The Best Easy Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes, Variations & Baking Tips

These easy peanut butter cookie recipes reflect all the different preferences: Old Fashioned goodness, soft & chewy, buttery, and even specialty peanut butter cookies.

What kind of peanut butter cookie do you prefer? Maybe you should try them all, just to be sure!

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  How to Add the Criss-Cross to Peanut Butter Cookies

  The criss-cross pattern on a peanut butter cookie is iconic. Those ridges also serve a functional purpose. Learn how to make it and why.

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  Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookie Recipe

  Is there any better way to enjoy peanut butter and jelly than in a cookie? Best peanut butter thumbprint cookie recipe with butter!

• 

  Buckeye Balls or Buckeye Candy: Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls

  Buckeye balls or Buckeye Candy are chocolate covered peanut butter balls that are a like a round peanut butter cup truffle. So easy to make!

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  Gluten-Free Flourless Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

  It happens. You get the urge to bake cookies but you don’t have flour. Never fear. The Flourless Peanut Butter Cookie recipe is here!

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  The Best Peanut Butter Blossom Cookie Recipe

  Peanut butter blossom cookies, or Hershey Kiss peanut butter cookies, have a chocolate kiss blossom. See recipe and cool decorating ideas.

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  The Secret to Delicious Peanut Butter Cookies Made with Butter

  There’s a secret to making delicious Peanut Butter Cookies with butter so they don’t spread out into an unappetizing mess. We tell all!

Peanut Butter Cookie FAQs

How to Criss Cross Peanut Butter Cookies

Can I freeze peanut butter cookie dough?

How to freeze peanut butter cookie dough

• Portion first: Scoop the dough into balls and place them on a parchment‑lined baking sheet in a single layer. (Yes, leave them as balls.)
• Flash-freeze: Freeze the tray until the dough balls are firm (about 1–2 hours).
• Bag and label: Transfer frozen dough balls to a freezer bag or airtight container, squeeze out excess air, and label with date and baking temp/time. Dough keeps well for about 2–3 months.

Baking from frozen

• Place frozen dough balls on a lined baking sheet.
• Bake at your usual recipe temperature, adding 2–5 extra minutes, until edges are set and centers look just slightly soft.

You can also freeze peanut butter cookie dough shaped into long, cylindrical logs, then slice and bake later, which works well if you like very uniform cookies.

Can I freeze peanut butter cookie dough with raw eggs in it?

Yes, you can safely freeze cookie dough with raw eggs inside. Freezing halts bacterial growth like salmonella, and the dough bakes perfectly fine straight from frozen.

Can I freeze peanut butter cookies after they’re baked?

Yes, you can freeze peanut butter cookies after baking—they hold up especially well due to the peanut butter’s natural oils and stability.

How to freeze baked cookies

• Cool completely on a wire rack first (traps moisture inside and prevents sogginess).​
• Flash-freeze: Arrange in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet until solid (1–2 hours), then transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container to save space and prevent sticking.
• They keep 2–3 months; label with date.

Thawing and refreshing

• Thaw at room temperature (20–30 minutes) or overnight in the fridge for the best texture.​
• Revive freshness: Oven at 300°F for 5 minutes, or microwave 10–15 seconds (watch closely to avoid drying).​

Freezing post-bake is great for portion control and gifting, with minimal texture loss compared to crispier cookies.

How long do peanut butter cookies last?

Peanut butter cookies last 3–5 days at room temperature in an airtight container before they start to dry out or lose their best texture.

Storage breakdown

• Room temperature (countertop, airtight container): 3–5 days. Keep away from heat/sunlight; add a slice of bread or a cracker to maintain softness if desired.
• Refrigerator (airtight container): Up to 1 week. They may firm up but stay fresh longer; let them come to room temperature before eating.
• Freezer (baked cookies): 2–3 months. Flash-freeze first, then bag; thaw at room temp or refresh in 300°F oven for 5 minutes.

Peanut butter’s oils help them stay moist longer than many cookies, but they’ll eventually go stale or rancid if not stored properly.

Can I use natural peanut butter instead of regular?

Yes, you can use natural peanut butter instead of regular in peanut butter cookies, but it often changes the texture and requires tweaks because natural PB lacks stabilizers, sugar, and extra oils found in commercial brands.

Will they spread too much?

• Natural PB is oilier and thinner (due to separation), so cookies tend to spread more and can become greasy, flat, or crispy-edged rather than chewy.​
• Solution: Chill the dough for at least 60 minutes (or overnight) before baking. This firms up the fats and prevents excessive spreading.

Salt adjustments

• Natural PB is usually unsalted or low-salt (just peanuts + maybe salt), while regular has added salt for flavor balance.
• Add 1/4–1/2 tsp extra salt to the dough if your recipe assumes regular PB, or taste the dough and adjust. Without it, cookies can taste flat or overly peanutty.
• If you’re salt-sensitive, start with 1/4 tsp less than suggested since natural PB’s pure flavor can amplify saltiness.​

Other pro tips for success

• Stir thoroughly: Mix separated oil back into the jar completely before measuring—no lumps or excess oil.
• Brand matters: Thicker “no-stir” natural PBs (e.g., Smucker’s Natural) work better than super-runny ones. Test a small batch first.
• Flavor: More intense peanut flavor, potentially drier/grainier texture, but still delicious if adjusted. Many bakers prefer it for purity.

Example tweak for a classic recipe: Add 1/4 tsp salt, chill 1 hour, bake at slightly lower temp (325°F) for 1–2 min less to avoid over-spreading.

What’s the best type of peanut butter—creamy vs. crunchy, salted vs. unsalted?

