11:16 pm

      Do you think I would get the same results if I roll the dough into balls first, and then chill it on the baking sheets??

      Reply
    7. Delmy says

      September 26, 2020 at 1:41 pm

      My favorite cookies have always been peanut butter and I must say this is my recipe from on, very delicious 😋

      Reply
      • Shannon Blackmon says

        July 18, 2021 at 3:11 am

        5 stars
        Me2these r my favorite peanut butter cookies since I was a little girl😁🤣

        Reply
    8. jeannie says

      July 23, 2020 at 8:03 am

      5 stars
      omg these are the best peanut butter cookies out there,made them last night,thanks so much!

      Reply
    9. Rachael says

      July 03, 2020 at 7:28 pm

      5 stars
      PERFECT recipe. To the T. All measurements, ingredients, etc. family LOVES these — thank you!

      Reply
      • Anna says

        July 11, 2020 at 11:52 pm

        I am so glad! Thank you, Rachael!

        Reply
    10. Patricia says

      June 17, 2020 at 4:24 pm

      5 stars
      Made these for the forth time today.....they are the best ever! Made them without chips first time then with peanut butter chips, hen with pb and choc chips. This time pb choc and white choc chips. Everyone I share them with begging for more.

      Thank you very much!

      Reply
      • Anna says

        June 18, 2020 at 2:09 pm

        Hi Patricia! Yay! I am so happy you are enjoying the cookies! I absolutely love your add-ons! Thank you so much for trying my recipe! Have a beautiful day!

        Reply
    11. Elizabeth A Wallace says

      June 13, 2020 at 1:16 pm

      I absolutely love this recipe!! But I use crunchy honey roasted peanut butter!!

      Reply
    12. Sam says

      May 28, 2020 at 7:36 pm

      5 stars
      Made these cookies last week and they are absolutely perfect. Slightly crunchy on the outside with that moist center! I added chocolate chips to mine and used crunchy peanut butter. I can confidently say I will never make another peanut butter cookie recipe again 😊

      Reply
      • Anna says

        May 29, 2020 at 2:35 pm

        Hi Sam! That's wonderful! Thank you so much for trying my recipe. I am so glad the cookies were a hit!

        Reply
    13. Moriah says

      February 19, 2020 at 12:29 pm

      I’m wanting to half this recipe. Should I still use the 1 egg and half the rest of the ingredients? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Anna says

        February 19, 2020 at 7:07 pm

        Hi Moriah! I did not test this recipe with this combination. I suggest using just an egg yolk but I can't guarantee the results.

        Reply
      • marita hendricks says

        April 20, 2020 at 8:47 pm

        You could always give away the extra cookies, from preparing the full receipe.

        Reply
    14. Holly says

      October 21, 2019 at 11:39 am

      5 stars
      People go crazy for these cookies! I made them for a birthday at work last month and I got several messages about them - I just hunted them down in my internet history to make for another birthday. Thank you!!

      Reply
    15. Connie says

      October 08, 2019 at 11:27 am

      This recipe is delicious!!! I like to keep cookies in my freezer for when the grandsons come over. They always want "squishy" cookies. These fit the bill. I made a batch yesterday and froze some but left a few out for us and I just finished making them again today. 😊 Not for the freezer!!!

      Reply
      • Anna says

        October 08, 2019 at 12:18 pm

        Hi Connie! That's fantastic! I am so glad you are enjoying the cookies! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for the comment.

        Reply
    16. Tracy says

      September 26, 2019 at 9:40 pm

      5 stars
      I was looking for a peanut butter cookie that stayed soft. These are perfect ❤️

      Reply
      • Anna says

        September 26, 2019 at 11:14 pm

        Thank you so much, Tracy! I am so glad the cookies are a hit!

        Reply
    17. Maleigha says

      September 16, 2019 at 1:50 pm

      5 stars
      I made these and my whole family loved them! I made two batches and my family ate them all in 3 days 😂 thanks so much!

      Reply
    18. Debbie says

      September 11, 2019 at 10:06 am

      3 stars
      I chilled the dough however when I tried rolling them in balls the dough was very crumbly. I tried my best and they came out really dry. And again crumbly. I give up 🙁

      Reply
      • Anna says

        September 14, 2019 at 11:25 pm

        Hi Debbie! I am so sorry you had trouble with the recipe. It sounds like you used too much flour. Did you measure it out properly? You need to fluff the flour in the container first, then scoop it out with a spoon into a measuring cup, level off the top and then use in the recipe. I hope this helps!

