These 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies are fast, easy, totally delicious, and a perfect treat for any day of the week! It's a classic peanut butter cookie recipe that is a favorite of home bakers everywhere because they take less than 15 minutes to make! Just 3 ingredients, and you'll have yourself a batch of mouthwatering cookies in no time!
Easy Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe
I love peanut butter so much, I often eat it straight out of the jar. This recipe is a product of trying to find ways to channel my peanut butter obsession into creating actual food vs. eating a topping directly with a spoon.
These cookies are rich, creamy, and ridiculously satisfying. They’re the perfect treat for a work or school lunch during a busy week.
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Given that they’re mostly peanut butter, they highlight one of the best flavors in the world, ground-roasted peanuts. I’m drooling just thinking about them.
My family always waits by the oven when I make these. After all, cookies are always best right out of the oven when they’re cool enough, though we often learn the hard way.
❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
Super Easy! There are only 3 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep time involved!
Kid-Friendly! For all the young PBJ-lovers out there learning to cook, these cookies are a great beginner recipe!
They’re Unique! Chocolate chip cookies are usually the go-to. Feed your peanut butter cravings instead!
🥘 Peanut Butter Cookies Ingredients
You’ll only need 3 ingredients for these delicious cookies. All of them are pantry staples (you don't even need flour!)
- Peanut Butter - 1 cup of peanut butter. Use your favorite creamy peanut butter for dynamite flavor.
- Granulated White Sugar - 1 cup of sugar. You might need to adjust this if using natural, unsweetened peanut butter.
- Egg - 1 large egg. This is what holds it all together.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
📖 Additions
Can’t help yourself and feel the need for more ingredients? Try adding some of these great goodies!
- Chocolate Chips - Chocolate and peanut butter is one of–if not the best–flavor combinations ever. Period.
- Honey Roasted Peanuts - Adding peanuts won’t change the taste of the cookies, but it will give them some extra crunch!
- M+Ms - These are pretty much the same as chocolate chips, but they make a colorful cookie.
- Reeses’s Pieces - What better way to enhance peanut butter cookies than with more peanut butter?
- Honey - Substitute honey for part or all of the sugar in this recipe for a delicious alternative.
🔪 How To Make 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
There’s no special equipment required for this. All you’ll need is a cookie sheet, a silicone spatula, and a mixing bowl.
When finished, you will have about 18 delicious cookies!
- Prepare. First, use a sheet of parchment paper to line a cookie sheet. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Combine the ingredients. Next, pour 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup smooth peanut butter, and 1 large egg into a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly. The batter should be smooth, and all the ingredients should be well-integrated.
- Scoop your cookies. Then, scoop the cookies into approximately 1 tablespoon round balls. A cookie scoop or a spoon works best for this. Drop each dough ball on the prepared cookie sheet. Then, use a fork (*See note) to delicately press and slightly flatten each one. Do this first in one direction and then the other, like a tic-tac-toe board.
- Bake. Lastly, put the filled pan in the oven and bake for 6 to 8 minutes. When the bottoms of the cookies are just beginning to brown, they are done.
- Remove and enjoy. Take the pan out of the oven and let them cool off for about 5 minutes without touching them. Then, serve them or transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Bake these to finish off a wonderful lunch or dinner, or eat them as a sweet snack any time of day. Be sure to have plenty of milk on hand. That’s our favorite way to serve up these delightfully tasty peanut butter cookies! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Use a coated fork to press cookies. To keep the fork from sticking to the raw dough, dip it in cool water or granulated sugar before pressing them down. Alternatively, you can use the bottom of a glass (damp with water or a light coating of sugar as well) to press the cookies down.
- Cookies will be soft. Don’t overcook them thinking they will harden. Cooking too long will simply spoil the taste. This kind of cookie is better soft.
- Make a pattern on your cookies. If you have a cut glass cup with an interesting design on the bottom, use it to press the cookies down. It will turn out beautifully and add a special flair for parties.
- Try a chia egg. If you run out of eggs or don’t eat them, use a chia egg. For each egg replaced, mix 1 tablespoon of chia seeds with 2 ½ tablespoons water and wait for it to gel up. This works wonderfully as a binder in cookies, pancakes, and burgers. And it adds an interesting texture without changing the flavor.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
If you manage to have leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Freezing
In order to keep them longer, freeze cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets before transferring them to freezer bags or airtight containers to prevent sticking. They’ll last for up to 6 months.
Reheating 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
If you’re looking for that just-out-of-the-oven texture, put thawed cookies in the microwave for about 15 seconds. You can also accomplish this by putting them in a 300℉ (150℃) oven for 5 minutes.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
Try putting the dough in the fridge for a few hours before you’re ready to cook. This will help the dough set and keep its structure in the oven. Take a look at my post on how to prevent cookies from spreading for more tips & tricks.
The main thing is to avoid overcooking. Cooking them too long leads to dry cookies that will fall apart. They are done as soon as they aren’t raw, and the wet look has disappeared. No longer.
Sure! While the basic recipe requires only three ingredients, you can definitely get creative and add your favorite mix-ins. Chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or even dried fruit can add extra flavor and texture to the cookies. Just be mindful that additional ingredients may alter the cookie's texture and baking time.
🍪 More Easy Cookie Recipes
- Chocolate Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies - Simple no-bake cookies that require only a few minutes of prep work.
- Fork Biscuits - 3 ingredient cookies that are simple enough for even a beginner baker.
- Almond Butter Cookies - Sweet cookies that feature the creamy and delicious flavors of almond butter.
- Russian Tea Cakes - Classic holiday cookies that are coated in powdered sugar.
- Oatmeal Craisin Cookies - Chewy cookies that feature oatmeal, molasses, dried cranberries, and cinnamon.
- Chocolate Cookies - Decadent and rich dark chocolate cookies that are easy to make.
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📖 Recipe Card
3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter (creamy)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl combine the peanut butter, granulated sugar, and egg. Mix until smooth and all ingredients are well integrated.
- Use a cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop the dough into round balls, about 1 tablespoon, and drop them onto the prepared cookie sheet. Delicately press the cookie with the prongs of a fork (*see note) to slightly flatten them. First one way, then the other like tic-tac-to.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 6-8 minutes. The cookies are done when the bottoms barely begin to brown.
- Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before serving or transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Use a coated fork to press cookies. To keep the fork from sticking to the raw dough, dip it in cool water or granulated sugar before pressing them down. Alternatively, you can use the bottom of a glass (damp with water or a light coating of sugar as well) to press the cookies down.
- Cookies will be soft. Don’t overcook them thinking they will harden. Cooking too long will simply spoil the taste. This kind of cookie is better soft.
- Make a pattern on your cookies. If you have a cut glass cup with an interesting design on the bottom, use it to press the cookies down. It will turn out beautifully and add a special flair for parties.
- Try a chia egg. If you run out of eggs or don’t eat them, use a chia egg. For each egg replaced, mix 1 tablespoon of chia seeds with 2 ½ tablespoons water and wait for it to gel up. This works wonderfully as a binder in cookies, pancakes, and burgers. And it adds an interesting texture without changing the flavor.
Ruthie Huston says
Love your recipes, can't wait to try them all. Thank you