Chunky, Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
If you’ve been reading Brown Eyed Baker for any significant length of time, then you know that I am just a tiny bit obsessed with peanut butter. As a result, you’d think that by now I’d have a killer go-to peanut butter cookie recipe. Not true. For the longest time, I relied upon my mom’s peanut butter cookie recipe (that I’m pretty sure came from the jar of peanut butter decades ago), which is very good, but I’ve been craving a big, bakery style, chewy peanut butter cookie.
For as much as I love the recipes from America’s Test Kitchen, it’s a little crazy that I had yet to try one of their peanut butter cookie recipes. That was my first stop in my search for a killer recipe and I was thrilled with the outcome.
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These are hands-down the best peanut butter cookies I’ve had to date. They are just big enough to feel substantial, but not so large that you’d feel guilty eating more than one, which I love. These cookies will look underdone when they come out of the oven, but when left to cool, they set up perfectly. They are slightly thick, super chewy and have just a little bit of crunch from using chunky peanut butter and some ground up peanuts.
The movers that we used last week were fantastic; on moving day, I set out a batch of these cookies, individually wrapped. They were devoured and raved about for hours. I wish I would have made more; I would have sent them all home with extras!
The good news is that all of our belongings survived the move without so much as a scratch, and I have found the epic peanut butter cookie recipe that I’ve been waiting for!
One year ago: Queso Fundido
Four years ago: Margarita Cupcakes
Five years ago: Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix
Six years ago: Coffee and Espresso Cheesecake
Chunky, Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (146 g) roasted salted peanuts
- 2½ cups (312.5 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) table salt
- 1 cup (227 g) salted butter
- 1 cup (258 g) crunchy peanut butter, not natural
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (220 g) dark brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Adjust oven racks to lower-middle and upper-middle position; preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place the peanuts in a food processor or blender and pulse until the consistency of bread crumbs, about 14 pulses.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and peanut butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down bowl as necessary. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients gradually until combined without over mixing. Add the ground peanuts and stir gently with a rubber spatula until just incorporated.
- Working with 2 tablespoons dough at a time, roll into large balls, placing them 2 inches apart on a parchment-covered cookie sheet. Press each dough ball with the back of a fork dipped in cold water to make crisscross design. Bake until cookies are puffed and slightly brown along edges, but still pale on top, 10 to 12 minutes (they will not look fully baked), rotating the sheets halfway through baking. Cool cookies on cookie sheet until set, about 4 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies will keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, up to 7 days.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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Thank you for this recipe it’s always a favorite in my house and everyone can never have enough of them. Tonight I made a double batch.😊
Thank you for this recipe it’s always a favorite in my house and everyone can never have enough of them. Tonight I made a double batch.😊
These are amazing cookies. Exactly what I was looking for chewy and loaded with peanut butter flavor.
I have been on a search for a chunky AND chewy peanut butter like my grams used to make.
These are the bomb! I am passing this recipe on to all friends and family who love being in the kitchen making fun treats for their family!
Thank you for sharing this treasure!
What is the name of the peanut butter you use? Thank you.
I have unsalted butter on hand how much salt should I add to recipe ? Hoping to start making them soon. 😊
My family’s new favourite!! I added 2 cups chic chips to make it the ultimate PB cookie! Delicious !!! And I m not even a fan of peanut butter cookies.
Used Natural peanut butter
Because the natural peanut butter has oil that’s not separated, I used less butter 3/4 cups INSTEAD of 1 cup
Cookies came out perfect nice and chewy
These are the best peanut butter cookies I’ve ever made. I will never use another recipe but this one from now on. Everyone loves them. Thank you!
You have to try the KAF recipe. I use it often and will have to try this one just for……er…um……rese arch, yes, research purposes.
Hi Michelle!
Do you think that I can make these into bars? My idea is to cut them into bit sized pieces and put them in mini muffin liners. Thoughts?
Thanks!
Hi Sara, I think they could definitely be made into bars!