A classic recipe, soft peanut butter cookies. Crosshatched top, golden brown edges, and a coating of granulated sugar. These cookies are a classic for a reason. They are crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, and have a perfect balance of salty peanut butter and sugary sweetness.
This recipe is adapted from Hershey’s recipe for Peanut Butter Blossoms.
I love how soft and light this cookie dough turns out. You’ll see. Once your ingredients are combined, it’s heavenly. I could eat it by the spoonful (but I totally don’t do this…). These soft peanut butter cookies are a must any time of year.
The refrigeration step is important, because this dough will need to firm up before you roll it into balls. This also allows the flavors to meld in your dough, creating a more well rounded and flavorful cookie.
Did you know that peanut butter cookies didn’t always bear their criss-cross markings? A 1932 recipe was the first to include this step. The author instructed to use a fork to press the dough down in each direction “so they look like squares on waffles.”
It’s believed that they did so because the dough was so thick, it wouldn’t cook evenly unless it was pressed down. They used a fork due to convenience.
Do you love peanut butter? You must try my recipe for No Churn Double Peanut Butter Ice Cream – stat! It’s a game changer.
You may also want to take a look at my Flourless Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies. That’s right, no flour needed! They’re so moist and chewy, you won’t even notice it’s missing.
Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
Adapted from Hershey's recipe for Peanut Butter Blossoms.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and peanut butter. Add sugars, then beat until fluffy (about 1 minute). Add the egg, milk, and vanilla. Beat for another 2 minutes until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually stir dry ingredients into butter mixture until just combined.
- Cover bowl or wrap dough in wax paper. Chill for at least 1 hour (up to 24 hours) in the refrigerator. Refrigerating will help the flavors meld and also create a firmer dough to roll into balls.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Remove dough from refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Scoop dough using a 1 tablespoon scoop or shape by hand into 1 inch balls. Roll balls in white sugar.
- Place cookie dough balls 2 inches apart onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Press a fork into the balls, creating a crosshatch pattern. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until lightly browned around edges. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
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