These classic, soft peanut butter cookies are easy to make, loaded with peanut butter, and will certainly become your new favorite peanut butter cookie recipe! Learn how to make peanut butter cookies by following our step-by-step instructions and watching the video!
In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder cinnamon. Set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, cream together butter and peanut butter until smooth.
Add sugars and beat for 1 minute.
Add eggs, vanilla and milk and beat for 30-60 seconds on medium-high speed until the mixture is light in color and sugar is dissolved.
Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until combined.
If desired, add chocolate chips or other mix-ins and stir until combined.
Transfer the dough to an airtight container and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, and up to overnight.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Use a cookie scoop to measure 1 ½ to 2 Tablespoons of dough and roll it into a ball. Repeat until all the dough has been used.
Place 12 cookies on each large baking sheet.
Use a fork to gently press a crisscross pattern into the top of each cookie.
Bake in preheated oven for approximately 9-10 minutes. Take them out when they are just barely starting to turn brown, puffed and just begin to crackle.
Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to cooling rack.
Cool completely on a wire rack before serving or storing.
Video
Notes
Ingredient Substituions
Salted Butter. Unsalted butter also works well, you may just need to increase the amount of sea salt.
Peanut Butter. I recommend using a variety of peanut butter that is solid at room temperature (Jif, Skippy, Skippy Natural, etc.). You can use natural peanut butter, but the cookies may spread more and be more on the crispy side than the soft side. Also, many natural peanut butters are unsalted, so you may need to increase the amount of salt int he recipe by ¼ tsp.
Whole Milk. you can use 2%, heavy cream, and half-and-half in place of whole milk..
Light Brown Sugar. If you like a little bolder, molasses taste use dark brown sugar.
Granulated Sugar. White sugar or organic cane sugar are both great options.
Sea salt. I only ever bake with pure, fine sea salt. If you are using iodized salt I recommend decreasing the amount of salt by half.
StoreStore in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days. How to FreezeFreeze baked cookies for up to 1 month in an airtight container in the freezer.Freeze the cookie dough by rolling it into balls and placing it in an airtight, freezer-friendly container for up to 1 month.To bake, thaw cookie dough to room temperature and follow recipe instructions on pressing the tops with a fork and baking.