Peanut Butter Cookies
These Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies are the classic crisscross cookies with golden edges and a soft, chewy center. They taste just like the ones from your grandmother’s kitchen, and the whole batch comes together in one bowl.
Real crunchy peanut butter does the heavy lifting here, with brown sugar for a soft, caramel-rich middle. A little extra salt brings the peanut flavor forward, so every bite tastes rich and nutty.
These are the cookies I reach for when I want the house to smell like fall baking. My husband likes them best a few minutes out of the oven, while the centers are still soft. They freeze well, too. Roll the dough into balls and bake a fresh batch whenever company stops by.
Recipe Highlights
- One bowl, no dough chilling needed
- Ready start to finish in under 30 minutes
- Freezer-friendly dough bakes fresh anytime
- Makes two dozen for a crowd
- Kids love pressing the crisscross pattern
Ingredient Notes
Please check the recipe card below for a detailed, printable ingredient list.
PEANUT BUTTER – Use whatever you have, crunchy or smooth, and the cookies turn out great either way. Skip the natural, drippy kind, since the loose oil makes the dough hard to shape.
BROWN SUGAR – Out of brown sugar? Stir a teaspoon of molasses into the same amount of granulated sugar. Light or dark brown both work, so reach for what is in the cupboard.
BUTTER – Unsalted butter lets you control the salt, but salted butter works in a pinch. If you go with salted, cut the added salt in half.
FLOUR – Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off for soft, tender cookies. Scooping straight from the bag packs in too much.
EGGS – Set the eggs on the counter with the butter so they come to room temperature. They blend into the dough smoothly and the batch mixes evenly.
How To Make Peanut Butter Cookies
Please check the printable recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl.
- Cream the butter with both sugars, then beat in the eggs and peanut butter.
- Mix in the dry ingredients until a soft dough comes together.
- Roll the dough into balls, press a crisscross with a fork, and bake until the edges turn golden.
Leftovers and Storage
STORE – Keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature, where they stay soft for up to 5 days.
FREEZE – Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Layer them between parchment in a freezer-safe container and thaw at room temperature when you want one.
REHEAT – Warm a cookie in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds for that fresh-from-the-oven taste.
MAKE AHEAD – Roll the dough into balls and freeze them on a tray, then move them to a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen and add a minute or two to the time.
Serving Suggestions
HOLIDAY COOKIE TRAY – Set them on a Christmas plate next to No Bake Gingerbread Cookies and Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies so everyone gets a little of each.
AFTER-SCHOOL SNACK – Pack one in a lunchbox with a cold glass of milk for an easy weekday treat.
ICE CREAM SANDWICHES – Press a scoop of vanilla ice cream between two cooled cookies for a make-ahead freezer dessert.
COOKIE SWAP – Bring a batch to a cookie swap alongside Chocolate Chip Cookies for two easy crowd-pleasers.
Recipe Success Tips
FORK PRESS – Dip the fork in a little sugar between cookies for a clean crisscross that does not stick. The pattern also flattens the dough so the cookies bake evenly.
BAKE TIME – Pull the cookies when the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look soft. They firm up as they cool, so a little underdone is just right.
PEANUT BUTTER – Regular shelf-stable peanut butter gives you the most reliable dough. The natural, oily kind can loosen the batter, so save it for toast.
EXPERT TIP – Press a few extra chocolate chips or a pinch of flaky salt onto the tops right before baking. It is an easy way to make the batch feel a little special.
Commonly Asked Questions
What Makes These Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies?
Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies are the simple, fork-pressed kind made with pantry staples and no fancy steps. They skip the chilling, the special flours, and the long ingredient lists. You cream the butter and sugars, stir in peanut butter, and bake. The result is the classic crisscross cookie people have loved for generations.
Why Do You Press Peanut Butter Cookies With a Fork?
The fork press flattens the thick dough so the cookies bake evenly and look their best. Peanut butter dough is stiff and does not spread much on its own. Pressing a crisscross helps each cookie bake through at the same rate. Dip the fork in sugar first to keep it from sticking.
Can I Use Smooth Peanut Butter Instead of Crunchy?
Yes, smooth peanut butter works just as well as crunchy in this recipe. The dough comes together the same way and bakes into the same soft, chewy cookie. Crunchy adds little bits of peanut throughout, while smooth keeps the texture even. Use whichever one you have in the pantry and enjoy.
What Can I Use Instead of Brown Sugar?
You can swap the brown sugar for the same amount of granulated sugar and still get great cookies. For that classic flavor, stir a teaspoon of molasses or honey into the white sugar first. The cookies will be a touch lighter in color, but they bake up just as soft and tender.
Can I Make These Cookies Without a Mixer?
Yes, you can make these cookies by hand with a sturdy spoon and a little arm work. Soften the butter well so it creams easily with the sugars. Stir until the dough is smooth and no streaks of flour remain. A mixer is faster, but a bowl and spoon get you there too.
How Do I Know When the Cookies Are Done?
The cookies are done when the edges look lightly golden and the centers still seem soft. They keep baking on the hot pan for a minute after they come out. Pull them a touch early and let them set on the sheet before moving them. That timing gives you a soft, chewy center.
More Easy and Delicious Fall and Winter Desserts
Once these cookies are cooling on the rack, there are plenty more cozy desserts to round out the season. These are the ones I reach for all fall and winter, from holiday tables to quiet weekends at home.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies – Rich, fudgy brownies for anyone who loves chocolate and peanut butter together.
Peanut Butter Lasagna – A no-bake layered dessert that peanut butter fans will reach for again and again.
Pecan Pie – A buttery, classic pie that belongs on every holiday table.
Crockpot Apple Dump Cake – An easy slow cooker dessert with tender apples and a soft, buttery topping.
Pumpkin Delight – A layered, no-fuss treat that feeds a crowd at any fall gathering.
Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup dark brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup crunchy peanut butter old-fashioned salted crunchy
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl.
- Beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each. Stir in the peanut butter until smooth.
- Mix in the flour mixture gradually until a soft dough forms.
- Roll the dough into balls and place them on the baking sheet. Press each one with a fork to make a crisscross.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden.
- Cool the cookies on the sheet for a few minutes, then move them to a wire rack.
Notes
FOOD SAFETY
The dough contains raw egg and raw flour. Bake the cookies fully before eating, and avoid tasting the raw dough.Nutritional Information
Nutritional Disclaimer
Cheerful Cook team members are not trained nutritionists or medical professionals. Calorie information and nutritional values are estimates. If you have nutritional concerns, we recommend using a nutritional calculator.
Maike Corbett grew up in German kitchens learning to cook and bake alongside her Omas before spending over a decade running full-service restaurants in the US. She founded Cheerful Cook in 2017 to share practical, tested comfort food recipes that actually work on busy weeknights, drawing on both her American restaurant experience and her German home-cooking roots. Her work has been featured on MSN, Yahoo, the Associated Press, and other major media outlets.
How to make sift peanut butter cookies without brown sugar?
Great question, Sherry! You can swap the brown sugar for the same amount of granulated sugar and the cookies still bake up soft. For that classic chewy texture, stir in a teaspoon of molasses or honey with the sugar. Happy baking!
your recipe for peanut butter cookies turned out soft moisted and full of flavor. Husband enjoys them
I have made peanut butter cookies for 50 years and this recipe is the “BOMB.” Thank you for this awesome recipe! I will definitely be handing this down to my daughters!
Theses were just wonderful! I brought these to a party and everybody raved about them