These soft and chewy peanut butter cookies are made from scratch with simple ingredients and have lightly crisp edges, soft centres, and a lovely peanut butter flavour.
I decided to make this batch three different ways. I kept some cookies plain, added chocolate chips to half of the dough, and finished a few of the baked cookies with a drizzle of melted dark chocolate.
I love how one batch of cookie dough can turn into a few different treats. Whether you prefer a classic peanut butter cookie or something with a little extra chocolate, there's something for everyone.
Why You'll Love These Peanut Butter Cookies
Soft and chewy: Tender centres with lightly crisp, sugar-coated edges.
No chilling required: You can scoop and bake the dough right away.
Three delicious variations: Enjoy them plain, with chocolate chips, or drizzled with dark chocolate.
Simple ingredients: Made with everyday baking staples.
Perfect for sharing: A lovely homemade treat for family gatherings, cookie trays, or an afternoon snack.
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1⅓ cups packed dark brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
For Rolling
½ cup granulated sugar
Flaky sea salt, optional
Optional Chocolate Variations
Chocolate chips, for mixing into half the dough
Dark chocolate chips, for melting and drizzling over the baked cookies (you can melt in microwave or on the stove top like I did in a double broiler).
I used chocolate chips in half of the cookie dough and melted dark chocolate for the drizzle. Add the amounts you prefer.
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C).
Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Cream the butter, peanut butter and sugars
In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, peanut butter, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla extract.
Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat everything together for approximately 4–5 minutes, until the mixture is light and creamy.
3. Add the eggs
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is evenly combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients
Add the baking powder, baking soda and sea salt, mixing until incorporated.
Gradually add the all-purpose flour and mix just until the dough comes together.
Avoid overmixing once the flour has been added.
5. Make the chocolate chip variation
Divide the cookie dough into two portions.
Leave one portion plain and fold chocolate chips into the other half.
This gives you a mixture of classic peanut butter cookies and chocolate chip peanut butter cookies from the same batch.
6. Scoop and roll the cookies
Place the additional ½ cup of granulated sugar in a shallow bowl.
Scoop approximately 2 tablespoons of cookie dough for each cookie and roll into balls.
Roll each dough ball in the granulated sugar until lightly coated.
Arrange the cookies on your prepared baking sheets, leaving enough space between them to spread.
7. Bake
Bake at 350°F (177°C) for approximately 12–13 minutes, until the edges are set and the centres still look slightly soft.
The cookies will continue to firm up as they cool.
8. Gently deflate the cookies
As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, carefully tap the baking sheet against the countertop to help the cookies settle and slightly deflate.
This helps create their soft, chewy texture and lovely crinkled appearance.
9. Cool the cookies
Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for approximately 20 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
They will be delicate while warm, so allowing them to cool on the tray helps them hold their shape.
10. Melt the dark chocolate
For the chocolate-drizzled variation, place dark chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water.
Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
Stir the chocolate until smooth and completely melted, then remove it from the heat.
11. Drizzle the cookies
Once the cookies have cooled, use a spoon/fork, piping bag/zip lock bag or bottle to drizzle the melted dark chocolate over some of the cookies.
I made a mixture of chocolate-drizzled cookies and even added a little chocolate heart to one of them.
Allow the chocolate to set before serving or storing.
Tips for the Best Peanut Butter Cookies
Use smooth peanut butter. Regular creamy peanut butter works well for this recipe. Natural peanut butter can behave differently, especially if the oil separates.
Cream the butter and sugars thoroughly. Mixing for the full 4–5 minutes helps create the cookie dough's texture.
Don't overmix the flour. Mix only until the flour is incorporated to help keep the cookies tender.
Roll the dough in sugar. The sugar coating adds a little sweetness and creates a lovely finish on the baked cookies.
Don't overbake. The centres should still look slightly soft when you remove the cookies from the oven.
Tap the baking sheet. Gently tapping the tray after baking helps the cookies settle and develop their chewy, crinkled appearance.
Let the cookies cool before drizzling. If the cookies are still warm, the melted chocolate may spread more than you want.
Three Ways to Enjoy These Cookies
Classic Peanut Butter Cookies
The plain version is soft, chewy and full of peanut butter flavour, with a delicate sugar-coated exterior.
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
Adding chocolate chips to half the dough gives you little pockets of chocolate throughout the cookies. Peanut butter and chocolate are such a lovely combination.
Dark Chocolate Drizzled Peanut Butter Cookies
A drizzle of melted dark chocolate makes these cookies feel a little extra special without adding much work.
You can drizzle the chocolate in lines, zigzags or even little hearts.
How to Store Peanut Butter Cookies
Once completely cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for approximately 3–5 days.
If you're stacking the chocolate-drizzled cookies, allow the chocolate to set completely and place parchment paper between the layers.
Can You Freeze Peanut Butter Cookies?
Yes! These cookies can be frozen once baked and completely cooled.
Arrange them in a freezer-safe container, separating the layers with parchment paper.
Freeze for up to 2–3 months for the best quality.
Allow them to thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
For the chocolate-drizzled variation, freezing the cookies before adding the drizzle can help keep the chocolate decoration looking its best.
A Little Something Extra
One of my favourite things about homemade cookies is being able to change them up with whatever I have on hand.
For this batch, I couldn't decide between classic peanut butter cookies and chocolate peanut butter cookies, so I made both!
Some stayed plain, some had chocolate chips mixed right into the dough, and others got a little dark chocolate drizzle after baking.
It's a simple way to make one recipe feel like three different treats.
