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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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
Servings: 16 cookies
Calories Per Serving: 238 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup dark or light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup real maple syrup
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8-12 ounces semi-sweet or milk chocolate, melted
- 1/4 cup cane sugar, for rolling (optional)
- flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
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.
I wanted to try out a healthy recipe and OMG when I tell you how good it was!!!!!!!! The smell of the batter was peanut butter heaven! Its soft but a lil dry which I dont mind.I let it bake for exactly 10 minutes and added about 1/4 cup of coconut sugar and 1 traspoon of cinnamon . Best desicion , I think this is the first time I made a cookie and it actually came out like the picture. Also I recommend making it a liitle thin in the baking sheet , thats just my preference DO WATEVS U WANT ! ITS HEAVENLY.
Hey there,
Awesome, I love to hear that the recipe was enjoyed and thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
These are SOOOO delicious!! Super easy to follow instructions, simple ingredients. This will be my new go-to recipe for sure!
Thank you!
Hey Amy,
Awesome, I love to hear that the recipe was enjoyed and thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
super moist and delicious!
Thanks so much Patrick! xTieghan
I love your recipes and am always going back to your website! I found the dough was to wet so I added in a handful of flower and it turned out fine! Thank you for your delicious recipes, my husband is a huge fan!
Hey Abigail,
Awesome, I love to hear that the recipe was enjoyed and thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Good morning, need to tell you that I am a serious peanut butter cookie “snob”. I love my own recipe for peanut butter cookies, so was reluctant to try these, but oh my gosh I am so glad I did!! They are as promised, golden, chewy, and that hint of maple was terrific. I am a purist also, so did not do the dip, or drizzle of chocolate, just ate them plain with a big glass of milk, and fell into a happy peanut butter cookie coma. Thanks for sharing your creativity!!
Hey Ann,
Awesome, I love to hear that the recipe was enjoyed and thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Hi there,
I don’t have cane sugar but don’t want to miss the last step even though you said optional. Can I just roll in brown sugar? Lots of love from Sydney, Australia x
Hey Asha,
Sure, brown sugar would work too! I hope you love the cookies! xTieghan
Girl, GIGI HADID MADE YOUR COKKIES, hahaha I tried them 2 and they’re a great midnight snack
Hey Olivia,
Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Made them yesterday..sub the flour for gluten free “flour”; used Cup 4 Cup..they came out great! I did cook an extra 1-2 minutes.
Very tasty.
Hey Leesa,
Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I made these the day you posted and they were delicious. I drizzled mine with a melted milk chocolate bar and my kids scarfed them down like it was their last meal…lol!
Hey Mary,
Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Delicious! I made these last night and substituted PB powder for the peanut butter and they are sensational! Not too sweet and dipped in a little dark chocolate and topped with flaky salt they are seriously the most perfect treat!
Hey Michelle,
Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Easy and SO delicous!
Thanks so much Karen! xTieghan
I made these cookies tonight after putting the baby down. Easy recipe to follow and can whip them up really quick. Loved the tapping of the baking sheets! Cookies came out great and with be a pleasant surprise for everyone in the morning!!
Yes, eat 2 or 3 yourself while they are warm. Worth it!
Hey Alyssa,
I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks so much for giving it a try. Have a great week! xTieghan
Thanks Tieghan! Just made these they are so good. I always have trouble getting the chocolate to melt but the coconut oil was perfect and they shine just like yours.
Hey Lori,
I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks so much for giving it a try. Have a great week! xTieghan
Hi I’m making this recipe right now and the dough is way too wet to roll. Do you have any methods to tighten them up a little? I used almond butter that’s a bit on the runny end
Hey Cari,
I would try popping the dough in the fridge for a bit and see if that helps at all. I hope they turn out for you! xTieghan
Just made these and I’m kinda bummed. I followed the directions to a T! They came out cakey…. Boo… The peanut butter flavor was kind of weak too.
Wish I knew what I might do to get the texture I like.
Hey Patsy,
Sorry you did not enjoy the recipe, did you tap the pan on the counter? That is key for a flatter cookie. xTieghan