These soft peanut butter cookies are all the rage. They’re easy to make and even easier to eat! They will be your absolute favorite.
Prep Time 25 minutesminutes
Cook Time 11 minutesminutes
Total Time 36 minutesminutes
Servings 22
Ingredients
¼cup(56g)unsalted butter, room temperature
¼cup(51g)vegetable shortening, room temperature
1cup(210g)light brown sugar, packed
½cup(129g)creamy peanut butter
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
1large egg, room temperature
1 ½cups(195g)all-purpose flour
½teaspoonbaking soda
¼teaspoonsalt
Instructions
Add the butter, shortening, and brown sugar to a large bowl. Beat on medium-high speed with a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until combined and fluffy.
Beat in the peanut butter on high speed. Beat in the vanilla and egg on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Add to the peanut butter mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Scoop about 1.5 tablespoons of cookie dough and roll into balls. Arrange the balls onto the prepared baking sheets placing them about 3 inches apart.
Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned, the centers will look puffed up and slightly undercooked.
Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Butter: Salted butter can be used. Omit the additional salt in the recipe.
Peanut butter: Avoid using natural style or oily peanut butter. Use a commercial brand like Jif or Skippy instead.
Egg: The egg must be at room temperature or it won't mix evenly into the dough. You can quickly bring the egg to room temperature by setting it in a bowl of warm tap water for about 5 minutes.
Don't overbake! Overbaking will cause the cookies to be hard, dry, or crumbly. The bottom edges should look set and lightly golden, and the centers should appear slightly undercooked.
Use a scale. Weighing the ingredients with a kitchen scale will ensure accuracy.
Make ahead tips
The cookies will stay soft and fresh for up to one week in an airtight container stored at room temperature.
The cookie dough can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Bring the dough to room temperature, and continue to roll and bake as directed in the recipe.
Alternately, you can freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months.
Or you can freeze unbaked balls of cookie dough for up to 3 months, as well. Bake the frozen cookie dough balls, without thawing, for an additional minute or two.