        Reply
      • Amanda says

        November 21, 2019 at 7:11 pm

        Mine is crumbly too 😔

        Reply
    19. Raymond79902 says

      September 03, 2019 at 7:27 am

      Anna...

      The, Soft Chewy Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

      No where is there a Baking Temp setting noted like 300 , 425 or any other Temp Degrees...

      Reply
      • Anna says

        September 03, 2019 at 11:09 am

        Hi Raymond! Step 3 states the temperature should be 350 degrees F. Hope this helps!

        Reply
    20. Shevondalon Mason says

      August 14, 2019 at 2:55 pm

      These are the cookies I have been looking for they are delicious 😋🤤

      Reply
    21. Donna Brown says

      July 20, 2019 at 2:46 pm

      5 stars
      Love these cookies 🍪🍪🍪 all my Grandkids will enjoy them!! Thank You.

      Reply
      • Anna says

        July 22, 2019 at 12:29 pm

        That's fantastic! Thank you so much, Donna!

        Reply
    22. Duana says

      February 04, 2019 at 9:33 pm

      My cookies didn't flatten, is that normal?

      Reply
      • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

        February 05, 2019 at 1:24 am

        Hi Duana! How exactly did they come out? Did you measure out the flour properly? If the cookies remained a ball, there was too much flour in the dough. They will look slightly puffed up once out of the oven but will deflate during cooling. Hope this helps!

        Reply
    23. Lori says

      January 12, 2019 at 4:18 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing! I did add 6oz of chocolate chips!!

      Reply
      • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

        January 12, 2019 at 6:52 pm

        Yay! That's awesome! Thank you, Lori!

        Reply
    24. Erin says

      December 19, 2018 at 3:23 am

      5 stars
      Oh yum! These are gorgeous! These look outstanding!!

      Reply
    25. Amy says

      December 18, 2018 at 11:21 am

      5 stars
      These look so chewy and tasty! I want to bake up a batch!

      Reply
    26. Jen says

      December 18, 2018 at 9:24 am

      5 stars
      I want a whole plate of these and a tall glass of milk! So delicious!

      Reply
    27. Jamielyn says

      December 18, 2018 at 9:01 am

      5 stars
      SO delicious! Soft, chewy and baked to perfection!

      Reply
    28. Cheryl says

      December 18, 2018 at 7:47 am

      5 stars
      My favorite classic, thanks for the recipe!!

      Reply
    29. Dee says

      December 17, 2018 at 11:43 pm

      5 stars
      Yummy! These are definitely a perfect addition to Christmas cookie platters!

      Reply
    30. Toni says

      December 17, 2018 at 11:18 pm

      5 stars
      These are a favorite in my house! Thank you for all the detailed info.

      Reply
    31. Kristyn says

      December 17, 2018 at 9:35 pm

      5 stars
      Quick, easy, & delicious! I love peanut butter cookies & these are so soft and delicious!

      Reply
    32. Dorothy says

      December 17, 2018 at 9:04 pm

      You've described my very favorite type of cookie. Love that sugary crunch on the outside, and the soft texture on the inside!

      Reply
    33. Sabrina says

      December 17, 2018 at 8:13 pm

      5 stars
      My kids would have so much fun making these with me. Such a yummy cookie!

      Reply
    34. Amanda says

      December 17, 2018 at 8:00 pm

      5 stars
      They look so soft and delicious!!

      Reply
    35. Kara says

      December 17, 2018 at 6:04 pm

      5 stars
      These look so soft and yummy! I love the idea of rolling them in sugar, it adds a pretty sparkle.

      Reply
      • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

        December 17, 2018 at 6:07 pm

        Thank you, Kara!

        Reply
    36. Christy says

      December 17, 2018 at 5:35 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Anna! We are baking this coming Saturday, and now I am adding these cookies to the list. They look delicious. Thank you so much for sharing all of your wonderful recipes. Have a very Merry Christmas.

      Reply
      • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

        December 17, 2018 at 5:54 pm

        Hi Christy! Yay! I am so excited for you to try them! Thank you so much for your sweet comment! Have a beautiful week and Happy Holidays!

        Reply

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