Soft Peanut Butter Cookies (Printable)

Classic soft and chewy cookies packed with peanut flavor and a signature crosshatch finish.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
04 - 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 cup creamy peanut butter
07 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
08 - 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
09 - 1 large egg
10 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ For Finishing

11 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (optional, for rolling)

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and creamy, about two minutes.
04 - Add the egg and vanilla extract to the mixture and blend until fully combined.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mix to the wet ingredients, stirring until just incorporated.
06 - Scoop approximately 1 tablespoon of dough for each cookie. Roll into balls, then optionally roll in granulated sugar.
07 - Place dough balls on prepared baking sheets approximately 2 inches apart. Press down twice with a fork in a crisscross pattern to flatten.
08 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden and centers remain soft.
09 - Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They come together in under 30 minutes from start to finish, no fancy equipment needed.
  • One fork creates that iconic crosshatch—simple to execute, impressive every single time.
  • The texture is genuinely crave-worthy: chewy centers with just enough structure to hold together.
  • Peanut butter flavor runs deep without being heavy or one-dimensional.
02 -
  • Room temperature butter is essential; cold butter won't cream properly and you'll end up with dense, greasy cookies.
  • The crosshatch isn't decoration—it actually helps the cookies bake evenly and creates those textured edges everyone loves.
  • Pulling cookies out when they look slightly underbaked is the difference between chewy and cake-like; they firm up as they cool.
03 -
  • Soften butter properly by leaving it on the counter for 15-20 minutes; microwave-softened butter is too warm and won't cream the same way.
  • Use a fork that has parallel tines rather than curved ones—it creates cleaner lines and a more consistent crosshatch pattern.
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