If you love thick, soft-centered, chewy peanut butter cookies with crisp edges and rich peanut flavor, this recipe is the one. These cookies don’t spread flat, don’t dry out, and stay chewy for days—aka everything a peanut butter cookie should be.
Perfect for cookie jars, bake sales, or late-night cravings 🍪
Why These Peanut Butter Cookies Are So Good
✔️ Thick and bakery-style
✔️ Soft & chewy centers
✔️ Rich peanut butter flavor
✔️ No chilling required
✔️ Simple pantry ingredients
Ingredients
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup creamy peanut butter (not natural/runny)
¾ cup brown sugar, packed
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
Optional add-ins:
Chocolate chips
Peanut butter chips
Chopped peanuts
Sea salt flakes (for topping)
How to Make Thick and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
1. Cream the Butter & Sugars
In a large bowl, beat together:
Butter
Peanut butter
Brown sugar
Granulated sugar
Mix until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
2. Add Wet Ingredients
Beat in:
Egg
Vanilla extract
Mix just until combined.
3. Mix Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk:
Flour
Baking soda
Salt
Gradually add to the wet mixture. Do not overmix—this keeps cookies chewy.
4. Scoop & Shape
Scoop 2-tablespoon dough balls
Roll lightly and place on baking sheet
Press gently with a fork to create the classic crisscross (optional)
💡 For extra thickness: keep dough balls tall, not flattened.
5. Bake
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 9–11 minutes.
✔ Edges should be set
✔ Centers should look slightly underbaked
They’ll firm up as they cool!
Cooling = Texture Magic ✨
Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack. This step locks in chewiness.
Pro Tips for Perfect Thickness
✔ Use brown sugar (moisture = chew)
✔ Don’t overbake
✔ Use creamy peanut butter, not natural
✔ Measure flour correctly (spoon & level)
✔ Slightly underbake for soft centers
Flavor Variations
🍫 Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
Add ¾ cup chocolate chips
🧂 Salted Peanut Butter
Sprinkle flaky sea salt on warm cookies
🍯 Honey Peanut Butter
Replace 2 tbsp sugar with honey
🌾 Gluten-Free
Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend
Storage & Freezing
Store:
Airtight container at room temperature for 4–5 days
Freeze Dough:
Freeze dough balls up to 3 months
Bake straight from frozen (add 1–2 minutes)
Freeze Baked Cookies:
Up to 2 months, well wrapped
Final Thoughts 🥜🍪
These Thick and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies are soft, rich, and perfectly nostalgic—with that melt-in-your-mouth texture everyone loves. One bite and they’ll become a repeat recipe.