These chewy Brown Butter Peanut Butter Cookies are reminiscent of those little nostalgic peanut butter sandwich cookies you grew up eating, but better! This elevated version is made with nutty brown butter, topped with a peanut butter drizzle and then finished with flaky sea salt for the ultimate sweet and salty treat!
These chewy brown butter peanut butter cookies get their crinkle and crackly texture from a technique popularized by Sara Kieffer called, "pan-banging." If you're not familiar with this method, during the baking process, the baking pan is tapped every few minutes to create ripples on the edges of the cookies. You can click on the link below to learn more about this process, and to see Sara's Pan Banging Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.
Don't worry, the process is super easy and not complicated at all! We're only banging these cookies twice. Once during the baking process and again when it comes out of the oven.
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Why You Will Love These Brown Butter Peanut Butter Cookies
- Peanut butter lovers. Not only is there peanut butter in the dough, we also drizzle it on top of the cookies. As it bakes, the melty peanut butter bakes into the cracks and crevasse. If you love peanut butter, check out my Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie or Snickers Cheesecake Bars.
- Incredible textures. The edges are perfectly crispy and the center is delightfully soft and chewy. Seriously, these are the best brown butter peanut butter cookies!
- Brown butter. These aren't just regular peanut butter cookies. The nutty aroma of brown butter paired with creamy peanut butter is match made in cookie heaven! If you're looking for more brown butter recipes, check out my Brown Butter Bourbon Blondies or Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies.
- Salty sweet combo. These peanut butter cookies are the perfect balance of salty and sweet, which makes them dangerously addictive!
- No chilling required. I developed this recipe specifically to be baked right away. However, if you'd like a thicker cookie, you definitely can chill it.
Ingredient Notes
Here are some notes about all the ingredients used in these chewy Brown Butter Peanut Butter Cookies. Quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card below!
- Brown Butter - We'll be browning some unsalted butter and then solidifying it before adding to the cookie dough.
- Creamy Peanut Butter - Use conventional peanut butter such as Jif or Skippy, not natural peanut butter. Peanut butter will be added to the dough and drizzled on top of the cookies.
- Brown Sugar - Adds flavor, moisture and contributes to the chewy texture.
- White Sugar - Adding a bit of white sugar creates those crispy edges. We're also sprinkling a pinch of white sugar to the top of the cookies to create those irresistible cracks.
- Egg - Emulsifies the batter and adds structure.
- Vanilla - I used vanilla paste, but you can use vanilla extract.
- Flour - We're keeping it simple with all-purpose flour.
- Cornstarch - Adding a bit of cornstarch makes the brown butter peanut butter cookies extra chewy.
- Baking Soda + Baking Powder - These leveners will help the cookies brown slightly and adds a little bit of lift.
- Salt - Balances the sweetness. We're also topping these cookies with flaky sea salt.
*See recipe card for quantities.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Here are step-by-step photos and instructions on how to make these Brown Butter Peanut Butter Cookies! Please find detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
💡Tip
Using a light-colored pan allows you to see the color of your butter as it browns. The milk solids can burn quickly, so being able to see the color progression is helpful.
Step 1. Make Brown Butter – In a light colored saucepan and over medium heat, cook butter until browned. Quickly pour the brown butter into a small glass bowl, making sure to scrape in all the little brown bits.
Step 2. Place in the fridge for about 45 minutes to solidify to a soft and spreadable consistency. You’ll want to stir it every 10 to 15 minutes. You can also speed things up by placing it in the freezer, making sure to stir every 5 minutes. Don't go too long in the freezer though as it can harden too much. Just keep an eye on it.
Step 3. Combine Dry Ingredients - In a small bowl, combine all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Step 4. Combine Wet Ingredients - In a large mixing bowl, combine softened brown butter, creamy peanut butter, brown sugar and white sugar. With an electric mixer, whisk on medium high speed for 4 to 5 minutes. Mixture should be thick and pale in color.
Step 5. Add an egg and vanilla, and mix for an additional minute.
Step 6. Mix in Dry Ingredients - Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Step 7. On the lowest speed, mix the dry ingredients until just combined. About 20 seconds or so.
Step 8. Scoop and Bake - Using a large cookie scoop ( #20 scoop, which holds 3 tablespoons), drop 6 cookie dough balls onto a large parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops with white sugar and then bake in a preheated oven at 350ºF (176ºC) for 7 minutes.
Step 9. Pan-banging Method + Peanut Butter Drizzle - After 7 minutes, remove from the oven and quickly drizzle a teaspoon of melted peanut butter over the tops of the cookies.
Return to the oven and continue baking for 2 minutes. Using oven mitts or a thick kitchen towel, carefully lift the pan and drop it onto the oven rack a few times. You'll see the cookies collapse, which is what you want! Bake for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, making it a total of 10 to 11 minutes. You can go longer if you'd like a crisper cookie.
