Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

These easy peanut butter cookies use basic grocery-store ingredients and come together in one mixing bowl. Chill the dough, press each cookie with a fork, and bake at 375°F until the edges are lightly golden. The centers will still look soft when they come out, so let the cookies sit on the baking sheet before moving them.

What You’ll Need

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened

• 1/2 cup peanut butter

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Equipment

• Large mixing bowl

• Baking sheet

• Parchment paper

• Plastic wrap

• Fork

• Wire rack

How to Make Peanut Butter Cookies

1. Soften the butter. Leave the butter at room temperature until you can press a finger into it easily. You can also microwave it for a few seconds at a time. Do not melt it.

2. Make the cookie dough. Add the softened butter, peanut butter, white sugar, brown sugar, egg, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Mix until everything is combined and no dry flour remains. The dough will be sticky.

3. Chill the dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour. For a faster chill, place it in the freezer for about 15 minutes.

4. Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

5. Shape the cookies. Roll the chilled dough into 1-inch balls and place them a couple of inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.

6. Add the fork marks. Press each dough ball gently with a fork. Turn the fork and press again to make the classic crosshatch pattern.

7. Bake the cookies. Bake for about 8 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. The centers will still look soft.

8. Let them cool. Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack. They will firm up as they cool.

Don’t Screw This Up

Do not melt the butter. Melted butter can make the cookies spread too much.

Do not skip chilling the dough. The warm dough will be sticky and harder to roll into balls.

Do not wait for the centers to look fully baked. The cookies will continue to set on the hot baking sheet.