Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

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This is a classic Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe that sometimes we add chocolate chips to for variety. Either way, it’s a delicious way to fill the cookie jar.

Peanut butter cookie recipe on a cookie sheet.

It’s National Peanut Butter Day and this peanut butter cookie recipe was ready for some new love. It is one of the first recipes posted on my blog way back in 2010. I did not include a photo and I did not write much copy for it. 

My oldest son is a very picky eater but he loves these cookies. He won’t eat anything else with peanut butter! This is a very easy cookie to make.

It is also a good base recipe for some variations, which I will mention after the recipe. This is a good cookie for lunch boxes or as an after school snack. If you bake treats during the holidays, use the red and green M&M’s as an addition for a festive look.

This recipe has a bit of history. My best friends Mom passed away many years ago. When I flew to Cincinnati for the funeral I was welcomed like family. At that point, we’d been BFF’s for close to 15 years.

My girlfriend and her sisters are like family to me, even to this day. My BBF and I are alike in a lot of ways. We both love 80’s music, Jimmy Buffett music, traveling, and being on the go. The one way we are different is when it comes to cooking. She really doesn’t enjoy it as much as I do.

As she and her sisters were going through some of her Mom’s things, she offered for me to take any cookbooks I wanted. Since I was flying, I only opted to take three. There were probably 50!

As a thank you to the girls, I asked each one of them what their favorite cookie was. I looked through the 3 books I took to find their favorites. This peanut butter cookie recipe is what three of the girls wanted.

Peanut Butter Cookies on a serving tray.

Needless to say, they were thrilled to receive their cookie packages. Sending them cookies was also a good test for how they would ship. Each of them said they arrived in perfect condition. Now I know, that when my kids head to college, I can include these in a care package.

I love this cookie recipe. It’s full of peanut butter flavor and my son’s suggestions make them even better. My boys are now old enough they can make these cookies by themselves.

Sometimes the fork will stick when you try to do the criss-cross, so gently dip it in sugar before each press.  If you love peanut butter cookies but are looking for a gluten-free version try these peanut butter truffle cookies.

Now for some variations, not mentioned in the cookbook but suggested by my boys:

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies: Prepare dough as directed above. Stir in 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Nutty Peanut Butter Cookies: Prepare dough as directed above. Stir in 1 cup chopped peanuts.

Nutty Candy Cookies: Prepare dough as directed above. Stir in 1 cup candy-coated pieces, such as M&M’s. Mini M&M’s will work too.

My family's favorite peanut butter cookie. Easy to make and a delicious way to fill the cookie jar. #peanutbuttercookies #easyrecipes @famtable Click to Tweet
My family's favorite peanut butter cookie.

My Family’s Favorite Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

A classic cookie.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Total Time18 minutes
Course: Desserts and Sweets
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 dozen

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 teaspoons sugar

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
  • In a large bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar and butter; beat until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter, vanilla and egg; blend well. Add flour, baking soda and salt; mix well. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. With fork dipped in sugar, flatten balls in criss-cross pattern.
  • Bake at 375 degrees F. for 6 to 9 minutes or until set and golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to wire rack to cool. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

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12 Comments

  1. What a sweet story and thoughtful idea for your friends.
    My kids would definitely vote for chocolate chips in their cookies!

  2. I love that your friends think enough of you to offer their Mom’s cookbooks to you and you thought to send them cookies from the books you chose. So sweet!

  3. I never make peanut butter cookies and I definitely have to change that because these look amazing!

  4. I can see why these are your family’s favorite. No added stuff, no fancy ingredients….just good, old fashioned, peanut butter cookies as they were meant to be.

  5. Love the story behind these cookies…it must be nice to remember it each time you whip up a batch! They look absolutely delicious!

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