You’d be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn’t love fresh-baked Peanut Butter Cookies! Everybody, their mamma and their grandma claim to have the best recipe. Me personally, I haven’t been impressed by the peanut butter cookies I’ve tried at various bakeries, or even the various recipes I’ve tried online. Now don’t get me wrong, they were all very good. However, there was always a little something I just couldn’t put my finger on that was missing from all of them that kept them from being perfect. So I sought out to make homemade peanut butter cookie recipe that strike the right balance of softness and chewiness. After countless hours of testing, this recipe hits the spot for me.
Key Ingredients for Soft and Chewy Cookies
The dough for the peanut butter cookies is made from your standard ingredients: Peanut Butter, Flour, Baking Soda, Table Salt, Sugar, Butter, and Vanilla Extract. That said, what makes this recipe stand out from the rest is the use of Honey and Peanut Butter chips.
- Honey: The added honey accomplishes a couple things that takes these cookies to another level. For one, Honey tends to do a great job at retaining moisture in baked goods. This is a huge plus because often, you’ll see recipes that require smashing the peanut butter cookie dough. In this case, the extra moisture retention makes it easier for the peanut butter cookie dough to spread on its own as it bakes, eliminating the need for smashing beforehand. Also, the honey contributes to a deeper and more complex flavor that you won’t find in your typical store-bought cookies, which is a nice perk if you want to impress your guests with a cookie that features a taste they’ve never had before.
- Peanut Butter Chips: The addition of peanut butter chips gives the cookies what I would describe as a “double peanut butter effect,” as they accomplish a few things. For starters, the maintenance of these distinct pockets of peanut butter throughout the cookies give them a unique contrast in texture that you won’t find in most other recipes. In addition, as the chips melt while in the oven, they will give the cookies an ooey gooey component similar to what you get with chocolate chip cookies. But on top of all that, the peanut butter chips really work to give the cookies a more intense taste of peanut butter than what you would get without them.
- Egg Yolks: While most recipe call for using all or predominately whole eggs, I tested out this recipe with just the use of egg yolks and ended up getting a desirable result. The thing about egg whites is that they’re mostly just protein, which has a tendency to dry out baked goods. In the baking process, most of the emulsifying properties and fat that we associated with a whole egg lies entirely within the egg yolk. So ultimately, there’s virtually nothing of value lost from excluding the egg whites from these cookies. In fact, just using egg yolks alone really helps to enhance the richness of the flavor and give it a velvety texture.
And lastly, there’s one more thing I can’t stress enough. There are different types of Peanut Butter that are sold in-store, Crunchy, Natural and Creamy. I strongly advise against using Natural Peanut Butter for this recipe. Natural Peanut Butter is lacking in the emulsifiers (or binding ingredients) that Creamy Peanut Butter has, which means the oils in the peanut butter has a heightened risk of separating. When this happens as the cookies bake, it will lead to a drier, less smooth and crumbly texture. Natural Peanut Butter also tends to have less sugar and salt added, which can lead to cookies that are more bland. With respect with Crunchy Peanut Butter, this recipe has not been tested with it.
Tips for Making this Recipe
If cookies are too puffy, slam bottom of cookie sheet on flat surface. The way baking soda works, the heat in the oven will initially cause the fat in the cookie dough to melt and spread out quickly. That said, in thew final few minutes, the baking soda will be activated and the cookies will really puff up. This is due to all of the Carbon Dioxide that has built up from the baking soda that has dissolved. That said, if they’re too puffy for your liking, when you first take them out of the oven, forcibly slam the bottom of your cookie sheet on a flat surface. This will release the air that has built up in the cookies.
Allow the peanut butter cookies to cool for a minimum of 10 minutes after removing from oven. The inside of the peanut butter cookies will continue to set and coagulate even after you remove them from the heat. If you attempt to remove & eat the peanut butter cookies too soon while they’re still hot, you risk having them fall apart.
Spoon + level your flour. This will ensure you’re not using too much of either ingredients in your recipe, as it’s easy to get too much to settle in there if you opt to scoop it with a measuring cup. Alternatively, you can use a scale to measure these ingredients (the exact measurements are listed below in the ingredients). If you measure these ingredients these ingredients correctly, it could negatively effect the flavor/texture of the peanut butter cookies.
For the best results, use parchment paper. There are some recipes that suggest you can place your cookie dough on greasy (or lightly greased) cookie sheets. The reason I advise against this is because this can cause both the bottom of the cookies and the edges to overcook and burn (thus, in my humble opinion, making the cookies unappetizing). Meanwhile, if you decided to wing it by just placing the dough on a care cookie sheet, you risk having the cookies stick onto the cookie sheet as the fat melts then re-solidifies during the baking process. I strongly advise placing the cookie dough on parchment paper to ensure minimal sticking, sufficient browning as well as the right amount of spread.
Use a cookie scoop. Why? For one reason, it’s a way to avoid having to scoop & roll the dough for the peanut butter cookies and get your hands dirty. But also, a scoop will ensure all of the peanut butter cookies are the same size and they bake evenly. In fact, as extra insurance, I even like to level the dough in my cookie scoop with a knife (but doing this is optional). For this recipe, I used a 2 TBSP (1 oz) cookie scoop, and do note servings will vary if you use a smaller or large cookie scoop.
