Sandra This home-style Joanna Gaines Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe is a tender and nutty classic, which calls for rich creamy peanut butter and a blend of sugars. It’s a nostalgic Magnolia Table favorite, utilizing a specific cooling method to achieve the perfect soft texture.
Joanna Gaines Peanut Butter Cookies Ingredients
The Dry Mix:
- 1 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour: The structural base. Sifting it ensures the cookies aren’t dense.
- 3/4 tsp Baking Powder: Provides just enough lift to keep them light.
- Optional Sea Salt: Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon if your peanut butter is unsalted.
The Wet Mix:
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, room temp: Must be softened to cream properly with the sugars.
- 1 cup Peanut Butter: The star ingredient. Standard creamy peanut butter usually works best for holding the shape.
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar, lightly packed: Adds moisture and chewiness.
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar: Provides the sweetness and slightly crisp edges.
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract: Enhances the peanut flavor.
- 1 Large Egg, room temp: Binds the dough.
How To Make Joanna Gaines Peanut Butter Cookies
- Preheat: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift the flour and baking powder together, then whisk to combine. Sifting is key for a delicate crumb.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter and both sugars. (Add the optional salt here if using). Mix until fluffy.
- Add Peanut Butter: Add the cup of peanut butter and mix until fully incorporated.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Combine: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
- Shape: Roll the dough into one-inch balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Mark: Flatten each cookie with a fork in a criss-cross pattern. This is the signature look of a classic peanut butter cookie.
- Bake: Bake cookies for about 10 minutes. See note on doneness.
- Cool on Sheet (Crucial): Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet. They need to set up before being transferred.
Recipe Tips
- The “Carryover” Bake: As noted in the instructions, pull the cookies out when they look “almost done.” They will look very soft. They continue to cook and firm up from the residual heat of the baking pan. If you bake them until they look hard in the oven, they will be dry later.
- Patience is Key: These cookies are extremely fragile right out of the oven. If you try to move them to a cooling rack immediately, they will fall apart. Let them rest on the hot pan until they are firm enough to handle.
- Salt Adjustment: Taste your peanut butter first. If it is a “natural” unsalted brand, definitely add the 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the batter, otherwise, the cookies will taste flat.
- Fork Dipping: If the fork sticks to the dough when making the criss-cross pattern, dip the tines of the fork in a little granulated sugar before pressing down.
What To Serve With Joanna Gaines Peanut Butter Cookies
- Cold Milk: The dense peanut butter texture demands a cold glass of dairy.
- Chocolate Ganache: Dip half the cookie in melted chocolate for a “Buckeye” flavor profile.
- Coffee: A hot roast balances the sweetness.
- Vanilla Ice Cream: Crumbled over a sundae.
How To Store Joanna Gaines Peanut Butter Cookies
- Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. A slice of bread in the container keeps them soft.
- Freezing: You can freeze the baked cookies for 2 months. Alternatively, freeze the rolled (unbaked) dough balls. Bake from frozen, adding 2 minutes to the cook time.
Joanna Gaines Peanut Butter Cookies Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 193 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fat: 13g
- Protein: 5g
- Sugar: 7g
Nutrition information is estimated per cookie (approx 105g serving size).
FAQs
Why do I need to sift the flour?
Sifting aerates the flour, which is particularly important in this recipe to prevent the peanut butter dough from becoming heavy or “claggy” in your mouth.
Can I use chunky peanut butter?
Yes, crunchy peanut butter works well if you want added texture. The measurements remain the same.
Why did my cookies spread too much?
This usually happens if the butter was melted instead of room temperature, or if the baking sheet was hot from a previous batch when you placed the raw dough on it.
Try More Recipes:
- Joanna Gaines Christmas Cookies Recipe
- Joanna Gaines Brownie Cookies Recipe
- Joanna Gaines Lemon Tea Cookies Recipe
Joanna Gaines Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
Description
A soft-baked peanut butter cookie that relies on residual heat on the baking sheet to achieve a perfect, tender texture that melts in your mouth.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Sift flour and baking powder together.
- Cream butter and sugars (add salt if needed).
- Mix in peanut butter.
- Beat in egg and vanilla.
- Add flour mix until incorporated.
- Roll into 1-inch balls; flatten with fork (criss-cross).
- Bake 10 minutes (until almost done).
- Cool completely on the baking sheet to set.
Notes
- Cookies will be very soft when removed from oven.
- Do not move them until cooled.
- Check peanut butter saltiness before adding extra salt.
Joanna Gaines Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
