10 Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes That Are Sure to Delight

By Lynn Andriani
Updated November 25, 2019
Credit: Johnny Miller
There's chocolate, there's jelly, and there's plenty of peanut butter in these tasty treats.
Start Slideshow

1 of 11

Credit: Johnny Miller

Homey, familiar peanut butter cookies are a classic American snack or dessert—but there's a world of options out there beyond the well-known round bites marked with their signature criss-crossed fork marks (which we'd gladly munch on any day!). The recipes in this collection range from cookies to bars, with some hewing closely to tradition and others riffing in inventive new directions.

Some of these recipes call for crunchy peanut butter while others are made with the creamy version, but all of them hit the perfect balance of sweet and salty. Peanut butter's best friend, jelly, makes an appearance, as do dried cherries, which lend a tart edge and a pleasantly chewy texture. Of course, there's plenty of chocolate here, too, from Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies to No-Bake Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cup Bars (a homemade take on the packaged favorite) to the cookies adorned with a chocolate kiss you often spy on holiday dessert trays.

If we're going to call out only one over-the-top recipe, though, it'd have to be our No-Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars. Easy (no oven needed) and delicious, the recipe starts with ground chocolate wafer cookies, oats, and confectioners sugar. Add butter and peanut butter, and that's the first layer of these decadent bars. Let that chill, then pour melted chocolate over the top. When it's set, drizzle with a bit of peanut butter and a touch more chocolate, then cut into bars. Even the smallest bite is guaranteed to satisfy a peanut butter craving.

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 11

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

Credit: Bryan Gardner
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

These are one of our go-to Christmas cookies, with chocolate kisses perched atop textbook peanut butter cookies for a sweet-and-salty treat.

3 of 11

Peanut Butter Cookies with Dried Cherries

Credit: Linda Pugliese
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Mixing in dried cherries and chopped cocktail peanuts gives these kid-friendly cookies nice texture and crunch.

Advertisement

4 of 11

Peanut-Butter Sandwich Cookies

Credit: Lennart Weibull
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Rich and creamy peanut butter filling sandwiched between two peanut butter-oatmeal cookies is pretty much heaven for any peanut butter fan.

5 of 11

Crunchy Peanut-Butter Cookies

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

It doesn't get much simpler than these traditional bites: They're made with just six ingredients. The cross-hatched design on top is a must.

6 of 11

Homemade Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Credit: Bryan Gardner
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Roughly chopped salted peanuts are the ideal topper for these delicious bars. Use whatever jam you like, from strawberry to grape.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 11

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chunk Cookies

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Looking for a standard chocolate chip cookie that also hits a peanut butter note? This is it.

8 of 11

No-Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

With a candy-bar-inspired top and a crumbly cookie base, each of these rich squares packs a double dose of chocolate and peanut butter.

9 of 11

Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

Credit: Bryan Gardner
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

There's no baking involved in making these easy treats; just stir together an oatmeal-peanut butter dough, form into cookies, and drizzle with chocolate for near-instant gratification.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 11

No-Bake Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cup Bars

Credit: CHELSEA CAVANAUGH
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Love chocolate-peanut butter cups? You'll be amazed at how delicious the homemade version is.

11 of 11

Puffed-Rice Bars with Peanut Butter and Chocolate

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Mini marshmallows, puffed rice cereal, peanut butter, chocolate, roasted peanuts—need we say more? These loaded-up bars take the classic to another level.

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Up Next

By Lynn Andriani