Old-Fashioned Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies are soft and chewy in the center with slightly crisp, pleasantly crunchy edges. These cookies have the warm, familiar flavor that might remind you of treats made by your mom or grandmother.
If you enjoy peanut butter in the pantry, these cookies are a perfect way to use it. They pair beautifully with a glass of milk or a simple cup of coffee for an easy, nostalgic snack or dessert.
🥜 Ingredients to Have on Hand
The beauty of this classic peanut butter cookie recipe is how simple the ingredient list is. Most of these items are pantry staples, so you can usually make a batch at a moment’s notice. These cookies are chewy and tender, with a rich peanut flavor balanced by brown sugar and just a touch of whole wheat flour for depth.
Peanut Butter: Creamy peanut butter works best for a smooth texture, but chunky peanut butter can add pleasant bits of peanut for extra crunch.
Shortening: Shortening helps keep cookies soft and tender and helps them maintain their shape while baking.
Butter: Use salted or unsalted butter for flavor — it adds richness and depth.
Whole Wheat Flour: This recipe uses a small amount of whole wheat flour (about ½ cup) to add a nutty note and a slightly wholesome texture without making the cookies dense.
Scroll to the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
⭐ Pro Tip
If you don’t use whole wheat flour often, store it in the freezer to keep it fresh. You can stir it into the dough straight from the freezer or let it come to room temperature first — either works fine for this recipe.
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, blend the eggs, both sugars, peanut butter, shortening, and butter until smooth. Then add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Step 2: Stir until the dough is well blended and smooth. You can use a mixer or mix by hand with a sturdy spoon.
Step 3: Use a large tablespoon or a small cookie scoop to portion the dough into mounds about the size of a walnut or golf ball. Keeping the mounds a consistent size helps the cookies bake evenly and achieve a uniform chewy texture.
Step 4: For the classic look, press the tines of a fork into each mound in a crisscross pattern. Dipping the fork in a little sugar before pressing gives a faint sugary crust and prevents sticking. This flattening also helps the thick dough bake evenly.
👩🏻🍳 How to Keep Cookies from Sticking to the Pan
Greasing pans with shortening works, but my preferred method is to line baking sheets with parchment paper. Parchment makes cleanup easier, prevents sticking, and keeps baked cookies from picking up grease from the pan.
⏲️ How to Make Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
The key to soft, chewy peanut butter cookies is to avoid overbaking. Watch the first batch closely to learn how your oven performs. The cookies are done when they have spread, appear puffy and set, and the centers still look slightly soft — usually around 9 minutes of baking time, depending on your oven.
Let the cookies rest on the hot baking sheet for about 5 minutes after removing them from the oven. They will finish setting as they cool and will remain moist and chewy.
🌡️ Store and Freeze Peanut Butter Cookies
After cooling on a wire rack, store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. For longer storage, freeze cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag for 3–6 months and thaw at room temperature before serving.
💭 Recipe FAQs
Why the crisscross pattern? Peanut butter cookie dough is thicker than most cookie doughs. Pressing a crisscross pattern with a fork flattens the dough slightly so the center bakes evenly with the edges, creating the classic shape and texture.
How do I keep the cookies soft? The most common reason cookies become hard is overbaking. Remove cookies when they are puffy and slightly soft in the center, then let them rest on the hot baking sheet for a few minutes so they finish cooking without drying out.
Can I use only shortening instead of butter? You can substitute, but using both butter and shortening gives the best balance of flavor and texture: butter for flavor, shortening for tenderness and structure.
📖 The Inspiration
This recipe has been a longtime favorite because it produces reliably tender, chewy cookies with a classic peanut butter taste. The recipe has roots in older home-cooking cookbooks and family recipe collections, and it’s the kind of cookie that brings back memories for many home bakers.
If you like a tender cookie with slightly crispy edges and a soft center, these Old-Fashioned Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies are for you.
🎂 More Desserts
For more ideas, try classic drop cookies, simple cakes, or other nostalgic desserts that are easy to make and crowd-pleasing.
If you make these Old-Fashioned Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies, please leave a star rating and a comment to share how they turned out. Your feedback helps others find and enjoy the recipe.
Recipe
Old-Fashioned Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
Soft, chewy peanut butter cookies with slightly crisp edges. Let them rest on the hot baking sheet for about five minutes after baking for the best texture.
Prep Time: 15 minutes • Cook Time: 9–10 minutes per batch • Total Time: 55 minutes • Servings: 30 cookies • Calories: 204 kcal
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup sugar, plus a few tablespoons extra for the fork pattern
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
- ½ cup shortening
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, blend the eggs, sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, shortening, and softened butter until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
- Use a large tablespoon or small scoop to drop mounds of dough (about the size of a walnut or golf ball) onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Dip the tines of a fork into the extra sugar and press a crisscross pattern on top of each mound, flattening slightly.
- Bake for 9–10 minutes, or until the cookies are puffy and set but still look slightly soft in the center.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies rest on the hot sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Letting the cookies sit on the hot baking sheet for a few minutes after baking ensures they finish cooking gently and stay soft and chewy. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature or freeze for longer storage.
Nutrition (per cookie, approximate)
Calories: 204 • Carbohydrates: 24 g • Protein: 3 g • Fat: 11 g • Sugar: 15 g