This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.

Old school style Soft and Crinkly Brown Sugar Peanut Butter Cookies. These are some of the best cookies…rich and decadent, yet shockingly easy to make. Made with sweet cane sugar and real maple syrups for a cookie that’s lightly sweetened, soft, and perfectly chewy. Every bite is warm, soft, and chewy in the center with melted chocolate throughout. So DELICIOUS. Absolutely nothing not to love about these salty-sweet peanut butter cookies. Bonus? These cookies are easy to make, use simple ingredients, and are just the cookies to bake up on the first Friday night of March.

Soft and Crinkly Brown Sugar Peanut Butter Cookies | halfbakedhavrest.com

Latest Cookbook

Half Baked Harvest At Home

20+ new recipes for wholesome comfort food made with everyday ingredients. Pre-order today! HBH At Home will be released on Tuesday, February 23rd!

Cookies to end the week! And not just any cookies, but some of my favorites yet. As crazy as this is, I don’t have many peanut butter cookie recipes. Sure, I have A LOT of peanut butter recipes, but the cookie department is lacking greatly.

It’s not on purpose, but more because I am so picky about peanut butter cookies. They have to be just right or I’m not excited about them.

Enter these soft, chewy old-school-style peanut butter cookies. I mentioned last week how inspired I am by “old school” recipes. You know, the ones our moms and grandmas would make. Classics, vintage, retro…no use of anything like almond flour, and nothing fancy about them.

Yes, those kinds of recipes. They’re always some of the best, and right now, they’re all I want to be creating.

Soft and Crinkly Brown Sugar Peanut Butter Cookies | halfbakedhavrest.com

So, the idea.

With the “old school” theme in mind, I really wanted to create that soft and chewy peanut butter cookie that you might have enjoyed on pizza day back in grade school. I’m not sure about you guys, but pizza day was very exciting as a kid throughout third, fourth, and fifth grade. Ours were just once a month, but they were the best.

We’d have pizza and an assortment of cookies…chocolate chip, peanut butter, and those frosted sugar cookies.

The peanut butter cookies were always so delicious, thin, soft, and chewy with the best peanutty flavor. These were cookies I really wanted to create…but with the addition of chocolate…because cookies need chocolate.

After a few rounds of testing, I came out with the cookies we have here today. They. Are. Perfect! And just what I’d envisioned.

Soft and Crinkly Brown Sugar Peanut Butter Cookies | halfbakedhavrest.com

Here are the simple details.

Honestly, these cookies are almost too good to be true. They’re delicious AND they’re the easiest to make.

First, the butter. You have got to use a good salted butter. I think the butter, along with the brown sugar and maple, are the elements that really make these cookies GOOD! So find a salted butter you love.

You’ll cream the butter together with the brown sugar and peanut butter until light and fluffy. The mix of brown sugar and maple leaves you with a cookie that’s just perfectly sweet and soft, but not in any way cakey, which is KEY. I despise a cakey peanut butter cookie.

Next, add the maple and a good splash of vanilla. Now add in the dry ingredients, plus a small pinch of salt.

Soft and Crinkly Brown Sugar Peanut Butter Cookies | halfbakedhavrest.com

Roll the dough into balls, then roll them through a little cane sugar, in true old-school peanut butter cookie form. Then bake away! No chilling required! Simple. Simple.

As with a lot of my cookie recipes, this one requires tapping that baking sheet on the counter midway through baking, then continue finish baking. When the cookies have completely finished baking, remove them from the oven, and tap the baking sheet once more. I say this with every cookie, but this step is KEY. It will ensure you have the least cakey peanut butter cookies. Tapping the baking pan on the counter deflates the center of the cookie, pushing the edges out.

Once the cookies are cool enough to handle, you can then take them through a dip of sweet melted chocolate. Or do as I do, and drizzle each warm cookie with chocolate and a sprinkle of sea salt…

Eat warm and enjoy every last, sweet, peanutty bite.

Oh so wonderfully delicious.

Soft and Crinkly Brown Sugar Peanut Butter Cookies | halfbakedhavrest.com

What I love about these cookies is that they’re easy to make, require no chilling, and take less than thirty minutes. And yes, they have all the old-school vibes I was going for. Soft and oh so chewy in the center with the perfect peanut flavor and hints of maple throughout.

The warm chocolate just seals the deal and keeps everyone coming back for more.

A little advice? Bake these tonight…because everyone has thirty minutes to bake up cookies. Then eat a few warm, and welcome in the weekend!

