Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies
on Dec 26, 2023, Updated Sep 22, 2024
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Get out your air fryer and turn it into a cookie-making machine with this easy, delicious recipe for Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies that are as chewy as they are flavorful! Effortless to whip up and irresistibly chewy, these cookies are a dream come true for peanut butter lovers. Each bite offers a burst of intense peanut butter flavor, complemented by the delightful sugary crunch on the outside from the white sugar coating. These cookies can be prepped and cooked in under 20 minutes. Make lots of peanut butter cookie dough and keep it in your fridge, ready for a quick batch of cookies when the craving hits!
Table of Contents
- 💪 Why This Cookie Recipe Rocks!
- 🍽 Ingredients for the Best Peanut Butter Cookies
- 👨🍳 How To Make the Cookies
- 🤔 Cookie Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- 😉 Tips for Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies
- 🥡 Storing Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies
- ❓ FAQ
- 🤤 Other Air Fryer Recipes
- 🥧 More Droolworthy Dessert
- 🍪 That’s How the Cookie Crumbles!
- CONNECT WITH A LICENSE TO GRILL!
- Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
Whether you whip up a batch for an upcoming party or plan on keeping them for yourself, there’s no denying it… these air fryer peanut butter cookies are insanely delicious.
Pair these with my air fryer donut holes, air fried Oreos with Nutella, and air fryer oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips to create the ultimate dessert spread!
💪 Why This Cookie Recipe Rocks!
- Made with easy-to-find pantry ingredients.
- Soft and chewy, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Perfectly crispy edges are possible thanks to the air fryer.
- Bursting with peanut butter flavor.
- Cleanup is simplified — no need to worry about washing a bunch of baking sheets.
- Enjoy these cookies as is, or incorporate extras like chocolate chips!
🍽 Ingredients for the Best Peanut Butter Cookies
You shouldn’t have any issues finding the ingredients you’ll need to make air fryer peanut butter cookies. Remember to scroll down to the printable recipe card for all of the details.
- Butter: Like all good cookie recipes, you’ll need a hearty helping of butter. Take it out of the fridge about 15 minutes before using — softened butter is a lot easier to work with.
- Sugar: I’m using both brown sugar and white granulated sugar for this recipe. Brown sugar pretty much guarantees the perfect texture. Don’t skip it! You’ll also need some extra granulated sugar for coating the cookies.
- Peanut Butter: You can use crunchy or creamy peanut butter. Crunchy peanut butter will give the cookies a more crunchy and crumbly texture, while the creamy peanut butter will keep the cookies soft and chewy.
- Egg: All you’ll need is one egg, yolk and all.
- Vanilla: To add a bit of warm and earthy flavor to the mix.
- Flour: Use all-purpose four.
- Baking Powder: To help the peanut butter cookies rise in the air fryer.
- Salt: Just a touch to balance out the other ingredients.
👨🍳 How To Make the Cookies
Don’t forget to head to the printable recipe card below for specific instructions including quantities, temperatures, and cooking times. For now, here’s what you can expect.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth.
- Add the peanut butter and mix.
- Next, incorporate the egg and the vanilla.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Use a cookie scoop to form cookie dough balls and roll each ball in granulated sugar,
- Then, use a glass to flatten them.
- Air fry in batches.
- Allow the cookies to cool on a wire rack, and enjoy!
🤔 Cookie Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- If you prefer a crispier cookie, extend the cooking time to 10 minutes. Just make sure to keep a watchful eye on them while they bake. You don’t want them to burn!
- Feel free to customize your air fryer peanut butter cookies by adding chocolate chips, chopped nuts, dried fruit, or candy like M&Ms!
- Brown butter peanut butter cookies! Brown the butter in a saucepan before adding it to the cookie dough. This will give the cookies a slightly toasted and sweet flavor.
- If you’re allergic to peanut butter, try using a different nut butter like almond, cashew, or pistachio. If nuts are totally out of the question, consider sunflower butter!
😉 Tips for Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies
- Use room temperature ingredients. I already mentioned the importance of softening the butter before getting started. You’ll also want to make sure the egg is at room temperature. This will give you a smoother cookie dough, which will result in a better texture.
- To ensure even cooking, I suggest using a #70 or #80 cookie scoop to create your cookie dough balls. That way, you know all of your air fryer peanut butter cookies will be the same size — and you won’t have to worry about some of them being overcooked while others are undercooked!