Creamy peanut butter is the clear winner for most peanut butter cookie recipes, with salted being the top choice for the best flavor and texture balance.

Creamy vs. Crunchy Peanut Butter for Cookies

Type	Pros	Cons	Best for
Creamy	Smooth, even texture; cookies spread just right for chewy centers and crisp edges. Most recipes are tested with it.	Less visible “peanut bits” if you want texture contrast.	Classic soft/chewy cookies, forks marks that look clean. thepancakeprincess+1​
Crunchy	Adds peanut chunks for texture and visual appeal.	Can make cookies uneven, drier, or crumbly; harder to get perfect spread.	Chunkier, heartier cookies, or when you want a “peanut forward” bite.

Salted vs. unsalted

Unsalted/natural: Works but needs tweaks (extra salt, chill dough). Pure peanut taste shines, but cookies spread too much or taste flat without adjustment.

Salted: The salt + sugar + stabilizers create perfect chemistry for peanut butter cookie spread, chewiness, and classic flavor. Recipes assume this balance.

For your standard peanut butter cookie, creamy + salted = foolproof every time.

Can I swap butter and shortening, or use oil instead?

Yes, you can swap butter for shortening (or vice versa) in peanut butter cookies at a 1:1 ratio, and oil works as a substitute in some cases, but each changes texture and spread.

Butter vs. Shortening

Fat	Effect on cookies	Best for
Butter	Richer flavor, more spread (crispier edges, chewier centers), browns nicely. May flatten more.	Flavor-forward cookies; chill dough for 2 hours before baking so there’s not too much spread. ​
Shortening	Taller, softer cookies with less spread; more uniform shape, milder taste.	Classic “perfect circle” PB cookies (many vintage recipes use it). ​

Shortening, particularly Crisco, has changed significantly by removing artificial trans fats to be 0g trans fat per serving. It was reformulated to a blend of soybean oil, palm oil, and fully hydrogenated palm oil.

Many classic peanut butter cookie recipes (like the ones your grandmother used) call for shortening specifically for shape retention, but butter delivers better taste.

Oil in Peanut Butter Cookies

Yes, but use sparingly: Neutral oil (canola, vegetable) for melted fat calls—1:1 swap. Cookies will be denser, cakier, with less spread. Not ideal for classic chewy PB cookies.

​Avoid olive oil: flavor isn’t suitable to peanut butter.

Coconut oil: works if you like the subtle coconut notes.​

If you substitute oil, make drop-style cookies. Don’t use the criss-cross pattern because it flattens the dough ball for cooking which makes too much spreading with oil.

Why did my cookies spread into flat puddles?

Your peanut butter cookies likely spread into flat puddles due to a few common, fixable issues with dough temperature, ingredients, or oven setup.

Top causes and fixes

Butter too warm/melted: Room-temp butter should be cool and pliable (indent with finger, but not greasy). Too soft butter melts before structure sets.
Fix: Use cooler butter; chill dough 30–60+ min (or overnight).

Dough too warm/too wet: Natural PB, extra eggs, or overbeating incorporates too much air or liquid.
Fix: Chill dough; measure flour by weight (spoon/level); reduce brown sugar 10% if it persists.

Oven not hot enough: Fat melts before edges set (most ovens preheat isn’t correct).
Fix: Use oven thermometer; bake 350–375°F; preheat fully (wait 15–20 min).

Too much leavening or fat: Excess baking soda or butter/shortening makes the dough spread wildly.
Fix: Double-check measurements; use shortening half-and-half with butter for stability.

Parchment/pan issues: Greased pans or reused hot pans add fat or heat.
Fix: Always line your cookie sheet with parchment and cool the pan between batches.​

Quick test batch next time: Make 4 cookies with 30-min chill vs. no chill to see your oven or cookie dough’s specific needs before baking more

Why did my cookies stay too puffy and not spread at all?

Your peanut butter cookies stayed too puffy and didn’t spread because the dough lacked the right conditions to relax and flow in the oven—usually due to overly cold/firm ingredients, excess flour, or oven imbalances.

Top causes and fixes

• Too much flour: Packing the measuring cup or using bread flour absorbs too much moisture, making the dough stiff and dense.
  Fix: Level flour or weigh (~120–140g per cup all-purpose). Try reducing the flour by 1–2 Tbsp in thenext batch.
• Cold ingredients: Butter/eggs straight from the fridge stay solid; dough can’t spread before baking them sets the edges.
  Fix: Room-temp butter (cool but yields to finger pressure) and eggs (~70°F).
• Over-chilled dough: Chilling >2 hours (or frozen without proper thawing) keeps fat too firm.
  Fix: Aim for a maximum 30–60 minute chill to see if there’s a difference with your recipe.​
• Oven too hot: Exterior sets instantly, trapping puffy centers.
  Fix: Use an oven thermometer to check the temperature. Try lowering the temperature 25°F. Ensure that the cookie sheet is on the middle rack.​
• Too much brown sugar/leavener: Brown sugar’s acidity + excess baking soda causes extra lift without spread.
  Fix: Swap some brown for white sugar. Verify that the measurement is 1/2–1 tsp soda max.​

Quick rescue: Slightly flatten dough balls before baking, or bang the cookie sheet on the counter post-oven to settle centers.

Thanksgiving Turkey Peanut Butter Cookies

Halloween Spider Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

Awesome little peanut butter cookies with a chocolate spider for a Halloween treat. Use a Malteser with eyes and legs, and you have a creepy, yet cute peanut butter cookie for Halloween.

Easter Peanut Butter Blossom Cookie Recipe

Everyone loves the Easter peanut butter blossom cookie. It takes the classic cookie up a notch with candy chocolate eggs! We show you how.