Bake a test cookie (or two). The problem with many home ovens, especially if they’re older, is that not all of them are properly calibrated to heat to the correct temp (some of them run too cold or even too hot). To ensure you may not have to adjust the temp higher or lower by about 25 degrees, it may not hurt to test some of the dough for the peanut butter cookies before attempting to bake it all at once to ensure they come out per the recipe instructions given.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you add Chocolate Chips or Chopped Nuts to this recipe?
Absolutely! I’m personally not a fan of having these extra ingredients in my peanut butter cookies (personal preference), which is why I officially excluded them from my recipe. That being said, if you prefer having these items in your peanut butter cookies, you can certainly add them while combining the wet + dry ingredients.
Is it required to chill the dough?
While there are many recipes that require you chill the dough, the nice about this one is that is does *NOT* require any chilling prior to baking. That being said, for the best result, I highly recommend allowing the dough to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. This will allow time for the flour to fully hydrate (which will help to give the interior of the peanut butter cookies a chewier texture) as well as allow time for the butter to firm up, so that there isn’t excessive spread of the peanut butter cookies once they’re in the oven.
Can you substitute Oil for the Butter?
The answer to this question always gets tricky.
I do understand that not everyone is able to eat dairy products and that butter is simply not an option for such individuals. In such cases, you *COULD* replace the butter with a cooking oil, but with a couple of important caveats. For starters, while cooking oils and butter are both different types of fats that can be used in baked goods, their fat composition is not entirely equal. Cooking oils tend to have virtually no water in them (thus is 100% fat), whereas Butter typically has a water content of 20-25% (depending on the brand). So in the even you attempt to substitute the butter for cooking oils, I’d advise only using 75-80% of the amount of cooking oil.
The other caveat is that the use of cooking oils will change the flavor profile of the cookies. Seed oils (I.E. Vegetable Oil, Canola Oil, etc.), are known to be neutral-tasting, meaning they have no flavor. So you will be losing the subtle nuttiness / sweetness in your cookies that Butter offers. But then you also have your non-seed oils such as Coconut, Avocado or Olive Oil. These oils are *NOT* neutral-tasting, which means if you use them, you may end up with cookies that taste like Olives, Avocados or Coconuts, as the oils will overpower the other ingredients.
All of that said, the short and sweet answer I can give you is I *DON’T* recommend it. For a more detailed answer, see above.
Can you freeze the dough? And if so, for how long?
You can definitely freeze these chocolate chip cookies! Once the dough has rested and you’ve scooped them into individual servings, place them in a freezer bag and they should maintain their freshness for at least 3 months. While they may still be safe ton eat for up to 6 months in the freezer, the chocolate chip cookies will gradually lose their flavor and texture after 3 months have passed. For the best spread, I would advise allowing them to thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours before baking them in the oven.
How long can you store peanut butter cookies without freezing?
As long as the peanut butter cookies are stored in a airtight container or bag, they should be safe to eat for at least 3 days. After 3 days, they may begin to lose their flavor & texture. Once 5 days have passed, I would advise that you dispose of the peanut butter cookies as they may no longer be edible.
Try These Other Cookie Recipes
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Best Crispy & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Best Sugar Cookies From Scratch
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Best White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
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Best Pillowy Snickerdoodle Cookies
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Best Chewy Gingersnap Cookies
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Best Oatmeal Cookies (NO Raisins)
Best Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
Equipment
- Whisk(s)
- Plastic Spatula(s)
- 2 Large Mixing Bowls
- Parchment Paper
- Baking Sheet(s)
- Measuring Cups/Spoons
- 2 TBSP Cookie Scoop
Ingredients
- 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
- 3/4 Cup Peanut Butter Chips
- 1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar
- 1 TBSP Honey
- 1/2 Cup White Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 TSP Iodized Salt
- 1 TSP Baking Soda
- 1/2 Cup Melted Unsalted Butter
- 1/2 TSP Vanilla Extract
- 4 Extra Large Egg Yolks
Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients (Flour, Baking Soda and Salt) in large mixing bowl.
- Whisk dry ingredients until combined.
- Melt peanut butter & butter in single bowl in microwave on high heat for between 1 minute and 1 minute 30 seconds.
- Add melted peanut butter & butter to large empty mixing bowl.
- Add sugar + honey and whisk together with butter + peanut butter until well-combined (approx. 60 seconds).
- Add other wet ingredients (both Egg Yolks and Vanilla Extract at the same time) to combined Butter + Sugar and whisk for 30 seconds until combined.
- Add wet ingredients into bowl with dry ingredients and fold until just combined.
- Fold peanut butter chips into cookie dough until just combined.
- Preheat oven to 350*F and line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Using cookie scoop, place dough onto cookie sheet and ensure they are evenly spaced.
- Place cookie sheet(s) in oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- Allow cookies to cool before serving.