Easy, less than 30 minutes to make.
These three-ingredient peanut butter cookies are made from scratch using ingredients you most likely already have at home. These cookies are naturally gluten-free, quick, and really easy to make. From start to finish, they take less than 30 minutes!
What I also love about this recipe is that it makes a small batch. It will make about 15 - 18 cookies, depending on how large you make the cookies. Honestly, I think these are the best peanut butter cookies - they just have the best peanut butter flavor!
Measuring tip for Peanut Butter
Here's a simple tip I learned years ago. When measuring sticky ingredients like peanut butter, spray cooking baking spray in your measuring cup. Then all your ingredient comes out easily!
Ingredients
Nothing complicated here!
- 1 cup peanut butter - at room temperature (either crunchy peanut butter or creamy peanut butter works)
I find the all-natural peanut butter does not work as well. - 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 large egg
**There is NO flour in this recipe, making this a gluten-free recipe with a wonderful pb taste.
Instructions
I've had many readers write me that they teach their kids how to make this as their first baking recipe. Of course the kids love flattening the dough ball!
Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
In a medium bowl, add peanut butter, sugar, and egg. It is helpful to spray the measuring cup with cooking/baking spray prior to filling it with peanut butter. The spray makes the peanut butter much easier to get out of the measuring cup!
Stir until well combined in a mixing bowl! It is easy to do by hand. No need to use an electric mixer.
I use a cookie dough scoop to quickly put rounded heaps of batter onto a cookie sheet. If you don't have a cookie scoop, use a tablespoon to get a consistent size and then roll the dough into one-inch balls. I do love using my Silpat baking liners with any cookies I make! Honestly, these silicone baking mats/liners are awesome and make cleaning your baking sheet easier. If you don't have baking mats, use parchment paper.
Here's a little baking tip if you want to make just a few chocolate chip peanut butter cookies. Just put 3-4 semi-sweet chocolate chips on each dough ball before you flatten them. That way you can have plain and some with chocolate chips It's much easier than stirring the chocolate chips into the dough!
Once you have all the cookie dough balls on your baking pan, you'll want to flatten the dough with a fork to get the traditional criss-cross pattern. I sprinkle a little sugar on the dough and I also dip the fork tines into sugar. It helps prevent the fork from sticking to the dough.
Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes. I prefer my cookies softer so I usually bake closer to 10 minutes. These should not appear brown around the edges when done. They are a light golden brown and soft when you take them out of the oven. Leave them on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes then carefully place them on a wire rack to finish cooling. As they cool, they do firm up.
See some of the chocolate chips that I added?
It's always great having simple options!
Yummmm. Below is the printable. Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family has over the years.
How to store these pb cookies
Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days at room temperature. If storing for a week, refrigerate.
Cookies can be frozen.
Easy Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
A simple and delicious three-ingredient recipe to make peanut butter cookies. Using pantry items that include sugar, peanut butter and an egg. Quick, easy and about 30 minutes to make.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 - 12 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 15 - 18 smaller cookies
- Category: dessert
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
1 level cup peanut butter
1 cup white granulated sugar
One egg
Instructions
Preheat that oven to 350 degrees. Cookies bake in 10 to 12 minutes.
Add the above ingredients into a bowl.
Stir well to combine.
This recipe makes about 15 to 18 cookies for me. Good-sized cookies too!
I dip my fork in a little sugar when I use it to press the cookies and create the traditional crisscross pattern. This gives you that little sugar crunch on top.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until just starting to brown on the bottom.
If you would like to add chocolate chips to some of your cookies, just add them onto the dough balls before you flatten them. It's the easiest way to make just a few chocolate chip peanut butter cookies!
Place on a wire rack to cool and then enjoy!
Notes
This is a small enough batch that I sometimes make it in my toaster oven! If you want to try that, decrease the heat to 325 and watch carefully to see when they are done - they often are done a couple of minutes earlier.
Optional - add chocolate chips if desired.
