Adding peanut butter to cookies gives you soft, chewy, gooey cookies. Everything you don’t want as a base for decorated cookies. So these cookies have dehydrated peanut butter powder that is available in most grocery stores in the peanut butter aisle. These still have that peanut buttery goodness, with the crispy, crumbly texture of shortbread cookies. You can also add in some finely chopped peanuts, if you wanted to go for a chunky peanut butter cookie!
If you add some chopped peanuts, make sure to grind in food processor, or chop them by hand, until they are the texture of coarse sand. Large pieces will leave you with jagged edges if you are cutting these out with cookie cutters. You can also use this recipe for slice-and-bake cookies, which would be amazing dipped or drizzled in chocolate. Or toss in some finely chopped chocolate chips for chocolate chip peanut butter cookies!
Add-ins
Always chop by hand or grind add-ins (chocolate chips, candy, nuts, cookies, or dried fruit) in a food processor to the consistency of coarse sand. Large add-ins will leave you with jagged edges when you cut out your cookies.
Are these technically shortbread or sugar cookies?
They’re kind of both. It’s fine to call these either “decorated sugar cookies” or “decorated shortbread cookies.” But I’m going to refer to any of my cookie recipes that can used as a base for cookie decorating as “shortbread sugar cookies.”
Shortbread Cookies
- 2 parts flour to 1 part fat
- No eggs
- No leavening agent
- Dense and crispy
Sugar Cookies
- 3 parts flour to 2 parts fat
- Contains eggs
- Contains a leavening agent
- Light and Chewy
All of my shortbread sugar cookie recipes don’t rise or spread, can be used for cookie decorating, have egg, but no leavening agent, and have a 2 ¼ parts flour to 1 part fat. Which makes them fall somewhere between a shortbread and a sugar cookie. They’re both shortbread and sugar cookies, and neither shortbread or sugar cookies, at the same time. They’re Shrodinger’s cookies!
All of my shortbread sugar cookie recipes can be used for slice-and-bake cookies as well!
If you would like more info on my preferred ingredient brands, tips and tricks, FAQs, and a little cookie science, I cover all of that in my No-Spread Lemon Shortbread Sugar Cookie Recipe.
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Peanut Butter Shortbread Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- measuring spoons and cups
- mixing bowls
- whisk
- spatula
- cling wrap
- cookie cutters
- large knife
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar or ¼ cup brown + ¼ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup dehydrated peanut butter powder
- ½ cup finely chopped roasted peanuts optional
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- If adding roasted peanuts, grind in food processor until the texture of coarse sand.
- Whisk dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, dehydrated peanut butter, and chopped peanuts) together and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugars with paddle attachment, on medium-low speed, until fluffy and pale in color (about 5 minutes).
- Add egg and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the paddle with a spatula, and then continue to mix on low speed for another 30 seconds to ensure everything is fully incorporated.
- Add dry ingredients, all at once, and mix on low speed just until dough starts to come together and no dry bits remain. Do not overmix.
- Turn dough out onto cling wrap, tightly wrap, and refrigerate overnight (or for at least 4 hours).
- Knead, roll, cut out cookies, and return to fridge or freezer until firm. Leave a couple inches between cookies
- Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, rotate pan, and bake for another 1-5 minutes until edges are starting to turn golden brown.
- Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool on cookie sheet before handling.
Notes
- The reason for adding 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch to your dough is to prevent your cookies from shrinking or spreading during baking.
- You want to grind all add-ins (peanuts, if using) as fine as possible, comparable to the texture of almond meal or coarse sand. Larger pieces will leave you with jagged cookie edges.
- If making slice-and-bake cookies, split dough in half, roll into logs, wrap tightly in cling wrap or parchment paper, and refrigerate before slicing and baking.
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