Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

Recipe Ingredients

Here’s a list of the ingredients you'll need for these peanut butter cookies.

Peanut Butter: You can use either creamy or crunchy peanut butter for this recipe. Creamy gives a smooth, rich peanut taste, while crunchy adds more texture.

Butter and Shortening: Over the years, we’ve experimented with using only shortening, only butter, and a combination of both. We’ve found that the best peanut butter cookies need both. Butter adds richness, while shortening—having less flavor—helps the cookies spread less, resulting in the perfect texture. Make sure both ingredients are at room temperature so they mix together more easily.

Granulated and Brown Sugar: Both granulated sugar and brown sugar are used in these cookies. Granulated sugar adds sweetness and helps create tenderness, while brown sugar adds a molasses note and contributes to a chewy texture.

Other Ingredients You’ll Need: Large egg, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Cookware You’ll Need

Here’s a breakdown of the equipment you’ll need to make this peanut butter cookie recipe.

Electric Mixer or Spoon: Both will work to mix the cookie dough—choose whichever is most convenient for you.

Cookie Scoop: While cookie scoops weren’t around when this recipe was created, we now swear by them. Use a 1 1/4-inch (size #50) scoop to make evenly sized dough balls. If you don’t have one, a measuring tablespoon works just as well.

Cookie Sheet: Through over 75 years of baking, we’ve found that the best cookie sheets are shiny metal ones. They reflect heat efficiently, ensuring cookies bake and brown evenly.

Other Cookware You’ll Need: Large bowl, dry measuring cups, measuring spoons, rubber spatula, plastic wrap, small bowl, fork, cookie spatula, and a cooling rack.

How to Make Peanut Butter Cookies

Here’s an overview of how to make peanut butter cookies.

1. Mix Wet Ingredients

Beat the wet ingredients (sugars, peanut butter, shortening, butter, and egg) until no streaks of butter or peanut butter remain.

2. Mix Dry Ingredients

Stir in the remaining ingredients (except additional sugar) until just combined. Don’t overmix— it can make your cookies tough.

3. Refrigerate Dough

Chilling helps the dough to firm up, so your cookies spread less and maintain their fork marks during baking.

4. Shape and Bake Dough

Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to portion the dough into balls, then roll them between your palms to smooth. Dip a fork in sugar and press down in two directions to create a crisscross pattern on each cookie. Bake until light golden brown.

5. Cool and Serve

Cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes. This allows the cookies to set and makes them more stable for transferring to a cooling rack.

Possible Variations

We’ve heard from you that you love how versatile this peanut butter cookie recipe is. Caroljstubbs shares, “I use this recipe as my base…I use 1 cup crunchy peanut butter, 1/2 cup butter (no shortening), 1 cup peanut butter chips, and no salt.” Here are some other tasty variations you’ve shared with us:

Swap Nut Butters: Experiment with natural peanut butter or other nut butters, but be sure to choose one that doesn’t require stirring. Unmixed oil can affect the texture of your cookies.

Add Chocolate: Stir in chocolate chips, or as Hiee shared, "I’ve also drizzled milk chocolate over the top... YUM!"

Spice It Up: Add a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger to the cookie dough.

If you’re a fan of peanut butter like we are, here’s a few more of our favorites: peanut butter blossom cookies and cake mix peanut butter cookies, each loaded with peanut butter flavor.

Storing and Reheating

Here are the best methods we’ve tested for storing peanut butter cookies.

Room Temperature

Store cooled cookies in a tightly covered food-safe container or food storage bag for up to 5 days.

Freezer

Place cookies in an airtight freezer-safe food storage container or freezer bag for up to 2 months.

Thawing

Remove frozen cookies from container and place in a single layer on a plate or tray. Let stand uncovered for about 10 minutes or until thawed.

Microwave Warming

Place 1 room temperature or thawed cookie on a microwave-safe place and heat on low (30%) for 15 seconds or until warm.

Why Betty Users Love This Recipe

With over 700 reviews and counting, our peanut butter cookie recipe has earned rave reviews from the baking community. Users love the nostalgia, recalling making these cookies from old Betty Crocker cookbooks and being thrilled to find the exact recipe online. The taste and texture stay true to those memories, delivering soft, chewy cookies described as delicious and comforting. The recipe’s simplicity makes it easy to follow, resulting in consistently perfect cookies every time—whether you’re an experienced baker or just starting out.

In addition to its timeless appeal, users appreciate the recipe's versatility. Many have successfully made tweaks—such as substituting butter for shortening, adding vanilla, or increasing peanut butter—while still achieving great results. Positive feedback pours in from family and friends who repeatedly request the recipe. These cookies have truly become a family favorite. With helpful tips like chilling the dough and adjusting bake times, our easy peanut butter cookies continue to impress bakers of all skill levels.