Peanut Butter Soft Cookies (Print version)

Soft and nutty peanut butter treats with a classic crisscross pattern and chewy texture.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
04 - 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 cup creamy peanut butter
07 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
08 - 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
09 - 1 large egg
10 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ For Finishing

11 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (optional for rolling)

# How to Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
04 - Add egg and vanilla extract to the wet mixture; mix until well combined.
05 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.
06 - Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough for each cookie, roll into balls, and optionally roll in granulated sugar.
07 - Place dough balls 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Flatten each ball with a fork twice in a crisscross pattern.
08 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until edges are lightly golden and centers remain soft.
09 - Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They come together in under 30 minutes, which means you can go from craving to cooling rack faster than a trip to the bakery.
  • The texture is exactly what a peanut butter cookie should be: tender inside with just enough chew to keep you reaching for another.
  • That crosshatch isn't just pretty—it creates little ridges that catch the heat and turn golden while the middle stays soft.
02 -
  • The cookies will look slightly underdone when you pull them from the oven—this is exactly right, and overcooked peanut butter cookies turn hard and lose their soul.
  • Room temperature ingredients, especially the egg and butter, make a real difference in how smoothly the dough comes together and how evenly the cookies bake.
  • If your dough seems too soft to scoop, refrigerate it for 15 minutes; cold dough is easier to shape and spreads less in the oven.
03 -
  • Brown your butter before creaming it with the peanut butter if you want a deeper, more complex flavor that whispers instead of shouts.
  • Use a cookie scoop instead of a spoon—it guarantees even cookies that bake uniformly, which sounds small but changes everything.
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