Comfort baking at its nostalgic best: soft, tender peanut butter cookies with that perfect cross-hatch top, balancing sweet peanut flavour and melt-in-your-mouth chew.
Why These Cookies Work
These aren’t powdery little discs—they’re pillowy bites with a buttery-peanut backbone, and each criss-cross isn’t just decoration; it ensures even baking and a tender center. We’re using both granulated and brown sugar for depth and moisture, a single egg plus an extra yolk to build richness without density, and the right ingredients to get signature softness. Think bakery-level cookie you can recreate at home.
Recipe Card
- Recipe name: Classic Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
- Summary: Chewy, soft peanut butter cookies featuring a buttery center, sweet-savory balance, and distinctive fork-crisscross topping—easy, nostalgic, and ideal for any crowd.
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 10–11 minutes
- Additional time: 5 minutes cooling
- Total time: ~30 minutes
- Servings: 24 cookies
- Diet: Vegetarian
- Method: Mixing → Scoop → Bake
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened to about 65°F (slightly yielding under touch)
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (165 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk (for extra tenderness)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1½ cups (375 g) creamy peanut butter (stir it smooth before scooping)
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- Optional finishing: coarse sugar or flaky sea salt
Instructions
1. Prep the Oven
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. Ensure even spacing—the cookies will spread slightly but remain thick.
2. Cream Butter and Sugars
In a large bowl or mixer, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium for about 2 minutes. Look for a soft, pale, lightly aerated mixture—this creates lift and chew.
3. Add Egg, Egg Yolk, Vanilla, and Peanut Butter
Beat in the egg and yolk one at a time. Add vanilla extract, then peanut butter, mixing until smooth. No streaks. The dough will be uniform in color and consistency.
4. Mix Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Ensuring even distribution keeps cookies rising and tasting right.
5. Combine Wet & Dry
With mixer on low, slowly add dry mix to peanut-butter base until dough comes together. The dough will be thick but soft—no dry bits. If it feels too stiff, add a teaspoon of milk.
6. Scoop Dough
Use a small cookie scoop or tablespoon to portion dough into 24 balls, rolling them lightly in hands to make smooth spheres.
7. Press Pattern
Place dough balls on sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart. Use a fork dipped in sugar (optional) to press criss-cross pattern—two presses, one direction then perpendicular. Don’t twist the fork.
8. Bake
Bake 10–11 minutes until edges are set and lightly golden, centers look slightly underbaked, and the fork marks are crisp. Underbake by a minute for softer cookies.
9. Cool
Allow cookies to rest on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. This gentle cool keeps them soft but sliceable. Eat while warm or cooled—either way, perfect.
Notes
- Butter temperature is critical: soft, not melting. Over-soft butter = flat cookies.
- Peanut butter variety: creamy works best—too natural and oily will flatten cookies.
- Extra yolk for chew: yolk adds richness without making cookies dense.
- Correct scoop size: heaping tablespoon gives generous cookies, adjust bake spacing accordingly.
- Sugar-dipping the fork: optional, but adds slight crunch to crosshatch top.
- Chill if needed: if your kitchen is warm, chill dough balls 10 minutes before baking.
- Make ahead: dough scooped and chilled holds for up to 3 days. Bake fresh when ready.
- Storage: store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months.
Troubleshooting
- Cookies spread too much: butter was too warm or dough went straight into oven. Chill for 10 minutes next time.
- Flat and greasy: too much peanut oil from natural peanut butter—switch to commercial or refrigerate dough longer.
- Dry or crumbly: overbaked or excess flour. Bake shorter and use measured (spoon-and-level or weigh) flour.
- Edges darken before center sets: oven runs hot—rotate pan or lower temp to 340°F.
Serving Suggestions
Serve warm with a glass of milk. Dress them up by layering with vanilla ice cream for peanut-butter-sandwiches, or dip half-cookie into melted chocolate for special occasions. They also make great sandwich cookies with marshmallow fluff or jelly filling.
Final Thoughts
These Classic Soft Peanut Butter Cookies hit nostalgia and texture in every bite: buttery salt-sweet balance, soft centers with crisp outsides, and that iconic fork pattern. You executed each step to preserve chew, maintain structure, and deliver flavor. They’re easy to make but feel thoughtful.
So when someone says, “You made these?” you answer as if it’s a secret recipe:
“Yep. And nobody’s believing me.”
Want more home-baked standards done right with technique and charm? Email me at [email protected], and I’ll send more crowd-pleasing cookies and snacks—no frills, just results.
