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Looking for the perfect bakery style peanut butter cookies recipe? Look no further! This recipe guarantees the most delicious and chewy cookies that are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.
We all know and love the classic peanut butter cookies recipe with the criss-cross pattern on top that you make with a fork, but these are not those! No offense to those! I love them! But these are giant bakery style cookies that are soft and chewy and loaded with peanut butter flavor!
We use the pan-banging method (perfected by Sarah Kieffer), which I’ll explain more below. This gives the cookies a crispy outer edge and a soft and chewy center.
Ingredients for the BEST Peanut Butter Cookies
Gather all your typical cookie ingredients and some creamy butter and you’re ready for making these bakery style cookies. Here is everything you’ll need:
- Flour: just regular all-purpose flour is all you need
- Baking Soda: gives the cookies lift and fluffiness
- Baking Powder: gives the cookies more rise
- Salt: enhances all the flavors and contrasts the sweetness
- Unsalted Butter: adds the fat and richness in flavor
- Creamy Peanut Butter: creamy JIF or Skippy is my preference
- Sugar: adds sweetness
- Brown Sugar: adds sweetness and moisture
- Egg: gives the cookies structure
- Vanilla Extract: adds flavor
- Whole Milk: adds moisture
- Dry Roasted Unsalted Peanuts: adds more peanut flavor and a nice crunchy texture
Keep scrolling to the end of the post to see all the measurements needed for each ingredient.
How to Make Bakery Style Peanut Butter Cookies
If you’re new to pan-banging cookies, we are going to walk you through how to do it. Here are is the step-by-step guide for making this fabulous peanut butter cookie recipe:
- Prep: Line a baking sheet with foil (dull side up) and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Dry Ingredients: Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Cream: Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use an electric hand mixer) and cream the butter until fluffy. Add the peanut butter and beat again until smooth.
- Mix: Add in the sugars and mix until combined. Be sure to scrape down the sides as you go. Add the remaining wet ingredients and mix to combine. Slowly pour in the dry ingredients and mix until everything comes together but be careful to not overmix.
- Rest: Allow the dough to rest for 15-20 minutes.
- Scoop: Using a large cookie scoop (1/4 cup) scoop the dough into balls and roll in your hands.
- Bake: Place 3-4 cookies on the prepared cookie sheet giving them plenty of space to spread. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven.
- Bang: Pull out the pan and bang it on the stove top or counter until the edge of the cookies deflate then stick the pan back in the oven. Bake for another 2 minutes and then pull it out and bang it again. Repeat a third time after 2 minutes for a total baking time of 16-18 minutes.
- Cool: Move the cookies to a wire rack and bake the rest of the dough repeating the same process.
All of these instructions can also be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Can I Use Chunky Peanut Butter?
Yes, you can absolutely use chunky peanut butter. I prefer the texture of the cookies when creamy peanut butter is used and then I add chopped peanuts on top for a little texture.
Can I Use Natural Peanut Butter?
Yes, natural peanut butter can be used but be sure to give it a really good stir before measuring it and adding it to the dough. The texture will be slightly more dry if you use natural peanut butter.
What is Pan-Banging Cookies?
Anyone else yell “bang-a-rang Peter” in their head? Hook…such a great movie! Pan-banging is a technique used while baking cookies where “the pan is tapped in the oven every few minutes, creating ripples on the edge of the cookie. This creates two textures in the cookie: a crisp outer edge, and a soft, gooey center.” That was taken directly from Sarah Kieffer’s post. I’m obsessed with this method! I love the variation in texture is creates!
Variations
These cookies are such a great base dough for all kinds of add-ins! We like to top ours with chopped peanuts for added texture and flavor. You could also add in mini m&m’s or mini chocolate chips. I’ve seen some people dip half the cookie in melted chocolate which looks divine.
Storage Tips
Leftover should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for up to a week. You can also freeze the baked cookies or the cookie dough. Cookies or cookie dough will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If you freeze the cookie dough balls, bake straight from frozen as written in the instructions but you will add a few extra minutes. To freeze the baked cookies, let them cool completely and then place them in a ziploc bag and then wrap them in foil.
Looking for the perfect peanut butter cookies recipe? Look no further! This post shows you how to make the softest and chewiest cookies that are packed with peanut butter flavor. Pour a glass of milk and indulge!
More Peanut Butter Desserts to Try:
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Peanut Butter Banana Bread
- Ultimate Peanut Butter Pie
- Peanut Butter Bars
- Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie
- No Bake Peanut Butter Nutella Pie
- Peanut Butter Mug Cake
- Peanut Butter Meltaway Cookies
Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Cups Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
- 1/2 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
- 1 ¼ Cup Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Egg, large
- 1 ¼ teaspoons Vanilla
- 2 Tablespoons Whole Milk
- 1/3 Cup Dry Roasted Unsalted Peanuts, finely chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with foil, dull side up (this will provide the proper baking surface for the cookies to spread upon banging the pan).
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.1 ½ Cups Flour, 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda, 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder, 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- Using a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and then add peanut butter and cream until smooth (about 1-2 minutes on medium speed).1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, 1/2 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
- Then mix in the sugars until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix another minute.1 ¼ Cup Sugar, 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
- With the mixer running, pour in the egg, vanilla and milk and mix until combined. Dump in the dry ingredients, scraping the edges as needed and mix on medium-low speed.1 Egg, 1 ¼ teaspoons Vanilla, 2 Tablespoons Whole Milk
- Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Scoop the dough into a 1/4 cup or equivalent cookie scoop and roll in your hands.
- Place 3-4 cookies on the baking sheet well spaced apart as they will spread quite a bit. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the pan and slam it against the counter or stove top about 5 times until the edge deflate.
- Place the pan back into the oven and bake for 2 minutes. Repeat the process. Continue baking in 2 minute intervals, banging between each, for a total bake time of about 16-18 minutes.
- Stop once the cookies have completely spread and the edges turn a very light golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack and repeat the process with the rest of the cookies.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
