Peanut butter cookies are one of those classic, staple cookies that everyone should be able to whip up. These are my perfectly simple, chewy, high-altitude-friendly Peanut Butter Cookies, and they are the perfect way to kick off all of your holiday baking!
These cookies are a perfect classic- and they come together really easily. Let’s get to it!
How to Make High-Altitude Peanut Butter Cookies
This is a super simple recipe, and it yields a chewy inside, lightly crisp outside, and honestly it’s my ideal pb cookie recipe.
We’re starting out by beating together butter, sugar, brown sugar, and peanut butter. I’m going for a traditional smooth peanut butter here, not organic. Everything should become a little fluffy and well combined, and then it’s time to add in the egg and vanilla extract, and beat until it’s combined.
Finally, we’re adding in the dry ingredients which includes flour, baking soda, and salt. You should end up with a fairly soft and easy to use cookie dough.
I like to scoop these cookies into balls, and then roll them in the additional granulated sugar. I love the sugary crust on any cookie really, I think the texture just can’t be beat! Give it the old classic fork cross-hatch, and then it’s off to the oven.
These cookies will come out slightly puffed, and they should settle as they cool. As always, it’s important to avoid over-baking these cookies- you want them to just barely start to become golden brown on the edges, and give them time to finish baking as they cool on the baking sheet.
That’s it- super simple, and extremely satisfying high-altitude Peanut Butter Cookies!
Tips & Tricks for Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies
Here are all my tips and tricks to make these pb cookies perfectly!
- Can I use natural peanut butter instead? I don’t recommend it in this case- natural peanut butter affects the texture dramatically. If you do use it, you may find your cookies to be less chewy, but I recommend reducing the butter in the recipe by two tablespoons.
- Can I use crunchy peanut butter? Yes, if you prefer to use crunchy peanut butter, that’s a great choice as well. Again, I recommend using a classic, not-natural variety here.
- Be sure to mix the dough fully. It can be tough to find the right balance in mixing cookie dough. You want to avoid any pockets of unmixed flour, so be sure to scrape your bowl, and mix it until everything is truly well combined, but not much longer.
- Can I skip the sugar coating? Yep, feel free to skip right to scooping your dough and making the cross-hatch pattern if you prefer. The sugar is a lovely addition though!
- Be sure to avoid over-baking. These cookies should be still slightly puffy when you take them out of the oven- they will continue to set and cook as they cool, and that’s how you get the perfect texture in the end.
- I’m at about 5,000 ft above sea level and I find that most people who live between about 3,000-7,000 ft do not need to make any adjustments to my recipes.
Enjoy!
High-Altitude Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar separated
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
-
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt, and set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup sugar until well combined. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until just combined. Finally, beat in the dry ingredients slowly until everything is well combined and you have a soft dough.
-
Scoop the cookies into 2-tablespoonfuls and roll each cookie in the additional granulated sugar. Place on your prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Using a fork, press down the cookies gently to make a cross-hatch pattern on top. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies start to look crackly and are puffed. The cookies will settle and finish cooking after you remove from the oven, so don’t over-bake these! Cool completely and enjoy!
Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!
These look delicious and I would love to try them. I am at 8500 ft. What changes should I make? Thanks.
Hey there- I can only test recipes at around 5,000 ft, but I would recommend that you cut the baking soda down slightly (think a scant 1/2 tsp), and add another 1-2 tbs. of flour to the cookies. That should help!
Hi hi!! I live at 10,700 ft. Any tips for me?
Finally, this recipe made peanut butter cookies perfectly! Slightly crispy outside, slightly chewy inside. Right mix of sweet and salty. Nice cookie height, it was not flat. Thank you. I can now ship out cookies to friends and family for the holidays.
Holy Moly, I am impressed!
These cookies are FREAKING AMAZING!
These came out perfect at 5,000 feet and using extra crunchy Skippy. I looked in the oven at ten minutes and they seemed too gooey so I kept going another minute and a half. I have had very little luck with cookies since moving to Colorado but this recipe is just right.
I live at 7,300 feet. I have always been a cookie maker, but at this altitude I have been frustrated by the results. I made this recipe for peanut butter cookies, and cut the baking soda slightly as suggested. They came out perfect. Also I used your post on how to adjust cookie recipes, and adjusted my favorite chocolate chip recipe, also with very good results. Thank you for posting these helpful hints!
I live at 9,600'. I liked the flavor and the oatmeal is a nice add for peanut butter cookies. But, my cookies came out very dry. There are probably a few reasons – I imagine my pantry ingredients are very dry at this altitude to start with. Then; I baked the first sheet 11 minutes instead of trusting the 8 min as the recipe called for. I rolled the in sugar because I couldn't help myself so that was probably also drying. The second pan of cookies were 2X bigger cookies and I baked them 11 min and they are better. AND, I just realized I had my oven on 375 because I printed on a very small font and couldn't read the recipe. Dont be me and these will probably turn out way better for you. I do love the taste, kind of peanut butter, oatmeal and snickerdoodle all in one!!
Love the High Altitude oatmeal and High Altitude Peanut Butter, made them both, a really big hit, easy to make and gone within minutes after taking them out of the oven. These will be my go to cookie recipes forever.
Thank you.
Cate Harris
I’m making these cookies as I text this question….I see where the 1/4 cup sugar gets mixed in at the same time as brown sugar. Then you say to make balls and roll in additional sugar. I’m using sanding sugar here. But where are you using the + 1/4 cup separated.
I see you were posting as you made them, so i am sure you are done making them. 😉
I noticed the sugar was in two spots as well. It seems to repeat the extra sugar. I just use 1/4 sugar and didn't roll them. I found them salty. After i made these, I located my recipe. It doesn't call for salt. This recipe was sticky when i made it. The fork was grabbing dough as i tried to make marks. I cooked them 12 minutes, until they looked cracked, but they seem under.
The recipe was confusing. It says 1/4 cup sugar plus 1/4 cup sugar separated. Then later in the ingredients, it repeats 1/4 cup sugar. The directions say to use 1/4 cup sugar in the batter and then 1/4 cup sugar for rolling. What happened to the other 1/4 cup of sugar? So I used 1/2 cup sugar in the batter and 1/4 cup for the rolling. My cookies turned out delicious but flat. Help!
Hi there- so sorry about that! It was a typo in the recipe. It's meant to be 1/4 cup sugar in the cookie dough, and 1/4 cup to roll the cookies in before baking. I've updated the recipe. Your cookies turned out flat likely just from the additional sugar in the dough. Thank you!!