Description
Homemade peanut butter cookies offer rich, nostalgic comfort with classic American baking charm. Crisp edges and chewy centers make these treats irresistible for family gatherings and sweet afternoon breaks.
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ cup (115 g / 4 oz) peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
- ½ cup (115 g / 4 oz) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 ¼ cups (155 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper, establishing an optimal baking environment.
- Creaming: Combine butter, peanut butter, and sugars in a large mixing bowl, whipping until light and fluffy, ensuring complete ingredient integration.
- Liquid Incorporation: Mix in egg and vanilla extract, blending until the mixture becomes smooth and glossy, creating a cohesive wet base.
- Dry Ingredient Synthesis: Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together, forming a uniform dry ingredient mixture.
- Dough Formation: Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture, stirring with minimal manipulation to prevent dough toughening, until just combined.
- Shaping and Marking: Roll dough into uniform balls, placing them on prepared baking sheets with ample spacing, then press a classic crisscross pattern using fork tines.
- Baking Process: Transfer sheets to preheated oven, baking for 10-12 minutes until cookie edges turn golden brown, maintaining a soft interior.
- Cooling Technique: Rest cookies on baking sheets for five minutes to stabilize structure, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling and optimal texture.
Notes
- Prevent Tough Cookies: Mix dry and wet ingredients just until combined to avoid overworking the dough, which can make cookies dense and chewy.
- Consistent Cookie Size: Use a tablespoon or cookie scoop for uniform balls, ensuring even baking and professional-looking results across the batch.
- Temperature Matters: Let butter and eggs reach room temperature before mixing to create a smoother, more integrated dough that promotes better texture and rise.
- Gluten-Free Adaptation: Swap wheat flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend to make the recipe suitable for those with gluten sensitivities, maintaining the same delicious peanut butter flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 23
- Calories: 143
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg