How long do you bake peanut butter cookies?

Bake these cookies for 10 minutes or just until the edges are lightly golden.

Why do peanut butter cookies have fork marks?

The dough is dense and doesn’t spread like other cookies as it bakes. Therefore, using a fork to gently press it down helps ensure even baking.

What happens if you don't flatten peanut butter cookies?

If you don’t flatten the dough before baking, the cookies are not likely to bake evenly and will not spread in the oven. As a result, they’ll look like little balls and are likely to be undercooked in the center.

Why are my peanut butter cookies so hard?

The most common reason for these cookies to turn out hard is overbaking. Be sure to keep a close eye on your oven, and pull them out as soon as the edges are lightly golden. The cookies will look very soft after 10 minutes of baking but will firm up slightly as they cool.

Should you refrigerate peanut butter cookie dough before baking?

Cookies with flour often need time to chill in order for the gluten to relax. However, because we aren’t using flour, it’s not necessary to chill this cookie dough.

Peanut Butter Cookies (4 Ingredients!)

Name: Easy Peanut Butter Cookies (4 Ingredients)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup creamy peanut butter, without added sugar; 1 cup granulated or cane sugar; 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup creamy peanut butter, without added sugar
1 cup granulated or cane sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Make sure the oven rack is set in the middle.
In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Stir until everything is well combined and smooth.
Scoop out tablespoon-sized portions of the dough and roll them into balls. Place them on the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
Lightly spray the tines of a fork with a non-stick cooking spray, then gently press down on each ball of dough to flatten it slightly, creating a crisscross pattern on top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Cookies will be very soft in the center but will firm up as they cool. Don’t be tempted to bake longer or the cookies will be too hard.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Notes

Peanut Butter: I recommend avoiding any natural peanut butter in this recipe as it can be too oily for these cookies. I like using Skippy peanut butter without any added sugar.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cookie
Calories: 117
Sugar: 11 g
Sodium: 58.5 mg
Fat: 6.9 g
Carbohydrates: 12.5 g
Protein: 3.2 g
Cholesterol: 9.3 mg