My favorite Peanut Butter Cookie recipe made using natural peanut butter.
Natural Peanut Butter is the kind of peanut butter that only has 1 ingredient: peanuts. I’m sharing this recipe because I have found that I have to alter the recipe a little when using natural peanut butter vs. regular. Regular peanut butter found at the grocery store is not made with just 1 ingredient it actually has multiple ingredients like: oil, sugar, salt, etc. It still may be called natural peanut butter but it is not pure peanut butter made with 100% peanuts only so check the label.
I have been buying Whole Foods brand of natural peanut butter(amazon affiliate link), the 365 brand with the green lid, it only has 1 ingredient which is of course peanuts.
I have found that you either have to add oil to the peanut butter yourself, cut back on the amount of flour you are using or increase the amount of peanut butter. Below is a recipe that has worked for me when using natural peanut butter. If I use my normal peanut butter cookie recipe the dough turns out way too dry. Be sure to stir the peanut butter up really good before using it in the recipe. Also if you are not using salted butter add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to recipe.
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, melted (microwave for 25-30 seconds)
- ½ cup natural peanut butter
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- (**if not using salted butter add ¼ teaspoon salt)
- Preheat oven to 350 F. degrees.
- Hand Mix the dough for this recipe and stir peanut butter well before using.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl add sugar, brown sugar, & butter together & stir until creamy. Add peanut butter, egg, & vanilla & stir until smooth & creamy.
- Add flour & baking soda & stir until well combined.
- Scoop or roll dough into 1 inch balls & place on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten each ball using a fork making a criss-cross pattern on top.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges start to slightly brown. (Don't over bake or your cookies will turn out hard).
Great texture, nice peanut butter taste, however not at all sweet. Needs way more sugar to compensate for the lack of sugar in the peanut butter. Will have to try it again but just adjust the sugar. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Hi Sam, Thanks for the feedback and thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it.
These are perfect. I used Bob’s Redmill Gluten Free 1-1 flour. Thanks for sharing your recipe (I scoured the internet for one that used NATURAL PB). The sweetness level is definitely individual (I will experiment to cut down the sweetness), so don’t change your recipe!
So glad you liked the recipe and that gluten free flour worked well. Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate the feedback.
Hi, Can I add chocolate chips? How many should I add?
Hi Tara, I haven’t tried it but I don’t see why not. I’d say probably 1/2-1 cup of chocolate chips. I’d start with 1/2 cup and then add more if needed. Thanks.
I made these vegan using a flax egg (1 tbsp. flax and 3 tbsp. water) and Miyoko’s Cultured Vegan Butter. They came out great! Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Shannon, So glad you liked the recipe and that it worked with the vegan substitutes. Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it!
I’ve made this recipe 3 times now and my family has decided it’s a favorite! Thanks for making it easy to use natural peanut butter.
Hi Caroline, So glad you liked the recipe. Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it.
Can I use make these keto with almond flour and sugar substitutes
I’m not sure but those substitutes may work, the recipe is pretty versatile.
Delicious. I used dark brown sugar to make the dough slightly darker since we don’t want to overbake them. I thought they were sweet enough. LOVED them. I used Trader Joes Natural creamy peanut butter.
Hi Cindy, So glad it turned out for you. Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it!
Hi. I only have crunchy natural peanut butter. Do I need to adjust the quantity?
Hi Kris, It should be ok to use same amount. I think it makes for a crumbly styele cookie because of the chunks but it should work.
These are the best peanut butter cookies I have had in a long time. And so glad I could use natural pb, I only buy natural so I appreciate not having to get separate pb to bake with
Hi Ciarra, So glad you liked the recipe. Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it.
Great recipe. I use Costco brand organic PB, This, my second time making them, I tossed in an overflowing cup of chocolate chips. Mmmmm…
Hi Anthony, So glad you liked the recipe. Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it.
I just made this recipe and was pleased with the results (so far – I have the last 7 in the oven now with chocolate chips added to them). They are not overly sweet or salty but we like them just the way the recipe is written. I did add the 1/4 tsp of salt because I used unsalted butter. I think my peanut butter (Kroger’s Natural Creamy – our favorite) may be a little more oily than yours because my cookies spread out more than yours. I baked them for 10 minutes and left them on the pan about another minute or two before moving them to a wire rack. They are about 2.5 inches in diameter but are a perfect crunch on the edges and a little chewy in the center. I got 19 cookies from the recipe as written so next time I might try doubling it. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
PS – the chocolate chip ones just came out and they are wonderful, too. I put the cookie sheet in the fridge for a few minutes before cookie the last pan and they didn’t spread out as much.
Hi Donna, I’m glad you liked the recipe. Love the idea of adding in chocolate chips. I have noticed that different brands of natural peanut butter and different brands of flour can make the cookie dough a little too thin. I’m glad putting the dough in the fridge to chill helped. I have also added in an additional tablespoon or two of flour when that happens. Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it.
These were EXCELLENT! Just what I was looking for with natural peanut butter. Trick was 100% to keep an eye on them so they don’t overbake. Thank you! This recipe is a keeper!
Hi Sarah, So glad you liked the recipe! Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it.
Hi, Katie! I have a jar of macadamia nut butter—the only ingredient—and I had the idea of substituting this for peanut butter in a cookie. I’m so glad I found your recipe, because of the use of natural peanut butter (which I have, also)—the macadamia nut butter subbed perfectly! These cookies turned out just the way I had hoped: just a little sweet, and chewy not crunchy. I’ll definitely make these again, to eat and to give. Even my sweet-tooth husband can’t stop eating them. Thanks again! :)
Hi Theresa, I’m so glad the macadamia nut butter worked for this recipe also. Sounds delicious. Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it!
I was a bit skeptical about this recipe but also desperate cuz I was craving peanut butter cookies, but all I had was natural peanut butter. Well, I had nothing to worry about – this was a fabulous recipe!
It comes together really quickly without needing to use a mixer. I added about a half cup of chocolate chips. I used a scoop and did not bother to flatten them. They were slightly crispy outside, while being tender inside and perfectly sweet.
Next time, I will have to double the recipe.
So glad you liked the recipe. Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it!
I was looking for a less sweet peanut butter cookie and these were perfect! Next time I will make my own peanut butter and add crushed peanuts. Thanks for a great and easy cookie recipe!
Wendy, So glad you liked the recipe! Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it.
I have baked these cookies using natural peanut butter and they were excellent. Just wondering if this would work with regular peanut butter?
Brenda, I usually add 1/4 cup extra flour if using regular peanut butter because they add extra oil.
just made the peanut butter cookies today they were delicious I’ve never had a recipe come out right with natural peanut butter I’m so glad I found this recipe I wouldn’t change a thing
Anne, So glad the peanut butter cookie worked out for you with natural peanut butter. Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it.