- Technically, you don’t have to roll the cookie dough in sugar before air-frying, but I don’t recommend skipping it! It not only adds a delicious outer layer, but it also helps you flatten the cookies without them sticking to your work surface.
- Don’t use too much flour. Peanut butter and other nut butter work as a natural binder, so this recipe uses less flour than other cookie recipes.
- Brown sugar vs. white sugar. Brown sugar gives us a softer and more moist cookie. The granulated white sugar is still essential, but we want to use a higher ratio of brown sugar in this recipe.
- Go for creamy peanut butter! Crunchy peanut butter isn’t as creamy and tends to lead to a more crumbly and cakey cookie. I prefer creamy peanut butter in this recipe.
🥡 Storing Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies
Store your cooked air fryer peanut butter cookies in an airtight container for optimal freshness. They’ll keep for 5-7 days.
You can also keep any leftover cookie dough in the fridge for up to 5 days. Follow the recipe instructions on the card below, but instead of popping them in the air fryer after flattening them, place them in an airtight container.
Do the same if you want to freeze the cookie dough. Store the prepared dough balls in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, you can air fry them at 300°F directly from frozen for 9-10 minutes.
❓ FAQ
I’m a huge fan of natural peanut butter. That said, it tends to have a different consistency than some of the commercial options like Skippy or Jiff. If you want to use it, go for it, but keep in mind that it might alter the texture and flavor of your air fryer peanut butter cookies a bit and result in a slightly more crumbly texture.
You can simply use a tablespoon. Now, as a reminder… using a cookie scoop ensures uniform cookie sizes, which promotes even baking. I swear by my cookie scoops and get a ton of use out of them, so I definitely recommend buying one.
Sifting helps distribute the baking powder and salt evenly throughout the dough, which will help ensure the baking powder, in particular, is evenly distributed. If you don’t have a sifter, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl before incorporating them into the wet ingredients.
🤤 Other Air Fryer Recipes
🥧 More Droolworthy Dessert
🍪 That’s How the Cookie Crumbles!
This recipe for air fryer peanut butter cookies just may be the easiest way to whip up your favorite nutty snack! It all comes together with just a handful of simple ingredients and your trusty air fryer. Try not to eat the whole batch in one sitting… and no judgment if you do!
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Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies
- ½ cup Butter, 1 stick, room temperature
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- ¾ cup Creamy Peanut Butter, or crunchy
- 1 Egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1-¼ cups Flour, all-purpose
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Sugar Coating
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 300°F.
- Add butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to a large mixing bowl. Cream the ingredients on high for 2-3 minutes until smooth.
- Add the peanut butter and mix well. The mixture should be smooth and creamy. Add the egg and the vanilla extract and incorporate them well.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt and add it to the mixing bowl. Stir slowly until the dough is mixed together. Mix just enough to form a cookie dough, but not too much.
- Use a #60 or #70 cookie scoop (1 tablespoon) to form balls of cookie dough. Dump the other ½ cup of granulated sugar into a shallow bowl or a plate and place the cookie dough balls in the sugar. Roll them around until the cookies are coated in sugar.
- Place the cookie dough balls onto your work surface. Use a glass to press the cookies flat to about ¼-inch thick. Or you can use a fork to press them flat. Transfer the cookies to your air fryer, spacing them out. You can fit about 9 in most large air fryers.
- Cook the cookies in batches in the air fryer at 300°F for 8 minutes. If you like crispy cookies, cook them for 10 minutes. If you are using the air fryer setting on your large oven, see the notes below for correct instructions.
- Remove the cookies from the air fryer and allow them to cool on a wire rack.
Video
Notes
- Rolling the cookies in sugar will give them a delicious exterior, but it will also allow you to press cookies flat while keeping the dough from sticking to your glass or fork.
- Spread the cookies out in the air fryer, and be sure to cook them in batches.
Oven Instructions
- If you are using your oven, either in regular or air fryer mode, set the temperature to 350°F and bake them for 10-12 minutes or until they are just starting to turn golden brown.
Storage
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container so that they stay fresh. They will be good for 5-7 days.
- Store any unused cookie dough in the fridge for about 4 days. Store them in an airtight container. To make things easier, form the dough into balls, roll them in sugar, and press them flat before storing them in the fridge in an air-tight container.
- You can also freeze the cookie dough. Again, form the cookies and press them flat before storing them in an air-tight container in the freezer for up to 2 months (I store mine in the freezer for much longer). Toss the frozen cookies directly into the air fryer at 300°F and cook for an extra minute or two, 9-10 minutes total.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
