Lately, I can’t stop testing vintage recipes. Something feels deeply satisfying about revisiting cooking and baking methods from decades past. Recently, my editor pointed me toward a Reddit post about a Betty Crocker cookie recipe from 1963. I didn’t hesitate to give it a try.
Betty Crocker’s Peanut Butter Quickies quickly became a new obsession. The recipe calls for just four ingredients and highlights one of my all-time favorite cookie staples: peanut butter.
Still, a few concerns lingered. While some vintage recipes deliver big on flavor, others miss the mark. With so few ingredients, questions popped up about texture and taste. Would the cookies turn out gummy? Would they lean too sweet? Those doubts hovered throughout the process.
Even so, I committed to making Peanut Butter Quickies. Read on to see how they turned out.
How to Make Peanut Butter Quickies
The charm of Peanut Butter Quickies comes from their simplicity. This recipe relies on pantry staples and comes together in under 15 minutes. Heat the oven to 350°F. Add 14 ounces of sweetened condensed milk and 1/2 cup of peanut butter to a blender and process until smooth. Add 2 cups of fine graham cracker crumbs and 1/2 cup of chopped dates, then mix (without turning the blender on) until fully combined. (If it’s easier, you can transport everything to a bowl.) From there, drop rounded 2-inch spoonfuls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Then, bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned.
While making Peanut Butter Quickies, the ease of the process stood out right away. As the cookies baked, the kitchen filled with the aroma of peanut butter and caramelized dates. I pulled mine from the oven closer to the 8-minute mark for a chewier, slightly underbaked texture.
The result delivers salty, sweet, buttery, and caramel-like flavors with soft bites. I served them while hosting family, and the baking sheet cleared within seconds, followed by requests for another batch. This recipe earned a permanent spot in my cookie rotation, especially for those moments when a quick sweet treat is needed.
How to Make Peanut Butter Quickies Your Own
This recipe earns every bit of the praise it gets. You can also tweak it in several ways to make it even more irresistible. Read on for helpful tips to upgrade the flavor:
- Add chocolate chips. For extra decadence, fold chocolate chips into the dough. Semi-sweet, dark, or white chocolate all work beautifully, creating melty, sweet bites in this cookie.
- Toss in coconut flakes. These cookies are naturally fudgy, but adding coconut flakes brings a chewy texture and a subtle, nutty, caramel-like flavor.
- Turn them into ice cream sandwiches. These cookies pair deliciously with ice cream. Scoop your favorite flavor: creamy vanilla, dulce de leche, or rum raisin, then add it between two peanut butter quickies for a delicious frozen treat.