I have been testing various recipes for peanut butter cookies lately to find one that is soft in texture and has plenty of peanut butter for a strong peanut butter flavor. After adding some extra butter and a little extra peanut butter to the mix, I am happy to say the cookies turned out soft, buttery and beautifully nutty! If you prefer more of a chewy peanut butter cookie, I would recommend adding several tablespoons less butter and adding just enough flour for a cookie dough that rolls well without crumbling.
You may also enjoy Peanut butter surprise cookies, Reese’s peanut butter cup cookies, or Browned butter peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.
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Softest Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons softened, salted butter 1 1/2 sticks or 3/4 cup
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter see note
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (leveled) *see note
- additional granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Cream sugars and butter until smooth and well combined. Add peanut butter, vanilla extract and egg, mixing again until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients and add to the wet ingredients. Add flour sparingly until you are able to roll the dough into a soft ball.
- Roll the dough into balls (may be slightly sticky), then roll into additional granulated sugar. Place onto baking sheets with an inch or two of space between, then stamp with a potato masher or fork to get the signature square shapes on top.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes until set in the centers and starting to brown just slightly on the edges. For softer cookies, do not overbake! Allow to cool, then serve and enjoy.Storage notes below.
Notes
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Ingredients needed for these soft peanut butter cookies: Butter (more than shown), egg, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, salt, baking soda, brown sugar, peanut butter and all-purpose flour.
Step 1: Cream sugars and softened butter in a medium sized mixing bowl until smooth and well combined. Add peanut butter, vanilla extract and egg, mixing again until smooth.
Can butter be microwaved for a quick softening?
Although I do use the microwave in a pinch for 5-10 seconds, the best way to soften butter is to allow it to sit out to soften to room temperature. If the butter is runny, it will not cream with the sugars to create those pockets of air the cookies need for an optimal rise. If the butter is too cold it will also not mix with the sugar properly.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients and add to the wet ingredients. Add flour sparingly until you are able to roll the dough into a soft ball.
Note on the photo above: In this photo I had used less butter, so the dough may look a little softer than shown in the photo.
Step 3: Roll the dough into balls (may be slightly sticky), then roll into additional granulated sugar. Place onto greased or parchment lined baking sheets with an inch or two of space between, then stamp with a potato masher or fork to get the signature square shapes on top.
Help!? The dough is too sticky to stamp or roll properly.
If your dough is too sticky, try refrigerating it for 20-30 minutes, this works to firm up the dough without needing to add extra flour and lose out on the soft texture we are aiming for in these peanut butter cookies. You can refrigerate the dough or the dough balls that are rolled in sugar before stamping them if the stamping process is difficult.
Final steps: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes until set in the centers and starting to brown just slightly on the edges. For softer cookies, do not overbake! Allow to cool, then serve and enjoy with a glass of milk, cup of coffee or plain. These cookies are also great with some chocolate chips tossed into the batter for peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.
Storage notes:
Keep these cookies at room temperature (tightly wrapped or in an airtight container) for up to a week. For longer storage, you can freeze them for up to several months. I like to keep some handy in the freezer for a quick treat or for tossing into lunch boxes.
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men. Colossians 3:23
Thank you for stopping by and have a great day! Feel free to pin or print this recipe using the icons in the recipe card, but please leave a comment and rating in exchange. -Marilyn Stoltzfus Peight
