Peanut Butter Cutout Cookies
Cutout cookies are a Christmas tradition and these best Peanut Butter Cookies are easy ones to make. The dough is easy to make and roll out, then use your favorite cookie cutters to make your favorite holiday shapes. Leave them plain or decorate them with decorative sugar for a delicious holiday cookie.
Sugar cookies are always a popular cookie at Christmas, but if you’re looking for a new cutout cookie recipe, you might like these peanut butter cookies. You can roll out the dough and cut out all kinds of shapes plus add decorations to make them more festive.
I love peanut butter cookies and these are buttery and delicious. The only thing that makes them better is some chocolate chips you can mix into the dough. Or, keep them plain – it’s up to you!
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour – for the best cookies, use an AP flour that is at least 11% protein, this will keep your cookies from spreading while baking.
- Salt
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Softened butter
- Smooth peanut butter
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Large egg
- Vanilla
- Chocolate chips (optional)
Recipe Steps
Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium mixing bowl. Set the flour mixture aside.
In a separate large bowl, beat the butter and peanut butter with a hand mixer (or in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment) for a couple of minutes or until the mixture is creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat again to combine.
Stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and mix until combined. Divide the dough in half and mix in the chocolate chips to one half, or double the chips and add to the whole mixture or leave plain.
Once the dough is made, cover it with plastic wrap and chill it for at least one to two hours. You can also chill it overnight.
Take the chilled dough out of the refrigerator and roll it out each portion to 1/4″ thick using a rolling pin. Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes – try to cut as many as you can and then reroll the scraps to cut out the rest. Place the cookies on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
If you want to decorate with sugar, sprinkle it over the top of the cookies and then refrigerate them for 15 to 20 minutes before baking them.
Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and then bake the peanut butter cookies for 10 to 12 minutes. Once they are starting to brown around the edges they are ready.
Cool them on the cookie sheet for ten minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Keep the cooled cookies in an airtight container.
Cookie Tips
Chilling the dough is an important step. If you skip it, your cookies will spread while they bake and won’t have the distinct shapes that you cut out. I usually chill mine overnight to make it easy. Once you’ve cut them out, let them chill again while the oven warms up.
You can add peanut butter chips to your dough instead of chocolate chips. Or do a combination of both.
Instead of using sugar to decorate, you can make a simple glaze to decorate your cookies. Or ice them with royal icing.
FAQs
Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container, separate the layers with parchment paper. This will protect them better and keep them from sticking. They will stay fresh for approximately 4 days at room temperature.
The cookies can also be frozen, place in a freezer safe container, separated with parchment paper. They can be frozen for up to 2-3 months.
The raw cookie dough will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge or freeze wrapped in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer safe bag. It will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer.
If you are looking for more tips on storage for your Homemade Baked Cookies, I share lots of tips in my post all about storing and freezing cookies.
If you or someone you know loves peanut butter flavor, these cutout cookies are a wonderful cookie to try. They’re not just for Christmas – make them any time of year for a special treat. Enjoy!
More Favorite Recipes
Peanut Butter Cutout Cookies
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all purpose flour (at least 11% protein)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup butter (softened)
- ½ cup smooth peanut butter
- ½ cup brown sugar (packed)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼-½ cup chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
- In the mixing bowl beat the butter and peanut butter until creamy, approximately 1-2 minutes, add the sugars and combine. Add the egg and vanilla beat to combine. Add the whisked flour and mix until combined.
- At this point you can remove half of the dough, wrap in plastic and chill, the other half of the dough mix in the chocolate chips. Leave in the bowl and or wrap in plastic and chill. The dough should be refrigerated for 1-2 hours at least or even overnight.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out one portion at a time to 1/4 inch thick, cut out with your favourite cookie cutters, place the cookies on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, sprinkle with granulated sugar, cane sugar or sparkling sugar. Refrigerate while the oven is pre-heating to 350F (180C). Approximately 15-20 minutes.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are starting to brown around the edges. Remove from the oven, let sit 10 minutes on the cookie sheet, move to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
My kids loved these cookies! They couldn’t get over them
Hi Valerie, thanks so much, so glad you kids enjoyed them. Take care!
I have loved all your recipes. I’m the Italian in my kitchen and I appreciate that your sweet recipes are not overly sweet. I feel like I’m back in Italy enjoying a sweet cake for breakfast.
Thank you for sharing your love of baking.
Hi Pat, thanks so much, yes I like that too, not too sweet. Nothing like cake for breakfast. Take care.