Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies are thick, soft, and packed with rich peanut butter flavor. For extra flair, dip half in melted chocolate (optional).

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies fresh from the oven with a sugar-coated top.
chelsea

author’s note

These Peanut Butter Cookies Got Me Through Freshman Year!

When my older brother was 3, he had a severe peanut allergy, so peanuts and peanut butter were banned from our home. When I moved into a peanut allergy free college dorm, I stocked my pantry with peanut butter and baked cookies non stop. Late night study sessions were fueled by trail mix and spoonfuls of peanut butter cookie dough.

While I might not remember much from my freshman year, I do remember trying every peanut butter cookie recipe online. These cookies are my own creation, a mash up of my favorites. Just in time for the holidays, these easy Peanut Butter Cookies are sure to please, and I cannot wait for you to try them!

signature
The dough being mixed together in a large bowl for this dessert.

What To Expect From This Recipe

These cookies are big, each one uses 3 tablespoons of dough. They are thick with soft, chewy centers, like a sugar cookie with peanut butter flavor.

The gooey texture comes from the ingredient ratios and method. Melted butter keeps them chewy and makes prep easy with no mixer. Grab a bowl and whisk and you are set for Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies heaven.

Featured Comment

“These cookies are amazing! I tried 5 other peanut butter recipes before finding this one and they are hands down the best. I baked two batches. Perfect for giving away as gifts during Christmas, which I did so I didn’t eat all of them myself. Thank you so much for sharing.”

– Cathy
120 More Reviews

Why Do Peanut Butter Cookies Have Criss Cross Marks?

Peanut butter dough is dense, so fork marks help flatten it and bake it evenly.

But those classic three ingredient cookies with criss cross tops usually turn out dry and bland for me. No fork marks needed here, just soft, chewy, flavor packed Peanut Butter Cookies.

How To Make Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

  1. Melt butter: mix with both sugars until smooth, then stir in peanut butter and extracts.
  2. Add eggs: mix in one at a time until just combined.
  3. Add dry ingredients: sprinkle in baking soda, salt, and flour; mix until just combined.
  4. Chill dough: refrigerate 30 minutes, then roll into 3 tablespoon dough balls.
  5. Bake: slightly underbake for chewy centers, and cool fully (dip in chocolate if wanted).
The chewy peanut butter cookies dough being rolled into a ball and then baked.

Tips For Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

  • Use room temp eggs so they mix in easier and keep the cookies lighter. Warm cold eggs in warm water for 10 minutes or leave out for 30 minutes.
  • Bake on a silicone baking mat for even baking and softer bottoms. Parchment works but isn’t quite as good.
  • Use a food scale for accurate flour and evenly sized dough balls.
  • Roll big dough balls (3 tablespoons or 60 grams). Smaller balls won’t give the same chewy feel.

Storage

  • Store chewy peanut butter cookies in an airtight container at room temp for 3 to 4 days. Baked cookies freeze fine, but freezing the dough works even better.
  • Freeze cookie dough balls on a sheet until firm, then move to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake straight from the freezer, adding a few extra mins.

Use Leftover Peanut Butter In:

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4.85 from 39 votes
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Peanut Butter Cookies

By Chelsea Lords
These favorite Peanut Butter Cookies are thick, soft, and chewy with a rich, sweet peanut butter flavor. Want to take them up a notch? Dip them in melted chocolate!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 11 minutes
Chilling Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 1 minute
Servings: 24 large cookies

Video

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 16 tablespoons unsalted butter melted; 1 cup
  • 1 cup brown sugar light or dark, lightly packed
  • 1 cup granulated sugar plus extra for rolling (optional)
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter see note 1
  • 1/8 teaspoon almond extract optional!
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour see note 2
Optional Chocolate Dip
  • 4 ounces semi-sweet baking bar or milk or dark chocolate

