Name: Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe With Butter
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 147 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened; 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar; 1 large egg; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1/4 tsp salt; Extra granulated sugar, optional, for coating or pressing

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Craving homemade peanut butter cookies without making a fresh batch every time? This peanut butter cookies recipe with butter turns into easy slice-and-bake cookie dough logs you can keep chilled or frozen. Just slice off what you need, bake until golden, and enjoy warm peanut butter cookies whenever the craving hits!

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My freezer is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to “bake” cookies—and technically, I’m not even baking them yet! I love being able to spend one afternoon mixing homemade cookie dough, rolling it into logs, labeling everything, and stacking those little homemade treasures in the freezer for later.

This peanut butter cookies recipe with butter is exactly the kind of recipe I wanted to add to my collection. It has that rich, familiar peanut butter flavor we all know and love, but instead of scooping and baking the entire batch right away, I turn the dough into a log. When somebody wants warm cookies, I can pull it out, slice off exactly what I need, and put the rest right back in the freezer.

These peanut butter slice and bake cookies are especially nice for those evenings when two or three warm cookies sound wonderful, but making an entire batch—and cleaning up the kitchen afterward—does not! I get all the homemade goodness of peanut butter cookies with butter, but most of the work was already done on a day when I actually felt like baking.

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Why I Love This Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe With Butter

I have been stocking my freezer with homemade cookie dough logs because they make baking from scratch fit into real life so much better. I can make several doughs at once, clean the kitchen once, and suddenly I have different homemade cookies waiting for us whenever we want them. My peanut butter cookies recipe was an obvious flavor to add to the collection.

These aren’t the three-ingredient style of peanut butter cookies. I wanted a traditional cookie dough made with butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla, flour, and plenty of creamy peanut butter. The butter gives these cookies a wonderfully rich flavor while creating a dough sturdy enough to shape into a freezer log.

Best of all, I don’t have to bake the whole thing. If I want four peanut butter slice and bake cookies, I can slice four. If everyone wants cookies, I can slice more. If I am putting together a cookie tray, I can grab several different logs and make a variety without mixing several batches of dough that day.

Ingredients for Peanut Butter Cookies With Butter

The ingredients for these peanut butter cookies with butter are simple pantry and refrigerator staples. There is nothing fancy hiding in this cookie dough, which makes it a great recipe to add to a regular make-ahead baking routine.

You’ll need softened unsalted butter and creamy peanut butter for the rich base of the dough. Granulated sugar and brown sugar provide sweetness, while the brown sugar also helps give the cookies a softer texture. An egg holds everything together, and vanilla adds another layer of warm flavor.

For the dry ingredients, you’ll need all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. I also like having a little extra granulated sugar available if I decide to give some of my peanut butter cookies their traditional fork marks before baking.

Choosing Peanut Butter for This Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

For this peanut butter cookies recipe, I prefer a regular creamy peanut butter with a smooth, consistent texture. Since we’re forming the dough into a log that needs to freeze firmly and slice nicely, consistency is important.

Natural peanut butters that separate significantly can behave differently in baking because their oil content isn’t always distributed the same way. If that is what you normally use, just be aware that the final dough may behave a little differently than mine.

The goal is a soft but sturdy dough that can be shaped into a cylinder without slumping everywhere. Once wrapped and frozen, it should become firm enough to slice into individual peanut butter slice and bake cookies.

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How to Make This Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe With Butter

Begin this peanut butter cookies recipe with butter by creaming the softened butter and peanut butter together until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and continue mixing until everything is creamy and well combined.

Beat in the egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add those dry ingredients to your peanut butter mixture, mixing only until the dough comes together.

At this point, resist the temptation to bake all of your peanut butter cookies immediately! We’re going to turn that beautiful dough into our own homemade version of convenient slice-and-bake cookie dough.

Shaping Peanut Butter Slice and Bake Cookies Into a Dough Log

Place the finished dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Using your hands, begin shaping it into a long, fairly even cylinder about 10 to 12 inches long and approximately 2 inches in diameter.

Don’t worry about making it look like a perfectly manufactured tube of cookie dough. Mine certainly don’t! I actually like seeing the slightly rustic shape because these are homemade peanut butter slice and bake cookies, after all.

What matters more is keeping the thickness relatively consistent from one end to the other. That will help your cookie slices stay similar in size so they bake more evenly.

How to Freeze Peanut Butter Cookies as a Cookie Dough Log

Once your peanut butter cookies dough is shaped, wrap the log tightly in plastic wrap. I use the plastic wrap to help smooth and tighten the cylinder as I go, then secure the ends so everything stays snug.

