Pst! Here’s the secret to success when making peanut butter cookies with butter.

The key to success is that 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 lifeless.

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 mix the dough ahead of time and then be less stressed when you bake your cookies just as the kids come in the door from school – or whenever you want the yummy fragrance wafting through your home. Just leave the dough in the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.

Butter is the secret ingredient to making them oh-so-delicious, with a crumbly goodness, but it does come with a cost. 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 if not chilled.

Instead, try our Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookie recipe using shortening.

Peanut Butter Cookies with Butter

Recipe by Teresa McEachern @ Confetti and Cocoa

Course: Snacks

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

110

kcal

Cooling Time

Hours

This is the classic peanut butter cookie recipe made with the goodness of butter. Baking with butter takes a special step, and the cookies won’t turn out as nice if you skip it. Patience is important.

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Ingredients

US Metric

1/2 c 1/2 sugar
1/2 c 1/2 packed light brown sugar
1/2 c 1/2 butter (room temperature)
1/2 c 1/2 Peanut Butter
1 tsp 1 vanilla extract
1 1 egg
1 1/4 c 1 1/4 flour
3/4 tsp 3/4 baking soda
1/2 tsp 1/2 baking powder
1/4 tsp 1/4 salt

Directions

Cream sugars and butter until fluffy.
Beat in egg and vanilla.
Stir in peanut butter until mixed.
Blend in flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Shape dough 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 10 minutes until set with the edges lightly browning. (If you cook them too long, they will be hard.)
Allow them to cool slightly on the cookie sheet. (If you don’t they’ll crumble to pieces.)
Then lift onto rack to cool completely.

Notes

We provide nutritional information but these figures should be considered estimates as they are not calculated by a registered dietitian. Please consult a medical professional for any specific nutrition, diet, or allergy advice. Please see our Nutritional Disclaimer for further information.