There is just something so special about a really good peanut butter cookie. These homemade Peanut Butter Cookies are soft and chewy in the center, lightly crisp around the edges, and packed with rich peanut butter flavor. Rolling the dough in turbinado sugar before baking gives them a beautiful sparkle and an irresistible little crunch around the edges, while a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top brings all the flavors together.
These are the kind of cookies that feel familiar and nostalgic, but still have that bakery-style look and texture. They’re thick, generously sized, soft in the middle, and perfectly golden around the edges. And if you’re a peanut butter and chocolate person, you can take them one step further by dipping the bottoms in melted chocolate for an extra-fancy finish. (For more instructions on this, check out my Jacques Torres-Style Chocolate Bottom Peanut Butter Cookies)
I especially love these cookies for holiday cookie trays, bake sales, cookie exchanges, gifting, or simply keeping a batch on the counter for when the craving hits. They’re easy enough for an everyday bake but pretty enough to feel special.
Why you’ll love this recipe!
What ingredients do I need?
- Unsalted butter: Softened butter creates a smooth cookie dough and helps give these cookies their rich, buttery texture. Make sure it’s softened to room temperature rather than melted.
- Creamy peanut butter: Use a smooth, creamy peanut butter for the best texture and consistent results. This is where all that classic peanut butter flavor comes from.
- Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness and contributes to the texture of the cookies.
- Dark brown sugar: Brown sugar adds moisture, chewiness, and a deeper molasses flavor that pairs beautifully with peanut butter.
- Eggs: Room-temperature eggs incorporate more easily into the creamed butter mixture and help create a cohesive dough.
- Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and rounds out the flavors of the peanut butter and brown sugar.
- All-purpose flour: Provides the structure for the cookies.
- Cornstarch: Just one tablespoon helps create a softer, more tender cookie while still allowing the cookies to spread beautifully.
- Baking soda: Helps the cookies spread and contributes to their golden-brown edges.
- Kosher salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the peanut butter flavor.
- Turbinado sugar: This is the secret to those gorgeous sparkly, slightly crunchy edges. The larger sugar crystals don’t completely disappear during baking, giving the cookies a wonderful texture.
- Flaky sea salt: A final sprinkle adds a delicious sweet-and-salty contrast.
Recipe Variations
- Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies: Want to make these cookies even fancier? Make my Jacques Torres-Style Chocolate Bottom Peanut Butter Cookies! The combination of rich peanut butter cookie and chocolate is absolutely irresistible.
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies: Add mini chocolate chips to the tops of the cookies before baking.
- Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies: Use two smaller cookies to make sandwich cookies with a layer of chocolate or peanut butter filling in the middle. Keep in mind that the recipe as written is designed for large cookies, so you would need to adjust the scoop size and baking time.
Pro Tips
- Use properly softened butter. The butter should be soft enough to press with your finger but shouldn’t look greasy or melted. Butter that’s too warm can cause the cookies to spread too much.
- Use room temperature eggs. They incorporate more evenly into the creamed butter mixture and help create a smooth dough.
- Cream the butter and sugars well. Give the butter, peanut butter, and sugars the full 2–3 minutes. This helps create the right texture and incorporates air into the dough.
- Don’t overmix the flour once the dry ingredients are added. Mix only until you no longer see streaks of flour. Overmixing can make the cookies tougher.
- Use a 3 tbsp cookie scoop to get the most even cookies.
- Don’t flatten the dough. These cookies are designed to spread on their own in the oven. Simply roll the scooped dough in turbinado sugar and place it on the baking sheet.
- Give them room to spread. Leave about 2½ inches between cookies so they have plenty of room on the baking sheet.
- Watch the baking time closely. The centers should still look slightly underdone when you pull the cookies from the oven. They’ll continue to set as they cool on the baking sheet.
- Don’t skip the 10-minute rest. Letting the cookies sit on the hot baking sheet allows the centers to finish setting while keeping them soft and chewy.
- Add the flaky salt right away after baking. Sprinkle the cookies while they’re still warm so the salt adheres to the surface.
Can I Substitute?
Yes! Like always though, any substitutions made to the recipe can result in a change in texture and/or flavor.
- Unsalted butter: Salted butter can be used, but reduce the added salt.
- Creamy peanut butter: For this recipe, creamy peanut butter is the best choice for a smooth, consistent dough. I would avoid natural peanut butter that separates unless you know it performs well in your cookie recipes.
- Dark brown sugar: Light brown sugar can be substituted. The cookies will still be delicious, but they’ll have a slightly lighter molasses flavor.
- Turbinado sugar: If you don’t have turbinado sugar, coarse raw sugar can provide a similar crunchy coating. Regular granulated sugar can work in a pinch, but it won’t provide quite the same texture or sparkle.
- Flaky sea salt: You can leave it off, although I highly recommend it for that sweet-and-salty finish.
Dietary Substitutions
- Gluten-Free: Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend designed to replace regular all-purpose flour at a 1:1 ratio. Since gluten-free flour blends can vary, I recommend using one you’ve successfully baked with before.
Leftovers and Storage
- Room temperature: Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. For the best texture, keep the container tightly sealed.
- Refrigerator: These cookies don’t need to be refrigerated. In fact, refrigeration can make them firmer and less soft. If you do refrigerate them, allow them to come closer to room temperature before serving.
- Freezer: Baked cookies can be frozen in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Place parchment paper between layers to prevent them from sticking together.
