There’s a foolproof way to bake soft and chewy peanut butter cookies. That’s to under bake them slightly. That’s it. Baking a batch of peanut butter cookies until they “look” done is deceiving and creates a crunchy result.
I have a lot of favorite cookies, like Snickerdoodles and Chocolate Chip, but these peanut butter cookies are right at the top!
Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe
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. While we love making these peanut butter chocolate chunk bars, the classic peanut butter cookie is the bomb.
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
- I always use shortening, in fact butter-flavored shortening is my preference. I know some people have an aversion to shortening, so you can certainly substitute butter. Just please know the texture may be slightly different.
- I am partial to Skippy or Jif creamy peanut butter. I have not tried these with any of the natural peanut butters or other nut butters yet.
- Firmly packed light brown sugar helps develop the wonderful chewy texture in these cookies.
- I’ve only used cow’s milk in this recipe, but it’s a small amount. If you decide to experiment with other milks I would love to hear about it!
- You will also need pure vanilla extract and one egg. Stick with large eggs in baking, that’s the standard.
- I make these cookies with regular all-purpose flour and have not tried any alternatives.
- You will also need regular table salt and baking soda for this recipe.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
How to Make Peanut Butter Cookies
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.
- 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 tablespoonfuls (using a cookie scoop works great) 2 inches apart onto 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 OVER BAKE. These cookies will look slightly underdone, but that’s what makes them soft and chewy!
- Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to racks to cool completely.
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 – super popular!
- 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!
Peanut Butter Cookies
IMPORTANT - There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- ½ cup shortening or butter flavored shortening
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 ¼ cups firmly packed light brown sugar
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 large egg
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp baking soda
Before You Begin
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 tablespoonfuls (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
This post was originally published on this blog on May 25, 2010.
Amanda Davis
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Brandy Barhite says
I was looking for a recipe without baking powder since I am out. I made these with butter, and rolled them in white sugar before baking, and they are delicious! They have a lighter peanut butter flavor, and are thinner than most peanut butter cookies I’ve made, with crispy edges and soft centers. Yummy- thank you!!
karmin says
These are absolutely amazing!! So soft and turned out perfectly! I followed the recipe to the letter and they are delicious. I added some REESE’S PIECES minis to one of the batches I made and they baked beautifully!
Christine Eldred says
can you use butter instead of shortening
Amanda Davis says
Yes
Hannah Croft says
Added azure standards high quality chocolate chips and used coconut oil instead of shortening and were VERY GOOD
Cookie says
I followed this recipe to a “T” not kidding these were the very best Peanut Butter Cookies I ever made. This cookie recipe made the best cookie recipe. I baked for 7 minutes because I have a gas oven 350° at 7 minutes let cook on the pan a few minutes exactly like the recipe said to do.