Name: Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: ⅔ cup smooth peanut butter; 9 Tablespoons salted butter (melted); 1 cup brown sugar (firmly packed); 1 large egg (room temperature); 1 large egg yolk (room temperature); ⅓ teaspoon vanilla extract; 1½ cups all purpose flour; ⅓ teaspoon baking soda

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Soft, chewy, and made in just one bowl, these Peanut Butter Cookies are the kind of nostalgic treat that never goes out of style. They’re soft in the center, chewy around the edges, and come together in just one bowl with no mixer required. Perfectly sweet, extra peanutty, and finished with that signature crinkly top, these are the cookies you’ll want to bake again and again.

thirteen peanut butter cookies on upside down sheet pan lined with parchment paper, with peanuts and white flowers around.

Why You’ll Love These Cookies:

Made with only 7 pantry-friendly ingredients
One-bowl recipe (easy cleanup!)
No electric mixer needed
Perfectly soft and chewy
Ready in 30 minutes
Great for freezing or gifting

The Story Behind The Cookies

This recipe was inspired by the peanut butter cookies we used to get on road trips to Disney—you know the ones, individually wrapped, soft, and just the right amount of sweet. We’d grab them at the hotel we stopped at halfway through the drive, and for some reason, they always made the day feel a little more special. After we moved to Florida and Disney became a regular escape, we decided to recreate those cookies from memory.

We started with my mom’s classic peanut butter cookie base, but none of our variations felt quite right. They were either too crisp, too cakey, or just missing something. So we kept tweaking. Swapping in melted butter gave us a chewier texture. Using only brown sugar added that rich flavor we were missing. And melting the peanut butter (trust us on this one!) gave us the perfect soft-but-structured dough. What we ended up with is a cookie that tastes like childhood, but better.

piled cookies on parchment paper with top cookie missing a bite.

Ingredient Highlights

Full measurements and instructions in the recipe card below!

Smooth Peanut Butter – Creamy peanut butter gives you the best soft and chewy texture. If you’d like a little added crunch, use crunchy peanut butter instead.
Salted Butter – Melted for easy mixing and chewy results.
Brown Sugar – Adds sweetness, depth, and softness.
Egg + Extra Yolk – The extra yolk makes these extra rich and tender.
Vanilla Extract – Adds warm undertones that compliment the peanut butter.
All-Purpose Flour – Provides structure and texture for the cookies.
Baking Soda – Helps the cookies spread and gives you those signature crinkly tops.

baking soda, eggs, flour, brown sugar, peanut butter, vanilla, and melted butter on marble surface.

How To Make These Cookies In 2 Easy Steps

Melt peanut butter and combine it with the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
Mix in the flour and baking soda.

melted butter, melted peanut butter, brown sugar, and eggs in glass bowl.

flour and baking soda added to peanut butter mixture.

Use a 1½ Tablespoon cookie scoop to portion dough on prepared pans. Bake for 15 minutes, until edges are starting to brown.

twelve cookie dough balls on lined sheet pan.

12 baked peanut butter cookies on lined sheet pan.

Tips + Tricks

Don’t over mix once the flour is added. Less mixing = softer cookies.
Use a cookie scoop for evenly sized cookies and consistent baking.
Use light-colored sheet pans for the most even bake—dark pans can brown the bottoms too quickly.
Do not overbake! When in doubt, take them out. The cookies should be just barely golden around the edges and still look soft in the center. That’s what gives them that dreamy, chewy texture.
Want perfect round cookies? While the cookies are still very hot, use a round cutter that’s larger that the cookie, bump it until it fits inside the cutter, then circle the cookie.

Only have unsalted butter? No problem! Just add 3/16 teaspoon of salt to the dough to make up the difference.
Use crunchy peanut butter if you like a little extra texture.
Add chocolate chips, M&M’s, or peanut butter chips for fun mix-ins.
Sandwich two cookies with ganache, marshmallow fluff, or ice cream for a treat that’s next-level.

Storage

Store baked cookies in an airtight container or zip-top bag for 5–7 days.
To freeze: Place cooled cookies in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
You can also freeze the dough! Portion onto a tray, freeze until solid, then transfer to a bag or container. Bake from frozen—just add 1–2 minutes to the bake time.

front shot of stack of peanut butter cookies with top cookie missing a bite.

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Reader Love! Don’t just take our word for it—y’all are loving these cookies too:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Delicious Texture.” – Ro
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “One of my favorite kind of cookies! I could eat these all the time. Just so chewy and delicious.” – Trinity D.

When you make these Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

4.75 from 4 votes