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Soft and chewy on the inside with crispy edges and a cinnamon sugar topping, these peanut butter snickerdoodles add delicious peanut butter flavor to the classic holiday favorite.
Looking for more peanut butter desserts? Try peanut butter cookie bars, flourless peanut butter cookies, or peanut butter blossoms.
While classic holiday desserts are a must and elicit all the nostalgia, it’s always fun to switch things up and try new flavor combos.
If you want a more traditional snickerdoodle recipe, try snickerdoodle protein balls or soft and chewy snickerdoodles. For another flavorful twist on the classic snickerdoodle recipe, try Taylor Swift Chai cookies or pumpkin snickerdoodle cobbler.
Need another peanut butter holiday cookie recipe? Try peanut butter Ritz cookies, Reese’s peanut butter cup cookies, or toasted reindeer tracks pudding cookies.
Ingredients You Need
Here are the simple ingredients you need to make this peanut butter snickerdoodles recipe. Skip to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- All-purpose flour: You can also use 1:1 gluten-free if needed.
- Cream of tartar: Gives snickerdoodles their classic tangy flavor.
- Baking soda: Acts as a leavener.
- Unsalted butter: softened to room temperature
- Creamy peanut butter: Think Jif or Skippy. You want a processed creamy peanut butter for the best texture on these cookies.
- Granulated sugar: For sweetness and texture.
- Ground cinnamon, salt, and vanilla: For flavor.
- Egg: Use room temperature eggs for easier blending.
- Granulated sugar and cinnamon: It wouldn’t be a snickerdoodle cookie without a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar!
Need another cookie recipe? Try flourless monster cookies, brown butter chocolate chip cookies, or brown butter maple pecan cookies.
Recipe Variations & Substitutions
- Add crushed salted peanuts or peanut butter chips for extra peanut flavor.
- You can leave out the cream of tartar, but know that the cookies will lose their tangy flavor.
- Use cookie butter instead of peanut butter for more of a caramel flavor!
How to Make Peanut Butter Snickerdoodles
Here are the simple steps, with photos, to make this peanut butter snickerdoodles recipe. Skip to the recipe card for the printable version.
Step 1. Cream butters. In a large bowl, using a hand-held or stand mixer, cream butter and peanut butter on medium speed until smooth, 1 minute.
Step 2. Add sugar and wet ingredients. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat until combined.
Step 3. Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
Step 4. Combine the dough. Mixing on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 3 part increments. The dough will be thick, this is okay. You may have to finish stirring the last increment by hand.
Step 3. Roll in cinnamon sugar. Roll 2 Tablespoons of dough into balls and then roll them in the cinnamon sugar topping. Place on prepared baking sheets. You may want to push the dough down slightly with your palm.
Step 4. Bake. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes. Let cookie cool on baking sheet for approximately 10 minutes and transfer to wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Expert Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients: this includes the butter and eggs. The butter needs to be at the correct temperature to reach the desired thick and chewy texture. The cookies will flatten and spread if the butter is too warm. Adding cold eggs to the room temperature butter and sugar is also not ideal. It will cool the butter down and change the texture.
- Scoop cookie dough evenly: Get the cookies the same size so they bake evenly.
- Use processed creamy peanut butter: I don’t recommend using natural peanut butter for this recipe. It can dry your cookies out and affect the texture.
- Measure your flour correctly with the spoon and level method or by weighing your ingredients.
Recipe FAQs
Cream of tartar is a key ingredient for achieving both the unique tangy flavor and the chewy texture (it acts as a leavener) that people love in snickerdoodles!
Snickerdoodles are often slightly chewy with a soft center. They also have a distinctive tangy flavor along with a cinnamon and sugar warm, spiced coating.
Storage Tips
Store: Store in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.
Freeze: You can freeze the baked cookies for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving. You can freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months. Roll into balls (do not roll in sugar), flash freeze on a baking sheet, and transfer to a freezer bag. Roll in cinnamon sugar and bake from frozen. Add 1-2 minutes to the bake time as needed.
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Peanut Butter Snickerdoodles
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Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour gluten-free if needed
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter and peanut butter on medium speed until smooth, 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
- Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat until combined, 1-2 minutes.1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Mixing on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until combined.
- Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Use a medium cookie scoop ( about 2 Tablespoons) to scoop the dough and roll it in a ball. Roll the dough ball in the cinnamon sugar and place on prepared baking sheets 2-3 inches apart.1/4 cup granulated sugar, 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are set and tops crackle slightly. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container at room temp for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
