The Best Peanut Butter Cookies
Hello, dessert lovers! Today, we’re talking about one of the most irresistible treats – peanut butter cookies. But we’re taking it up a notch by asking the age-old question – drizzled with or without chocolate? There’s no denying the classic combination of peanut butter and chocolate, but sometimes simplicity is key. In this post, I’ll be sharing our recipe for the best peanut butter cookies, and you get to decide whether to drizzle them with chocolate or not. These cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with peanut butter flavor – Chocolate or no chocolate on peanut butter cookies?
Peanut Butter Cookies….memories from my grandmother’s kitchen. She always kept a large cookie jar of freshly baked cookies on top of her freezer, and these were my favorite! She gave me this recipe years ago. These are a peanut butter lover’s dream! A classic peanut butter cookie recipe that yields a chewy center with a crispy exterior and drizzled with chocolate. Who doesn’t like peanut butter and chocolate!?
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Storage
Peanut Butter Cookies will keep fresh for 3 days at room temperature in a tightly sealed container or freeze the baked cookies in an airtight container or freezer bags for up to 3 months.
To Freeze The Dough
Roll the cookie dough in balls place in freezer bags or an airtight container. You can freeze the dough for up to 3 months. Remove the dough from the freezer and roll in sugar. Bake frozen for 12 – 14 minutes or until golden brown.
Ingredients you will need
Butter–
Softened to room temperature.
Creamy Peanut Butter–
Use a brand name creamy peanut butter such as Jiff or Skippy. You could also use chunky peanut butter.
Sugar –
White sugar and brown sugar – the brown sugar creates the chewy centers.
Eggs–
2 Large
Vanilla Extract–
Use a good quality vanilla in your baking, you can taste the difference.
Flour-
All-purpose flour
Baking Soda and Baking Powder–
These are what help your peanut butter cookies raise.
Salt–
1/4 tsp if you’re using salted butter. 1/2 tsp if you’re using unsalted butter.
Chocolate–
Drizzling with chocolate is optional, but oh so good! You will need about a 1/4 cup melted chocolate chips or a Hershey bar.
Making the peanut butter cookies
In small mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Cream butter, peanut butter and sugars together in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a hand mixer.
Add eggs one at a time and beat until combined. Add vanilla.
Set mixer on low speed and gradually add dry ingredients. Mix until fully incorporated.
Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.
Scoop dough using a cookie scoop (2 Tbsp) and roll into balls. Roll the balls in sugar and place the cookie dough balls 2 inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Using tines of a fork flatten top of the cookie slightly and turn fork in opposite direction and flatten again for a crisscross pattern. I use a meat tenderizer mallet with grooves gives you a checkered cross hatch pattern.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 – 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool on wire rack.
Optional: Melt chocolate in 30 second intervals in microwave and drizzle over cookie.
Enjoy!
Apparel for the foodies & grillers
The Best Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup peanut butter Jif or Skippy recommended
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate or Hershey bars or milk chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat butter, peanut butter, white sugar, brown sugar until combined. Beat in eggs one at a time, Add vanilla.
- Turn mixer on low speed and add dry ingredients. Mix well.
- Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.
- Using a 2 Tbsp size cookie scoop, scoop dough and roll into balls. Roll balls in sugar and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Using a fork or the spiked side of a meat mallet gently make impressions on top of cookie.
- Bake for 10 – 12 minutes or until cookies begin to brown on edges. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- Melt chocolate in microwave safe bowl in microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring after 30 seconds. It should be melted after 30 seconds depending on your wattage. This should take no more than 1 minute total.
- Place chocolate in a ziploc sandwich bag and cut a small hole in corner. Use this to drizzle chocolate over your cookies.
