When The Girl was here a few weeks ago and we were making a bunch of freezer meals for her to take home, we also made three batches of cookies. Chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and these Soft and Creamy Peanut Butter Cookies.
I’ve been making this particular peanut butter cookie recipe for years now, and it’s always been a big hit with my family.
It has a little extra sugar than most recipes, and with the heaping portion of vanilla in the dough, it really makes for a nice and soft bakery style peanut butter cookie.
This recipe makes about 30 cookies. And because it’s just the two of us these days, I’ll usually bake a few cookies and then pop the rest of the cookies unbaked, into the freezer to bake later.
Warm cookies right out of the oven on a cool, crisp fall day, is there anything better?
I hope you like them as much as we do. 🙂
~Mavis
Soft and Creamy Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup {226 grams} unsalted butter
- 1 cup {198 grams} granulated sugar
- 1 cup {213 grams} brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups {405 grams} creamy peanut butter
- 2 eggs
- 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 2/3rds cups {320 grams} all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup {49 grams} granulated sugar {for rolling cookie dough balls in}
Instructions
In large bowl, mix together the 1 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, butter, eggs and vanilla until nice and smooth.
Mix in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Evenly place cookies on a lined cookie sheet, press dough with the tines of a fork and bake at 350 for 9 – 11 minutes.
Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store in a tightly covered container.
Karen S Picoult says
The cookies look good.
Here’s a question for all… why are forks pressed into the cookies? I don’t see a purpose in doing that and have often seen peanut butter cookies without the fork indentations.
So, back to my question… why?
Lana says
It is a peanut butter cookie’s identifying mark. For anyone with a peanut allergy that is appreciated. We crisscross the fork marks to make them flatter.
Bonnie from Georgia says
My uneducated guess is it is an identifier to everyone that it’s peanut butter. Also, to me, when they criss cross, it kind of looks like the pattern on a peanut shell. Could be a coin-ka-dink. I see patterns or pictures in things, kind of like Mavis. Lol.
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes! I bet it is the pattern of a peanut shell! Well done. 🙂
Rhonda says
Here is an explanation. My mom crisscrossed the tops of her peanut butter cookies long before peanut allergies were common, so I think the tradition might have a different root.
https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/why-do-peanut-butter-cookies-have-fork-marks
Susan H. says
Our family’s favorite recipe for peanut butter cookies are the ‘classic 3 ingredients recipe (1 cup peanut butter…chunky is best, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg.) Although like most bakers, I like to add my own touch. I add a pinch of baking soda, a small dash vanilla, and tiny pinch salt. Why do we use a fork???
Michelle says
Looks yummy! Do you think that you could press a Hershey kiss into the top and bake for the same amount of time?
Lauralli says
Press the Hershey kiss on top right when they come out of the oven. That’s what I’ve always done. I think you’d have a melted kiss on top otherwise.
Kayla says
Or try mixing chocolate chips in the dough and bake like normal. So good.
Jennifer says
I remember making these as a small girl back in the early 70s. Easy to make and even easier to gobble up. 🙂
Mel says
I think the fork might also have to do with texture since peanut butter cookies don’t get the cracked top that other sugar-rolled cookies do, so maybe it’s just a little extra crunch? I have a chocolate chip cookie recipe that calls for making the tops uneven to add more crispness through nooks and crannies.
Brianna says
I use the bottom of the food pusher on my cuisinart food processor to make my peanut butter cookie signature marks. It leaves a pretty elegant spiral pattern. Try it if you have one.
Kristina says
Oh, that’s a great idea!
Diana says
I made these wonderful peanut butter cookies yesterday- oh my gosh, they were fabulous! Can’t wait to make them for my grandkids – they will love them! And I froze about half of the unbaked cookie dough balls rolled in sugar and flattened- what a great idea!
Sharon Hyrkas says
Any tips for high altitude adjustments? We live at 6500 ft. Elevation.
Mavis Butterfield says
From King Arthur Flour: Decrease by 5-8 minutes per 30 minutes of baking time. Baking at higher temperatures means products are done sooner. Increase by 1 to 2 tablespoons at 3,000 feet. Increase liquid by 1 1/2 teaspoons for each additional 1,000 feet. https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking