19 Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes That Take Rich Flavor Seriously (2024)

We love peanut butter cookies. And while it's hard to beat a traditional homemade peanut butter cookie recipe, we're smitten by variations. With these recipes, you can make peanut butter cookies all kinds of ways—from scratch, from mixes, and in some cases, without even turning on the oven. With our best peanut butter cookie recipe for peanut butter purists, plus twists like pinwheels and jammy thumbprints, these peanut butter cookies are proven crowd-pleasers.

01of 19

Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

View Recipe

19 Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes That Take Rich Flavor Seriously (1)

This is it! Our best peanut butter cookie recipe for those classic, chewy peanut butter cookies you crave. Generations of cooks have learned how to make peanut butter cookies from this very recipe, and you can, too. It's foolproof—we promise.

02of 19

Peanut Butter Blossoms

View Recipe

19 Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes That Take Rich Flavor Seriously (2)

Here's another classic way to make peanut butter cookies. You can customize this peanut butter cookie recipe with different types of chocolate candy in the center. We like to use milk, dark, or caramel-filled chocolates.

Buy It: T-fal Airbake Cookie Sheet ($11, Walmart)

03of 19

PB&J Sandwich Cookies

View Recipe

19 Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes That Take Rich Flavor Seriously (3)

Lunch just got a whole lot sweeter. Chewy peanut butter cookies take the place for bread with these peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. While they're a far cry from a sandwich substitute, you won't find us complaining about finding one in our lunch boxes.

04of 19

Peanut Butter and Banana Drops

View Recipe

19 Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes That Take Rich Flavor Seriously (4)

Keep these easy peanut butter cookies in mind whenever you need a speedy dessert to serve. Dried banana chips and creamy chocolate pieces turn purchased cookie dough into a totally new treat. No one will ever notice that these peanut butter banana cookies weren't made from scratch.

05of 19

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Shortbread Bites

19 Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes That Take Rich Flavor Seriously (5)

These eye-catching gems rank among our best peanut butter cookies for gift-giving. They start with a rich, buttery shortbread recipe that's flavor-charged with peanut butter and chocolate. What really sells them, though, is the peanut butter and chocolate frostings on top. To make these peanut butter cookies even more enticing, follow the instructions for the pretty drizzles.

06of 19

Peanut Butter Oat Bites

View Recipe

19 Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes That Take Rich Flavor Seriously (6)

Anyone can make these no-bake peanut butter cookies—they take just 20 minutes of hands-on prep time. These flourless peanut butter cookies are filled with an uncommon (and delicious) combination of ingredients—chocolate chips, coconut, dried cherries, rolled oats, and of course, peanut butter.

07of 19

Easy Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies

View Recipe

19 Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes That Take Rich Flavor Seriously (7)

These 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies come together in less than 30 minutes for a dense and delicious gluten-free treat everyone will enjoy. All you'll need is one egg, a cup of sugar, and a cup of peanut butter for an easy batch of gluten-free peanut butter cookies. We promise, no one will miss the gluten.

08of 19

Peanut Butter and "Oreo" Brookies

View Recipe

19 Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes That Take Rich Flavor Seriously (8)

Brownie cookies? Yes, please! This peanut butter brookie (that's brownie + cookie) recipe marries cookies and cream brownies with a chewy peanut butter cookie recipe for a sweet mashup that begs to be dunked in a glass of milk.

09of 19

Peanut Butter Cream Sandwich Cookies

View Recipe

19 Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes That Take Rich Flavor Seriously (9)

What's better than one peanut butter cookie? Two peanut butter cookies with peanut butter cream in the middle, of course! A mixture of marshmallow creme and chunky peanut butter creates a fluffernutter-style filling for this showstopping take on a traditional peanut butter cookie recipe.

10of 19

Copycat Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

19 Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes That Take Rich Flavor Seriously (10)

No Girl Scouts in your neighborhood? No problem. These chocolate-coated peanut butter cookies are based on Girl Scout Tagalongs (also called Peanut Butter Patties), and our recipe makes 46 cookies … which, if you've ever ordered peanut butter Girl Scout cookies before, you know means they'll likely get eaten in exactly one day.

11of 19

PB&J Ice Cream Sandwiches

View Recipe

19 Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes That Take Rich Flavor Seriously (11)

This recipe shows you how to make peanut butter cookies into a kid-favorite dessert. Simply bake the cookies using purchased dough (or skip that step and use purchased cookies). Fill with ice cream and a touch of jam, and you have sweet and playful take on PB&J.