Step 10. Remove from the oven and bang it on top of the stove burner or cooling rack. If the cookies have any irregular edges, use a round bowl or spatula to shape the cookies (seen above). Let sit on the tray for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to a cooking rack. Bake the remaining 6 cookies and repeat the same method.
Top with flaky sea salt and enjoy!
💡 Tip
For perfectly round cookies, try this hack. Right when you pull the cookies out of the oven, place a large round biscuit cutter, ramekin or bowl over the cookie (it should be a bit bigger than the cookie itself) and make several circular motions. As the edge of the cookie touches the inside of the biscuit cutter, it will round out any irregular edges.
Substitutions
- Brown Butter - If you decided not to brown the butter (although HIGHLY recommended), you can use regular softened butter. You'll need to reduce the amount to 6 ½ tablespoons (92g), instead of ½ cup (113g). Butter contains some water, so when it cooks, the water evaporates leaving you with less volume.
- Brown Sugar - I used light brown sugar, but you can also use dark brown sugar.
- Peanut Butter - I used regular creamy peanut butter. Feel free to use crunchy peanut butter for added crunch.
Variations
- Make Peanut Butter Sandwich cookies - You can bake smaller cookies with a small or medium sized cookie scoop and then sandwich 2 cookies together with melted peanut butter in the middle. Remember to reduce your baking time and bang the pan once after the cookies are done baking. Yum!
- Add Chocolate - You can add chocolate chips or chocolate chunks if you'd like to make it more decadent.
- Use Other Nut Butters - If you have a peanut allergy or not a fan of peanut butter, you can replace it with almond butter, sunflower butter, hazelnut butter or even cookie butter. I'll be making a variation with cookie butter in the future, so stay tuned for that.
- Make it Gluten-Free - Use a 1 to 1 cup gluten-free flour blend in place of all-purpose flour.
Special Equipment
- Electric Mixer - You can use a stand mixer or hand-held mixer. We'll be whipping a lot of air into the dough so having a mixer is helpful.
Storage
- Baked Cookies at Room Temperature - Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days.
- Baked Cookies in the Freezer - Did you know these baked cookies freeze and thaw incredibly well? You can store baked cookies in a freezer-safe bag for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature before eating. It takes about 40 minutes to thaw.
- Raw Cookie Dough in the Fridge – Can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. Scoop them onto a paper-lined baking tray and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Bake in a preheated oven at 350ºF (180ºC) for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Raw Cookie Dough in the Freezer – Freeze for up to 2 months. Scoop them onto a paper-lined cookie sheet and freeze uncovered for an hour. Then transfer to freezer-safe bags. Bake in a preheated oven at 350ºF (180ºC) for 11 to 13 minutes.
💡 Expert Tips
Use a kitchen scale to weigh all your ingredients. Baking in grams, rather than volume, is the best and most accurate way to bake! All my recipes include gram conversions based on King Arthur’s Weight Chart.
If you are not using a kitchen scale, measure your flour correctly. Fluff and aerate your flour first, then spoon into your measuring cup and finally level off with the back of a butter knife. Do not pack it in as it will add too much flour.
Use a large cookie scoop. For chewy rippled cookies, it best when cookies are large. I'm using a #20 cookies scoop which holds 3 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) of dough.
Do not overbake. I found that baking them for a total of 10 minutes yielded the best texture for me. It had the perfect about of crispy and chewy bite. You can go a tad longer if you'd like them to be crispier.
Use the right peanut butter. Use conventional, no-stir, peanut butter like Jif or Skippy.
Don't skip the peanut butter drizzle. Adding the extra bit of peanut butter really makes them taste like Nutter Butters.
Don't skip the flaky seas salt. The sweet and salty combo is AMAZING!
FAQ
You certainly do not! During my testing, I baked a few without using this pan-banging technique and they're just as delicious. They turned out tad thicker and didn't have as many ripples and cracks.
Although highly recommended, you can skip it. The peanut butter flavor won't be as strong.
Regular or “no stir” peanut butter, such as Jif or Skippy contains sugar and hydrogenated fats to keep it from separating. Natural peanut butter only contains peanuts and salt, which naturally separates. You would need to stir together.
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📖 Recipe
Brown Butter Peanut Butter Cookies
- Total Time: 36 Minutes
- Yield: 12 Cookies
Description
These chewy Brown Butter Peanut Butter Cookies are reminiscent of those little nostalgic peanut butter sandwich cookies you grew up eating, but better! This elevated version is made with nutty brown butter, topped with a peanut butter drizzle and then finished with flaky sea salt for the ultimate sweet and salty treat!