And please label it! Once you have several cookie dough logs tucked into the freezer, you may be surprised by how similar some of them look. I write the flavor directly on the outside so I can immediately see that I’ve grabbed my peanut butter dough rather than another variety.

I also recommend writing the date and 350°F on the package. For longer storage, place the wrapped log inside a freezer-safe bag or airtight container for another layer of protection. Freeze the dough for at least two hours before slicing, or store it for later.

For the best quality, I like to use my frozen cookie dough logs within about three months. You can also check the USDA’s FoodKeeper guidance for recommended refrigerator and freezer storage times for foods.

My Complete Cookie Dough Logs Tutorial

If you love the idea behind this peanut butter cookies recipe, I have an entire tutorial showing exactly how I make, shape, wrap, label, freeze, and bake my homemade cookie dough logs.

My cookie dough log method isn’t limited to peanut butter, either. I use sturdy homemade doughs to build a little collection of different cookie flavors in my freezer, so we’re able to bake only what we want when we want it. My original tutorial explains how I shape and label the logs, why I love keeping several flavors available, and how I turn the frozen logs into homemade slice-and-bake cookies. The Off Grid Barefoot Girl

How to Make Cookie Dough Logs for Slice-and-Bake Cookies

That is the main method behind this whole cookie series. This peanut butter cookies recipe with butter is one of the individual flavors you can make using the idea.

How to Bake Peanut Butter Slice and Bake Cookies From Frozen

When you’re ready for warm peanut butter slice and bake cookies, preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pull the cookie dough log from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for about 5 to 10 minutes, or just until you can safely cut through it.

Slice the dough into rounds about ⅓-inch thick. Try to keep the slices reasonably even so one cookie isn’t finished baking while another is still raw in the middle.

Arrange the frozen slices about 2 inches apart and bake for approximately 10 to 12 minutes. Look for lightly golden, set edges while allowing the centers to remain a little soft. Let your peanut butter cookies rest on the baking sheet for about five minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.

What About the Fork Marks on Peanut Butter Cookies?

This is the fun little difference with this recipe! Traditional peanut butter cookies are famous for that crisscross pattern pressed into the tops with a fork. Since we’re working with frozen slices, however, the dough may simply be too firm to press when it first comes out of the freezer.

And you know what? You don’t have to do it.

The crisscross pattern doesn’t create the peanut butter flavor. Your cookies can go directly from sliced frozen rounds to the oven and still turn into delicious homemade peanut butter cookies with butter.

If you really want that classic look, slice the dough first and allow the individual rounds to soften at room temperature for about 10 to 15 minutes. Once they’re soft enough to press without cracking, dip a fork lightly in granulated sugar and gently press in one direction and then the other.

You don’t need to completely thaw the cookies. You’re simply giving the surface enough time to soften so you can make those familiar little marks.

Why Peanut Butter Cookies With Butter Are Perfect for Make-Ahead Baking

The biggest benefit of these peanut butter cookies with butter isn’t actually that they save baking time. It’s that they save prep and cleanup time on the day I want cookies.

The flour has already been measured. The butter has already been softened. The mixing bowl has already been washed. The peanut butter jar has been put away. All that remains is slicing and baking!

That is exactly the kind of from-scratch cooking I love—doing a little extra work while I’m already in the kitchen so future me has something easy waiting in the freezer.

Bake Two Peanut Butter Cookies or Bake the Whole Log

This might be my favorite part of the entire peanut butter cookies recipe. A frozen cookie dough log doesn’t force me to make 30 cookies just because somebody wants dessert.

Want two? Slice two.

Need six for a cozy evening at home? Slice six.

Need the whole batch? Go for it!

The remaining log can be wrapped tightly again and returned to the freezer. It essentially becomes my homemade convenience food—except instead of buying a tube of prepared cookie dough, I know exactly what went into mine.

Tips for the Best Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

Keep your peanut butter cookies recipe dough log relatively uniform when shaping it. The more even the cylinder is, the easier it will be to create similarly sized cookies.

Also, don’t try to saw through an absolutely rock-hard log straight from a deep freeze. Letting it rest for a few minutes makes slicing safer and helps prevent the dough from breaking into chunks. My general cookie dough log method uses the same approach: soften a frozen log only enough to slice it safely while keeping the dough firm.

Finally, don’t overbake your peanut butter cookies with butter while waiting for the centers to look completely firm. For softer cookies, pull them when the edges are set, and the centers still look slightly soft. They’ll continue setting as they sit on the hot baking sheet.