12of 19

Peanut Butter, Jelly, and Brownie Cookies

View Recipe

19 Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes That Take Rich Flavor Seriously (12)

Peanut butter and jelly is a sacred combination, which is why the addition of fudgy brownies to this peanut butter cookie sandwich recipe is so delightfully sinful. A scoop of fresh-from-the-oven brownie is smashed together with a tablespoon of jam between two layers of peanut butter cookies to make one decadent dessert sandwich. Store-bought peanut butter cookie dough saves time since you'll need to roll the dough out before slicing and baking.

13of 19

Double Oat Breakfast Cookies

View Recipe

19 Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes That Take Rich Flavor Seriously (13)

Cookies for breakfast? Yes, please! These chewy peanut butter cookies are packed with good-for-you ingredients, such as oats, cereal, and raisins. We also sprinkled a handful of chocolate chips into these easy peanut butter cookies to add just a little indulgence to your morning.

14of 19

Peanut Butter Munchies

View Recipe

19 Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes That Take Rich Flavor Seriously (14)

Each cookie has a surprise inside: gooey, creamy peanut butter. Happily, these are also super-easy peanut butter cookies to make. Simply wrap cookie dough around balls of creamy peanut butter filling. Then bake, cool, and prepare to swoon.

15of 19

Giant Triple Threat Peanut Butter Cookies

View Recipe

19 Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes That Take Rich Flavor Seriously (15)

When compared to all the different types of peanut butter cookies, this recipe has a giant advantage. The giant-size cookies start with a homemade peanut butter batter and plenty of peanut butter-filled chocolate chips in the mix. Just before baking, they're topped with ground peanuts for a peanut butter cookie recipe that's all about the peanuts. Grab a glass of milk and start munching.

16of 19

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Pinwheels

View Recipe

19 Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes That Take Rich Flavor Seriously (16)

These twirly peanut butter and chocolate cookies are playful and fun to make. A bit of cocoa powder adds a chocolatey spin to refrigerated sugar cookie dough before swirling together with refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough. After refrigerating the rolled dough, simply slice and bake.

Pinwheel Cookies That Always Stand Out on a Cookie Tray

17of 19

PB&C Cookie Sandwiches

19 Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes That Take Rich Flavor Seriously (17)

Here we start with our best peanut butter cookie recipe and add cocoa powder plus peanut butter and milk chocolate pieces to the dough. Then we transform the baked treats into rich sandwich cookies. You'll be glad to know that the filling for these peanut butter cookies is purchased chocolate frosting mixed with peanut butter. How easy is that?

18of 19

Ultimate Tassies

View Recipe

19 Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes That Take Rich Flavor Seriously (18)

We bet you've never had peanut butter cookies quite like this before. A buttery cream cheese crust makes a crisp shell for the two-tone peanut butter and chocolate filling. Use a piping bag for the filling to create a gorgeous swirl.

Buy It: Ateco Pastry Bag Kit ($20, Williams Sonoma)

19of 19

PB&J Thumbprints

View Recipe

19 Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes That Take Rich Flavor Seriously (19)

Yes, they combined! Here, peanut butter cookies marry thumbprint cookies for one fabulous "happily ever after." Want more to celebrate? This peanut butter cookie recipe takes just three ingredients—and refrigerated cookie dough jump-starts the list.

19 Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes That Take Rich Flavor Seriously (2024)

FAQs

What are the basic ingredients for peanut butter cookies? ›

Image of What are the basic ingredients for peanut butter cookies?
Peanut butter is a food paste or spread made from ground, dry-roasted peanuts. It commonly contains additional ingredients that modify the taste or texture, such as salt, sweeteners, or emulsifiers.
Wikipedia

What happens if you add too much peanut butter to peanut butter cookies? ›

This may not sound like a lot, but it is enough that it can affect the quality of your cookies – adding too much peanut butter can make them dry, hard, and crumbly.

Why do my peanut butter cookies not taste like peanut butter? ›

The most common mistake with peanut butter cookies is using the wrong type of peanut butter. The BEST peanut butter for today's cookies is a processed creamy peanut butter, preferably Jif or Skippy.

Why are my 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies falling apart? ›

There are a few reasons why your cookies are falling apart. The wrong ratio of ingredients, such as too little sugar or peanut butter will make them fall apart. The wrong type of peanut butter may cause them to fall apart. Or using old eggs may create crumbly cookies.

