Quick Summary
3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies- three basic ingredients turn into the perfect peanut butter cookies! This is the EASIEST peanut butter cookie recipe out there! You are going to love them!
I love baking all kinds of cookies (I am a cookie monster), but when I need an EASY recipe, I always turn to my 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies.
I have been making these cookies for years and I still can’t believe they turn out, ha! There really are only THREE ingredients and they turn out every single time.
If you love peanut butter, you are going to fall in love with these cookies. They have a rich peanut butter flavor, they are crisp around the edges, and soft and chewy in the center. Everything you want in a peanut butter cookie!
The cookies are gluten-free, dairy-free, and SO delicious!
Table of Contents
3 Simple Ingredients
That’s right, you only need THREE ingredients!
- Peanut Butter– use creamy butter, Skippy and Jiff are classic brands. Don’t use crunchy peanut butter or reduced fat peanut butter, the cookies will be dry and crumbly.
- Sugar– basic white sugar does the trick!
- Egg– to add moisture and bind the ingredients together.
How to Make 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
- Preheat the oven and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat.
- In a large bowl, mix peanut butter, sugar, and egg together until creamy and smooth. You can use a stand mixer, hand mixer, or mix by hand.
- Scoop the cookie dough into balls, about 1 tablespoon per cookie, and place on prepared baking sheet. Flatten each ball with the back of a fork, making a criss-cross pattern. The cookies don’t spread in the oven, so you can put them close together on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are slightly golden. Don’t over bake. If it’s your first time making the recipe, check the cookies early to be safe. The cookies should be slightly golden around the edges, but still soft in the center. They will set up as they cool.
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Customize the Cookies
These are technically 3 ingredient cookies, BUT if you want play around, you can add the following ingredients. They won’t be 3 ingredient cookies anymore, but still really easy!
- Vanilla extract– add a splash of vanilla extract.
- Salt– add a pinch of salt to the cookie dough. You can also finish the cookies with flaky sea salt.
- Chocolate– stir in a handful of chocolate chips or chocolate chunks.
- Candy– add some color to the cookies by stirring in Reese’s Pieces or M&M’s!
- Sugar coating– you can roll the cookies in granulated sugar before baking if you want to add a little extra sweetness!
How to Store
Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days.
You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months. Make sure you freeze them in a freezer container or freezer bag (with the air removed) to keep them fresh.
You can also freeze the cookie dough. Roll the dough into balls and place on a baking sheet or tray. Put in the freezer until the balls are firm. Transfer the balls to a freezer container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, remove from the oven and add a couple of minutes to the baking time.
FAQ
Yes! They are flourless peanut butter cookies so they are naturally gluten-free.
I think the cookies have the best texture when I use a classic brand like Skippy or Jiff. If you want to try natural peanut butter, make sure the peanut butter is stirred really well and drippy, not dry.
You probably over baked the cookies. Check the cookies at 8 minutes to be safe. The cookies should be slightly golden brown around the edges, but still light in color and soft in the center. The cookies will finish baking as they cool on the baking sheet.
The fork marks in the cookie dough balls actually make them bake more evenly. The fork marks also give the peanut butter cookies a classic look.
More Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes
- Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Salted Pretzel Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Monster Cookies
3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix peanut butter, sugar, and egg together using an electric mixer or spatula. Mix until creamy and smooth.
- Scoop the cookie dough into balls, about 1 tablespoon per cookie, and place on prepared baking sheet. Flatten each ball with the back of a fork, making a criss-cross pattern. The cookies don’t spread in the oven, so you can put them close together on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are slightly golden. Don’t over bake. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
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I am a diabetic so I can’t use sugar. A friend gave me the same recipe but substituted Splenda, that way I cab have peanut butter cookies too.
Thank you for the recipe I have the one for sugar free like that ! You use sugar free peanut butter and replace the sugar with Splenda but you may have to use a tad more of the Splenda than sugar !! We use to make them for our diabetic customers in the bakery we had before hurricane Katrina destroyed it ! Thanks again
I add baking soda, double the recipe to make in stand mixer so my arms don’t get tired. Use chunky peanut butter. This is gluten free.
3 ungredient
What are the measurements of ingredients???
See the recipe card at the bottom of the post:)
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
This is how we’ve always (decades) made 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies. Key words…”3-ingredient”. It’s a basic recipe that your little ones can make, with just a little bit of help from you…it makes for lots of fun and memories too! If you want to get complicated search for a more “baker’s” type peanut butter cookie recipe that calls for all your favorite baking ingredients lol!!! My kids always loved making these and now I make them often with my grandkids. Sometimes we do like to add a few semi-sweet chocolate chips on top strategically placed …and we always sprinkle a tiny bit of sugar on top, some people like to roll theirs in sugar then smash with a fork we find thats a bit too sweet for us. But ya, just a little tweak here and there…so simple, so fast! DO watch them close as they bake fast…at first smell get them out of the oven fast!! They usually only take 6 to 7 min depending on how thick and how hot or not your oven runs….better less than too long as they get burnt easy. We love ’em! Thanks for sharing the recipe just as it is!!!!
I always add homemade vanilla extract and finely crushed roasted peanuts. But I also find that chilling the dough an hour makes the dough easier to indent with a fork when preparing to bake.
Love this easy recipe. I do use Jif extra crunchy and cut back on the sugar. Tastes more peanut butter in this cookie recipe.
Thanks for sharing! Glad you enjoy the cookies.
I made your Gingerbread Bundt Cake for our church small group last night! It got rave reviews and some of our members are class #1 cooks and bakers! Thank you for your recipes. I’m delighted with every one I’ve printed out!
Awesome!
I always use crunchy peanut butter in these cookies and they come out as perfect as when using creamy.
I love making these, ive make them oftenand I love cookie except that they are always gritty.
I made these for my husband after I accidentally BURNED his homemade chocolate chip cookies. It was an easy and fast recipe. I also added some vanilla extract and chocolate chips. They came out delicious, perfect! Thank you so much!
I am so glad you loved the peanut butter cookies.
Excellent! No flour needed! Amazing!!
Delicious!!