Nutritious Peanut Butter Cookies

These peanut butter cookies skip the stick of butter and use vegetable oil instead, which is the whole nutritious angle. You get the same iconic cookie with the fork-cross pattern on top, but with less saturated fat and a slightly chewier crumb thanks to the oil.

Brown sugar is the only sweetener, and that matters. Its molasses content adds depth and moisture that white sugar can’t, plus it caramelizes around the peanut butter for that toffee-edged flavor every good PB cookie needs.

The three-hour chill is doing more than waiting around. The oil-based dough is loose right after mixing; chilling firms it up so you can roll balls without sticky hands, and prevents the cookies from spreading into a single sheet. Overnight is even better.

The fork-cross pattern is functional, not decorative. Peanut butter cookies don’t spread the way butter cookies do, so without flattening they stay domed and raw in the middle. Press hard enough to dent but not so hard you cut through the dough.

Pro Tips

• Use natural peanut butter for cleaner flavor, but stir it well first. Separated oil throws off the recipe’s ratios.
• Dip the fork in sugar between presses for clean stripes that don’t drag and tear the dough.
• Don’t overbake. Pull when the edges are set but centers still look soft. They firm up as they cool.
• Store in an airtight container with a slice of bread to keep them from going hard.

Variations

• Stir in a half cup of chocolate chips for peanut butter chocolate cookies.
• Press a Hershey’s Kiss into each cookie right after baking for blossoms.
• Sub crunchy peanut butter for the smooth for extra texture and visible peanut bits.