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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 encountered some difficulties in forming the balls because the dough was really too soft… I even put it in the freezer for 20 minutes but it was not enough. Would it be possible to have the full video link? Because I had trouble taping them with the hot plate! Thank you so much!
Hey there,
I actually have a reel video available over on Instagram. Was there anything you may have adjusted in the recipe? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Incredible!! My daughter who hates peanut butter ate these and couldn’t even tell!! I added some coconut oil in the chocolate so it was easier to drizzle onto the cookies!
Hey Liza,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! xxTieghan
Oh no!!! mine turned out quite cakey and didn’t flatten very well… i used light brown sugar, would anything else have made a difference? did the tap on the counter and all! They taste AMAZING though so i’m willing to test a few more rounds – practice makes perfect 🙂
Hey Vicki,
Next time, try gently flattening the cookie dough balls with your hand before baking. I hope this helps! xTieghan
Honestly, mine turned out super cakey… So I am not really sure what she is talking about.
Hey Sarah,
So sorry you had issues with the recipe, was there anything you may have adjusted? These are definitely a cakey cookie:) xTieghan
As with everything I make these were so freakin’ good! Not too sweet, not too heavy on the peanut butter, just the right balance of all the things.❤️ Thanks, Tieghan!
Hey Laura,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
THIS IS AMAZING!!! OUR NEW FAVORITE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE!
Seriously, still alot. This keeps in the refrig. for days. I used butter to help me melt the choc. chips and make them a little runny
Hey there,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
could you use crunchy peanut butter? Same amount?
Hey Cyndi,
Yes, that will work, just note your cookies with have a different texture. I hope you love these cookies, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These are SO delicious and easy to make!
Hey Caity,
Happy Weekend! Thanks for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Can I use natural peanut butter for these cookies? Looking forward to trying them!
Hey Maria,
Yes, that will work just fine! I hope you love the cookies, please let me know how they turn out! xTieghan
I normally don’t leave comments on a recipe but these cookies are SO good, I had to write a review! Truly the best peanut butter cookie I’ve ever had! I’m a big fan of chocolate, but these are so good they almost don’t need the chocolate on top. These will definitely be a regular in my baking rotation!
Hey Kara,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! ?xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
Can I use almond meal as a substitute for flour? If so, how many cups?
Thank you!! Can’t wait to try
Hey Victoria,
Sorry almond meal will not quite give you the same results, I would recommend using Cup4cup GF flour. I hope you love the cookies, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
ahhh!! these cookies look delicious, will have to try them out!
thanks for the recipe!
Thanks so much Dakota!
If done right, these are BOMB! They didn’t last the weekend in my house. Can’t wait to make these again! I subbed maple syrup for honey and it worked beautifully.
Hey Alexis,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
perfect??
Thanks Krista!
Made these for a get together we had tonight and they were a huge hit!! Everyone loved them!! These will definitely be added to our favorites list. I used dark brown sugar in the dough and rolled the dough balls in cane sugar. The cane sugar is a game changer!! Gives it that extra special sugary crunch!! I used dark chocolate on top. Yum, yum, yum!! Thanks for this wonderful recipe!!
Hey Kim,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it. Happy Sunday! ☀️Tieghan