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Stack of classic peanut butter cookies with fork marks and pale golden edges on a ceramic plate

Easy Peanut Butter Cookies with Soft Centers and Crisp Edges

Fork-marked peanut butter cookies with lightly golden rims and soft centers, designed around standard pantry ingredients.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Cooling Time 10 minutes
Total Time 39 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 146
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup 113 g unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup 99 g granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup 106 g packed light brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup 198 g regular creamy peanut butter
  • 1 large egg about 50 g without shell
  • 1 1/2 cups 180 g all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon 4.6 g baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon 3 g table salt

Equipment

  • Two rimmed baking sheets
  • Parchment paper
  • electric hand mixer
  • 1 tablespoon cookie scoop
  • Wire cooling rack
  • measuring scale

Method
 

  1. Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment, place racks in the upper and lower thirds, soften butter, and measure ingredients. Do not eat raw dough.
  2. Beat softened butter and both sugars for 2 minutes on medium speed, scraping once, until creamy and slightly grainy.
  3. Mix in peanut butter and egg for 1 minute on low to medium until smooth and light brown.
  4. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt for 30 seconds until uniform.
  5. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture; mix on low for 30 to 45 seconds, just until no flour remains and dough looks thick and slightly tacky.
  6. Scoop 24 level tablespoon portions onto pans, spaced about 2 inches apart; keep portions uniform.
  7. Press each with a fork in two directions to roughly 1/2 inch thick; visible shallow crosshatch remains.
  8. Bake both pans at 350°F for 12 to 14 minutes, exchanging rack positions after 7 minutes; remove at faintly golden edges and softly set centers.
  9. Cool on pans for 10 minutes, then transfer carefully to wire rack when edges feel firm and centers tender.

Notes

Regular creamy peanut butter is the reference ingredient; natural peanut butter substitutes need a separate bake test.
Storage: Refrigerate baked cookies tightly sealed up to 7 days, or freeze baked cookies up to 3 months; raw dough can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 2 months.