The 9 Best Peanut Butter Cookies, Ranked by Experts

The best peanut butter cookies come in many forms, with one common denominator: a rich, bold peanut butter flavor, either in the cookie itself or nestled in the creamy filling. From classic brands like Nutter Butter to unexpected finds you’ve probably never heard of, you’ve got plenty of options to satisfy your PB cookie cravings. But which ones truly stand out? 

The only thing easier to love than peanut butter is a peanut butter cookie. Sweet, nutty, and a little salty, the best peanut butter cookies are everything you want in a treat and more. Across two taste tests, we picked up all the PB cookies we could get our greedy little hands on.  We searched for sandwich cookies, crunchy cookies, soft baked cookies, and even the best gluten free peanut butter cookies. The PB possibilities are endless, y’all. From the best chewy peanut butter cookies to the best peanut butter and chocolate cookies, these were our favorites. Spread the word! 

The following article contains affiliate links that may generate a small commission to us when you make a purchase through the link. Learn more about how we work with affiliates here.


Best Gluten Free: Simple Mills Peanut Butter Cookie

Best Gluten Free

Simple Mills Nut Butter Stuffed Sandwich Cookies

Simple Mills are the best gluten free peanut butter cookies we’ve tried to date—and I didn’t even realize they were gluten free during my taste test. The filling, which is a cashew butter and peanut butter blend, is thick and boldly flavored, lingering on your palate as you eat. For a health conscious product with simple, organic ingredients, every bite still has a lovely cookie sweetness that puts it firmly in the “treat” category. They may not be the best peanut butter cookies in the world, but I think this is a huge win for the GF community. –Ariana Losch

Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Best Tagalongs Dupe: Benton’s Peanut Butter Filled Cookies

Best Tagalong Dupe

Benton’s Peanut Butter Fudge Cookies

Benton’s Peanut Butter Cookies are Tagalongs dupes, plain and simple. Do we care? Not even a little bit, because they are really good dupes. (Some may say they’re even better than the OGs, but I don’t know if I’m ready to poke that bear.) As the runner-up pick in our Aldi cookies ranking, these are a decadent combo of rich chocolate and creamy peanut butter, with a satisfyingly crunchy base. I know this is a ranking of the best peanut butter cookies, but I’d be remiss not to mention that the thick, velvety chocolate coating is the real MVP here. There are better options for PB purists, but these are definitely some of the best peanut butter and chocolate cookies you can find. Oh and they cost less than $2 a pack. –Ariana Losch

Credit: Liv Averett / Aldi

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best Classic: Nutter Butters

Best Classic

Nutter Butter

You can’t make a list of the best peanut butter cookies without including Nutter Butters. While some of the new and improved Nutter Butter versions did rank higher on the list, the OGs are still amazing. They are sweet, salty, and nutty. And how can you resist the fact that they’re shaped like a big peanut? It’s so cute! That is one thing the newer renditions do not provide. There’s a reason Nutter Butters have remained on shelves for so long: They’re a great, classic peanut butter cookie.  –Jordan Myrick

Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Walmart

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best Simple: Peanut Butter Oreos

Best Simple

Peanut Butter Oreos

We ended up preferring Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie Oreos (see #5), but if you’re looking for a less fancy, less rich version of a chocolate and peanut butter cookie, grab a package of Peanut Butter Oreos. The classic Oreo cookie is perfection. The filling tastes like peanut butter whipped with frosting. They’re not too sweet so you could eat a ton of them. And, like the classic Oreo, they are terrific dipped in milk. This nutty twist on the beloved Oreo gets high marks from me and the rest of the Sporked team!  –Jordan Myrick

Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Target

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best Unique: Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie Oreos

Best Unique

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie Oreos

I’m not a peanut butter purist so the Peanut Butter Pie Oreos were more my speed. The cookie is graham cracker flavored and adds such a good flavor to the Oreo. It’s filled with peanut butter and chocolate frostings. This cookie is so much more than just peanut butter—it’s peanut butter pie! I love these and would now rank them among the best peanut butter and chocolate cookies.  –Jordan Myrick

Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Target

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best Novelty: Sprouts Peanut Butter Cookie Rolls

Best Novelty

Sprouts Peanut Butter Cookie Rolls

When we say the best peanut butter cookies come in all shapes and sizes, we mean it. Case in point: these long, thin rolled-up peanut butter cookie sticks from Sprouts. As the cookie tin passed from desk to desk, it didn’t take long for the entire Sporked team to fall in love with them. Each rolled wafer is incredibly light and delicate—you feel like you’re biting into a flaky stratus cookie cloud. Inside, a sweet, peanut butter-flavored cream turns what could be a boring office snack into something truly special and elegant. We all dropped what we were doing to indulge in these—they literally bring people together, and I think that’s beautiful. –Ariana Losch

Credit: Liv Averett / Sprouts

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Most Decadent: Nutter Butter Fudge Covered Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Most Decadent

Fudge Covered Nutter Butter

Nutter Butter Fudge Covered Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies are a prime example of chocolate bringing a lot to the table when it comes to the best peanut butter cookies. The thick layer of chocolate enrobing the classic Nutter Butter we all know and love is absolute perfection. These are really decadent. You could add them to a cookie tray and gift them to someone around the holidays. People would think they came from a local bakery or candy shop and not a package.  –Jordan Myrick

Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Walmart

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best for Snacking: Nutter Butter Bites Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Best for Snacking

Nutter Butter Bites

Nutter Butter Bites Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies are so precious and delicious. I think their petite size and ideal cookie-to-filling ratio makes them superior to classic Nutter Butters. They’re the perfect midday sweet snack. They’d be great for a kid’s lunchbox. I wanted to toss these into a jar with dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, and toasted pecans to make a fun, cookie-based trail mix. When the cookies are tiny, the possibilities are endless!  –Jordan Myrick

Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Instacart

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best of the Best: Back to Nature Peanut Butter Creme Cookies

Best of the Best

Back to Nature Peanut Butter Creme Cookies

My mouth is salivating just thinking about Back to Nature’s Peanut Butter Creme Cookies. I wish I had some right now. They are the perfect balance of sweet and salty. The cookie is crunchy while still being tender and crumbly. The peanut butter flavor is strong without being overpoweringly dense and nutty. They’re the best peanut butter cookies we tried in two separate taste tests—and they just happen to be vegan! If you’re looking for delicious, peanut butter-forward cookies, buy these. –Jordan Myrick

Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Instacart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other Products We Tried: Catalina Crunch Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies, Grandma’s Peanut Butter Cookies, Pillsbury Soft Baked Cookies, Kroger Really Nutty Peanut Butter Sandwich, Maxine’s Heavenly Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Soft-Baked Cookies, Kroger Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies, Nabisco Peanut Butter Creme Patties Crispy Wafers, Bauducco Peanut Butter, Great Value Peanut Butter Wafer Bars