Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies are simple to make. If you’ve never made cookies before, this is the one to start with. An absolute Atlantic Canadian classic – honestly every where in North America could claim Peanut Butter Cookies as their own. Before peanuts became a no-go, these delicious, tender, perfect for dunking cookies were in school lunch boxes for decades all over Canada and United States. Now, with so many people allergic to nuts I only serve them at home.
Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies need only simple ingredients and equipment to produce rich and crunchy cookies.
I used my stand mixer to make these cookies but you can easily use a hand held mixer and produce the exact same result. I’ve baked a lot of Peanut Butter Cookies over the years so when I read this recipe I was intrigued. It looked like the flour to butter/peanut butter ratio was off. It may seem odd that I would intentionally set out to try a recipe that I think won’t work but that’s often where the treasures hide. This cookie is a stunner!
I’m that girl who can easily stop at two cookies. These cookies destroyed my self control.
My brain split with one side insisting on restraint and the winning side giving in to the crispy, rich, perfectly balanced sweet and salty cookies. I put the cookie tin away after my hand dipped for the fifth time.
The dough is much softer than any Peanut Butter Cookie I’ve made in the past. My fork could barely leave it’s tines in the top of the cookie – the classic Peanut Butter Cookie stamp. I was also sure, once I got them in the oven, the batter was going to melt into a thin lifeless cookie.
These Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies are a perfect balance of crunch and moist.
Make sure that your butter and egg are at room temperature. It’s impossible to incorporate the sugars into anything other than soft butter. Give your butter and sugar mixture enough time to really whip up. You want the mixture to be creamy. You don’t want to see grains of sugar in the butter once you’ve finished beating.
Using eggs at room temperature will ensure maximum batter volume and a tender Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookie.
I used a retractable scoop to portion the cookie dough. You can use 2 teaspoons to make the cookie balls. It will take a little longer but the result will be similar. As I explained earlier, the dough is super soft so take your time shaping and marking your cookies.
The trick to the gorgeous texture of this Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookie is not to over bake them.
Cookies continue to bake after they’ve come out of the oven. Once your cookies are golden on top with a slightly darker bottom, pull them out of the oven and leave them to cool on the pan. You want the heat from the baking sheet to finish them off. Once they’ve cooled for 5 minutes on the sheet, transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
I used crunchy peanut butter because I love the extra bit of crunch in my cookie. If you prefer less texture, use smooth peanut butter.
Thanks for reading.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
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Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, cream the butter and the sugars and beat until creamy and smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the edge of the bowl and beat agin.
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Add in the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
- Add the peanut butter and mix well. Scrape down the edge of the bowl and mix again.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until well combined.
- Using a small retractable scoop portion the cookie dough into 30 balls and place on the prepared baking sheet, about 2-inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until they are golden at the edges and just set. Don’t overbake, the cookies will set up as they cool.
- Remove pan from oven and let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.
Notes
THE LOVE: Don't over bake. They will finish baking as they cool.
