There’s a foolproof way to bake soft and chewy peanut butter cookies. That’s to underbake them slightly. That’s it. Baking a batch of peanut butter cookies until they “look” done is deceiving and creates a crunchy result.
How to Make Homemade Peanut Butter Cookies
I’ve had this peanut butter cookie recipe in my binder since my kids were little, and my oldest is 25. Whenever my father in law would visit he would ask for these cookies.
My entire family loves them and anyone else who happens to try them does too. They never make it off the cooling rack and into a container, they are always devoured too fast!
Smooth or Rustic?
You can make your cookies nice and neat or give them a more rustic look, either way, they taste great. For neat as a pin cookies, scoop the dough out with a cookie scoop and roll the dough lightly in the palms of your hands. For rustic, just release from the scooper and leave as is.
Shortening vs Butter
There is shortening in this recipe (I discovered several years ago this recipe originates from the back of the Crisco can). I have used both plain vegetable shortening and butter flavored shortening, however, I have never tried substituting butter. As the saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” ;) If you would like to try with butter, I’d love to hear your results.
Baking Notes
When you bake these, start with a small batch and check them after 7 minutes. Mine are always perfect at 8 minutes. They will look a little underdone and puffy. Once you remove them from the oven and let them cool a bit, they will relax and settle.
Ingredients for Peanut Butter Cookies
from the back of the Crisco container
- 1/2 cup shortening (or butter flavored shortening)
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
Helpful Kitchen Tools
If you’re looking for more peanut butter cookie ideas…
- Try my tweaked Nutella version of these – Peanut Butter Nutella Cookies.
- Maybe you prefer a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie!
- These Peanut Butter Corn Flake Cookies look amazing too.
- If you prefer not to bake, these Peanut Butter and Corn Chip No Bake Cookies are right up your alley!
This post was originally published on this blog on May 25, 2010.
Peanut Butter Cookies
Who doesn't love a fresh batch of homemade soft and chewy peanut butter cookies? Well if you're someone who does, we've got the perfect recipe for you!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup shortening or butter flavored shortening
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 1 large egg
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Combine shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat with electric mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add egg. Beat just until blended.
- Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended.
- Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls (using a cookie scoop works great) 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet. Flatten slightly in crisscross pattern with tines of fork.
- Bake for 7 to 8 minutes, or until set and just beginning to brown. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to racks to cool completely.
Nutrition Facts
Peanut Butter Cookies
Amount Per Serving (2 cookies)
Calories 111 Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 8%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 5mg 2%
Sodium 104mg 4%
Potassium 55mg 2%
Total Carbohydrates 13g 4%
Sugars 8g
Protein 2g 4%
Vitamin A 0.2%
Calcium 1.2%
Iron 2.6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Amanda Formaro
President at Amanda's Creative Studio, Inc.
Amanda Formaro is the crafty, entrepreneurial mother of four children. She loves to bake, cook, make kid's crafts and create decorative items for her home. She is a crafting expert and guru in the kitchen and has appeared online and in print publications many times over the years. She is also a craft book author five times over and product developer as well as the owner of FunFamilyCrafts.com. You can find her on social media by using the buttons to the left!
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Elena says
Can you make peanut butter cookies without shortening and made 24 cookies?
Amanda Formaro says
I have heard of others using just butter. I have not personally tried it myself, but others have said it works fine.
Sue says
This hands down the best peanut butter cookie I have ever made. And at Abe 65 and a lot of cookies baked that’s saying something!
Amanda Formaro says
This is definitely a foolproof winner, the secret is to not over bake them! :)
Carrie says
I cannot sleep so I was going to bake my husband some cookies.
I was sad to find that I didn’t have any butter.
I came across this and have used this recipe before.
However, I have never tried adding chocolate chips to it.
Can you add chocolate chips to this recipe without any other alterations? Thanks.
Amanda Formaro says
I have not tried that, but I think it could be done. In fact, now I want to try it!
Natalie says
YUM! These cookies look delicious!
Kelley says
These are in the oven right now and I can’t wait until they’re done!!!! Judging by the cookie dough (I can never help myself) this will be my new go-to recipe. I added some semi-sweet chocolate chips to cater to my tastes. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!!!
Kim says
How many cookies does this recipe make? Need to gauge whether I should double for the size of our crowd.
Amy Alusa says
I’ve used this recipe from the Crisco can for years….and have never found one that even compares. This recipe is THE VERY BEST!
Sarah Chickee says
I just tried these. I made the Nutella version, but since I didn’t have Nutella, I used chocolate spread instead.
They. Are. So. Good. OMG, I love them. Thanks so much for posting the recipe, these are going in my recipe book for many future uses.
Amanda Formaro says
So glad you liked them Sarah, thank you!