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The Best Soft Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe (Without Brown Sugar)

Our easy peanut butter cookie recipe is just what you need to get some of that cozyness going in your life.

When I think about peanut butter cookies, I think about my sister, and it’s a cozy feeling all over. Cathy loves soft peanut butter cookies, and we used to bake them together.

I’ll bet there are hundreds of different recipes for peanut butter cookies. Probably thousands! Some use whole wheat flour, gluten free flours, brown sugar, white sugar, honey. Some have mini chocolate chips or chocolate chunks. Some use creamy peanut butter and some use crunchy peanut butter. See what I mean?

But today we’re baking a peanut butter cookie recipe without brown sugar. The recipe uses simple ingredients and most folks have white sugar in their pantry. We want this to be super easy. Do you keep your own baker’s pantry stocked so you can bake when the mood hits?

Be sure to check out How To Set Up a Baker’s Pantry and get a free printable!

This is a classic peanut butter cookie that just melts in your mouth, the peanut butter flavor is the best! The fork marks on the top of the cookies give me major food nostalgia, just like Mom used to make.The recipe makes about 30 cookies, so lots to enjoy and share!

And this is also an easy cookie recipe, you can make them up in no time at all.

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pile of soft peanut butter cookies on parchment paper

Tips for making these amazing peanut butter cookies…

  • Sift the flour, it only takes a couple of minutes and it’s so worth it!
  • Let your eggs and butter get to room temperature
  • Use natural peanut butter – it doesn’t have added sugar
  • Any natural brand of peanut butter will work.
  • Substitute almond butter for peanut butter for a sweet nutty flavor
  • No time to bake right away? Wrap the peanut butter cookie dough in plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
closeup stack of peanut butter cookies on white parchment paper

Ingredients you will need

  • 1 cup sugar, + 1/4 cup additional to roll cookies
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 egg – room temperature
  • 1 cup smooth all natural peanut butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups flour (sifted)
closeup of freshly baked peanut butter cookie recipe without brown sugar

Recipe FAQs


How to make the best peanut butter cookies without brown sugar – Step by Step Process Shots


Want more cookies?

This is our absolute favorite peanut butter cookie, but we have lots more cookie recipes!


These are the best peanut butter cookies and I know it will become your favorite too! You can never have too many easy cookie recipes. If you love it as much as I think you will please give it a 5 star rating and leave a comment below!

closeup of freshly baked peanut butter cookie recipe without brown sugar

Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe Without Brown Sugar

Yield: 30
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

The yummiest peanut butter cookie recipe that doesn't use brown sugar. A classic cookie that melts in your mouth. You can also freeze your PB cookies for up to 3 months.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar, + 1/4 cup additional to roll cookies
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 egg - room temperature
  • 1 cup smooth all natural peanut butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups flour (sifted)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375F
  2. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet
  3. In a medium bowl, sift the all purpose flour, and add in the baking soda and salt* (Why use salt?)
  4. In a large bowl, and using a small hand mixer, mix the sugar and butter together until creamy
  5. Mix in the egg, peanut butter and vanilla
  6. Gradually add the flour mixture (dry mixture) to the wet ingredients
  7. You will end up with a slightly stiff peanut butter cookie dough batter
  8. Using a small cookie scoop drop the cookie dough onto the parchment paper, making sure to space them apart
  9. Using a fork, press the fork tines into the cookie dough once, and then change direction and press the fork tines again, creating a cross hatch pattern.
  10. Sprinkle the cookies with a small amount of white sugar before they go into the oven
  11. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden
  12. TIP: Tear a sheet of parchment paper to get the next batch of cookies ready to bake - and use a second cookie sheet if you have one or be ready to switch over once your first batch comes out of the oven.
  13. Hmmm. They smell so good don’t they?
  14. Let the cookies cool, and of course after sampling one or two 🙂 you can store them in an airtight container.  We use large ziplock bags and keep them in the fridge.
  15. You can also freeze your cookies for up to 3 months. 

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 30 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 124Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 95mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 3g

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Judy Kahansky is an experienced baker and writer. She loves to take classic and vintage recipes and update them to fit the busy lives of her readers. When not baking, Judy and her husband Mark are passionate golfers, travelers and dog lovers, spending as much time as they can with their sweet pup Millie.

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