Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

Preheat and prepare pans

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

Measure ingredients accurately. Soften the butter to room temperature — it should dent when pressed but still hold shape.

Whisk dry ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp kosher salt until evenly combined. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugars

In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, combine 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar. Beat on medium speed for 2–3 minutes until mixture is pale and fluffy and sugars are incorporated.

Add peanut butter and egg

Add 1 cup creamy peanut butter and continue mixing on low–medium until fully combined, scraping the bowl as needed. Add 1 large egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract and mix until smooth and homogeneous.

Combine wet and dry

With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry flour mixture to the peanut-butter mixture. Mix just until no streaks of flour remain and a soft dough forms — do not overmix.

Portion cookies

Scoop dough into rounded tablespoon-sized portions (about 1 to 1 1/4 tablespoons each) using a cookie scoop or spoon. You should get approximately 24–28 cookies. Roll each portion into a ball.

Optional sugar roll

If using, pour 2 tablespoons granulated sugar into a shallow bowl and lightly roll each dough ball in the sugar to coat. This gives a slight sparkle and crisp edge.

Flatten with fork

Place dough balls on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Using a fork dipped in flour or pressed into sugar, gently press each ball with the tines to make a crisscross pattern and flatten to about 1/2-inch thickness.

Bake

Bake one sheet at a time in the preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 9–11 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers appear slightly soft. Rotate the pan halfway through baking for even coloring.

Finish and cool

Remove cookies from the oven. If desired, sprinkle each cookie with a small pinch of flaky sea salt (about 1/8 teaspoon per cookie spread across the batch). Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to finish setting, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.