Simple Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe
I’ve always loved peanut butter cups, especially the filling. So I set out to make cookies that taste like the inside of a peanut butter cup. There are no actual peanut butter cups used in the cookies (scraping chocolate from dozens of cups just for the filling wouldn’t exactly be practical), and to make them I used my Reese’s Pieces Soft Peanut Butter Cookie dough as the base. I reduced the sugar slightly, eliminated the Reese’s Pieces and chocolate chips, and incorporated one-quarter cup nutritional yeast into the dough. It’s the secret ingredient that really gives the cookies inside-of-a-peanut-butter-cup authenticity. I’ve used it before in homemade peanut butter cups because it adds a salty-and-sweet element and the imperceptibly cheesy flavor I’ve always thought peanut butter cup insides possess. The cookies are super soft, moist, slightly chewy, not overly sweet, and loaded with big, rich, bold peanut butter cup flavor. Just the way I like them.
What’s in Soft Peanut Butter Cookies?
To make this ultra soft soft peanut butter cookie recipe, you’ll need:
Egg Creamy peanut butter Unsalted butter Brown sugar Granulated sugar Vanilla extract All-purpose flour Nutritional yeast Baking soda Salt
What is Nutritional Yeast?
Nutritional yeast (not the same as brewer’s yeast) is what many vegans use as ‘cheese’. It’s sold as dry flakes, and has a cheesy-ish, nutty flavor. I love to sprinkle it on popcorn, I blend it with red pepper and soaked cashews for the coating on the best kale chips, make Peanut Butter Cups, and cheesy dips with it. So many ways to use it. It’s packed with B vitamins and protein, so of course the cookies are automatically healthy.
How to Make Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
Simply cream together the egg, peanut butter, butter, sugars, and vanilla. Then, add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Scoop the dough into balls, then chill for at least 2 hours. Once the dough has had time to chill, bake until the edges have set and the tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes before eating.
Can I Omit the Nutritional Yeast?
Yes, you can make the peanut butter cookies from scratch without it and they’ll still ‘turn out,’ but a key flavor element will be absent.
Can I Use Natural Peanut Butter?
No, I recommend using a traditional peanut butter brand like Jif or Skippy. Natural or homemade peanut butter is too runny and tends to separate.
Tips for the Best Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
Do not bake with unchilled dough because the cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading. Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
More Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes:
My cookbook is all about peanut butter! Peanut Butter Comfort contains 100+ peanut butter recipes Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes!
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Reese’s Pieces Soft Peanut Butter Cookies — Peanut butter lovers’ will go nuts for these super soft cookies loaded with Reese’s Pieces & chocolate!
Soft and Chewy Triple Peanut Butter Cookies — PB is used 3 different ways in these melt-in-your mouth cookies! Batch size of just 8 cookies when you don’t ‘need’ dozens laying around!
Lofthouse-Style Peanut Butter Chip Sugar Cookies — Same soft texture as real Lofthouse cookies, but with peanut butter!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies – My favorite peanut butter cookies on my blog. My other favorites are in my book. There’s NO Flour, NO Butter, and NO White sugar used! Soft, chewy & oozing with dark chocolate
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Triple Peanut Butter Cookie Pie – This fast and easy cookie pie has peanut butter worked in 3 different ways
