Mimi's Organic Eats » Recipes » Cookies » The Best Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
The Best Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
Cookies • Gluten Free • High Altitude • No Seed Oils • Nostalgic Desserts | Published May 21, 2024 by Mimi Council
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Indulge in the nostalgia of these classic bakery-style organic Peanut Butter Cookies, where each delectable bite takes you back to childhood. These soft, chewy cookies boast a rich, buttery base, perfectly balanced with the nutty creaminess of high-quality organic peanut butter.
If you're looking for more peanut butter cookies, try some of my other favorites like my Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Sesame Cookies, Peanut Butter Cookie Pies, or my Mini Peanut Butter Cup Cookies.
Table of Contents
My only memories of eating peanut butter cookies are the ones in our County Fair when my mom was too hungry herself to shop without a treat. I just reaped the benefits, and it was the only time we ever had peanut butter cookies! The grocery store bakery at County Fair always dusted their peanut butter cookies with sugar. And I have adopted this addition, and I do it on all of my peanut butter cookies! I feel this adds a little extra texture to the creaminess and sweetness of the peanut butter cookie, and that the cookie would be completely wrong without it.
I have since created what I remember to be the best soft and chewy Peanut Butter Cookies! Baked to golden perfection, these organic Peanut Butter Cookies offer a delicate, chewy texture that gives way to a melt-in-your-mouth experience. And every cookie is generously topped with a sprinkle of cane sugar, adding a delightful crunch to the velvety and chewy goodness.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Soft & Chewy: These are the best soft and chewy Peanut Butter Cookies! I'm sure everyone says that about theirs, but really, these are so damn good! This was the base recipe of one of my best selling cookies at my bakery for over 10 years.
Melt in Your Mouth: My organic Peanut Butter Cookies simply melt in your mouth. The perfect creamy peanut butter flavor combined with butter, sugar, and flour makes for a delicate cookie that is the perfect texture.
Organic Peanut Butter Cookies: I use completely organic ingredients in these cookies. This makes them healthier, or so I like to think!
Blank Canvas: These organic Peanut Butter Cookies are a great blank canvas for add ins or to make sandwich cookies with. I provide some ideas in the substitutions section below!
Ingredients
Butter: I use Organic Valley Salted Butter.
Dark Brown Sugar: This recipe uses dark brown sugar, for a richer flavor. I think it's a must! But, you can use light brown if that's all you have.
Cane Sugar: One of my favorite cane sugar brands is Wholesome, it's what I used in this recipe.
Vanilla Extract: Simply Organic Vanilla is my favorite, it's what I always use!
Eggs: Use large eggs, Organic Valley are my favorite. I use whole egg and egg yolk in this recipe. The egg yolk helps create incredibly chewy cookies.
Peanut Butter: My favorite organic peanut butter comes from Costco!
All Purpose Flour: My favorite all purpose flour is Cairnspring Mills, this fresh milled flour is amazing!
Baking Soda: I use aluminum free baking soda from Frontier Co-Op.
Fine Sea Salt: I use fine sea salt from Frontier Co-Op. Don't use table salt as that will be too salty.
Tools Needed
Baking Sheet Half Sheet Pan (use code MIMIBAKES for 10% off my favorite stainless steel sustainable bakeware!)
Parchment Paper (get my favorite nontoxic parchment paper and get 10% off with MIMIBAKES)
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Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Step 2
In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, baking soda, and sea salt and whisk together.
Step 3
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, cane sugar, dark brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix on low until combined and there are no chunks of butter. Add the peanut butter, egg, and egg yolk. Do not mix. Add the flour mixture right on top. Mix on low until combined and you have a smooth dough. Do not over mix.
Step 4
Using your hands, form the dough into 24 balls and place on prepared cookie sheets. 12 should fit per tray and they should be spaced at least 1-inch apart.
Step 5
Bake for 11 to 14 minutes or until the tops look cracked and set. Sprinkle with cane sugar immediately after coming out of the oven. Allow to cool completely on the cookie sheets. (If you're baking at high altitude, be sure to check the Notes at the bottom of the recipe for high altitude baking instructions).
Baker's Tips
- Use soft butter. I cannot stress this enough, soft butter is key. I like to leave butter out on the counter overnight so it softens at room temperature, because that is the best way to soften butter, naturally. If you must microwave it, then microwave it for 10 seconds per 1 stick at a time.
- Use dark brown sugar. This is crucial for more flavor and a richer peanut butter cookie.
- Use smooth organic peanut butter. Many recipes will tell you not to use natural peanut butter as it's “creamier” with the bad stuff. I don't believe this for a second. You can make anything creamy if you stir it properly. Just make sure you are using a smooth peanut butter and not a crunchy one.
- It is important to not overmix your peanut butter cookie dough when you are using a natural peanut butter. Because a natural peanut butter can separate, this can also happen with your cookie dough if it's overmixed. This is difficult to do, but that doesn't mean I haven't seen it happen before! So, you should not be worried about this, but it's also a tip to not leave your mixer mixing and walk away from it. Mix your dough until it comes together and there are no chunks of flour and you have a smooth dough, then stop. It's that simple.
- Make sure to add the dusting of cane sugar on top of your cookies immediately after they come out of the oven. The sugar will stick to the cookies when they are hot, and if you forget this step while they are hot and try to add it when they have already cooled, the sugar will just fall off.
Easy Substitutions
- If you're using unsalted butter, just add ¼ teaspoon sea salt to the recipe.
- Feel free to add in chocolate chips for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip. I recommend adding in 198 grams (1 cup) of chocolate chips.
- If you want a sweet and salty cookie, then add flaky sea salt on top instead of cane sugar.
- Make my Honey Buttercream Frosting recipe and make these into Peanut Butter Honey Sandwich Cookies!
- Add dried cranberries for a PB & J cookie! I'd recommend adding in 1 cup of dried cranberries, strawberries, or blueberries.
- If you're gluten free, use my easy swap for gluten free in the Notes at the bottom of the recipe.
FAQ's
Yes, just look in the Notes at the bottom of the recipe for gluten free instructions.
You can, but the flavor won't be the same. They will still be good, but I think they are better with dark brown sugar!
Yes, there's a simple adjustment for gluten free in the Notes at the bottom of the recipe.
Store in an airtight container. You can also freeze these as well!
Craving More?
- Eggless Peanut Butter Sheet Cake
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Sandwich Cookies
- Mini Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookie Pies
- Easy Vegan Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies
The Best Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
Mimi CouncilIngredients
- 142 grams all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 113 grams salted butter (softened)
- 113 grams cane sugar (plus extra for dusting)
- 113 grams dark brown sugar (packed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 226 grams peanut butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, baking soda, and sea salt and whisk together.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, cane sugar, dark brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix on low until combined and there are no chunks of butter.
- Add the peanut butter, egg, and egg yolk. Do not mix. Add the flour mixture right on top. Mix on low until combined and you have a smooth dough. Do not over mix.
- Using your hands, form the dough into 24 balls and place on prepared cookie sheets. 12 should fit per tray and they should be spaced at least 1-inch apart.
- Bake for 11 to 14 minutes or until the tops look cracked and set. Sprinkle with cane sugar immediately after coming out of the oven. Allow to cool completely on the cookie sheets.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
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