Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies

Old fashioned peanut butter cookies with iconic fork marks and a crisp-yet-tender bite! This award-winning family recipe is effortless to make and ready in under 20 minutes.

These are my great-grandmother RoRo’s prize-winning old fashioned peanut butter cookies, and yes—they won at the Clark County Fair in Virginia. RoRo sent each family member home with their favorite treat: I always asked for pecan tassies, my mom loved old fashioned date pinwheels, and my dad never wavered—these peanut butter cookies were his favorite.

Join the lineage! Passed down from my great grandmother, this is the same recipe my grandma baked every holiday. And, if you’re already in a peanut butter mood, don’t stop here. These cookies fit right alongside peanut butter blossoms, reese’s peanut butter cookies, or a single-pan pizookie when you want something extra indulgent.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• All-purpose flour: Measure carefully by fluffing, spooning, and leveling. Too much flour will make dry cookies.
• Baking soda: Check freshness—expired baking soda won’t give proper lift.
• Unsalted butter: The butter should be softened to room temperature so it creams smoothly with the sugars.
• Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create crisp edges.
• Dark brown sugar: Adds moisture and subtle molasses flavor, similar to what I use in peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.
• Large eggs: Bind the dough and create structure.
• Smooth peanut butter: I use Jif for consistent texture and flavor. You’ll see the same preference in reese’s peanut butter blondies. I don’t recommend natural peanut butter here; it can cause crumbly cookies.
• Vanilla & kosher salt: The amount of salt here is intentional—it sharpens the peanut butter flavor..

See the recipe card below for full ingredient quantities.

Variations on this Old-fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

• Add mix-ins. RoRo occasionally added butterscotch chips. For inspiration, see butterscotch chews or go all-in with a monster cookie recipe.
• Use crunchy peanut butter. Adds texture without affecting bake time.
• Dress them up. Frost with chocolate buttercream or peanut butter buttercream. You can even serve them with salted caramel sauce or apple butter for dipping!

Professional Tips

• Use peanut butter you enjoy. Peanut butter is the dominant flavor—quality matters.
• Soften butter properly. It should be pliable but not greasy.
• Sugar the fork. Dipping the fork between cookies prevents sticking and adds crunch.
• Cool completely. Crisp cookies finish setting as they cool.

How to make old fashioned peanut butter cookies from scratch?

These homemade peanut butter cookies are award-winning for a reason: flavor, texture, and speed. Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Preheat oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Step 2: Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and kosher salt. Set aside.

Step 3: Cream butter and sugars. In a large bowl with an electric mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter with granulated and dark brown sugars until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until light and creamy, about 2–3 minutes.

Step 4: Add peanut butter. Reduce mixer speed to low and mix in the peanut butter until fully incorporated.

Step 5: Add dry ingredients. Stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients in several additions, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix.

Step 6: Portion and press. Drop dough by the teaspoon onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Dip fork tines in granulated sugar and press twice in a crisscross pattern, re-dipping between cookies.

Use spoons to portion the dough for rustic cookies.

Step 7: Bake cookies. Bake for about 10 minutes, until lightly golden brown and matte on top.

The short baking time keeps these cookies crisp but not dry.

Step 8: Cool completely. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool fully.

Recipe FAQs

Before You Go

I hope you enjoyed baking this nostalgic peanut butter cookie recipe. Explore more classics in my full collection of cookie recipes, including favorites from my 25 easy Christmas cookies and this complete curation of christmas cookie recipes.