Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies are baked to golden perfection with a soft, chewy center, a slightly crisp edge, and a delightful balance of sweet and salty flavors. The peanut butter shines through, making them perfect for anyone who loves peanut butter! Enjoy them with a glass of cold milk for the perfect combination of flavors and textures. This recipe is from jessicasheenanbakes and they did not disappoint! I also have Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies you may want to try.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Shortening: Shortening (hydrogenated vegetable oil), like Crisco, is 100% fat. And because shortening is all fat, it is hard to make substitutions. If you do have to substitute for shortening, your best bet is lard because it is also 100% fat. If using lard in place of shortening, use 2 tablespoons less of lard for every one cup of shortening. You could also make these cookies using all butter (1 cup) if you don’t have shortening.
Butter: Unsalted butter is melted and mixed with the shortening. The combination of solid (the shortening) and liquid fats (melted butter) creates a desirable texture in cookies. The melted butter contributes a rich, buttery flavor, while the shortening helps maintain moisture and tenderness in the cookies. If using salted butter, you may want to lessen the amount of salt in the cookie dough.
Sugar: Light brown sugar is used in the cookies, while granulated sugar is used for rolling the cookie dough before baking.
Eggs: Unlike many of my baking recipes, this cookie recipe calls for cold eggs. The cold temperature of the eggs can help create a thicker and chewier cookie texture, which is what these cookies are all about!
Peanut Butter: I prefer creamy peanut butter for these cookies. However, for a nutty crunch, you could substitute crunchy peanut butter.
Sea Salt: Sprinkling flaky sea salt on the tops of the cookies gives them a salty-sweet flavor profile. YUM! You could substitute kosher salt if that is all you have on hand.
Can I Make Smaller Cookies?
Sure! These cookies are quite large in size, yielding 17 cookies. However, you can certainly adjust the size of the cookies. I used a 1/4 cup of dough for each cookie, but you could use a 1 or 2-tablespoon scoop instead. Just be aware of the potential changes in baking time, and keep an eye on them to ensure they are baked to your desired level of doneness.
Can I Make The Dough Ahead Of Time?
Yes, you can mix the dough in advance so the cookies are ready to bake when you are. You can refrigerate the dough or freeze it for longer storage.
To Refrigerate Dough: First, scoop out the dough and place it onto a line baking sheet. Then, cover the dough with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days. When ready to bake, roll the balls of dough into sugar and bake.
To Freeze Dough: To freeze the dough, first, get the dough mixed together. Next, scoop the cookie dough onto a lined baking sheet. Then, place the sheet of cookie dough into the freezer until solid (1-2 hours). Once solid, store the cookie dough in a freezer-safe bag that is labeled, dated, and includes the baking instructions. When ready to bake, let the cookies thaw slightly before rolling each into sugar and baking.
How To Store Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
Store chewy peanut butter cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will last up to 3-5 days. Or, for longer storage, freeze the cookies. To freeze, first, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then, transfer the cookies to an airtight container or a freezer-safe bag, separating the layers with parchment paper. Cookies can be frozen for up to 2-3 months. When ready to enjoy, you can thaw them at room temperature or warm them briefly in the oven.
Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (48 g) shortening
- ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks / 170 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, cold
- 1 cup (258 g) creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 ⅓ cups (292 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, for rolling
- flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
- To a large bowl, add shortening. Pour in the melted butter and whisk until the shortening melts. (A few small lumps of shortening are okay.)
- Add the brown sugar and vanilla, whisking to combine.
- Mix in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the peanut butter.
- One by one, add the baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl. After adding each ingredient, whisk vigorously to ensure proper mixing.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour until fully incorporated. The dough will be soft and sticky.
- To a bowl, add the granulated sugar. Using a ¼ cup (or 2 scoops of dough with a 2 tablespoon scoop), set the dough onto a lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. (I usually put 6 cookie dough balls onto each cookie sheet.)
- Roll each cookie into the sugar and place back onto the baking sheet.
- Sprinkle each cookie with flaky sea salt and bake for 14 to 16 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking, until the tops are puffed and crinkly and the edges are golden brown.
- Remove the cookies from the oven. Using a spatula, gently press down on each cookie to flatten.
- Let the cookies rest for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to continue cooling. Enjoy them warm or cooled completely.
Did you make this recipe?
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What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
Who doesn't love a good peanut butter cookie?! These are soft and chewy and a must-try for peanut butter lovers!
Elizabeth
These are the perfect peanut butter cookies, I think! YUM! They are super soft and the sea salt on top gives each bite a sweet and salty taste! SO GOOD!
Rachael
A fantastic chewy peanut butter cookie! I love anything peanut butter and these have a different texture from a traditional peanut butter cookie. Very good!
Bella
This is super delicious. They are chewy and soft, exactly what I want from a cookie! The salt complements the creamy peanut butter flavor. A must-try cookie recipe!
Annabelle
These are the best peanut butter cookies I've had! They have the flavor you expect from peanut butter cookies but they're so soft!
Selena
These are AMAZING. Not a traditional peanut butter cookies, but EVEN BETTER. Try one warm. You'll eat them all that way.
Going to try them today
What can I use instead of shortening?
Made these exactly as written however I lowered temp to 365 degrees (my oven runs hot) and thank goodness I checked them at 14 minutes. They almost burned. So I will maybe turn oven to 360 degrees, rotate at 6 minutes and then check at the 12 minute mark. Delicious. Taste like the PB Kiss cookies I make at Christmas. Going to chop up some Reeses and drizzle a peanut butter icing over that for the top!
These were fantastic! My 3 yr old grandson & I baked these up . Easy & the best peanut butter cookie I’ve ever had.
Can I add chocolate chips?
Sure
Made these. A little smaller, though. Started baking at 14 minutes. Almost burnt. Kept shrinking the time and settled on 12 minutes. Still were not soft and not strong peanut butter flavor. Came out more crispy, not soft. I may try again………
I Made these for work and my coworkers are still talking about them. Am making to bring to work again tomorrow for a coworkers’ last day. They are truly the very best PB cookies I have ever made OR eaten! 😉 Decently easy, coming together quickly. If I am honest, they are greasy when prepping to bake, rolling into balls with your hands. But if you can get past this, you will NOT be disappointed, I promise. This recipe will be my go-to for PB cookies from now on!