Crunchy on the outside, moist & chewy on the inside: these are the best chewy peanut butter cookies, hands down!
The secret to the chewiness is from a pro who knows, pastry chef Anna Olson. On her cooking show Baked she taught that it’s the corn starch and brown sugar that makes a chewy peanut butter cookie. They absorb the moisture and keep the centers their chewy goodness. I added these ingredients to my favorite peanut butter cookie recipe & she was absolutely right! (Of course.)
Anna Olson has a new baking podcast Oh Yum! Her award-winning cookbook Baking Day available on Amazon.
Both items are also available at your local dollar store.
Best Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies of All Time
- ½ c butter (room temperature)
- ¾ c packed brown sugar
- ¼ c sugar
- ½ c peanut butter
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1¼ c flour
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream the butter, brown sugar and sugar together until the mixture is fluffy.
- Beat in peanut butter, egg and vanilla.
- Combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture on low speed until blended.
- Using a cookie scoop, drop 1 Tbsp of dough on cookie sheets, leaving lots of room for spreading.
- Dip a fork in flour and make criss cross marks when flattening.
- Bake for 12 minutes or when edges are slightly browned. (Don’t bake too long or they will be too hard.)
- Let cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes. (If you don’t they will crumble.)
- Transfer to a plate or rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
It’s hard to believe the difference brown sugar and cornstarch makes to this recipe! Try it, and see for yourself.
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