Do your peanut butter cookies go all thin and flat? Who wants that?! We’ll tell you the secret to peanut butter cookies made with butter and give you the best peanut butter cookies recipe ever.
Butter is the secret ingredient to making them oh-so-delicious, but it does come with a cost. They go thin, flat and greasy if you don’t know this one secret.
The key to success is: you MUST chill the cookie dough before baking.
Here’s why: butter is a fat that melts fast.
You don’t want the butter to melt too fast, or your cookies will spread & be thin and unappealing.
You must be patient when baking the most delicious peanut butter cookies. Cookie dough with butter should chill for at least 2 hours.
But there’s a plus side: you can make your dough ahead of time, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it. Then you can bake your cookies just as the kids come in the door from school – or whenever you want the yummy fragrance wafting through your home.
If you have a craving and just can’t wait, peanut butter cookies made with butter aren’t a good choice. They will be flat and unappealing. Try our Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookie recipe using shortening.
Peanut Butter Cookies Made with Butter
Buttery peanut butter cookies are everyone's favorite, as long as the baker knows the secret behind making them round and thick.
Ingredients
- 1/2 c sugar
- 1/2 c packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 c butter room temperature
- 1/2 c peanut butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ c flour
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Cream sugars and butter until fluffy.
- Beat in egg and vanilla.
- Stir in peanut butter just until mixed.
- Blend in flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Shape into a large ball in bottom of bowl and cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap. Chill in fridge for 2 hours. (See notes.)
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Drop dough by tablespoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Make the iconic criss cross mark on top by lightly squishing them down with a floured fork.
- Bake for 7 minutes or until set with the edges lightly browning. (If you cook them too long, they will become flat or be hard.)
- Allow them to cool slightly on the cookie sheet. (If you don't they'll crumble to pieces.)
- Then lift onto rack with a cookie spatula to cool completely.
Notes
If you chill the cookie dough before baking, the cookies spread less because the cold fats take longer to melt. Thus, you have nicer-looking cookies.
This way you can mix your dough any time, cover it with tightly with plastic wrap, and keep it in the fridge for a few hours until you’re ready to bake at your convenience.
Want more? See all of our peanut butter cookie recipes.
Recipes for Your Favorite Peanut Butter Cookies
Whether you prefer soft & chewy, crunchy, buttery or old fashioned peanut butter cookies, we have the perfect peanut butter cookie recipe for you. Tips from the pros who know make these recipes a favorite. Special peanut butter cookies like blossom cookies and holiday cookie recipes. A peanut butter lover’s dream!
Want more? See all of our cookie recipes.
With tips from the pros who know, these are the best easy cookie recipes that turn out perfectly every time. Because you want to spend more time with those who are enjoying them than making them.
Want more? See all our peanut butter recipes.
Peanut butter recipe collection that only peanut butter lovers can truly appreciate! There’s all different types of peanut butter cookies. There’s awesome peanut butter desserts. And there’s peanut butter sauces for dinner, specialty peanut butter sandwiches and more.
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