Soft chewy and utterly delicious 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies are a favorite with kids and adults.
The TikTok crowd recently rediscovered 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies but this sweet little cookie has been around for a while. It’s the same concept I use in my Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies and my Flourless Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, but this time it gets even simpler. It’s one of those magical too-good-to-be-true recipes that you just have to try for yourself.
3 ingredients for ultra easy pb cookies!
- peanut butter ~ definitely use homogenized or regular pb, not the kind that separates. This gives the best texture for 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies.
- I used Jif Simply Natural for my cookies ~ but I’ll use Jif Dark Roast Creamy for my next batch!
- For a less sweet cookie use a low or no-added sugar pb, Jif makes both.
- sugar ~ regular white sugar. You can use brown sugar as well, and the cookies will bake up a bit chewier.
- egg ~ a large egg works best.
the optionals
I highly recommend a few drops of vanilla extract and a touch of salt, both of which deepen the flavor of these cookies.
chemistry behind 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies
Peanut butter = the “flour”: ground peanuts supply proteins + fine solids that act like flour in this cookie!
Egg = glue: egg proteins set in the oven and bind the peanut solids; yolk emulsifiers keep everything smooth.
Sugar = sweet structure. In flourless PB cookies sugar melts and then sets into a sturdy structure that holds the cookie together and gives crisp edges.
Criss cross, or not?
After rolling your balls of dough in sugar you can flatten gently with the back of a drinking glass (my choice) or use the tines of a fork to make the classic criss-cross marks. I like the pretty crackly texture of the plain cookies.
3 ingredient peanut butter cookie faqs
I prefer the texture that comes from a regular emulsified pb, but if you want to use a natural style be sure to stir it really well before measuring.
Yes! I’d use minis because these cookies are small.
Peanuts work best for this type of cookie because remember, peanuts are legumes, and have a bit more protein than tree nuts which helps these cookies hold together so well. You can try other nut butters but chill the dough if it’s loose, and add a spoonful of dry binder like almond or oat flour only if needed.
Sure, no changes needed.
Down to ¾ cup works; cookies will be softer and spread less.
This is a yummy and somewhat miraculous cookie that I think both kids and adults will love.
Add The View from Great Island as a Trusted Google Source
3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
Equipment
- baking sheets
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup sugar, plus extra for rolling
- 1 large egg
optional
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp coarse salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk the egg in a bowl and add the peanut butter and sugar (and vanilla and salt if using.) Blend everything together really well.
- Scoop out 1 tablespoon amounts of dough (I use my smallest cookie scoop) and roll round in your hands. Then roll the balls of dough in sugar to coat well and place on the baking sheet. Space your cookies 2 inches apart. I like to bake one tray at a time for most even baking.
- You can simply flatten the balls lightly with the back of a drinking glass or you can make criss cross marks with the tines of a fork, your choice.
- Bake on the center rack in your preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. The cookies will puff a bit and then settle down as they cool. Note: your baking time may differ from mine. If you want a crisper cookie you can bake it a bit longer. Pull them out earlier for a softer cookie. I always recommend doing a test cookie or two to see how your oven performs.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes to firm up and then transfer to a cooling rack.
- The cookies will keep up to a week at room temperature. The sugar coating keeps the outside nice and crisp. They can be frozen (cool first) for up to 3 months.
Thanks ❤️ my children love it
I love it when the younger generation stakes claim for trends that have been going on longer than they’ve been alive 🙂 These are the perfect cookie!