Cookie, peanut butter
Common food
Photo: Wikipedia
A dense, chewy cookie with a rich, salty-sweet peanut butter flavor and a satisfyingly crumbly texture. Its golden-brown exterior often gives way to a softer, slightly gooey center. Nutritionally, it's a calorie-dense treat, packing a significant protein punch from its nutty base.
Calorie split: 7% protein · 48% carbs · 44% fat
↓ Full nutrition💚 Why it's loved
People love it for the perfect marriage of sweet and savory, with the deep, roasted flavor of peanuts creating a uniquely satisfying and nostalgic taste experience. It's a classic comfort food that pairs perfectly with a cold glass of milk.
⚠️ Watch-outs & how to enjoy it better
It is high in added sugars and fats, which can lead to energy spikes and crashes, and is a common allergen for those with peanut sensitivities. To mitigate this, enjoy one cookie with a source of fiber like an apple, or pair it with a protein-rich yogurt to slow sugar absorption and increase satiety.
Key benefits
- Provides a quick energy boost from carbohydrates and fats.
- Offers plant-based protein from peanuts.
- Contains some dietary fiber.
- A convenient, portable snack.
- Satisfies intense sweet and salty cravings.
🍽️ Popular dishes
🌍 Where it's eaten
💡 Did you know?
Peanuts aren't true nuts; they are legumes that grow underground, and it takes about 540 peanuts to make one 12-ounce jar of peanut butter.
Full nutrition (USDA data · scales with serving)
| Water | 7.3 g |
| Energy | 473 kcal |
| Protein | 8.9 g |
| Total lipid (fat) | 23.8 g |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 58.1 g |
| Fiber, total dietary | 2.1 g |
| Total Sugars | 28.6 g |
| Calcium, Ca | 41.0 mg |
| Iron, Fe | 2.1 mg |
| Magnesium, Mg | 44.0 mg |
| Phosphorus, P | 156 mg |
| Potassium, K | 202 mg |
| Sodium, Na | 463 mg |
| Zinc, Zn | 0.86 mg |
| Copper, Cu | 0.15 mg |
| Selenium, Se | 6.3 ug |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 0.00 mg |
| Thiamin | 0.21 mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.21 mg |
| Niacin | 3.9 mg |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.12 mg |
| Folate, total | 57.0 ug |
| Folic acid | 30.0 ug |
| Folate, food | 27.0 ug |
| Folate, DFE | 78.0 ug |
| Choline, total | 10.0 mg |
| Vitamin B-12 | 0.04 ug |
| Vitamin B-12, added | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin A, RAE | 9.0 ug |
| Retinol | 9.0 ug |
| Carotene, beta | 1.0 ug |
| Carotene, alpha | 0.00 ug |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 0.00 ug |
| Lycopene | 0.00 ug |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 14.0 ug |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 3.5 mg |
| Vitamin E, added | 0.00 mg |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3) | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) | 4.4 ug |
| Alcohol, ethyl | 0.00 g |
| Caffeine | 0.00 mg |
| Theobromine | 0.00 mg |
Fat & fatty acid profile (per 100g)
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 6.8 g |
| SFA 4:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 6:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 8:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 10:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 12:0 | 0.02 g |
| SFA 14:0 | 0.08 g |
| SFA 16:0 | 4.5 g |
| SFA 18:0 | 1.5 g |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 10.8 g |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0.03 g |
| MUFA 18:1 | 10.6 g |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0.13 g |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0.01 g |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 3.6 g |
| PUFA 18:2 | 3.5 g |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0.09 g |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0.01 g |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0.00 g |
| Cholesterol | 27.0 mg |
Amino acid profile (per 100g)
Estimated from Pie Crust, Cookie-type, Chocolate, Ready Crust — USDA does not publish this profile for Cookie.
| Tryptophan | 0.08 g |
| Threonine | 0.20 g |
| Isoleucine | 0.23 g |
| Leucine | 0.38 g |
| Lysine | 0.24 g |
| Methionine | 0.07 g |
| Cystine | 0.11 g |
| Phenylalanine | 0.28 g |
| Tyrosine | 0.16 g |
| Valine | 0.32 g |
| Arginine | 0.29 g |
| Histidine | 0.11 g |
| Alanine | 0.24 g |
| Aspartic acid | 0.45 g |
| Glutamic acid | 1.3 g |
| Glycine | 0.24 g |
| Proline | 0.42 g |
| Serine | 0.26 g |
FAQ
Is peanut butter cookie dough safe to eat raw?
While it lacks eggs, the raw flour in the dough can carry bacteria like E. coli. It's generally recommended to bake cookie dough to ensure safety.
Why do peanut butter cookies have fork marks on top?
The dense dough doesn't spread much on its own, so the cross-hatch pattern is pressed in to flatten the cookie slightly for even baking and to create more surface area for browning.
Can I make them without refined sugar?
Yes, you can often substitute with mashed banana, applesauce, or a natural sweetener like maple syrup, though this will alter the texture and spread of the final cookie.
Nutrient density (calculated · NRF9.3)
Nutrient Rich Foods index: beneficial nutrients (protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals) minus saturated fat, added sugar & sodium, per 100 kcal.
NRF9.3 index — Fulgoni, Keast & Drewnowski, 2009. Computed from USDA nutrients.
Weight-loss friendliness (composite index)
Energy density 4.73 kcal/g · 8% calories from protein · 2.1 g fiber · 28.6 g sugar per 100 g.
Composite of energy density (Rolls et al., 1999), protein & fiber satiety, minus sugar. A calculated heuristic — ranks satiety-per-calorie, not a clinical measure.
Dietary load (calculated from USDA values)
Potential renal acid load. Positive = acid-forming, negative = alkaline-forming.
Sodium-to-potassium ratio: 2.29 (lower is better — aim for ≤ 1)
Sodium:potassium per WHO potassium guidance. Computed from USDA nutrients.