Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies

If you’ve never tried baking cookies in an air fryer, this is a great place to start. These peanut butter cookies are easy, fast, and turn out perfectly every time.

You only need a handful of ingredients, and most of them are probably already in your kitchen. No fancy equipment or complicated steps needed.

The air fryer does a really nice job with these. The outside gets lightly crisp while the inside stays soft and a little gooey. That’s exactly what you want from a peanut butter cookie.

The whole process takes about 15 minutes from start to finish, including the mixing. It’s one of those recipes you can throw together whenever a craving hits.

I’ll walk you through everything below so you can get them just right on the first try.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Soft and Chewy Perfection – These cookies come out beautifully soft and chewy in the center with lightly crisp edges that are absolutely irresistible.

No Butter Needed – The peanut butter handles all the richness so you skip the butter entirely and still get a perfectly tender cookie.

Incredible Peanut Butter Flavor – A full cup of peanut butter gives these cookies a deep and rich nutty taste that store-bought cookies just cannot match.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
• 1 Large Egg
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp Fine Salt
• 1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour

How To Make

Step 1

In a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or spatula until completely smooth and well blended.

Step 2

Add the egg, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt. Mix until fully incorporated. Then add the flour and stir just until a soft, scoopable dough forms. Do not overmix.

Step 3

Scoop rounded tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll them into balls. Press each ball gently with the tines of a fork in a crosshatch pattern to flatten slightly to about 1/2 inch thick.

Step 4

Preheat the air fryer to 325 degrees F for 2 minutes. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the air fryer basket.

Step 5

Place the cookies on the parchment in the air fryer basket, leaving about 1 inch of space between each one. Cook in batches as needed.

Step 6

Air fry at 325 degrees F for 7 to 8 minutes, until the edges look set but the centers still appear slightly soft. They will firm up as they cool.

Step 7

Let the cookies cool in the basket for 3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. They will be soft and chewy in the center with lightly crisp edges once fully cooled.

Tips

Use a Natural Peanut Butter Alternative Carefully

This recipe works best with regular creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. These have a thicker, more stable texture that holds the dough together perfectly since there’s very little flour in this recipe.

If you use a natural peanut butter (the kind with oil sitting on top), the dough will be much softer and oilier. Your cookies will spread too thin and come out greasy instead of chewy.

If natural peanut butter is all you have, refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes before scooping. That helps it firm up enough to hold its shape in the air fryer.

Don’t Skip the Fork Press

Pressing each dough ball with a fork isn’t just for looks. These cookies are dense and thick, and without flattening them, the outside will overcook before the center has a chance to bake through.

Press down to about 1/2 inch thick. If they’re any thicker, you’ll get a raw, doughy center. If they’re too thin, they’ll dry out and turn crunchy instead of chewy.

Keep the Temperature at 325 and Don’t Go Higher

It’s tempting to bump the air fryer up to 350 or higher to speed things up, but these cookies burn fast because of the sugar and peanut butter. Both brown quickly at high heat, so the bottoms will scorch before the insides are done.

325 degrees F gives the cookies enough time to set evenly all the way through. The edges get that light crispness while the center stays soft and chewy, which is exactly what you want.

Related Recipes

• Air Fryer Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups
• Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cup Brownies
• Air Fryer Snickerdoodle Cookies
• Air Fryer Soft Peanut Butter Cookies

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use crunchy peanut butter instead of creamy?

Yes, you can use crunchy peanut butter and the cookies will turn out just fine. You will get little bits of peanut pieces throughout, which adds a nice texture contrast to the soft and chewy cookie.

Just keep in mind that crunchy peanut butter can make the dough slightly harder to roll into smooth balls, but it will not affect the baking time or temperature at all.