Most people are familiar with peanut butter for its presence on sandwiches, often accompanied by jelly…or bananas (as was the favorite of Elvis Presley).

But peanut butter is also an extremely useful ingredient in the kitchen, added to savory meals or sweet desserts. Today, the featured baked good is the rich and tasty peanut butter cookie!

Peanut butter cookies are yummy snacks that can be enjoyed any time, but especially on National Peanut Butter Cookie Day.

History of National Peanut Butter Cookie Day

Peanut butter goes back pretty far into history. It has been discovered that the ancient Aztecs and Incas made a paste by mashing roasted peanuts, and that seems to have been the first known instance of the use of peanut butter. Of course, it took quite some time after the ancient Aztecs and Incas for peanut butter to turn into peanut butter cookies.

Peanut butter cookies have been popular since the early 1900s. In fact, in 1913 the wife of the 28th US President, Woodrow Wilson, published a list of her cookie recipes, which generously included a recipe for Peanut Cookies that, of course, used peanut butter.

Further along, in 1916, an industry bulletin was produced to promote the use of peanuts. It was called “How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it for Human Consumption” and, when it was released, it included 3 different recipes for cookies made with peanuts.

The trajectory was clear and peanut butter cookies became a standard household item not long after that.

How to Celebrate National Peanut Butter Cookie Day

Take some time to enjoy and celebrate National Peanut Butter Cookie Day in a variety of creative ways, such as:

Bake Peanut Butter Cookies 

Celebrate National Peanut Butter Cookie Day by baking your own cookies using a traditional recipe – make sure to put traditional criss-cross fork marks on top – then enjoy eating them with friends and family.

One peanut butter cookie recipe is so easy that all it requires is three ingredients and can be whipped up super fast. No chilling or rising or waiting at all. Just mix, roll, bake and eat!

Try out this super simple recipe:

• 1 cup of peanut butter
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 egg

Stir the ingredients together, roll into balls, press with a fork, then bake in a 350-degree oven for about 12 minutes. Voila! Super easy and tasty peanut butter cookies.

Because this recipe is so easy, it’s a great one to try out with kids who are learning how to bake. And since it doesn’t contain flour, it’s a great option for people with gluten allergies. But don’t forget to preheat the oven because the cookie dough will be ready to go in no time!

Share Peanut Butter Cookies at Work 

Keeping in mind that some people might have a peanut butter allergy (so be sure to ask around ahead of time) peanut butter cookie day would be a nice day to bring a treat of peanut butter cookies to share at work. Make them at home or buy them in a bakery, then share them with coworkers and let them know that it’s National Peanut Butter Cookie Day!

Get Creative with Peanut Butter Cookies 

For those who are more adventurous in the kitchen, consider going a bit more extreme with the peanut butter cookie recipes, with these types of ideas:

• Peanut Butter Roll-Out Cookies. Instead of making the standard round cookies, chill and roll the cookie dough, then stamp with cookie cutters into fun shapes. After baking, use frosting or icing to decorate.
• Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. Using the recipe above, substitute ½ cup packed brown sugar for the white sugar, then add a heap of chocolate chips and a teaspoon of baking soda.

Fluffernutter Sandwich Cookies. Make peanut butter cookies as normal. After cooling, turn them into sandwiches by spreading marshmallow fluff frosting in the middle.