Soft and chewy with a thick centre, these classic, old-fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies bear the hallmark criss-cross pattern. Using basic pantry ingredients, these Criss-Cross Peanut Butter Cookies are quick and easy to make.
Do Peanut Butter Cookies bring you right back to your childhood? They sure do for me. I was always fascinated watching my mom make them and thought those hash marks were so cool. 🙂
With some minor tweaks to my mom's recipe, today, I am sharing with you this recipe for the best peanut butter cookies!
Our kids love these cookies and we do too. I would say they're in the top five at our house and in good company with The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe and Iced Oatmeal Cookies.
Why you will love this recipe
- This is a vintage family recipe that has been tested over and over again.
- One of the quickest cookie recipes that you will ever make. Using basic pantry ingredients, you will be munching on your first cookie in less than 20 minutes!
- You will have old-fashioned, chewy - possibly the best Peanut Butter Cookies you've ever tasted. (I may be a bit biased) 🙂
Ingredients
Butter - using butter softened at room temperature is important for this recipe. If the butter is too soft, the cookies will spread. Take the butter out of your fridge about an hour before you start to make the cookies.
Salt - you will notice that there is no added salt in this recipe. Using salted butter means there is no need to add additional salt.
Egg - should be at room temperature. Remove from refrigerator an hour before starting your recipe.
Peanut Butter - Smooth peanut butter is best for this recipe.
How to make this recipe
Full recipe in card at the bottom of this page
- Start by preheating your oven to 350F, then line two baking sheets with parchment paper or baking mat. (Cookies will NOT stick if you don't have those supplies)
- In a small mixing bowl, combine flour and baking soda.
- Cream together butter and both sugars.
- Add peanut butter, vanilla and egg.
- Gradually add in flour mixture.
- Roll into 1 and ½-inch balls, then dip them into granulated sugar.
- Place balls onto cookie sheet, then press a lightly floured fork into the ball, creating a criss-cross pattern.
- Bake 10 minutes. Allow to cool on baking sheet for two minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
Frequently Asked Questions
I do not recommend using natural peanut butter as it will give the cookies a completely different texture and flavour
The secret to soft Peanut Butter Cookies is to under bake them and take them out of the oven just when they're set up. Then, let them cool on the cookie sheet only for two minutes. Storing them in a zippered plastic bag or sealed plastic container will also help to keep them soft.
Yes. That is why they have the classic criss-cross marks when pressed with a fork. The cookie dough is heavier than other cookie dough and does not spread as much when baked.
Yes. Baked cookies may be frozen for up to three months. Simply place in a freezer container in rows, between sheets of parchment or waxed paper. Thaw at room temperature before eating.
variations
You can add 1cup of chocolate chips for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.
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Criss-Cross Peanut Butter Cookies
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 36
Description
Soft and chewy with a thick centre, these classic Peanut Butter Cookies are quick and easy to make and will be ready in less than twenty minutes.
Ingredients
1 and ¾ cups all purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ cup salted butter
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
½ cup smooth peanut butter
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. granulated sugar (for dipping the cookies into)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a baking mat. (if not using, there is no need to grease the pan)
- Place one tablespoon of granulated sugar onto a small plate. This will be used for dipping the rolled balls of cookie dough before baking.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine flour and baking soda.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with paddle attachment, or large mixing bowl, cream together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar for one and a half minutes.
- Blend in peanut butter, egg and vanilla and mix until well combined.
- Gradually add in flour mixture, mixing just until combined.
- Using a small cookie scoop, or by hand, roll into 1 and ½-inch balls.
- Dip the tops of the balls into granulated sugar and place onto baking sheet a few inches apart. (12 cookies per cookie sheet)
- Using a lightly floured fork, press fork into the balls of dough on the cookie sheet pressing horizontally, then vertically to create a criss-cross pattern.
- Bake in 350F oven for 10 minutes.
- Remove cookies from oven and allow them to sit on cookie sheet for two minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool.
- Store cookies in a plastic covered container or zippered plastic bag for two to three weeks.
Notes
VARIATION
Add in 1 cup of chocolate chips to cookie dough before rolling into balls for delicious Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Baked cookies may be frozen for up to three months. Simply place in a freezer container in rows, between sheets of parchment or waxed paper. Thaw at room temperature before eating.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 92
- Sugar: 6.5 g
- Sodium: 56 mg
- Fat: 4.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 11.6 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 1.6 g
- Cholesterol: 11.9 mg
Keywords: Cookies, Peanut Butter
Mary
Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe! They turned out better than I imagine.
Sandra
That's terrific! So happy to hear that! 🙂 Sandra
Sandra
These soft & chewy peanut butter cookies are super quick and easy to make. This is the best old-fashioned recipe!
★★★★★
Amanda
Fantastic. Close to my grandmas but not quite it. May switch it up some to see if I can get closer to her recipe. Thanks so much for this!
★★★★★
Tim
So good and brings back great memories of my mom and grandma making them for us. Terrific recipe!!
★★★★★