Sweet & Salty Peanut Butter Cookies
If you love the irresistible combination of sweet and salty, these peanut butter cookies are a must-try! They’re crisp around the edges, slightly soft and tender in the centre, and packed with rich peanut butter flavour. The cookies are finished with lightly crushed salted peanuts, adding a delicious crunch and an extra touch of saltiness to every bite.
What I especially love about these cookies is how easy they are to make. There’s no complicated technique or special equipment needed, and the dough can even be shaped and frozen ahead of time, so you can enjoy freshly baked cookies whenever you’re craving them. Whether you’re baking a batch for your family, sharing them with friends, or simply treating yourself to something sweet, these peanut butter cookies are sure to disappear quickly!
Alright, let’s bake!
Why You’ll Love this Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
- Easy to make – Simple ingredients and straightforward steps make these cookies perfect for home bakers.
- The perfect sweet and salty combination – Rich peanut butter flavour pairs beautifully with the salted peanuts.
- Crisp and tender – Crisp around the edges with a slightly soft, tender centre.
- Deliciously crunchy – Lightly crushed salted peanuts add a lovely crunch to every bite.
- Make-ahead friendly – Shape and freeze the cookies, then bake them straight from frozen whenever you want freshly baked cookies.
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Ingredients in this Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
At a glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe. Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
- Unsalted butter – Adds richness and a smooth, buttery flavour while helping create cookies with crisp edges and a tender centre. Using unsalted butter also allows you to control the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Light brown sugar – Provides sweetness as well as moisture, helping give the cookies their slightly soft and tender centre. It also adds a subtle caramel-like flavour.
- Crunchy peanut butter – The main source of peanut butter flavour and richness in these cookies. I recommend using 100% peanut butter without added sugar or other ingredients, as peanut butter is one of the main ingredients in this recipe. For an extra-deep, roasted peanut flavour, I especially like using deep-roasted peanut butter. If you can’t find it, regular 100% peanut butter works perfectly well. I use crunchy peanut butter for extra texture, but smooth peanut butter can also be used if preferred.
- Egg – Helps bind the ingredients together and provides structure, while contributing to the cookies’ tender texture.
- Vanilla extract – Enhances the flavours of the peanut butter and brown sugar and adds a lovely depth of flavour.
- All-purpose flour – Provides the structure needed to hold the cookies together and gives them their characteristic texture.
- Baking powder – Provides a little lift, helping prevent the cookies from becoming too dense while they bake.
- Salt – Balances the sweetness and enhances the peanut butter flavour. Since salted peanuts are also used as a topping, a small amount is enough in the dough.
- Salted peanuts – Add a delicious salty crunch to the tops of the cookies and enhance the sweet-and-salty flavour combination. Lightly crushing them makes them easier to sprinkle over the cookies while still keeping some texture.
Tips for Success
- Use softened butter – Let the butter soften at room temperature so it blends easily with the sugar and peanut butter.
- Use crunchy or smooth peanut butter – Crunchy peanut butter adds extra texture, but smooth peanut butter works just as well.
- Don’t skip chilling the dough – Chilling makes the dough firmer and easier to shape.
- Don’t over mix the dough – Once the dry ingredients are incorporated and no streaks of flour remain, stop mixing.
- Keep the cookies an even thickness – Flatten them to about 1 cm thick so they bake evenly.
- Don’t over bake – The cookies should have lightly golden edges but will still feel soft when they come out of the oven. They will firm up as they cool.
- Let them cool before moving – Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
How to Serve these Peanut Butter Cookies
These peanut butter cookies are delicious on their own, but here are a few simple ways to enjoy them:
- With tea or coffee – Their sweet and salty flavour pairs beautifully with a cup of tea or coffee.
- As an afternoon treat – Enjoy one (or two!) when you need a little something sweet during the day.
- With a glass of milk – The creamy, nutty flavour of the cookies pairs wonderfully with cold milk.
- As a dessert – Serve them slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an extra indulgent treat.
- For sharing – Arrange them on a cookie platter when entertaining or serving guests.
How to Store these Peanut Butter Cookies
- At room temperature: Once completely cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Keep them in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
- For longer storage: Freeze the unbaked, shaped cookies on a lined baking sheet until completely frozen. Transfer them to a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To bake from frozen: There’s no need to thaw the cookies. Place them on a lined baking sheet and bake straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Smooth peanut butter works perfectly well. The cookies will simply have a slightly smoother texture.
Absolutely. Deep-roasted peanut butter gives the cookies a deeper roasted peanut flavour, but regular 100% peanut butter works well too.
This is completely normal. The cookies will still be soft when they come out of the oven but will firm up as they cool. Let them rest on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Yes. Shape and flatten the cookies first, then freeze them on a lined baking sheet until solid. Transfer them to a freezer bag and store them in the freezer. They can be baked straight from frozen—just add a few extra minutes to the baking time.
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Tried these Peanut Butter Cookies
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Easy Peanut Butter Cookies with Crunchy Peanuts
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Chill Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins
- Yield: 28 servings 1x
- Category: Biscuits & Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These easy peanut butter cookies are crisp around the edges with a slightly soft, tender centre and plenty of peanut butter flavour. Topped with crunchy salted peanuts, they’re delicious with a cup of tea or coffee.
Ingredients
- 100 g unsalted butter, softened
- 180 g light brown sugar
- 140 g peanut butter, crunchy
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 185 g all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 50 g salted peanuts, slightly crushed
Instructions
Make the Dough
- Add the softened butter, light brown sugar, and peanut butter to a mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract. Continue mixing until well combined.
- Place a sieve over the mixing bowl and sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gently fold with a spatula until a dough forms and no dry ingredients remain.
- Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until the dough is slightly firm to the touch.
Shape and Bake the Cookies
- Towards the end of the chilling time, preheat the oven to 160°C fan and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 5 cm (2 inches) between each one.
- Gently flatten each dough ball with your hand to about 1 cm thick. Sprinkle the slightly crushed salted peanuts over the tops, gently pressing them into the dough so they stick.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15–16 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. They will be soft when they first come out of the oven but will firm up as they cool.
- Carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely. Enjoy!
Notes
- Watch my video tutorial here to see these sweet and salty treats in action!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 117kcal
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 52mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 14mg
Final Thoughts
These peanut butter cookies are one of those simple bakes that deliver so much flavour with very little effort. With crisp edges, a slightly soft and tender centre, and a delicious crunch from the salted peanuts, every bite has that irresistible sweet-and-salty combination.
I especially love the deeper roasted flavour from using deep-roasted peanut butter, but regular 100% peanut butter works beautifully too. And because you can freeze the shaped cookie dough and bake it straight from frozen, you can have freshly baked peanut butter cookies whenever the craving strikes. So, grab a cup of tea or coffee, bake a batch, and enjoy!
Thanks for joining me in the kitchen today. Keep baking! 💛