What are the 7 basic ingredients in all cookies? ›

essential Baking Ingredients
  • Flour. Flour is a fine powder made from grinding grains, nuts, or other edible seeds. ...
  • Bread Flour. ...
  • All-Purpose Flour. ...
  • Cake Flour. ...
  • Sugar. ...
  • Leaveners. ...
  • Salt. ...
  • Eggs.

Why are my peanut butter cookies dry and crumbly? ›

If you're wanting to use natural (no sugar added) peanut butter, the cookies will be less sweet and they will likely spread out more. Using natural peanut butter will change the structure and texture of the cookies. Why are my cookies dry and crumbly? This is most likely a classic case of using too much flour.

Why are my homemade peanut butter cookies falling apart? ›

One reason could be that you overcooked them. Another reason could be that you didn't add enough moisture to the dough. Finally, your peanut butter cookies might be dry and crumbly if you used a natural peanut butter that doesn't have any added oil.

What enhances peanut butter flavor? ›

You can further augment the gustatory potential of the peanut butter by using both vanilla extract and almond extract in your dough—just a splash of the latter is enough to boost your cookies' nuttiness (while remaining subtle enough that no one will cotton onto the presence of drupe essence in your legume dessert).

How do you intensify peanut butter flavor? ›

Adding a small amount of vanilla extract or cinnamon for extra flavor. Mixing in cocoa powder or cacao nibs for a chocolate peanut butter. Mixing in a small amount of coconut oil for a creamier texture and a hint of coconut flavor. Mixing in a small amount of powdered ginger or nutmeg for a spicy kick.

What happens if you don't flatten peanut butter cookies? ›

If you don't flatten the cookies first, then the fork does double duty – it performs both functions. One very subtle result of creating the pattern is that the little tips of dough bake up crisper than the rest of the cookie, giving you both a bit of additional texture and deeper taste where the dough is more baked.

Why do you put fork marks on peanut butter cookies? ›

Basic reason..the dough is more dense than most cookie doughs, and the pressing with the fork tines helps the dough bake evenly. Secondarily, its pattern makes it easier to tell them apart from other cookies with similar appearance.

Why do you smash peanut butter cookies? ›

The 1932 or 1933 recipes do not explain why this advice is given, though: peanut butter cookie dough is dense, and without being pressed, it will not cook evenly. Using a fork to press the dough is a convenience; bakers can also use a cookie shovel.

Why did my peanut butter cookies come out oily? ›

You baked your cookies and they came out an oily greasy mess. Urgh, what an awful feeling! If you've had this happen to you, odds are you made one of two mistakes: either you didn't allow the ingredients to thoroughly mix during the creaming process or you didn't allow the dough to rest enough before baking.

How do you keep peanut butter cookies from flattening? ›

Use a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Coating your baking sheet with nonstick spray or butter creates an overly greasy foundation, causing the cookies to spread. I always recommend a silicone baking mat because they grip onto the bottom of your cookie dough, preventing the cookies from spreading too much.

How do you know when peanut butter cookies are done? ›

Unlike many other cookies, peanut butter biscuits only fully harden once they've been removed from the oven. Here's how to tell when peanut butter cookies are done: The tops of the cookies are a uniform light brown. They're soft to the touch but not moist or mushy.

What are the ingredients in most peanut butter? ›

Roasted Peanuts, Sugar, Contains 2% Or Less Of: Molasses, Fully Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (rapeseed And Soybean), Mono And Diglycerides, Salt.

What are the 4 main ingredient in baking cookies? ›

While there may be countless variations, each cookie at the core has four ingredients – butter, sugar, flour & eggs. The proportions of ingredients and the methods of mixing are what define our cookies. Dough spreads – Inside the hot oven, the butter starts to melt and the dough gradually starts to spread out.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Corie Satterfield

Last Updated:

Views: 6340

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (42 voted)

Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Corie Satterfield

Birthday: 1992-08-19

Address: 850 Benjamin Bridge, Dickinsonchester, CO 68572-0542

Phone: +26813599986666

Job: Sales Manager

Hobby: Table tennis, Soapmaking, Flower arranging, amateur radio, Rock climbing, scrapbook, Horseback riding

Introduction: My name is Corie Satterfield, I am a fancy, perfect, spotless, quaint, fantastic, funny, lucky person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.