Classic Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
Classic Peanut Butter Cookies are a must-have in every kitchen recipe collection. They are simple to make, not overly sweet and are a budget-friendly treat. Bake a bunch and freezer several for picnics and unexpected guests.
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Christmas Peanut Butter Cookie Memories
Every Christmas my mom would break out her recipes for cookies and make dozens of family favorites to give away in cookie tins. ( Before plastic containers!)
Among the plentiful recipes was this classic peanut butter cookie recipe, complete with lots of peanut butter and equal… well Parkay. Yes, in the seventies margarine ruled, but we have leaned something about real food now. I use butter. Yep, real butter and it makes all the recipes I grew up with taste infinitely better!
Simple Pantry Ingredients
Check your pantry! I bet you have all you need to make peanut butter cookies right now!
- Crunchy Peanut Butter: I love this brand.
- Unsalted Butter
- White Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Eggs
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Vanilla Extract
- Salt
Tools for Cookie Baking
Mixing Bowls – My Favorites
Baking Sheets – Three Cheers for Nordicware! Made in the USA
Cooling Rack – I cool them with the rack and a spare cookie sheet to prevent crumb spill.
Hand Mixer – Or a Kitchen Aid Fancypants One… in fabulous red!
Cookie Scoop – Love Piazza made in Italy
Parchment Paper – I love these sheets.
Glass Cookie Jar – Anchor Hocking Made in the USA
Fun Cookie Jar – Bears are just so cute and we all know they love treats!
Tips and Tricks Making Classic Peanut Butter Cookies
The key to a beautiful peanut butter cookie is cooling the dough for one hour.
Then take a cookie shoop and make perfect rustic balls and lime them up with room to spread on a baking sheet with a parchment liner.
Flatten each ball with a fork.
I use just a horizontal look, traditionally you make a criss-cross pattern. I love the simplistic look of a rustic peanut butter cookie! You choose your favorite way.
These cookies are a family favorite! I had plans to make another photo with my new glass jars… They were eaten up so quickly I never had a chance! I love pretty glass jars filled with treats.
Make some of these amazing classic peanut butter cookies with the family soon! Food memories are good memories.
Classic Peanut Butter Cookies
Classic peanut butter cookies with vanilla extract are a tradition in many families and easy to make.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 cup pack brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, cream together softened butter*, peanut butter, white sugar, brown sugar, 2 eggs, and vanilla extract.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Stir in the butter mixture on a low setting with a hand mixer or standing mixer. This dough is easy by hand as well. The mixers are just faster.
- Cover the bowl with a cloth and refrigerate for one hour.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- With a small cookie scoop (1 ½) make cookie balls and place on a lined baking sheet (parchment paper). 12 cookies per half-sized baking sheet, dropped evenly to leave room for cookie expansion.
- Flatten each cookie ball with a fork making once or twice if you prefer a crisscross pattern.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 375°F for 10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown.
Notes
Soften butter by taking it out of the fridge a half-hour before mixing cookie dough or use the soften settings on your microwave.
For variation add sparkling white sugar (Wilton) or sea salt flakes after flattening with the fork.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 241Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 199mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 1gSugar: 17gProtein: 4g
