American · Desserts

Peanut butter cookies

Name: Peanut butter cookies
Prep time: 18 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 24 cookies
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened; 3/4 cup (190 grams) conventional creamy peanut butter; 3/4 cup (150 grams) packed light brown sugar; 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for rolling; 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Soft peanut-forward cookies with lightly crisp edges and the classic fork-pressed top.

About 1 hrTotal

About 30 minActive

$Cost

EasyDifficulty

Makes 24 cookies

Equipment

A similarly sized 13 × 18-inch rimmed pan works; smaller pans make a thicker pizza.
Best starting point
Nordic Ware Naturals Half Sheet · 43100
View at Amazon
Another workable path: A similarly sized 13 × 18-inch rimmed pan works; smaller pans make a thicker pizza.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We compared exact half-sheet geometry, uncoated material, reinforced construction, heat limit, care, stable model identity, and the exact Amazon destination. Manufacturer specifications establish model 43100 and its UPC, while America's Test Kitchen reports comparative cooking and handling results. Kwilt has not baked with this pan.
Nordic Ware Naturals Half Sheet · 43100: Its 13-by-18-inch footprint gives this soft dough the intended thickness, and the uncoated aluminum supports browning on the oiled bottom. Trade-off: Hand washing is recommended, and acidic tomato left on uncoated aluminum can discolor or pit the surface over time.
Another workable path: Use another rimmed half sheet only if its outside dimensions are close to 13 by 18 inches. A smaller pan makes a thicker pizza and needs its own bake adjustment.
Sources
Nordic Ware product details
America's Test Kitchen result
Nordic Ware model and UPC registry
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 24 cookies

1 1/2 cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup (190 grams) conventional creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup (150 grams) packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for rolling
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Beat butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar for 2 minutes until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla.
Mix in dry ingredients on low only until combined. If the dough feels very soft, chill 20 to 30 minutes; do not add flour. Heat oven to 350°F and line with parchment.
Roll level 1 1/2-tablespoon portions in the remaining sugar and place 2 inches apart. Press twice with a fork to make a shallow crosshatch and flatten each to about 1/2 inch thick.
Bake one pan at a time for 10 to 13 minutes until edges are set and lightly golden while centers look soft. Cool 10 minutes on the pan before moving to a rack; the fragile warm cookies firm as they stand.

United StatesAmerican baking and dessert traditions

From the table

About this recipe

Peanut butter cookies became an American home-baking staple in the early twentieth century; their fork crosshatch is both a familiar visual marker and a practical way to flatten dense dough for even baking.

The fork crosshatch is more than decoration: dense peanut-butter dough needs flattening so the center bakes before the edge dries. Conventional emulsified peanut butter gives the most consistent spread and texture; natural peanut butter that separates can make the dough oily or crumbly. Brown sugar keeps the classic cookie soft while a sugar roll adds a delicate edge crust. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Choose the high-rated classic all-butter pattern and preserve the useful crisscross, while rejecting extra brown-butter and nut steps that comparison testing found effortful without better payoff.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe