Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies ~ Barley & Sage

These peanut butter cookies are super soft and chewy with rich brown butter flavor and crunchy peanuts in every bite!

I was on a mission to make the perfect chewy peanut butter cookies, so I tried out 4 different methods of chilling and baking these cookies to see which would yield the best cookie based on taste, texture, and appearance! So rest assured that these peanut butter cookies are the best of the best! Skip to the bottom of the page to read more about the different methods!

Chewy peanut butter cookies with bite taken out.

You might also like this peanut butter biscotti or these peanut butter and jelly cupcakes!

Ingredient Notes

You just need a few ingredients to make these chewy peanut butter cookies!

labeled shot of ingredients for peanut butter cookies.

Brown butter - My favorite ingredient of all time is brown butter!! Brown butter is just unsalted butter that has been melted and gently cooked to bring out a toasty, nutty flavor. If you've never made brown butter before, you can check out this post with all my tips for how to make brown butter!
Peanut butter - It's important to use the right kind of peanut butter in baked goods! And by that I mean, smooth processed peanut butter like Jif or Skippy! Varieties of peanut butter labeled "natural" or "minimally processed" are typically thinner and the oil separates more easily, making them less than ideal for baking.
Crushed peanuts - This is optional, but I love mixing in some dry roasted, unsalted peanuts to add texture and crunch to the cookies!
Sparkling sugar - This is optional but I just love adding a bit to the tops of the cookies for extra sparkle!

How to Make Peanut Butter Cookies

Using a stand or hand mixer, cream together the softened brown butter and peanut butter until smooth.

Then add in the granulated sugar and brown sugar until smooth and creamy.

Add in the egg and vanilla extract and beat for 1-2 minutes until the texture is light and fluffy.

Add in the flour, baking soda, and baking powder and mix until thoroughly combined. The dough should be wet and sticky.

Gently mix in the chopped peanuts.

adding flour to peanut butter cookie dough.

Spoon a generous 3 tablespoons of dough and roll into balls. If desired, roll the tops in sparkling sugar.

Cover the dough and chill in the fridge overnight (minimum of 2 hours if you just can’t wait).

peanut butter cookie dough balls rolled in sparkling sugar.

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a light colored baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place dough balls at least 2-3 inches apart on the baking sheet (they will spread, I usually only do 6 cookies on a half sheet pan).

Bake cookies for on the center rack of the oven for 8 minutes. Place a kitchen towel on the counter. Remove from the oven and lightly drop the baking sheet onto the covered counter (only about 2 inches, it's a light drop). This gives the cookies the perfect crackled top.

Return to the oven and bake for another 2-4 minutes are until the edges are fully set and the cookies are light golden brown.

chewy peanut butter cookies on parchment.

Remove from the oven and let rest on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Why Do I Have to Chill the Dough?

Chilling the dough is super important for a few reasons!

First, letting the dough rest gives the flour time to hydrate. Eggs are the only liquid in these cookies and it takes flour a long time to absorb that moisture. When the flour is hydrated it helps contain the spread of the cookie so that you get a nice set edge and soft, chewy center.

Similarly, the brown butter needs to be as cold as possible before baking so that the cookies don't spread too much.

But don't we want the cookies to spread? Yes, we do and they will. We just don't want them to spread too much because then you get a flat, dry cookie instead of one with a soft, chewy center.

Tips for the Best Cookies

Make sure your oven is the proper temperature!! Use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is exactly 350°F. If the oven is too cold, the cookies will spread too much and if it's too hot they centers won't bake all the way through. For example, my oven is about 20 degrees off. So I have to set the oven to 370°F in order to get it to bake at 350°F.

Use a lightweight, light colored baking sheet for best results! Believe it or not, a lighter pan makes the cookies bake more slowly than a dark pan, which helps keep them from spreading too much. My favorite pans for baking cookies are:

You also want to use either parchment paper or silicone mats on your cookie sheet to help keep the cookies from spreading.

Bake the peanut butter cookies one sheet at a time, on the center rack. This will ensure all your cookies cook evenly and the bottoms don't burn. Then let the cookie sheet cool completely between batches. This ensures the cookies cool evenly and don't spread too much by being put on a hot pan.

Variations

One of my favorite additions to these peanut butter cookies, is mini peanut butter cups!! You can get the Reese's brand but my favorites are the ones from Trader Joe's!

peanut butter cookies with mini reese's cups.

You could also add in regular chocolate chips for chocolate peanut butter cookies, or swap out the peanut butter for you favorite type of nut butter!

Recipe FAQ's

How long do these peanut butter cookies stay fresh?

Store the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also store the dough in the fridge for up to a week and bake a few cookies at a time, as desired.

Do I have to use brown butter in these cookies?

Nope! You can regular unsalted butter if you prefer! I just love the way the brown butter pairs with the peanut butter!

Why do you recommend processed peanut butter like Jif or Skippy for baking cookies?

It's important to use smooth, processed peanut butter in baked goods! Varieties of peanut butter labeled "natural" or "minimally processed" are typically thinner and the oil separates more easily, making them less than ideal for baking. So just stick to the good stuff!

Can I freeze this peanut butter cookie dough?

Yes! Freeze the pre-rolled cookie dough balls on a baking sheet, once frozen transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 6 weeks. The frozen dough can go straight from the freezer to the oven, just add 2-3 minutes to the cooking time.

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Recipe Notes

Cookie B was the clear winner, but I've outlined all my methods below in case you're curious!

different methods of chilling/baking peanut butter cookies

Method A: These cookies were scooped immediately after mixing the dough (room temperature) and then baked. They spread just a little and were still soft and chewy in the middle. These were my second favorite in terms of taste/texture.

Method B: I call this the "drop method". The dough was chilled overnight to allow the flour to hydrate, then scooped into balls and baked for 8 minutes. The cookie sheet was then removed from the oven and lightly dropped onto the kitchen counter. Since the edges weren't completely set, the cookies spread out and got crinkly on the top. The cookies were then placed back in the oven for the remaining 2-4 minutes. This method is slightly more complex but yielded the overall best cookies based on taste/texture/appearance. They're super crispy on the edges but the centers are the perfect amount of chewy.

Method C: The cookies were scooped immediately after mixing the dough (room temperature), then lightly smashed with a fork before baking. These spread the most during baking and yielded the crunchiest cookie.

Method D: The dough was chilled overnight, then scooped and baked. That's it. The edges set pretty quickly, leaving us with a super thick, super soft cookie. These were Kyle's personal favorite based on texture.