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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Nelle Meers says
I made these cookies last weekend and they were THE BEST EVER!!!!!!!!!!! this shall always be my go to recipe. I topped mine with some left over xmas chocolate truffles and it made them even more incredible. These cookies have also increased my popularity amongst my friend and family ;-). Thanks for sharing!!!
Amanda Formaro says
Love the truffle idea! So glad you loved them as much as we do!
Hope says
I used this recipe, except I added chocolate chips, for my wrestling team and the boys LOVED them! Thank you!!!
Amanda Formaro says
Fabulous! Glad they liked them!
Sarah E. says
Chewy cookies are the best!
Stopping by from the Cookie Party.
Amanda Formaro says
I agree, love the chewy ones!
Kira @ Pretty in Fiction says
Ha! Hi! So I found this blog looking for a good peanut butter cookie recipe for my mom (because her baking holiday cookies and not baking PB cookies is just wrong. She would always bake those when me and my brothers were growing up, b/c they were her favorites, but she lost her recipe years ago), and I must say I have fallen in love. With your blog. It’s simply gorgeous, and all the recipes I’v flipped through so far look and sound delicious and fun to make. Definitely going to have to try some out, myself.
Now following. Just so you know I’ll be back. :D
Amanda Formaro says
Thanks Kira – so glad you found the recipe!
Autumn says
I’m making these right now! :) So very good. Thumbs up! :)
Amanda Formaro says
Thanks Autumn, glad you like them! :)
Kandy says
So, I lost my peanut butter cookie recipe and have been trying all the recipes under the sun to get my perfect cookie back. These peanut butter cookies are beast! They are so good, from texture to taste, it’s amazing. I was skeptical simply because of so many failed recipes claiming their amazing and then turning into flat hard blobs…but these truly are just that, amazing. They are soft, tasty, and just perfect. I rolled my cookies and marked them with a fork and they are unimaginably good. Even the fork markings take perfectly to these cookies…they are simply perfect peanut butter cookies.
Amanda Formaro says
Thanks Kandy, what a great comment! So glad you enjoyed them so much :)
Kandy says
Well, thank you for the recipe! I am going to try to make them with chocolate chips. I do not think I will change anything for the recipe just add them in the batter, or maybe on top. Do you think the batter should be adjusted at all?
Julia says
How many cookies does this recipe make?
Kathy says
I used butter, and WOW!!!!! What awesome cookies…and a touch more peanut butter….I’ve made peanut butter cookies for ages, (Not a much as Chocolate Chip cookies my all time favorite!!!!) But this recipe is the best by far, and I am a cookie maker…Sugar, Snickerdoodles (two of my adult sons’favorites) I’ve two son’s in the service and I make cookies and send them to them, and I tell them they have to share, and what stories I hear….there going to love these peanut butter cookies….Thanks……
Amanda Formaro says
So glad you enjoyed them as much as we do! While I certainly can’t claim stake on the recipe, I’m glad I was able to share them with everyone :)
Amanda says
Yes you can, I have made that same substitution many times :)
Lois says
Can I use regular, not butter flavored crisco?
Amanda says
Thanks so much, glad you loved them too!
Anonymous says
I don't care where this recipe came from – it's great. What I really needed from this was the baking time. Mine were perfect at 7 minutes. I really appreciate the tip because I've been looking for a good chewy peanut butter cookie recipe forever. Thanks so much.
Barb, sfo says
Spectacularly delicious!
Amanda says
OMG! Right you are! I have a can of butter flavored Crisco here and I'll be danged if it isn't on the back of the container. I have had this recipe written in my binder for so many years I forgot where I got it :0) Thanks Anon, I will credit it right now :)
Anonymous says
this is the same recipe as the ones on the crisco shortening bars.
Amanda says
Cory – wish I worked with you LOL!
Anonymous – Yes, a tablespoon probably sounds like a lot, hadn't though to make a note about that. Good point! Glad you loved them, I know we do here! :)
Anonymous says
I made these cookies yesterday, and they were just how I wanted them to be – soft and delicious. BUT I didn't believe you when you said a tablespoon of vanilla, so I halved that. But, yeah – they could have used a tablespoon. Still yummy with half, though.
Culinary Cory says
Cookies have become a great way of getting things done at my work. If I'm about to ask for someone to do a huge project, it immediately follows with a "I'll bake you cookies." It works every time. I'm going to have to bookmark these.
Kathy@theshebearofeleven says
So that's the secret. I will definitely be trying this recipe and setting the timer for 8 minutes.
Chow and Chatter says
these look great thanks for the comment on Turkey lol Rebecca