Old-Fashioned Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies are soft and chewy in the center, crisp and a little crunchy around the edges. These are cookies that might remind you of what mom and grandma used to make!
If you have a jar of peanut butter on hand, be sure to make Easy No-Bake Peanut Butter Pies. They are mini pies with the nostalgic flavor of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
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🥜 Ingredients to Have on Hand
The best part about Old-Fashioned Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies is we almost always have the ingredients we need on hand and just like Strawberry Chocolate Pies, they are a delicious treat to serve any time of year.
And like Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Bars, these cookies are chewy! Here's all you need:
Peanut Butter: I prefer to use creamy peanut butter, but when I was growing up, my Mom would make peanut butter cookies with chunky peanut butter. (With pieces of chopped peanuts.) If you like a little extra crunch in a peanut butter cookie, then chunky is a great option!
Shortening: This ingredient helps make cookies soft and tender. It doesn't add any flavor but has a higher melting point so helps the cookies keep their shape.
Butter: This is the flavor booster! Either salted or unsalted butter will work fine.
Whole Wheat Flour: Although we only use ½ cup of whole wheat flour in this peanut butter cookie recipe, the nutty flavor blends beautifully with the peanut butter flavor. Plus, it helps give the cookies a somewhat "healthy" vibe.
Scroll to the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
⭐ Pro Tip
I store my bag of whole wheat flour in the freezer since I don't use it every day, but it's nice to have it readily available. This helps it stay fresher longer. You can stir it into the cookies while it's still cold from the freezer, or bring it up to room temperature if you have the time.
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Blend the eggs, both sugars, peanut butter, shortening and butter in a mixing bowl until smooth. Add the dry ingredients. (Photo above.)
Step 2: Stir the ingredients until blended and smooth. Use either a mixer as shown above or a large mixing bowl with a sturdy spoon.
Step 3: Use a large tablespoon to scoop the dough and make small mounds -about the size of a walnut or golf ball - onto the parchment paper. Be sure to make each cookie the same size, or as close to the same size as possible. This ensures each one will be a consistently soft cookie. (Photo above.)
Step 4: And of course, be sure to make the traditional crisscross pattern with the tines of a fork dipped in sugar. That crisscross pattern is the classic sign of a peanut butter cookie, it also helps the cookie bake evenly since this dough is thicker than most cookies. (Photo above.)
👩🏻🍳 How to Keep Cookies from Sticking to the Pan
Back in the day when my Mom made cookies, she'd grease each baking sheet with shortening. And that works to keep cookies from sticking to the pan! But I like using parchment paper instead since it's so durable and makes cleaning up the baking pans a breeze!
Just crinkle up the paper and throw it away when you're done baking cookies.
The baking pan may still need light washing, but the parchment paper makes a big difference in keeping the grease from building up on our baking sheets.
⏲️ How to Make Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
The secret to soft and chewy peanut butter cookies is to not overbake them.
It's a good idea to watch how the first batch bakes in your oven and to use less baking time if needed to achieve the perfect texture.
The cookies are ready once they have spread out and are puffy and set, the center will still look very soft - usually after about 9 minutes of baking time.
⭐ Pro Tip
Let the cookies set on the parchment paper on the hot baking sheet for 5 extra minutes after you take them out of the oven and before you place them on a cooling rack. The cookies will finish cooking while they cool on the hot baking sheet.
🌡️ Store and Freeze Peanut Butter Cookies
Cool your Old-Fashioned Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies on a wire rack then stack them in an airtight container at room temperature. For longer storage or to freeze the cookies, place them in an airtight container or plastic freezer bag and store them in the freezer for 3-6 months. Defrost at room temperature.
💭 Recipe FAQs
That became part of the instructions for a peanut butter cookie recipe back in the 1930s, though it's not clearly explained why. What we know for sure is peanut butter cookie dough is thick and dense. Pushing the dough down with the tines of a fork helps ensure the center will bake evenly with the rest of the cookie.
It's easy to overbake peanut butter cookies and once they cool, the cookies tend to dry out and get hard or crunchy.
This recipe keeps your cookies soft and chewy because the cookies aren't overbaked. Instead, they cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet right out of the oven.
Technically, yes. But please use both butter and shortening for this recipe, the butter adds great flavor!
📖 The Inspiration
This has been my go-to peanut butter cookie recipe for years, hence the name "old fashioned" peanut butter cookies.
I had the ingredients written down on a piece of paper in one of my well-worn recipe binders, but it originally came from an old Betty Crocker children's cookbook my daughter loved as a little girl. The little cookbook is long gone from our house, how we lost track of it I'll never know - but I'm glad I saved the recipe.
If you like a tender peanut butter cookie with slightly crispy edges, you and your family will love these cookies.
🎂 More Desserts
Here are more dessert recipes your family is sure to enjoy!
If you make Old Fashioned Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies I'd love to hear how they turn out. Please leave a 🌟 star rating and a comment below. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!
Recipe
Corinna Provant-Robishaw says
So excited to make these. My husband LOVES peanut butter cookies. This will be a big win. Thank you Melinda. Corinna
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
Hurrah! I can't wait for you to bake these Corinna. But sure to come back and let me know how the cookies turn out!
Linda says
Love these! I do think the addition of whole wheat flour gives these a little extra nuttiness and I'm here for it!
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
I'm so happy you enjoyed these cookies Linda! I'm with you, the whole wheat flour adds great, nutty flavor.
Kayla DiMaggio says
These peanut butter cookies were delicious! The perfect easy recipe!
Maya says
I flipping love peanut butter cookies. We had a neighbor growing up who would make them for us and this recipe really reminds me of those cookies.
Jerika says
These Peanut butter cookies are simple, but these are the kind of cookies you crave for.:) Can't wait to prepare these soft, chewy and delicious peanut butter cookies with my kids. I'm sure they would love to help prepare these awesome cookies. Thanks.:)
Gloria says
Isn't it funny, I just said to hubby last night I need to make some peanut butter cookies. These look bakery perfect. I bet you can't eat just one.
Kim says
Can you use white all purpose flour?
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
Hi Kim, I've never made these without using that 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour so can't say for sure what the results would be by only using white flour. But please let me know how your cookies turn out! 🙂