Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

Classic peanut butter cookies flecked with oatmeal and baked until golden. Double down on the peanut front with hand-chopped peanuts and chunky peanut butter.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

This is a peanut butter cookie flecked with oatmeal and baked until golden. A cookie for the peanut butter lovers out there. Anchored squarely in the PBC zone, the oatmeal is an accent. A hearty, chewy bonus ingredient that levels up a classic cookie. Toasted at the edges, soft and fudgy textured in the center, they’re a peanuty dream. Especially dunked in coffee.
peanut butter cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies: Ingredients

A few notes related to the ingredients in these cookies. The ingredients are all quite straight-forward, and you might have them in your pantry currently.

ingredients for making peanut butter cookies arranges on a counter including sugars, butter, chopped peanuts, and baking soda

  • Peanut Butter: For these cookies, my preference is all-natural peanut butter. I go into more detail down below. That said, if you already have peanut butter on hand, use it! One peanut butter I grab when I see it is this one (not sponsored, just a fan). It’s dark roasted, organic, made simply with roasted peanuts and a bit of salt, with good flavor. Note that it isn’t the “no-stir” variety.
  • Brown Sugar: You can use whatever brown sugar you have on hand to make these cookies. The cookies you see pictured here were made with light brown sugar, but I often make them with dark brown sugar.
  • Peanuts: This recipe doubles down on the peanuts, it’s all about the peanut flavor. In addition to the peanut butter, you’ll add about a cup of well-chopped peanuts. Use whatever peanuts you like to snack on.
  • Oatmeal: Look for old-fashioned rolled oats. Not instant oats.

a peanut butter cookie on a baking sheet made with oatmeal

Can I use Natural Peanut Butter in Peanut Butter Cookies?

Yes, you can absolutely use natural peanut butter in this cookie dough. The cookies you see pictured here were made with natural peanut butter. If you aren’t sure what type of peanut butter you have, check the ingredient list on the back of your jar. I like to see peanuts, and maybe a bit of salt. In contrast, a lot of peanut butter cookie recipes will suggest using more processed peanut butter. The ingredient list for these types of peanut butters will often have added sugars, oils, and/or stabilizers. That said, use what you have. With a more processed p.b. the texture of your cookies might a bit more fudgy, and with the natural peanut butter it's sometimes a shade more crumbly.

  • The Key:  I’ve found the key to using natural peanut butter is stirring it until it is well blended and completely uniform.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies: The Technique

Simple to make, these cookies are a basic drop cookie.

  1. Mix the wet ingredients:  Cream the butter, sugar, and peanut butter in an electric mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla.
    a peanut butter cookie on a baking sheet made with oatmeal
  2. Dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in stages to the wet ingredients. Stir in the peanuts and oats by hand (above).
  3. Shape: Scoop the dough onto a baking sheet and chill for 30 minutes.
    oatmeal peanut butter cookie dough on a baking sheet prior to baking
  4. Criss-cross: Press the tops of each cookie with the tines of a fork twice, in a grid design (above).
  5. Bake: Put the cookies in the oven, bake and then cool.

a peanut butter cookie on a baking sheet made with oatmeal

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Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

5 from 5 votes

As mentioned up above, I like to use a natural peanut butter for these cookies, but use whatever you have. And be mindful that the oats called for are old-fashioned rolled oats, not instant oats. Also, these cookies freeze well!

Ingredients
  • 8 ounces / 226 g unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup / 170 g brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1 cup / 200 g granulated sugar
  • 1 cup / 240 g peanut butter, chunky
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups / 280 g unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1 cup / 90 g old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 cup / 125 g peanuts, well chopped
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F / 176°C with racks in the top and bottom third.
  2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  3. Beat the butter until fluffy in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Add the sugars, and mix until creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl once or twice along the way. Mix in the peanut butter, the eggs one at a time, and then the vanilla extract.
  4. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir well, and add to the wet ingredients in two batches, mixing on low just until there are no dry patches. Stir the oats and peanuts in by hand until just incorporated.
  5. Use a spoon or scoop to shape the dough into balls using about 3 tablespoons for each cookie. Arrange on the baking sheet separated by at least 1 1/2-inches. Chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

  6. Remove from refrigerator, and press each dough ball twice with the tines of a fork creating a grid pattern. Bake for 12 minutes or so, rotating sheets halfway through. They should be puffed, golden at the edges and on any peaks.
  7. Cool cookies on a rack and enjoy!
Notes

Makes 24 cookies.

Serves
24
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
12 mins
Total Time
22 mins
 
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5 from 5 votes (4 ratings without comment)
Recipe Rating




Comments

I made this a few weeks back, and I am about to make it again. It is AMAZING and tastes so good!

Splendour Eguavoen

Can these also be made with Pistachio butter?

Anna C.

    Hi Anna – I haven’t tested these with pistachio butter. If you try it, please let us know!

    Heidi Swanson

Heidi, these are delicious! So much better than the sum of their parts. I love PB cookies but they tend to be so dry and crumbly, which is a major disappointment. These are, as you note, crisp on the edge and tender in the middle. Just a humble yet perfect cookie. Thank you!5 stars

jocelyn

    Yay! Thanks Jocelyn – so glad you enjoyed them!

    Heidi Swanson

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