Instructions 

  • Line a large sheet pan with a silicone baking mat (or parchment paper) and set aside.
  • In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the butter until it’s melted. Set aside to cool back to room temperature (hot butter will melt sugars and cause greasy cookies). Once at room temperature, use a spatula to scrape every bit of butter into a large bowl and add brown sugar and granulated sugar. Mix with a large whisk until smooth, about 1 minute.
  • Add peanut butter, almond extract (if using), and vanilla extract. Mix until combined. Add 1 egg. Mix just until ingredients are incorporated, then add the second egg. Again, mix until ingredients are just incorporated. Add baking soda and salt and mix until just incorporated. Add flour and mix again until just incorporated. Don’t overmix.
  • Cover the dough and chill for 30 minutes, up to 1 hour—see note 3. Preheat oven to 325°F. Scoop the cookie dough and roll into large balls that are each 2 packed tablespoons (40 grams) in size (see note 4) and if desired, roll dough balls in some extra granulated sugar. Place dough balls on a lined sheet pan—6 cookies at a time—leaving ample room (2-inches) between cookies.
  • Bake for 8–14 minutes. Ever so slightly under-baking the cookies will keep them soft and chewy. (They also bake a bit more on the sheet pan when removed from the oven.) Be careful to not overbake!
  • Remove the cookies (if any edges are going wayward, working quickly, press the edges inwards with a metal spatula) and allow them to cool on the sheet pan 5 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely. Cool completely before dipping in chocolate (optional step).
  • Optionally dip in chocolate: Coarsely chop the chocolate bar into evenly sized pieces and place in a microwave-safe bowl (see note 5). Microwave in bursts of 20 seconds, stirring between each burst for 15 seconds, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Dip half of each cookie into the melted chocolate, scrape the bottom of the cookie on the bowl, then transfer the cookie to a sheet of parchment paper. Allow chocolate to set at room temperature.
Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: I love and highly recommend Skippy® Creamy Peanut Butter in these cookies (not sponsored). I don’t recommend a natural peanut butter that needs stirring.
Note 2: Measuring flour varies from person to person and is usually the culprit for cookies not working out. If you have a food scale, use that instead of measuring cups. 385 grams is perfect for this recipe!
Note 3: The dough is best chilled for 30 minutes to an hour; after that, it begins to dry out and become crumbly, so it is hard to roll into balls. If you need to chill longer, just roll out the cookie dough balls and place them on a parchment paper-covered plate. Cover tightly and chill for up to 24 hours.
Note 4: Cookies work best at this size. While you may want smaller cookies, know that the texture is not the same. The sweet spot for this recipe is exactly 3 tablespoons (60 grams) of dough.
Note 5: Use high-quality chocolate melting wafers/baking bars for best results. Melt in the microwave slowly, stirring a lot between bursts. If you’d like more tips on melting chocolate in the microwave, check out this peppermint bark post. If chocolate is too thick and not dipping well, thin with 1 up to 2 teaspoons coconut or vegetable oil.
Storage: Store these Peanut Butter Cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for 3–4 days. Baked cookies freeze okay, but it’s better to freeze the dough, which can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 29.3g | Protein: 4.4g | Fat: 13.7g | Cholesterol: 35.8mg | Sodium: 55.4mg | Fiber: 0.9g | Sugar: 17.6g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Meet Chelsea

Hello, and welcome to Chelsea’s Messy Apron! I’m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. I’m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.

Thanks for stopping by—I hope you find something delicious to make!

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4.85 from 39 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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120 Comments

  1. Lexy says:

    5 stars
    Added white chocolate chips!! Best cookie recipe!

    Reply
    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      So glad to hear that 🙂

      Reply
  2. Deborah Morris says:

    5 stars
    I made them and they we’re very good…. Easiest recipe for peanut butter cookies…. Everyone in my family loved them….

    Reply
  3. Laura says:

    is one tablespoon of vanilla correct?

    Reply
    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      Yes

      Reply
  4. Melissa Doolaar says:

    5 stars
    Hands down the best peanut butter cookie recipe ever! Instead on the chocolate topping I add Reese peanut butter chips in it to take it right over the top!

    Reply
    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      Yummy! So glad you enjoyed! Thanks Melissa! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Cathy says:

    5 stars
    These cookies are amazing! I tried 5 other peanut butter recipes before finding this one and they are hands down the best. I baked two batches. I think the batch I made measuring by grams turned out better than the one measured by cups. However, both batches were better than the 5 recipes I tried before this one. I also was impressed by their durability to stay together and hold their shape for days afterwards. Perfect for giving away as gifts during Christmas, which I did so I didn’t eat all of them myself. Thank you so much for sharing.

    Reply
    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      I am seriously so thrilled to hear this! Thank you so much for taking the time to share this! So glad you loved these! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Kim Everett says:

    This recipe seems to be exactly what I’m looking for! Just wondering if I can use crunchy peanut butter? It’s my favorite!

    Reply
    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      I haven’t tried these with anything but creamy, sorry Kim!

      Reply
  7. Elle Celeste says:

    5 stars
    I made these today for dessert after Sunday dinner and these are by far, the best peanut butter cookies I’ve ever had! Beautifully chewy and soft and not too sweet. I will never use another recipe for peanut butter cookies!

    Reply
    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      I am thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much for your comment Elle! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Breton says:

    5 stars
    This cookies are the best I have ever made. Flavorful, chewy melt in your mouth. As a matter of fact, I’m baking them again today. The smell in my kitchen is mouth watering. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe. Keep them coming.

    Reply
    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      I am seriously so happy to her this! Thank you so much for sharing Breton! 🙂

      Reply
  9. Chris says:

    Hi: I just made these. The flavor is excellent. I weighed out all my ingredients and chilled my dough. Actually, I weighed them and rolled them into balls of 55 grams each. I chilled them for 2 hours. But they came out of the oven Flat as pancakes! Can you think of anything I may have done wrong? Thanks!

    Reply
    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      Did you change any ingredients? Do you live at an especially high altitude?

      Reply
  10. Kate says:

    Can I freeze them? Thanks

    Reply
    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      The unbaked dough freezes the best, but you can freeze the baked cookies too 🙂 There is a light loss of flavor/texture, but they’ll still be yummy!

      Reply