How To Make Peanut Butter Cookies

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These peanut butter cookies are a classic recipe that you need to keep in your recipe book! They are sweet and slightly nutty. They are great to keep in the freezer to make a quick sweet treat whenever you need it!

When to Serve Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut butter cookies are great to serve at any gathering or family party. In most cases, they are well loved by many people. These cookies are great to include in your list of holiday baking around Thanksgiving and Christmas! 

If you are often hosting guests, I recommend keeping some raw cookie dough in the freezer. Being able to pull out some prepared cookie dough and quickly baking some fresh cookies will always be a hit!

Freezing Peanut Butter Cookies

Freezing raw cookie dough is a great way to always have a sweet treat ready to go for hosting or whenever you want! This peanut butter cookie recipe is no exception. 

If you want to freeze this cookie dough for later use, there are a few ways you can store them. The first would be to scoop the unformed dough into a plastic bag or other airtight container and place in the freezer. If you use a plastic bag, I suggest you flatten and remove all the air from the bag. This will make the dough easy to store and prevent any potential freezer burn. 

The second option for freezing is to roll the dough into balls and place them on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. After all the dough is rolled into one inch balls, you can place the baking sheet into the freezer to flash freeze the dough. Flash freezing will allow you to use a plastic bag or other container to store your raw cookie balls while allowing them not to form into one large clump. Freezing individual cookie servings also makes it easier to pull out only what you need and keep the rest nice and frozen! 

Looking for more kitchen inspiration? you might also enjoy this Homemade Chocolate Sauce or this Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream with Raw Milk!

Substitutions

Although baking tends to be more of a science than an art, there are a few substitutions that you can make in this recipe and you should achieve a similar result. 

The first substitution is for butter. Although butter aids in making a great flavor, you may also use coconut oil, lard or tallow. These options should perform similarly to the butter.

The second substitution is for peanut butter. If you do not have peanut butter, you can use any nut butter you may have such as almond, sunflower or cashew butter. Each of these will impart a slightly different flavor; However, your cookie should taste quite similar. 

The third substitution is for cane sugar and brown sugar. You can use a number of different sweetener options. This could include honey, maple syrup, maple sugar, sucanat, coconut sugar, or date sugar. If you choose an alternate sweetener, I recommend adding a teaspoon or two of molasses to ensure the flavor that brown sugar would have added is still present. 

The last substitution is for vanilla extract. The only other option I would suggest is to use vanilla bean paste. Vanilla bean paste (like this homemade one!) will ensure the vanilla flavor is still present. If you don’t have vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, you could use almond extract. However, using almond extract will drastically change the flavor of your final product. 

Ingredients and tools

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1 ¼ cup All Purpose Flour

¾ tsp Baking Soda

¼ tsp Sea Salt – I like to use Redmond Real Salt for the minerals!

½ cup Butter – Softened

½ cup Peanut butter (or other nut butter of choice)

½ cup Cane Sugar

½ cup Packed Brown Sugar

1 Egg

½ tsp Vanilla extract

Small mixing bowl

A small whisk

Measuring cups and spoons

A stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or a medium mixing bowl and a hand mixer)

A large baking sheet

A fork (for pressing your cookie balls)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375℉
2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat butter for 1-2 minutes on a medium speed.
4. Add peanut butter, and both sugars to your stand mixer and beat until fluffy. 
5. Once fluffy, add the egg and vanilla and mix until well incorporated.
6. Add the flour mixture on a low speed and beat until all of the flour is well incorporated.
7. Using your hands or a cookie scoop, shape the dough into one inch balls. Place each ball about two inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. 
8. When all of your dough is shaped into balls, use a fork and press the prongs down about halfway through the ball. Press each ball twice with the fork so that you make a checkered pattern on the top of the cookie. 
9. Bake for 10 minutes.
10. After 10 minutes, remove from the oven and let cool for one minute on the pan before transferring to a cooling rack. 
11. Once completely cool, you can store in an airtight container for 3-5 days. For long term storage, you can place these cookies or the uncooked dough into the freezer. 

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Homemade Peanut Butter Cookies FAQ:

When Should I Serve Peanut Butter Cookies?

Peanut butter cookies are great to serve at any gathering or family party. In most cases, they are well loved by many people. These cookies are great to include in your list of holiday baking around Thanksgiving and Christmas! 

If you often host guests, I recommend keeping some raw cookie dough in the freezer. Being able to pull out some prepared cookie dough and quickly baking some fresh cookies will always be a hit with guests!

Can I Freeze Peanut Butter Cookies?

Freezing raw cookie dough is a great way to always have a sweet treat ready to go for hosting or whenever you want! This peanut butter cookie recipe is no exception. 

If you want to freeze this cookie dough for later use, there are a few ways you can store them. The first would be to scoop the unformed dough into a plastic bag or other airtight container and place in the freezer. If you use a plastic bag, I suggest you flatten and remove all the air from the bag. This will make the dough easy to store and prevent any potential freezer burn. 

The second option for freezing is to roll the dough into balls and place them on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. After all the dough is rolled into one inch balls, you can place the baking sheet into the freezer to flash freeze the dough. Flash freezing will allow you to use a plastic bag or other container to store your raw cookie balls while allowing them not to form into one large clump.  

What Can I Use Instead of Butter?

Although butter aids in making a great flavor, you may also use coconut oil, lard or tallow. These options should perform similarly to the butter.

What Can I Use Instead of Peanut Butter?

If you do not have peanut butter, you can use any nut butter you may have such as almond, sunflower or cashew butter. Each of these will impart a slightly different flavor; However, your cookie should taste quite similar. 

What Can I Use Instead of Cane Sugar?

You can use a number of different sweetener options. This could include honey, maple syrup, maple sugar, sucanat, coconut sugar, or date sugar. If you choose an alternate sweetener, I recommend adding a teaspoon or two of molasses to ensure the flavor that brown sugar would have added is still present. 

What Can I Use Instead of Vanilla Extract?

The only other option I would suggest is to use vanilla bean paste. Vanilla bean paste (like this homemade one!) will ensure the vanilla flavor is still present. If you don’t have vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, you should use almond extract. However, using almond extract will drastically change the flavor of your final product. 

Did you try this? Share your creations in the comments or by tagging @MissysHomestead on Instagram.