Ingredients
Brown Butter Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
- ½ Cup (113g) Unsalted Butter, browned and solidified to a soft spread
- 1 Cup (120g) All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Teaspoons Cornstarch (Corn flour)
- ½ Teaspoon Fine Salt
- ¼ Teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¼ Teaspoon Baking Powder
- ⅓ Cup + 1 Tablespoon (107g) Creamy Peanut Butter (like Jif or Skippy)
- ⅔ Cup (133g) Light or Dark Brown Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (25g) Granulated White Sugar
- 1 Large Whole Egg
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Paste or Extract
Additional Toppings
- Granulated Sugar, for sprinkling on top of cookie dough before baking
- Heaping ¼ Cup Peanut Butter Drizzle, melted
- Flaky Sea Salt, for garnish
Instructions
- Make Brown Butter - In a light colored saucepan and over medium heat, add unsalted butter. Swirl the pan and keep the butter moving around constantly. Once completely melted, the butter will foam and sizzle and gradually start to brown and deepen in color. You'll notice a nutty aroma and tiny brown specks at the bottom of the pan. The whole process should take about 5 to 7 minutes. Be careful not to burn it.
- Immediately transfer to a small glass bowl, making sure to scrape all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. That's where all the flavor is! Place in the fridge for about 45 minutes to solidify to a soft and spreadable consistency. You'll want to stir it every 15 minutes or so. Once it's in a softened spreadable consistency, you're done!
- Set a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 350ºF (176ºC). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Combine Dry Ingredients - In a small bowl, combine all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Combine Wet Ingredients - In a large mixing bowl, combine softened brown butter, creamy peanut butter, brown sugar and white sugar. With an electric mixer, whisk on medium high speed for 4 to 5 minutes. Mixture should be thick and pale in color. Then add an egg and vanilla, and mix for an additional minute.
- Mix in Dry Ingredients - Sift in the dry ingredient and on the lowest speed, mix just until combined. It should take about 20 seconds or so.
- Scoop and Bake - Using a large cookie scoop ( #20 scoop, which holds 3 tablespoons), drop 6 cookie dough balls onto your prepared baking sheet, placing them about 3 inches (7.5cm) apart. Sprinkle the tops with a pinch of white sugar and then bake for 7 minutes.
- Prep Peanut Butter Drizzle - As the cookies are baking, heat up ¼ cup peanut butter in the microwave until melted. About 20 to 30 seconds.
- Pan-banging Method + Peanut Butter Drizzle - After 7 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and quickly drizzle a teaspoon of melted peanut butter over the tops of the cookies. Return to the oven and continue baking for 2 minutes. Using oven mitts or a thick kitchen towel, carefully lift the pan and drop it onto the oven rack a few times. You'll see the cookies collapse, which is what you want! Bake for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, making it a total of 10 to 11 minutes. You can go longer if you'd like a crisper cookie.
-
Remove from the oven and bang it on top of the stove burner or cooling rack. If the cookies have any irregular edges, use a round bowl or spatula to shape the cookies (see note below). Let sit on the tray for 2 minutes, then transfer to a cooking rack. Bake the remaining 6 cookies and repeat the same method.
-
Top with flaky sea salt and enjoy!
Notes
Brown Butter - Before making your cookie dough, make sure your brown butter has solidified into a spreadable consistency. You can view photos in the body of the post as reference. Place the hot brown butter into the fridge and stir it every 10 to 15 minutes. It will only take 40 to 45 minutes to solidify to a soft spread.
For perfectly round cookies, try this hack! Right when you pull the cookies out of the oven, place a large round biscuit cutter, ramekin or bowl over the cookie (it should be a bit bigger than the cookie itself) and make several circular motions. As the edge of the cookie touches the inside of the biscuit cutter, it will round out any irregular edges.
Storage - Store baked cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. Raw cookie dough can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. Scoop them onto a paper-lined baking tray and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Bake in a preheated oven at 350ºF (180ºC) for 10 to 12 minutes. Raw cookie dough can also be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. Scoop them onto a paper-lined cookie sheet and freeze uncovered for an hour. Then transfer to freezer-safe bags. Bake in a preheated oven at 350ºF (180ºC) for 11 to 13 minutes.
- Prep Time: 25 Minutes
- Cook Time: 10 to 11 Minutes
Sarah says
Ok, these were really addicting. I made a batch for a family get together this weekend and got nothing but rave reviews. Everyone asked for the recipe too. The extra peanut butter on top was a nice touch. Would make these again 1000%!
Lisa says
Yay, I'm so happy it was a hit with your family! They truly are addicting! Thank you for your wonderful review 😊
Miranda Nguyen says
These really hit the spot for a peanut butter lover like myself. The extra drizzle of peanut butter on top was the icing on the cake. My "go to" peanut butter cookie now.
Lisa says
I love hearing that! I appreciate you trying this recipe and for your amazing review! 😊