Peanut Butter Soft Cookies (Printable)

Soft, chewy cookies packed with peanut flavor and a signature crosshatch design. Simple and delightful treat.

# What Goes In:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
04 - 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 cup creamy peanut butter
07 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
08 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
09 - 1 large egg
10 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ For Finishing

11 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (for rolling, optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly blended.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until the mixture is light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
04 - Incorporate the egg and vanilla extract into the creamed mixture, mixing until fully combined.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring just until incorporated to avoid overmixing.
06 - Scoop approximately 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie. Roll into balls and optionally roll each in granulated sugar.
07 - Place dough balls spaced 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets. Flatten each ball using a fork pressed twice in a crisscross pattern.
08 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until edges are lightly golden and centers remain soft.
09 - Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They're ready from mixing bowl to cooling rack in under thirty minutes, no overnight chilling required.
  • The crosshatch pattern you press with a fork is both beautiful and gives you an excuse to slow down while baking.
  • They stay chewy for days, which means you can actually enjoy them throughout the week instead of demolishing a batch in one sitting.
02 -
  • The cookies will seem soft when you pull them out of the oven, but this is correct—they firm up as they cool and that's what keeps them chewy, not cake-like.
  • Room temperature ingredients (especially the egg and butter) make a noticeable difference in how smoothly everything incorporates together.
03 -
  • Using a cookie scoop gives you consistent cookie sizes so they all bake at the same rate—no more some cookies golden while others are still pale.
  • If you don't have a hand mixer, softened butter and peanut butter are soft enough to beat with a wooden spoon and some elbow grease, which is actually meditative if you have the time.
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