How to Make Peanut Butter Cookies

Co-authored by Craig Watson

Last Updated: September 21, 2022 References

Peanut butter cookies are always a classic hit to enjoy with your family and friends. These peanut butter cookies are quick, simple, and fun to make, which means that you will be enjoying them in no time! Combine the ingredients for the cookies first, before rolling the dough into balls. Bake the balls of dough in the oven, before taking the cookies out and letting them cool. They won’t last long, so you will need to make another batch soon!

Ingredients

1 ¼ cups (250 g) of white granulated sugar, divided
½ cup (113 g) of butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 cup (250 g) of smooth peanut butter
1 tsp (5 mL) of vanilla extract
½ tsp (2.8 g) of salt
½ tsp (3.5 g) of baking soda
1 ½ cups (192 g) of all-purpose flour

Makes 24 servings.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Mixing the Dough

1
Preheat the oven to 375 °F (191 °C) on a regular bake setting. Turn the oven on and set it to the required temperature. Let the oven preheat for 15 minutes, or until the oven signals that it has reached the set temperature.^{[1]
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- If you are using a fan-forced oven setting, reduce the temperature down to 307 °F (153 °C).
2
Line 2 oven trays with parchment paper. Cut 2 sheets of parchment paper to the required size to fit the trays. Make sure that the entire surface where the cookies will go on the tray is lined.^{[2]
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- You can also use foil, non-stick cooking spray, or a non-stick baking mat to line the oven trays.^{[3]
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3
Cream 1 cup (200 g) of white granulated sugar and ½ cup (113 g) of room temperature butter together. Use either a hand mixer or a stand mixer to combine the white granulated sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl. The mixture will be done when it looks pale, smooth, and creamy.^{[4]
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- Set the mixer on a medium speed.
- Leave the butter out for 30 minutes first so that it can reach room temperature.^{[5]
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4
Beat 1 egg into the butter and sugar mixture. Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to beat the egg into the butter and sugar until it is combined. This should only take around 20 seconds.^{[6]
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- Use a low setting when beating the egg.
5
Mix in 1 cup (250 g) of smooth peanut butter and 1 tsp (5 mL) of vanilla extract. Add the smooth peanut butter and vanilla extract to the large mixing bowl. Turn the hand or stand mixer back on to a medium setting to thoroughly combine the ingredients.^{[7]
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6
Add the salt, baking soda, and all-purpose flour to the bowl. Use a medium setting to mix in ½ tsp (2.8 g) of salt, ½ tsp (3.5 g) of baking soda, and 1 ½ cups (192 g) of all-purpose flour to the other ingredients. Continue using the mixer until all of the ingredients are well combined.^{[8]
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- If the flour has been stored in a tightly compressed bag, use a sieve first to aerate it. However if the flour has been stored in an airtight container, give it a quick stir with a wooden spoon, and it will be ready to use without a sieve.^{[9]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Rolling the Dough

1
Roll the dough into 1 in (2.5 cm) balls. Pick up a small handful of cookie dough. Roll the dough into a round ball in your palm.^{[10]
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- You can use a cookie dough scooper instead if you don’t want to use your hands.
2
Roll the cookie dough balls in ¼ cup (50 g) of white granulated sugar. Place the remaining sugar into a small bowl. Dip each ball of cookie dough into the sugar, and coat the outside of each ball thoroughly.^{[11]
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3
Place the cookie dough balls on the oven trays. Place 12 cookie dough balls on each baking tray. Leave as much room between each cookie dough ball on the tray as possible.^{[12]
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- Leaving room between each cookie dough ball means that each cookie can spread out slightly as it cooks, and that the cookies won't join together. Approximately 2 in (5.1 cm) is enough.^{[13]
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4
Flatten each cookie dough ball with a fork. Place the flat bottom of the tines of a fork on top of each cookie dough ball and press down lightly to form a flatter surface. Don't press down too hard, as just enough to lightly mark the dough will do.^{[14]
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- You can also press the fork into each cookie dough ball twice from both directions, to create a criss-cross shape.^{[15]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Baking and Storing the Cookies

1
Bake the cookies in the oven for 12-15 minutes. Place the oven trays into the oven. Set a timer for 12-15 minutes, and remove the cookies when they are done.^{[16]
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- You will be able to tell when the cookies are ready to be removed from the oven, as each will have spread slightly, puffed up, and the edges will be a light, golden brown.^{[17]
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- Peanut butter cookies that are overcooked will have dark brown edges.
2
Let the cookies cool on the tray for 3 minutes. Once 3 minutes are up, use a spatula to take the cookies off the oven tray and place them on a wire rack to continue cooling. When the cookies are only slightly warm, they will be ready to serve.^{[18]
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- Keep the cookies on the wire rack until they are completely cool.
3
Store any leftover cookies for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Place the cookies into a glass or plastic airtight container. Keep the container in a cool, dark place that is out of the sunlight, such as in the pantry.^{[19]
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- Make sure that the cookies are completely cool before storing them, as otherwise when the heat leaves the cookies, moisture will form inside the container.

Community Q&A

Question

Can I add 1 cup of coconut and 1/2 cup of dried chopped cherries?

Vela0110

Community Answer

When adding extra ingredients to cookie recipes, I err on the side of caution. You might want to add just half a cup of dried coconut, and half a cup of the cherries to start, then bake a batch to see how you, or others in your family, like the consistency, and ratio. You can add more to future batches.
Question

What if I don't have baking powder?

Qamar

Top Answerer

Skip the baking powder, and the cookies will still turn out fine. They just won't be as fluffy.
Question

How much salt should be used?

Community Answer

You should add no more than a half a teaspoon of salt, especially if you're not using baking soda.