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.
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.
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.
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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.
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!
More peanut butter cookies:
Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
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.
Donna Brown says
Love these cookies 🍪🍪🍪 all my Grandkids will enjoy them!! Thank You.
Anna says
That's fantastic! Thank you so much, Donna!
Duana says
My cookies didn't flatten, is that normal?
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
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!
Lori says
Amazing! I did add 6oz of chocolate chips!!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Yay! That's awesome! Thank you, Lori!
Erin says
Oh yum! These are gorgeous! These look outstanding!!
Amy says
These look so chewy and tasty! I want to bake up a batch!
Jen says
I want a whole plate of these and a tall glass of milk! So delicious!
Jamielyn says
SO delicious! Soft, chewy and baked to perfection!
Cheryl says
My favorite classic, thanks for the recipe!!
Dee says
Yummy! These are definitely a perfect addition to Christmas cookie platters!
Toni says
These are a favorite in my house! Thank you for all the detailed info.
Kristyn says
Quick, easy, & delicious! I love peanut butter cookies & these are so soft and delicious!
Dorothy says
You've described my very favorite type of cookie. Love that sugary crunch on the outside, and the soft texture on the inside!
Sabrina says
My kids would have so much fun making these with me. Such a yummy cookie!
Amanda says
They look so soft and delicious!!
Kara says
These look so soft and yummy! I love the idea of rolling them in sugar, it adds a pretty sparkle.
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Thank you, Kara!
Christy says
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.
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
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!