Peanut Butter Cookies are a classic for a reason. This is a fun throwback post that features my now adult son when he was little! Plus, you’ll find a gluten free peanut butter cookie recipe variation using peanut flour.

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My son (The Fabulous Baker Boy, as I call him on Instagram) baked his way to the bank this summer. You can read all about his baking adventures here. One of his customers requested peanut butter cookies and they turned out to be one of the most popular treats of the summer.

The recipe he chose came from David Lebovitz’s book Ready for Dessert. They are magnificent and easy, easy, easy to make. David has you refrigerate the cookie dough, which really does improve the texture and they don’t spread out or lose the crosshatch pattern.

How to Choose Peanut Butter for Perfect Cookies

The Fabulous Baker Boy used Skippy peanut butter, per David’s request not to use a natural, freshly ground version. I couldn’t agree more, even though I prefer to eat the all-natural kind. Peanut butter made with hydrogenated vegetable oils will hold their shape better and won’t be as greasy or dense.

One thing we found is that the texture changed considerably with the amount of baking. If you want a softer cookie, as David describes, you want to err on the side of under baking slightly. Our cookies were more like peanut butter shortbread, because we made the cookies way bigger and baked them several minutes more, but we LOVED them like this. Maybe try a tray each way and decide which style you like better.

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookie Variation (With Peanut Flour)

Ingredients

12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, well packed
3/4 cup chunky peanut butter (I used Skippy Super Chunk and I think the texture of the cookies may be reliant on the vegetable oils in the peanut butter)
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups (7 oz) peanut flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F with rack in the center of the oven.
Cream together the butter and brown sugar in a mixing bowl with the paddle attachment about 2 minutes on medium speed. If you are not using a Beater Blade then scrape the sides of the bowl often. Add the peanut butter and mix well. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until well incorporated. Add the vanilla.
In a bowl whisk together the peanut flour, which may be lumpy, baking soda and salt. Add to the peanut butter mixture and mix until it is a smooth dough. Add the chocolate if you wish. (I sometimes bake half of the cookies without the chocolate and then add 2 ounces of chocolate to the rest of the dough. This satisfies the tastes of everyone in my house.)
Use a 2 to 3 tablespoon scoop to form the balls of dough. Or use a spoon and then roll them into balls. Use a fork to flatten them and create a crosshatch pattern.
Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. They will puff up slightly and the tops will be golden, but they should still be slightly soft in the middle.

Peanut Butter Cookies Step-By Step

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the melted butter, sugar, brown sugar, and peanut butter until smooth. Beat in the egg. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Using a 1-inch cookie/ice cream scoop, portion out the cookie dough and line them up on a baking sheet. They can be tightly packed, because you’ll be refrigerating them. Once they are chilled you can easily move them apart onto multiple baking sheets. (I do this with most of my cookie dough, then I toss the chilled balls of dough into a plastic bag and freeze them. It is a great way to have cookie dough at the ready for a fast onset craving.)

Refrigerate the dough for at least a couple of hours or overnight. Once you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment and position the dough balls on the sheets so they have plenty of room to be smushed down.

Generously cover the dough balls with sugar.

Using a glass, smush the cookies until they are about 1/2-inch thick. If the dough is sticking to the glass add more sugar next time.

Make the crosshatch pattern with the tines of a fork.

Bake for 9 to 10 minutes (or up to 12 if you like a crisper version).