Keywords: three ingredient peanut butter cookies, easiest peanut butter cookies
Below was my Pinterest pin back in 2013 when I first started blogging! I've learned a little about better lighting and how to use photo design software to make prettier pins. It's still out there and people are still pinning it!!
Do I have other easy recipes on your blog?
YES!!
Looking for another easy cookie recipe? Make these 4 ingredient shortbread cookies. This is another easy scratch recipe.
If you want a recipe that helps you use up bananas, you are going to love this recipe for banana chocolate chip muffins. It just satisfies that chocolate craving we all get. And, there are bananas in these muffins. So it's healthy, right?! Click here for that recipe!
OK, here's the picture. Mmmmm!
Baked Items
The first two-ingredient recipe I published was that old two-ingredient pumpkin muffin recipe. I remembered it from years ago. Our Weight Watcher's leader told us about it. Now everyone is making it. This recipe has had thousands of pins on Pinterest! Every fall it goes crazy!
Click here to get the recipe.
One more for you! How about an easy peach crumble? Using canned peaches, cake mix and butter. Yup, that's it! It's one of my family's favorites. Easy, quick and delicious! Click here for the peach crumble / cobbler recipe.
Oh, and don't forget you can always have monkey bread for dessert. Try this easy overnight monkey bread recipe.
Thanks for visiting my site!
Mahy
I love how easy it is to make these cookies. This might be my new favorite way to make batches. Yum, too!
★★★★★
Lubna
Incredible. These look so delicious and crunchy. These will be perfect to send in kids snack box. Thank you for sharing.
★★★★★
Heather D Johnson
so yum and very easy to make!
★★★★★
veenaazmanov
These cookies look so good. They are so quick and easy to make and the Peanut Butter makes it unique and flavorful.
★★★★★
Keri Bevan
I love how simple, but delicious these cookies were. Thanks so much for another great recipe!
★★★★★
Marty Walden
Such a great recipe! Yummy!
Anita Holland
Great share, my two favourite things biscuits and peanut butter. Sounds yummy
Maria
Thanks for sharing this, I love to make this for my grand kids
Nancy
I’m going to have to try these with the chocolate chips. They sound heavenly!
Sue
These look ama I have I need to try it! One of my favorite cookies if all time!
Thank you for this!
Michelle Leslie
Whoop, whoop, my hubby loves peanut butter so he's in for a treat when I make him some of these.
Rosemary Palmer
These look so simple. I love homemade cookies.
Linda Johnston
tTimeless. So many memorries of making these very cookies with my mom! Delicious.
Emma Allen
This work great! Especially with coconut sugar!
Laura Orner
Hhow many carbs in each
momcrieff
Please let me know how this recipe works using a sugar alternative. I'm curious! Please send me an email at susan@momcrieff.com
T.verne
I have been using this recipe for ever! It is so easy! I am going to try making it with sugar alternative... as I have been diagnosed with pre - diabetic... & I miss my peanut cookies... I read here that it can be done sooo
Thanks ..I love peanut butter!
I am also looking for more sugar - free recipes any ideas!
T.verne
I have been using this recipe for ever! It is so easy! I am going to try making it with sugar alternative... as I have been diagnosed with pre - diabetic... & I miss my peanut cookies... I read here that it can be done sooo
Thanks ..I love peanut butter!
momcrieff
The timing does depend on how hot your oven is. And, since it's a short baking time, your oven needs to be well preheated. Thanks for letting me know you liked them!
momcrieff
They do stay a little softer, since they don't have the flour in it.
momcrieff
I'll have to try flavored peanut butter! Thanks for the suggestion!
momcrieff
I totally agree!
momcrieff
It's such a simple recipe but it is soooo good! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Keely
I grew up with this exact recipe... only peanut butter cookie recipe worth making in my book!