Conclusion: Keep Peanut Butter Slice and Bake Cookies in the Freezer

These peanut butter slice and bake cookies are exactly why I’ve fallen in love with making cookie dough logs. I can still make our cookies from scratch, but I don’t have to start from scratch every single time we want them.

Make this peanut butter cookies recipe with butter on a day when you’re already baking, shape it into a log, write “Peanut Butter” right across that plastic wrap, and tuck it into your freezer. A little work today means warm homemade cookies can be only a few slices and a trip to the oven away later.

And don’t feel like you need to bake the whole log! That’s the beauty of this little system. Slice what you need, wrap the rest back up, and save your peanut butter cookies for another cozy cookie night!

Frequently Asked Questions About Peanut Butter Cookies

1. Can I bake peanut butter slice and bake cookies directly from frozen?

Yes. Let the frozen log sit for about 5 to 10 minutes so it is safe to slice, then bake the cold slices at 350°F for approximately 10 to 12 minutes.

2. How do I put fork marks on frozen peanut butter cookies?

Slice the cookies first, then allow the rounds to soften for about 10 to 15 minutes. Once the surface is soft enough, gently make the traditional crisscross pattern with a fork dipped lightly in sugar.

3. How long can I freeze this peanut butter cookies recipe with butter?

For best quality, I would use the tightly wrapped cookie dough within about three months. For longer freezer storage, put the plastic-wrapped log inside a freezer-safe bag or airtight container.

4. Do I have to bake the entire peanut butter cookie dough log at once?

No! That’s the whole point. Slice off however many peanut butter cookies with butter you want, tightly rewrap the remaining log, and put it right back into the freezer for next time.

Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe With Butter

These buttery peanut butter cookies are made for the freezer! The soft peanut butter cookie dough is shaped into a log, wrapped, and frozen so you can slice off just as many cookies as you need. Bake them straight from frozen for quick homemade cookies, or let the slices soften slightly if you want to add the classic peanut butter cookie crisscross pattern with a fork.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 12

Freezing Time 2

Total Time 2 27

Servings 1 cookie dough log

Ingredients

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
Extra granulated sugar, optional, for coating or pressing

Instructions

Cream the Butter and Peanut Butter

In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and peanut butter together until smooth and creamy.

Add the Sugars

Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat until the mixture is light and well combined.

Add the Wet Ingredients

Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until completely incorporated.

Combine the Dry Ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Make the Cookie Dough

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the peanut butter mixture.
Mix just until a soft, cohesive dough forms. Avoid overmixing.

Shape the Cookie Dough Log

Place the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper.
Use your hands to shape it into a firm, even log approximately 10–12 inches long and about 2 inches in diameter.

Wrap and Freeze

Wrap the cookie dough log tightly in plastic wrap, twisting or folding the ends closed.
For longer freezer storage, place the wrapped log inside a freezer-safe bag or airtight container.
Freeze for at least 2 hours, or until firm.

Slice the Cookies

When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Remove the frozen cookie dough log from the freezer and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 5–10 minutes, just until it's easy enough to slice.
Cut into approximately ⅓-inch-thick slices.

Bake from Frozen

Arrange the frozen cookie dough slices about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are set and lightly golden. The centers may still look slightly soft.

Cool

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. They'll continue to set as they cool.

Notes

About those classic peanut butter fork marks: Because these cookies are designed to be sliced and baked from a frozen cookie dough log, you won’t necessarily get the traditional crisscross fork pattern—and that’s perfectly fine. The cookies will still have that rich peanut butter flavor without it.

If you want the classic look, slice the cookies and let them sit at room temperature for approximately 10–15 minutes, or until the surface is soft enough to press without cracking. Dip a fork lightly in granulated sugar and gently press each cookie in one direction, then again in the opposite direction to make the crisscross pattern. Don’t completely thaw the cookies; you still want the dough cold when it goes into the oven.

For softer cookies: Remove them when the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underdone.

For crispier slice-and-bake cookies: Bake them for another 1–2 minutes, watching the edges carefully.

Freezer storage: The tightly wrapped cookie dough log can be stored in the freezer for approximately 3 months. Label the outside with the cookie flavor, baking temperature, and date so you know exactly what’s waiting in your freezer.

Slice only what you need: You don’t have to bake the entire log at once. Slice off two cookies or twenty, rewrap the remaining dough tightly, and return it to the freezer. That’s the whole beauty of keeping cookie dough logs on hand.