Peanut Butter Cutout Cookies

Classic peanut butter cookies are a truly exceptional treat, but the nature of a drop cookie is a craggly top that’s less than ideal for decorating. But with a few tweaks to the original recipe, these peanut butter cutout cookies come to life. The dough can be rolled out, cut with cookie cutters and baked, and the finished cookies hold their shape and have a smooth top that’s perfect for a pretty frosting decoration. Plus, they have all the same nutty flavor and chewy texture as classic peanut butter cookies.

Like all cutout cookie recipes, you can use any cookie-cutter shape. You could match the shape with an upcoming holiday, then tint the frosting and buy themed sprinkles, but feel free to go with what you feel. For those who have never made cutout cookies, there’s an art to rolling the dough and using cookie cutters, but remember, a little bit of flour goes a long way, especially when applied to the cookie cutters themselves.

Ingredients for Peanut Butter Cutout Cookies

• Creamy peanut butter: It’s imperative that you buy creamy, full-fat, no-stir peanut butter for this recipe. In other words, the jars of peanut butter from brands like Jif or Skippy. Stay away from crunchy, low-fat or “natural” peanut butter, as they’ll ruin the texture of the cookies.
• Sugars: We use two types of sugar here: granulated sugar and brown sugar. The mix makes for a crunchy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside cookie with notes of caramel that pair perfectly with the peanut butter.
• Eggs: Bring the eggs to room temperature so they blend easily into the cookie dough.
• Milk: We’ll thin the cookie dough with a bit of milk. We suggest 2%, but feel free to use whole, skim or even cream.
• Vanilla extract: Floral vanilla extract adds another flavor to these cookies so they don’t have a one-note flavor profile. Trust me, you won’t want to skip this.
• All-purpose flour: Cookies, especially cutouts, thrive with all-purpose flour. It helps the cookies hold their shape while still making them chewy and tender.
• Leavening agents: Always check the expiration dates on your baking soda and baking powder. They’re in their prime during the first six months, but after that, they can quickly lose their potency. Test your baking powder and soda if you’re unsure.
• Decorations: If you’re decorating the cookies, make sure you have vanilla frosting and, optionally, food dye and sprinkles. You can make your own frosting or buy the best store-bought frosting.

Directions

Step 1: Make the cookie dough

In a large bowl, cream the peanut butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until they’re light and fluffy, about four minutes. Beat in the eggs, 2% milk and vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and mix well.

Editor’s Tip: Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to easily cream the peanut butter and sugars. After mixing the wet ingredients, scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure everything is incorporated. I always find that some ingredients aren’t blended at the bottom.

Step 2: Chill the dough

Cover the cookie dough and refrigerate it for two hours or until it’s easy to handle.

Editor’s Tip: I like to divide the dough into discs and wrap each one in storage wrap. It’s easier to roll out when the time comes.

Step 3: Roll and cut out the cookies

Preheat the oven to 375°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the cookie dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out the cookies using 2-inch to 4-inch cookie cutters. Place the cookie cutouts 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Step 4: Bake the cookies

Bake the cookies for seven to nine minutes or until the edges are browned. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for one minute so they can finish setting up. Transfer them from the pans to the wire racks to cool completely to room temperature.

Step 5: Decorate the cookies

Once the cookies have cooled completely to room temperature, it’s time to decorate! Frost the cookies with the vanilla frosting, spreading and swirling it with a mini offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Finish them with sprinkles, as desired.

Recipe Variations

• Change the nut butter: Prefer other nut butters like almond, cashew or hazelnut butter? Feel free to use them here, but make sure they’re creamy (not crunchy) and no-stir. Natural nut butters are a no-no here!
• Make them nut-free: Avoiding nuts? Reach for a jar of sunflower seed butter that’s certified allergen-free. Again, make sure it’s a creamy variety that doesn’t need to be stirred. Full-fat is best, too.
• Decorate with royal icing: Royal icing is a type of frosting that can be used to add more detailed decorations to cookies. It’s the icing professional cookie decorators use in those mesmerizing cookie decorating videos. Feel free to use it here instead of buttercream frosting.

How to Store Peanut Butter Cutout Cookies

Store decorated peanut butter cutout cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. The frosting will need proper refrigeration so it doesn’t spoil. Store undecorated peanut butter cutout cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days to keep them nice and soft.

Can you freeze peanut butter cutout cookies?

Yes, you can freeze peanut butter cutout cookies, baked or unbaked, decorated or undecorated.

To freeze cookie dough, portion the cookie dough into two discs. Wrap each one tightly in storage wrap. Stash them in the freezer for up to two months. When you’re ready to roll out the dough, let it sit for 30 minutes on the counter to come to a better rolling temperature, then follow the recipe.

To freeze undecorated peanut butter cutout cookies, allow them to cool to room temperature, then stash them in an airtight container, placing parchment or waxed paper in between stacks to prevent them from sticking together. Freeze them for up to two months and thaw them on the counter before enjoying them.

Freezing decorated peanut butter cutout cookies requires a slightly different approach. Since you don’t want to ruin their pretty designs, avoid stacking the cookies in their container. Find a wide and shallow container and line cookies in a single layer. Freeze them for up to two months and thaw them overnight in the fridge.

Can peanut butter cutout cookies be made ahead of time?

Yes, you can make peanut butter cookies ahead of time. Simply make the dough, divide it into two discs, wrap each one tightly in storage wrap and refrigerate them for up to three days. Roll and cut out the dough when you’re ready to bake and decorate it.

You can also bake the cookies one day ahead of decorating them. Bake the cookies, allow them to cool to room temperature, then store them in an airtight container at room temperature.

Peanut Butter Cutout Cookies Tips

Do you have to chill the cookie dough?

Yes, it’s imperative to chill the cookie dough so it holds its shape during baking. Personally, I love to chill cookie dough for at least 24 hours, no matter if they’re drop cookies, cutouts or slice-and-bakes. This gives the flour time to hydrate, making a tender cookie that’s much more flavorful. If you don’t have 24 hours, even just a few hours are helpful. It’s a win-win situation, so be sure to build in some chill time!

Can you swap butter for peanut butter?

You can swap butter for peanut butter in these cutout peanut butter cookies, but then they won’t taste like peanut butter at all. At that point, I’d recommend using our cutout sugar cookie recipe instead. There’s no peanut butter, just the great buttery flavor of sugar cookies and the ability to cut them out with fun cookie-cutter shapes.

How do you make peanut butter cutout cookies gluten-free or dairy-free?

We haven’t tested a gluten or dairy-free version of this recipe. If you’re eager to experiment, though, I would make these cookies gluten-free by using one of the best gluten-free flour blends in place of the all-purpose flour. For anyone particularly sensitive, make sure that all the other packaged goods are certified gluten-free, too.

To make the cookies dairy-free, all you’d have to do is swap a nondairy milk alternative for the 2% milk and use a dairy-free vanilla frosting for decorating.