Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies

These Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies are a classic favorite. Growing up, these cookies were always popular with friends and family.

Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

I often call this the best peanut butter cookies recipe for a reason.  Once you taste these old-fashioned peanut butter cookies, you might wonder how you ever baked peanut butter cookies any other way.

In my opinion, there’s almost nothing better than a warm, soft cookie.  This classic peanut butter cookies recipe is always an instant hit when I bake them.

Pair that with the fact that they’re simple to make with only 10 ingredients, I have no doubt that they’ll become a go-to dessert for you too.

How to Make Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

This recipe calls for simple ingredients that you likely already have in your refrigerator or pantry.

First, get a large mixing bowl and combine the peanut butter, butter, and brown sugar until they’re a creamy consistency. Next, add the milk and vanilla and eggs.

In a separate bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients – flour, salt, and baking soda. Now you will start slowly adding your dry ingredients to your wet ingredients being sure to mix them together thoroughly.

Once everything is combined, you can complete the optional step of chilling your dough. Place the dough in a container and cover it with plastic wrap so it can chill for a minimum of 2 hours.

Next, you’ll preheat the oven to 350 degrees, use a cookie scoop and roll your dough into balls. Next, roll each ball in sugar and place it on a cookie sheet.

Use a fork to make a traditional criss-cross design on each cookie. The cookies are now ready to go in the oven.  

You want to bake them for 7-9 minutes opting for a shorter time if you prefer soft cookies. When they’re done, place them on a cooling rack and store them in an airtight container, so they stay fresh. There you have it! Super soft and tasty peanut butter cookies.

What Kind of Peanut Butter Should I Use?

As long as you choose a peanut butter with a creamy base, any kind will work.

I typically recommend (and prefer) using creamy peanut butter, though some people prefer crunchy peanut butter and that works too. It’s really all about your preference.

If you use a natural peanut butter where the oil separates, be sure to thoroughly mix the oil and peanut butter together before adding it to the mixture.

And for what it’s worth, not all brands of natural peanut butter will work the same here. I’ve had mixed results and typically go with a commercial brand when making these cookies.

Should I let my peanut butter cookie dough chill?

The benefit to chilling your cookie dough is it allows the dough to harden a bit.  The mixture is very creamy initially, and when the dough is too soft, it can be more challenging to create a cookie that sets well without running all over your cookie sheet.

Ultimately though, it’s an optional step.  I personally believe the wait is well worth it.  But, whether you’re short on time or your craving just can’t wait, you’ll still have delicious peanut butter cookies if you bypass this step.

The best chocolate chip cookie recipe – this is an old, old recipe on my site, but so, so good!

Molasses Crinkle Cookies are an old-fashioned cookie jar favorite that’s perfect for holiday cookie trays too.

These oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are made extraordinary with a bit of brown butter. If you haven’t tried it before, that browned butter takes ordinary oatmeal cookies and makes them truly amazing.

If you love these peanut butter cookies, you’ll also love my peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and if you’re in a hurry, check out my no bake peanut butter cookie recipe.

Loaded with pecan pieces and plenty of coconut flavor, these coconut pecan cookies are perfectly chewy with just the right amount of crunch.

These Texas Cowboy Cookies from the Food Charlatan and these White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies from The Chunky Chef both look great too!

{originally published 5/28/19 – recipe notes and photos updated 12/6/21}