Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies
on Oct 21, 2022, Updated Sep 24, 2024
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Chewy or crunchy, however you like them, these classic cookies have a terrific peanutty flavor.
Classic old-school peanut cookies are the kind of cookie everyone in my family is super excited to see cooling on a rack. All of the members of my family are peanut freaks; you don’t want to get between us and a 5-pound bag of peanuts in the shell. Sometimes, the floor in front of the TV is littered with so many bits of shells that it looks like some sort of saloon. I actually had to go to the hospital once because I cracked open a peanut so enthusiastically that I got part of the shell in my eye. That’s the extent of peanut love that goes on in our house.
These crunchy yet chewy cookies are sure to be devoured before they even have a chance to finish cooling. On the off chance they last long enough, enjoy these cookies alongside Homemade (Eggless!) Egg Nog during the holidays, or an Iced Pumpkin Latte in the fall, or just a mug of hot chocolate.
A perfect cookie platter for a party might include these, Oatmeal Cookies, Pumpkin Cookies, and Salted Caramel Brownies.
Table of Contents
Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies: Chewy or crunchy, however you like them, with terrific peanutty flavor.
Salted Peanut Butter Cookies
Salty-sweet has been all the rage for a long time, and in my house, it’s still a fan favorite (Salted Butterscotch Pie, anyone?). That’s why I use salted cocktail peanuts in this recipe. Then, you add just a tiny bit of salt to the batter (made with unsalted butter). Note that the peanut butter you use may have some salt added as well.
FAQs
Some peanut butter cookies can be dry, usually because there is too much flour in the batter and not enough liquid or fat. This recipe has a perfect proportion of dry ingredients to butter and eggs, so the cookies will not be dry. The baking time will determine how soft or crunchy the cookies are.
They should be a light golden brown on top. The cookies will become considerably harder as they cool, so you want to take them out a few minutes before they are done to your liking. For chewy, moist cookies, lean into a shorter baking time. For crunchy peanut butter cookies, leave them in for a few minutes longer.
The dough for peanut butter cookies is very thick and dense, so they need to be pressed down in order to bake evenly. Traditionally, this is done by pressing down with the tines of a fork in a cross-hatch pattern. You could just press down the cookies with a glass or the palm of your hand, but those telltale hatch marks indicate that you are in the presence of a peanut cookie.
The first record of this fork-tine grid method is attributed to a recipe that appeared in the Schenectady Gazette in 1932. The directions instructed the cook to “shape into balls and after placing them on the cookie sheet, press each one down with a fork, first one way and then the other, so they look like squares on waffles.”
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour – For structure.
- Baking soda – The leavening.
- Salt – To enhance all the flavors.
- Unsalted butter – At room temperature (there is plenty of salt from the peanuts and peanut butter).
- Creamy peanut butter – The star of the show. Use whatever brand you like best.
- Brown sugar – Light or dark brown sugar will work.
- Granulated sugar – Mixed with brown sugar, this combo creates the perfect chewy to crunchy consistency.
- Egg – For structure and chewiness.
- Vanilla extract – Adds a nice fragrant flavor.
- Crushed peanuts – Add great texture.
How to Bake Peanut Butter Cookies
- Prepare the dry ingredients: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Blend together all the ingredients: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add in the egg, then the vanilla. Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended. Mix in the crushed peanuts.
- Prepare the dough: Form the dough into balls and use a fork to press down on the cookies, creating a crosshatch pattern as you flatten them.
- Bake and enjoy: Bake for 12-14 minutes. Let them cool for 1 minute on the baking sheets, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
How to Crush Peanuts
For 1 cup of crushed peanuts, place 1 1/2 cups of whole peanuts in a sturdy zipper-top bag and gently whack with a rolling pin or a wine bottle or something of that nature.
Don’t crush them into a powder; you want some texture. However, larger pieces of peanuts may make the cookies fall apart a bit, so try not to leave any big chunks of peanuts. The varying sizes of peanuts in the cookie will provide varying bits of crunchiness in every bite.
Variation
I have made these cookies with honey-roasted peanuts, too, and that’s another level of toasty flavor in a fabulous cookie.
What the Kids Can Do
Measure the ingredients; crack the egg; dump, stir, and blend the batter; form and crosshatch the cookies.
Storage
Providing they aren’t all inhaled within hours, these cookies can be kept in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 7 days. Balls of the uncooked dough or the baked cookies can be frozen for up to 4 months. You can also refrigerate the dough (sealed in a container or wrapped in plastic wrap) for up to 4 days before baking.
What to Serve With Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies
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Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup packed dark or light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup crushed salted or lightly salted cocktail peanuts (see Note)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 F.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
- Beat the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until creamy in a medium-sized bowl using an electric mixer. Beat in the egg, then the vanilla. Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended. Mix in the crushed peanuts.
- Form the dough into about 18 (1 1/2-inch) balls and divide them between two baking sheets. Use a fork to press down on the cookies, creating a crosshatch pattern as you flatten them to about 1/2-inch thick.
- Bake the cookies until very lightly browned, 12 to 14 minutes — they will still be soft to the touch but will firm up as they cool. Let them cool for 1 minute on the baking sheets, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
When I was a small pre schooler in the early ’60s, I had no concept of ingredients, baking times, or what have you. But when my Mom put these peanut butter cookies in front of me I would declare “CRISS-CROSS COOKIES!”. I have called them this ever since.