Description
Soft, chewy, and thick peanut butter oatmeal cookies with a secret brown sugar trick and a finishing sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Simple, beginner-proof, and ready in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (250g) smooth commercial peanut butter (like Jif or Skippy)
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (100g) granulated white sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups (120g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Flaky sea salt (for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well combined.
- Add the peanut butter and mix until smooth. Stir in the egg and vanilla extract until uniform.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt to the wet mixture. Stir gently until no streaks of flour remain, being careful not to overmix.
- Fold in the rolled oats until fully incorporated. The dough will be stiff and sticky.
- Scoop dough into balls and place on prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. For thicker cookies, chill dough balls for 15-30 minutes.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are set and lightly golden, but centers still look soft.
- Immediately remove from oven and sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack or serving.
Notes
Use softened butter, not melted, to maintain chewiness. Pack brown sugar tightly. Do not overbake; cookies continue to cook on the hot pan. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 GF flour blend and certified GF oats. For vegan, use vegan butter and a flax egg.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 12
- Sodium: 120
- Fat: 9
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 22
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 5
Keywords: peanut butter cookies, oatmeal cookies, chewy cookies, sea salt cookies, easy dessert, no mixer recipe, gluten-free option