Sienna carter
Really good and easy
Joyce Blodgett
I made these for the men in the boarding house I live in; greedy dogs hardly left any for me, then complained that I didn't make enough. They've all moved out, so now I'm going to make a batch just for me. They're delicious, and I have a brand-new jar of Jif's Maple flavored peanut butter--and I do love maple!
Katie McCracken
I don't really know was i did, I'm making the cookies right now, I left them in for about 10 minutes and let them cool,but my mum said she thinks they are still raw because they were softer so i put them back in and they stayed the same. Will these cookies become like what a regular recipe from a cook book or will they stay soft
Anonymous
Had to extend baking time to 10-12 minutes but otherwise a pretty decent cookie.
Anonymous
Tried these, great! Thanks!
Anonymous
Hi . Can use normal sugar or caster sugar??
Julie M.
Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Makes the cookies even better.
Anonymous
Thanks for posting this I used this with my preschool class for years. I stopped using it because of all the peanut allergies. You can add raisins or chocolate chips about 1 cup.
Jenifer aldamuy
I used splenda in stead of sugar because I had weight loss sugery this is great alternative!!!
Anne Fatato
My daughter shared your recipe and I must say they are Delicious!!!! I decided to try them with less sugar and so I made a batch today using 1/3 cup of sugar ... I baked them slightly longer and left them to cool on the baking sheet ... they are a bit more "peanut buttery" than yours but I had some with ice cold chocolate milk and I was in heaven 😉 Thank you for sharing ~ next time I'm going to either top with a Hershey Kiss or add mini chocolate chips 😉
Mary Kay Dolan
Can you double or triple this recipe?
momcrieff
They don't change color much. The bottoms may get a touch darker and they are ready. And, they also feel very soft when hot. They firm up when they cool. You were doing it right!
Anonymous
Making them now. They've been in for 10 minutes and not brown. What did I do wrong????
momcrieff
I haven't tried making this with confectioners sugar. I will have to try it with the next batch. And, I love the idea of adding the hershey kiss! Thanks for sharing.
Eileen
I use confectioners sugar instead of granulated sugar. Great with a Hershey kiss baked on top or plunk a finger in them and fill with jelly. I have even used small Reece Cups. Quick, easy and delicious!
Judy
I use this gluten free recipe but use crunchy peanut butter & add a Hershey"s kiss on each cookie before baking (the kiss holds up very well)
momcrieff
It's as easy and as good as it looks! Enjoy!!
Alesig
This recipe is amazing. I have a big jar of peanut butter standing in the kitchen. I can't wait to use in this recipe. Thanks so much for sharing!
Anonymous
I split half Splenda and half sugar and they turned out great, be sure to let them only get lightly brown on the bottom. I also let them fully cool on the cookie sheet to avoid super crumbly cookies
Anonymous
This is awesome. So easy and soooo good.
Dee
This sounds great -- pinning so that I can try this! 🙂
momcrieff
I know, it is weird to bake without flour! The texture is a little different, but they taste great!
Kellie
A friend of mine sent me a recipe for 4 ingredient peanut butter cookies....the only difference in those and yours is 1 teaspoon of vanilla. I haven't tried them yet...still waiting for her to try them first and give me feedback LOLOL. I just don't see how you make cookies without flour. =/
Patti
Great idea. Especially if you need to make a batch of cookies in a hurry and can't get the store. I think everyone has peanut butter, sugar and one egg (could ask a neighbor too). Thanks for sharing. Pinning
Connie
I tried truvia and it was great!!!
Polly
My 7 year old daughter made these cookies and they were delicious! Easy as 1 2 3..lol
momcrieff
Room temperature is fine. Hope you like them!
Elecia
Should I melt the PB or mix at room temp?
gina
Hello, just made these cookies and they are great, I made mine a little bigger so it took 18 minutes till they were done, soo good, thank you
momcrieff
Since there aren't may ingredients to make up the 'bulk' of the cookie, I would be hesitant to try it. That being said, I haven't tried it! If you do, please let us know how it works.
Lourdes Fay
Would this work with Splenda?