Our crisco peanut butter cookie recipe is a breeze to follow. Just a few simple steps and you'll have a batch of cookies ready to enjoy. All you'll need is your favorite peanut butter and 9 other basic baking ingredients.
Today I'll walk you through the process step by step, answer crucial questions, and explain how you can level up your peanut butter cookies with expert tips.
Our peanut butter cookies are adapted from my best friend's great grandma. This recipe has been tried and tested throughout the years and was graciously given to me to refine and share with you!
A peanut butter lover? Try these Old Fashioned No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies with Peanut Butter!
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Important Ingredients with Substitutions
- Shortening- This recipe does call for shortening, if you don’t have shortening then unsalted butter or salted butter will work great as well. Want that butter flavor, use ½ shortening and ½ butter, or butter-flavored shortening.
- White Granulated Sugar– Save some extra granulated sugar to roll the cookie dough in before baking. I recommend sifting white sugar before adding to your recipe, this helps to prevent any unwanted lumps or debris.
- Creamy peanut butter– Any brand of creamy peanut butter works, we love JIF. And YES you can use crunchy peanut butter!
- Eggs– Room temperature eggs.
- Vanilla– A pure vanilla extract will result in the best vanilla flavor.
- All-purpose flour– To help avoid a crumbly cookie, be sure to weigh out your flour. To measure out your flour without a kitchen scale, use the fluff, scoop, and level method. Simply fluff the flour, scoop it into your measuring cup, then level with a butter knife.
- Brown sugar– Light or dark brown sugar will work great. Oftentimes I'll mix both light and dark in the same container. Brown sugar should be packed.
- Salt– For flavor and balance.
- Baking soda & baking powder
See the recipe below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
Instructions for Crisco peanut butter cookies
Step 1: In a stand mixer, cream together the shortening, eggs, vanilla, and peanut butter.
Step 2: In a large bowl sift together the dry ingredients. Sugar, flour, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
Step 3: Once the wet ingredients are creamed well together, add the dry ingredients ⅓ at a time and mix slowly until fully combined.
Step 4: Pour the dough out onto plastic wrap or in a bowl. Wrap tightly and chill for at least 1 hour. Can chill for up to two days if necessary.
Step 5: Remove from the fridge and allow the dough to come to room temp for 10-15 minutes.
Step 6: While waiting preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 7: Shape dough into 2 tablespoon balls and place them on your prepared baking sheets. (For more or less cookies, change the size of the dough ball.) For the sake of spreading, place no more than 15 cookies on a large tray.
Step 8: With a fork dipped in flour, flatten each cookie with a crisscross pattern.
Step 9: Bake for 8-10 minutes until light golden brown.
Step 10: Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
Level Up with a Top Tip!
Hint: Chill your dough- This important step will make sure your cookies hold their shape and not spread too much.
Recipe Variations
Delicious as they are here are a few ideas to level up this recipe!
- Crunchy – While regular peanut butter is amazing, don’t underestimate chunky peanut butter.
- PB&J – Instead of a criss cross pattern, create a small dip in the center to fill with your favorite jam before baking.
- Creamy Cookie Butter - How have I only recently discovered this, it would be a wonderful variation to this classic cookie.
Storage Recommendations
Store fresh baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. If you prefer crunchy peanut butter cookies, you can store them in the fridge or at room temperature not in an airtight container.
Can I freeze peanut butter cookies? Roll in premade cookie dough balls (criss-cross first if you want to, but not necessary) and freeze on a baking sheet for roughly an hour. Place in a Ziploc freezer bag for 3-4 months.
Level Up With Expert Tips & Tricks
For extra peanut butter taste, warm peanut butter and drizzle across your baked cookies.
Other designs! – Try using other kitchen tools to create fun lines and patterns on your cookies. I have used a fork, potato masher, and pastry cutter.
Optional – Roll your cookies in sugar before baking for extra crunch and sweetness.
Use as a topping! – Break up baked cookies and top your favorite custard or ice cream.
Recipe FAQs
Of course! Add semi-sweet chocolate chips for another layer of flavor, or peanut butter chips for extra peanut butter flavor. Instead of a peanut butter drizzle, use melted milk chocolate chips.
It’s truly essential to not overbake your cookies. Peanut butter cookies are brown so it may be difficult to tell when they’ve “browned” enough. Bake for 8 minutes, then allow to cool before handling. Make sure you store your cookies in an airtight container, this will help your cookies to retain their moisture.
Yes you can, the texture may not turn out the same. Stir thoroughly if your peanut butter is separated. Salt may need to be added since some natural peanut butter just contains peanuts and no salt.
Similar Sweets
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Crisco Peanut Butter Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Crisco shortening sub. unsalted butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter sub. for crunchy!
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- In a stand mixer, cream together the shortening, eggs, vanilla, and peanut butter.
- In a large bowl sift together the dry ingredients. Sugar, flour, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and soda.
- Once the wet ingredients are creamed well together, add the dry ingredients ⅓ at a time and mix slowly until fully combined.
- After combined, pour out onto plastic wrap, Ziploc, or covered bowl. Wrap tightly and chill for at least 1 hour. Can chill for up to two days if necessary.
- Remove from fridge and allow to come to room temp for 10-15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Form 2 tablespoon balls and place them on your baking sheet. (For more or less cookies, change the size of the dough ball.) For the sake of spreading, place no more than 15 cookies on a large tray.
- Flatten each cookie with a fork dipped in flour.
- Bake 10 minutes for a chewy cookie, 12 minutes for a crunchier cookie.
- Cool on a wire rack.
Notes
For extra peanut butter taste, warm peanut butter and drizzle across your baked cookies.
Other designs! – Try using other kitchen tools to create fun lines and patterns on your cookies. I have used a fork, potato masher, and pastry cutter.
Chill your dough: This important step will make sure your cookies hold their shape and not spread too much.
Optional – Roll your cookies in sugar before baking for extra crunch and sweetness.
Crunchy – While regular peanut butter is amazing, don’t underestimate chunky peanut butter.
PB&J – Instead of a criss cross pattern, create a small dip in the center to fill with your favorite jam before baking.
Use as a topping! – Break up baked cookies and top your favorite custard or ice cream.
Kimbery Tauares
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April Brown
Aww, well thank you. Glad you're here!