Peanut butter cut out cookies are perfect for cutting into cute shapes and decorating. They can be used in the same way you enjoy sugar cookies, but they have the added goodness of peanut butter baked in. They are a perfect addition to your Christmas baking, but they are wonderful for any occasion that calls for cute cookies.

plate of peanut butter cookies cut into Christmas shapes and decorated with royal icing.

If you think sugar cookies are the only ones that can be rolled, cut and decorated, think again! These peanut butter cookies roll, cut and bake beautifully.

You can taste and smell the peanut butter for a delicious twist on your cookie trays. For peanut butter lovers, these tasty cut out cookies are a dream come true.

We love decorating cookies. Of course we bake up batches of gingerbread cookies and sugar cookies at Christmastime every year.

But that isn’t the only time we cut out cookies and decorate them. I like to fill cellophane bags with decorated cookies for party favors as well.

They are the perfect little take home treat after a baby shower, bridal shower, or even birthday party. They can match the theme of the party and are an economical and cute little take home token for guests.

With all of the cookie baking opportunities that present themselves in a year, it is nice to have some more flavor options in the arsenal. That way you can mix and match your favorites or alternate through different flavors for different events.

These peanut butter sugar cookies are a wonderful addition. They add that rich peanut flavor in a dough that is a dream to work with.

What kind of peanut butter should you use in cookies?

Using a standard commercial creamy peanut butter is usually best for baking. The natural peanut butters that need stirred before you use them taste great, but they can affect the texture of baked goods.

Most peanut butter recipes are developed using a standard jar of creamy peanut butter unless the recipe states otherwise.

Carlee’s Tips and Tricks

Though it is not necessary, I like to spread out the work for making cut out cookies over three days. It allows me to enjoy each step of the process and not feel overwhelmed.

I start by making the dough on the first day. It needs to chill before it is rolled out and cut anyway. Chilling it overnight allows the dough to get fully chilled and gives the flavors a chance to develop.

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You don’t have to chill the dough for that long, but you do want to give the dough at least an hour to chill.

peanut butter dough rolled out and cut into circles.

freshly baked peanut butter cookies in Christmas shapes.

That gives the butter a chance to firm back up a bit so your dough will be less sticky. Then you can use less flour when you are rolling the cookie dough out, and your cookies will be more tender.

Once the dough is good and chilled, roll it out on a lightly floured surface. Cut out your shapes and bake them.

Let them cool on the tray for a few minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely. Sometimes I freeze them at this point to decorate later.

With a busy life, sometimes it isn’t possible to get everything done at once. If you stack the cookies in airtight containers you can freeze them for several weeks without affecting the quality.

Then you can decorate them at a later date, spreading out the mess and the work. Sometimes it is about working smarter, not harder.

christmas peanut butter cookies decorated with royal icing.

We usually decorate these cookies with royal icing. Little Dude loves the process and is quite good at it.

However, they are also delicious with crusting buttercream on top. Both frosting methods have their advantages, it all depends on the finish you are going for.

Storage

These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a week or two. You can freeze them for up to 3 months.

I prefer to freeze them undecorated because any condensation formed while defrosting them can affect the icing.

4.48 from 67 ratings

Peanut Butter Cut Out Cookies

Author: Carlee

Servings: Cookies

Delicious and peanut butter cookies that you can roll out and cut into shapes, these cookies will surprise you with how good they are! Change up your Christmas cookie game with delicious peanut butter cut out cookies.

Prep: 15

Cook: 30

Additional Time 15

Total: 1

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Cream together the ½ cup butter and ½ cup creamy peanut butter until smooth.
Add ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup light brown sugar, and beat until fluffy. Stir in 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Mix together 2 cups all purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon baking powder. Stir into peanut butter mixture. At this point, the dough should have about the same texture as playdough. It shouldn't be sticky, but should come together into a nice dough when pressed together. If it is too dry, stir in another Tablespoon or two of peanut butter until you get a nice pliable texture.
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for about 15 minutes. If you chill it longer, you will want to let it sit out for a bit to take the chill off. This dough is brittle when it is too cold.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Roll your dough to about ¼-inch thick on a lightly floured surface.
Cut desired shapes and place on cookie sheet.
Bake for 8-12 minutes.
Cool on the cookies sheet for a couple of minutes on the cookie sheet, then remove to wire rack to cool completely.
Decorate and eat!