- To freeze the dough before baking: Scoop the dough into individual portions and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. This makes it easy to bake a few cookies whenever a craving hits.
But, I Still Have A Few Questions…
Do I need to chill the peanut butter cookie dough?
No! One of the best things about this recipe is that there is no chilling required. Once the dough is mixed, you can scoop, roll the cookies in turbinado sugar, and bake them right away.
Why do you use cornstarch in peanut butter cookies?
Cornstarch helps create a softer, more tender texture. It gives these cookies that soft and chewy bakery-style center without making them cakey.
Why do you roll the cookies in turbinado sugar?
Turbinado sugar has larger crystals than regular granulated sugar, so it adds a subtle crunch and beautiful sparkle to the outside of the cookies. It also gives the edges a really pretty bakery-style finish.
Do I have to use turbinado sugar?
I recommend turbinado sugar for its crunchy texture and beautiful sparkle, but coarse raw sugar makes a great substitute. You can also use regular granulated sugar, but the cookies won’t have quite the same crisp, crunchy coating.
Why are my peanut butter cookies spreading too much?
The most common culprit is butter that is too warm or partially melted. Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature but isn’t greasy or melted. Measuring the flour accurately and following the mixing instructions can also help.
Why didn’t my cookies spread?
If the cookies aren’t spreading much, your butter may have been too cool or your flour measurement may have been heavy. The dough balls should be placed on the baking sheet without flattening, and they should naturally spread as they bake.
Should I flatten peanut butter cookies before baking?
No, that isn’t necessary for this recipe. These cookies are designed to spread on their own, so there’s no need to use a fork or flatten them before baking.
How do I know when peanut butter cookies are done?
Look for lightly golden edges with centers that still appear slightly underbaked. They will continue to cook and set on the hot baking sheet after coming out of the oven.
Why are my peanut butter cookies hard instead of soft?
Overbaking is one of the easiest ways to end up with hard cookies. Pull them from the oven when the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look slightly underdone. Also be careful not to overmix the dough after adding the flour.
Can I use natural peanut butter?
I recommend using regular creamy peanut butter for this recipe because its consistency is more predictable. Natural peanut butter can vary considerably in how much oil separates, which can affect the dough and final texture.
Can I use crunchy peanut butter?
You can, although I recommend creamy peanut butter for the smoothest dough and texture. Crunchy peanut butter will add pieces of peanuts throughout the cookies and slightly change the texture.
Can I use light brown sugar instead of dark brown sugar?
Yes. Light brown sugar will work, but dark brown sugar gives the cookies a deeper molasses flavor and contributes to their rich, chewy texture.
Can I make smaller cookies?
Yes. You can reduce the amount of dough used for each cookie, but you’ll need to adjust the baking time. Smaller cookies will bake more quickly, so start checking them early.
Can I freeze peanut butter cookie dough?
Yes. Portion the uncooked dough into individual balls before freezing so you can bake only what you need. Freeze the dough balls in a freezer-safe container or bag and bake from frozen, adding additional baking time as needed. Since the recipe was not specifically tested from frozen, watch the first batch carefully for doneness.
Can I dip these cookies in chocolate?
Absolutely! For a fancier version, dip the bottoms of the completely cooled cookies in melted chocolate and allow the chocolate to set. This is especially delicious with the peanut butter flavor and makes the cookies look beautiful for gifting or holiday cookie trays. Check out my recipe for Jacques Torres-Style Chocolate Bottom Peanut Butter Cookies!
Why add flaky sea salt to peanut butter cookies?
A little flaky sea salt balances the sweetness of the sugars and enhances the rich peanut butter flavor. It’s especially good when paired with the turbinado sugar coating.
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Make sure to tag @thehomechefmomma on Instagram or Facebook, and leave a review or comment if you make these. I always get so excited to see your creations, variations of the recipe, and feedback! Just remember to be kind in your comments, there is still a person behind this screen! 🙂
The Best Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ⅔ cup creamy peanut butter
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup turbinado sugar for rolling
- Flaky sea salt for finishing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the turbinado sugar in a shallow bowl.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer, beat together the softened butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed for 2–3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and kosher salt. Mix on low speed just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
- Using a large cookie scoop, about 3 tablespoons per cookie, portion the dough. Roll each dough ball in the turbinado sugar until evenly coated.
- Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2½ inches between each cookie. There is no need to flatten the dough.
- Bake for 10–11 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers still appear slightly underbaked.
- Immediately sprinkle the warm cookies with flaky sea salt.
- Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- The cornstarch helps keep these cookies soft and chewy while allowing them to spread into beautiful bakery-style cookies.
- Room-temperature butter and eggs help the dough mix evenly.
- Do not overmix once the flour is added.
- The cookies should look slightly underbaked in the center when they come out of the oven. They’ll continue cooking as they cool.
- Rolling the dough in turbinado sugar creates crisp edges and a beautiful bakery-style sparkle.
- For an extra-fancy cookie, dip the cooled cookie bottoms in melted chocolate.
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Nutritional Content Disclaimer
I choose not to include nutritional information with my recipes, as these values can be calculated from the ingredients provided. With my background as a pediatric nurse practitioner and my own family experience with disordered eating, I understand how focusing on numbers can affect our relationship with food. My philosophy is that all foods have a place—sweet, savory, nourishing, or indulgent. I aim to share recipes that support a healthy, joyful approach to eating. My hope is that this space also encourages a balanced, healthy relationship with food for you and your family too.