Want more peanut butter cookie recipes? Try my healthy peanut butter cookies, 2-ingredient peanut butter cookies, and peanut butter oatmeal cookies next. I LOVE all things peanut butter, but of course, nothing beats my classic peanut butter cookies. The center stays slightly tender and soft, while the edges get the perfect crunch, and the roasted peanuts on top add a subtle saltiness to each bite.
Why I love this recipe
There is no chill time needed. Just make the dough, shape the cookies, and bake them in the oven. Made in one bowl. So clean-up is done in minutes. 4 ingredients. All you need is peanut butter, eggs, sugar, and roasted peanuts to garnish on top. Addictive texture. With crunchy edges and soft centers, every bite has a crisp yet chewy texture. Extra peanut butter flavor. Compared to other peanut butter cookies, these are overloaded with peanut butter in every bite.
Ingredients needed
Peanut butter. Smooth and creamy peanut butter with no added sugar. Avoid using crunchy peanut butter, which will make the cookie dough too crumbly. Large eggs. I always use room-temperature eggs so the dough comes together easily. If they’re not at room temperature, gently place the eggs in a bowl of lukewarm water for 5 minutes. Sugar. Any type of sugar will do, though I’m partial to the taste of light brown sugar. White sugar or sugar-free brown sugar both work, too. Roasted peanuts. Specifically dry roasted peanuts. These will get chopped finely and garnish the cookies to give them a crunchy bite.
How to make crispy peanut butter cookies
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Step 1- Prep. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Step 2- Combine ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients except for the chopped peanuts. Once mixed, stir in half of the peanuts. Step 3- Shape and bake. Using a cookie scoop, form 12 balls of dough. Roll each dough ball in the chopped peanuts and transfer to the baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until the edges are golden. Step 4- Cool. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet completely.
Arman’s recipe tips
Use a hand mixer. While definitely optional, I find using a hand mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment makes mixing the dough easier. Make thicker, chewier cookies. Chill the dough for 2 hours before baking them. Give them that peanut butter cookie “look.” Press the dough balls with a fork to create that signature criss-cross pattern. Don’t overbake the cookies. They’ll continue to cook as they cool, so pull them from the oven as soon as they begin to golden, and the edges pull away from the parchment paper.
Storage instructions
To store: Peanut butter cookies will keep well at room temperature in an airtight container. They will remain fresh for up to 2 weeks. If you’d like to keep them longer, refrigerate them for up to 1 month.
Swap the peanut butter. While they’re technically “peanut butter cookies,” you can easily swap the peanut butter for other types of nut butter, like almond butter or cashew butter. Skip the eggs. Make a chia or flax egg substitute instead. Add mix-ins. Like chocolate chips, chopped Reese’s pieces, or crushed pretzels. Add some sea salt on top. Optional, but I love adding a sprinkle of salt over the cookies to create a salty-sweet flavor combo.
To freeze: Place the cookies in a freezer-friendly container or ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
More cookies to try
Brownie cookies Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies Cheesecake cookies Biscoff cookies Or any of these cookie recipes
Originally published August 2020, updated and republished June 2024