Soft and Crinkly Brown Sugar Peanut Butter Cookies | halfbakedhavrest.com

Looking for other fun cookie recipes? Here are some favorites:

Brown Butter Malted Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Snickerdoodle Peanut Butter Chocolate Chex Mix Bars

Slice n’ Bake Bourbon Caramel Pretzel Cookies

Lastly, if you make these Soft and Crinkly Brown Sugar Peanut Butter Cookies be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Soft and Crinkly Brown Sugar Peanut Butter Cookies

Soft and Crinkly Brown Sugar Peanut Butter Cookies | halfbakedhavrest.com
3.97 from 812 votes
16 cookies
calories 238kcal
Prep15 minutes
Cook10 minutes
Total25 minutes
Easy to make with simple ingredients…warm, soft, and chewy + dipped in chocolate – DELISH!
Save this recipe!
Enter your email and we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get new recipes from us every week!

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    2. In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and peanut butter until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Beat in the maple syrup, then add the egg and vanilla. Beat until creamy. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt.
    3. Scoop the dough out into rounded 1 tablespoon size balls and then roll through the sugar, the dough will be a little wet. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
    4. Bake 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and tap the baking sheet on the counter 2 times to flatten them down. Return to the oven and bake another 3 minutes, until the cookies are just beginning to set on the edges, but still doughy in the center. Remove from the oven and tap the baking sheet on the counter 1-2 times to flatten them down again. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to cook slightly as they sit on the baking sheet.
    5. Drizzle or dip the cookies in chocolate and sprinkle with salt. Eat…or let the chocolate harden and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 238kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.

Soft and Crinkly Brown Sugar Peanut Butter Cookies | halfbakedhavrest.com

Meet Tieghan Gerard

I'm Tieghan, the recipes you'll find here are inspired by the people and places I love most. I try to live simply, eat seasonally, and cook with whole foods. My hope is to inspire a love for amazing food, as well as the courage to try something new!

Explore More

3.97 from 812 votes (741 ratings without comment)

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

248 Comments

  1. Venza says:

    Could a natural peanut butter or other nut butter used as well?

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      Hey Venza,
      Either one will work here. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

  2. Kathy says:

    What brand of peanutbutter is everyone using?

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      Hey Kathy,
      I find that something like Jif works best here. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

  3. Jayne says:

    5 stars
    Scrumptious cookies! Baked last night and half have already gone!

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      Hey Jayne,
      I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Sunday! xTieghan

  4. Aline Bishara says:

    Made these cookies tonight. They are EXCELLENT & soooo delicious!

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      Hey Aline,
      I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Sunday! xTieghan

  5. Jeanette says:

    Made these tonight. Great texture. Mine yielded way more than 16 cookies… which was not a bad thing!
    Thank you, yet again, for another amazing recipe.

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      Hey Jeanette,
      I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Sunday! xTieghan

  6. Lisa Ellsmore says:

    5 stars
    This was the best peanut butter cookie recipe, thanks!

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      Hey Lisa,
      I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Sunday! xTieghan

  7. Sue Janes says:

    5 stars
    Made these tonight because my husband wanted a sugar fix. They turned out great and were a hit with my cookie connoisseur husband. Thanks

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      Hey Sue,
      I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Sunday! xTieghan

  8. Allison says:

    5 stars
    I made these this afternoon and they are delicious! Thanks for another great recipe, Tieghan.

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      Hey Allison,
      I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Sunday! xTieghan

  9. Doodle says:

    5 stars
    These cookies are INCREDIBLE!!! I normally don’t eat cookie dough, but I couldn’t resist this stuff!!!! And the finished cookies are amazing! I didn’t find they needed chocolate so just ate them rolled in sugar- seriously delectable.

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      Hey there,
      I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Sunday! xTieghan

  10. Laurie says:

    5 stars
    YUM!!! I made these today. Amazing! I used my pampered chef 1 Tbsp scoop and got 34 cookies so I guess mine were smaller…guess I can have more at one sitting!! These are really good. Thanks for another great recipe!! Pretty too! Wish I could add a pic of them!!

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      Hey Laurie,
      I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Sunday! xTieghan

  11. Anna says:

    What can be used in place of maple syrup?

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      Hey Anna,
      You could try using honey in place of the maple syrup. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

  12. Alexis says:

    These look scrumptious, I can’t wait to try them out!
    Out of curiosity, do you think another nut butter could easily be swapped in and work just as well?

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      Hey Alexis,
      I have only tested these with peanut butter, but I am sure another creamy nut butter would work just fine. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

  13. Joyce says:

    These look delicious! Can these be made with unsalted butter? Should I add a little salt to batter? I don’t usually buy or use salted.

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      Hey Joyce,
      Yes, totally fine to use unsalted butter, I would add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. I hope you love the cookies, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

  14. Kirsti says:

    These look fantastic! I’m very picky about peanut butter cookies too, and you described really well what can go wrong with some recipes 😉 Looking forward to trying these!

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      Thanks so much Kirsti, I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan

  15. Kristina says:

    These look amazing! Can I use any kind of substitute for the maple syrup?

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      Hey Kristina,
      Honey would also work well. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan