These Peanut Butter Cookies are soft, chewy and packed with rich peanut butter flavor and crunchy honey roasted peanuts. Made from scratch with simple pantry ingredients, this easy peanut butter cookie recipe is perfect for classic cookie cravings and bake-sale favorites.
Peanut Butter Cookies are everything you want in a homemade cookie — jumbo, thick, tender in the center, crisp around the edges and loaded with nutty sweetness. These cookies use chopped honey roasted peanuts for added crunch and a subtle sweet note, but ordinary peanuts work just fine if that’s what you have on hand.
This version is a slightly upgraded take on the classic crisscross peanut butter cookie. It stays true to the nostalgic flavor while adding texture and depth from brown sugar and chopped peanuts. The dough benefits from a short chill to help the cookies keep a bakery-style thickness.
What I Love About This Recipe
- Balance of textures: soft, chewy centers with crunchy chopped peanuts throughout.
- Deep, classic peanut butter flavor boosted by brown sugar and honey roasted peanuts.
- Dough chills and holds shape well for thick, bakery-style cookies.
- Comforting and familiar — these disappear quickly from cookie jars.
Equipment You May Need
- Mixing bowls (one for dry ingredients, one for the dough)
- Hand mixer or stand mixer for creaming butter and sugars
- Plastic wrap for chilling the dough
- Baking sheet(s) lined with parchment or silicone mats
- Fork for the classic crisscross pattern
- Wire cooling rack
(Full printable recipe card is below.)
Peanut Butter Cookies Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour – 2 3/4 cups
- Baking Soda – 1 1/4 teaspoons
- Salt – 1/4 teaspoon
- Unsalted Butter – 3/4 cup, softened
- Shortening – 1/4 cup
- Brown Sugar – 1 1/4 cups
- Granulated Sugar – 1/2 cup (plus 1 tablespoon for topping)
- Creamy Peanut Butter – 1 cup
- Eggs – 2 large
- Vanilla Extract – 2 teaspoons
- Chopped Honey Roasted Peanuts – 1 cup (or use regular peanuts)
How to Make Peanut Butter Cookies
Step One: Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Step Two: Cream butter and sugars. In a large bowl, beat the butter and shortening on medium speed until smooth. Add the brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the peanut butter, then add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla, mixing until combined.
Step Three: Finish the dough. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until just combined. Fold in the chopped peanuts with a spatula or wooden spoon.
Step Four: Chill the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until the dough is firm enough to scoop.
Step Five: Preheat oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Step Six: Scoop and shape. Scoop the dough into large 3-tablespoon portions and place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Use a fork dipped in sugar to press a crisscross pattern into each cookie. Lightly sprinkle the tops with the remaining tablespoon of granulated sugar.
Step Seven: Bake. Bake for 13 to 17 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are golden around the edges and still slightly soft in the center. Allow to cool on the pan briefly, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
(Full printable recipe card is below.)
Serving Suggestions
- Serve warm with a tall glass of milk.
- Add to cookie trays, bake sale tables or lunchbox treats.
- For a fun twist, sandwich cookies with chocolate or marshmallow frosting, or drizzle/dip with melted chocolate.
- Great for holidays and perfect year-round.
Quick Tips for Best Results
- Chill the dough to minimize spreading and keep cookies thick.
- Don’t overbake — centers should remain slightly soft for a chewy texture.
- Dip your fork in sugar before pressing the crisscross to prevent sticking.
- Use a commercial-style peanut butter (Jif, Skippy) for consistent texture and spread.
- Adjust cookie size as desired; larger cookies will need more baking time.
Peanut Butter Cookies FAQ
How should I store these cookies?
Store fully cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Can I freeze these cookies?
Yes. Freeze baked cookies or unbaked dough balls for up to 2 months. Thaw baked cookies at room temperature.
How long will they stay soft?
When stored properly in an airtight container, they stay soft for several days. Reheat briefly for a fresh-baked texture.
Substitutions?
You can swap peanuts for chocolate chips or use chunky peanut butter instead of creamy for extra texture.
Can I use low-fat ingredients?
Low-fat peanut butter or butter substitutes may change texture and flavor and are not recommended for best results.
What else can I add?
Mini chocolate chips, chopped pretzels, or toffee bits are all great add-ins. Melted chocolate drizzles or chocolate-dipped bottoms make a nice finish.
Dietary adaptations:
Vegan: use plant-based butter and egg replacers along with vegan peanut butter. Gluten-free: try a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Low-carb: experiment with approved sugar substitutes, noting results may vary.
Other Cookie Recipes You May Enjoy
- Cannoli Cookies — a cookie inspired by the classic Italian dessert.
- Mudslide Cookies — rich chocolate cookies inspired by the cocktail.
- Buckeye Thumbprint Cookies — a favorite combination of chocolate and peanut butter.
Hope you enjoy this gourmet-style soft and chewy Peanut Butter Cookie recipe. If you try it, share any variations you loved or adjustments you made.
Peanut Butter Cookies — Printable Recipe
Yield: 24 large cookies | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Chill: 30 minutes | Cook: 13–17 minutes | Total: ~1 hour
Ingredients
Cookie
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup shortening
- 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (plus 1 tablespoon for topping)
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped peanuts (honey roasted or regular)
Topping
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and shortening until smooth. Add brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Mix in peanut butter, then the eggs one at a time, and finally the vanilla.
- Beat in the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the chopped peanuts.
- Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes until firm enough to scoop.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
- Scoop about 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie and place on prepared sheets about 2 inches apart. Use a fork dipped in sugar to press a crisscross pattern on each cookie. Lightly sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of sugar.
- Bake 13–17 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until edges are golden. Cool briefly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- Do not recommend using natural peanut butter for this recipe; commercial peanut butter gives better texture.
- For softer, chewier cookies, pull them from the oven when centers still look slightly soft.
- Substitutions: use chunky peanut butter, swap peanuts for chocolate chips, or choose salted/unsalted/honey-roasted peanuts depending on preference.
Nutrition (approx. per cookie)
Calories: 290 kcal • Carbohydrates: 30 g • Protein: 6 g • Fat: 17 g
