Description
Classic peanut butter cookies that are soft in the center, lightly crisp at the edges, and full of rich peanut butter flavor — quick, easy, and fuss‑free with basic pantry ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (optional, for extra chewiness)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all‑purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, combine peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar (if using), egg, vanilla extract, baking soda, salt, and flour. Mix until smooth and well incorporated.
- If dough is sticky, let it rest for a few minutes or chill briefly.
- Scoop tablespoon‑sized portions of dough and roll into balls. Place them on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Press down gently with a fork twice to create the classic crisscross pattern.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes, until edges are set. The centers may look soft — they firm up as they cool.
- Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- For added variation, stir in chocolate chips or chopped peanuts before baking, or sprinkle a little flaky sea salt on top.
- To make gluten‑free: omit the flour or substitute with a gluten‑free flour blend — the cookie may be softer.
- For an egg‑free version: use a flax egg (1 tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 tbsp water) — cookies will be slightly softer but still tasty.
- To make cookies slightly crispier: use only granulated sugar (omit brown sugar) and bake an extra 1–2 minutes.
- You can double or triple the recipe — dough scales well, and you can freeze extra dough balls for later baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 11g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
