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If you’re looking for a quick and easy cookie recipe, these 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies are the perfect treat anytime of the year. They are naturally flourless and gluten free. They require only three ingredients and 10 minutes of prep!
These cookies are one of the best cookie recipes with many 5 star reviews! Only three ingredients combine to create tasty flourless cookies. Bake a batch for a cookie swap or any time of the year to share with friends and family.
Only 3 Ingredients
These cookies are made with a few pantry staples. All ingredients are gluten free and delicious!
- Creamy peanut butter – Using creamy peanut butter creates the best consistency. Do not use natural peanut butter with the oil on top as the cookies will spread and possibly break apart. Standard creamy peanut butter like Jiff Natural or regular Jiff works best. Some other brands of natural peanut butter without the oil on top, like creamy MaraNatha works good too.
- Granulated Sugar – The sugar adds the sweet caramelized flavor to the cookies.
- Egg – Use fresh eggs and organic, when possible. This helps ensure the best consistency and flavor.
How to Make Peanut Butter Cookies
First, combine the three ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. We love this inexpensive glass set of mixing bowls. Stir the ingredients until smooth.
Roll the dough into 1-inch balls with your hands and place on a lined baking sheet. The dough may be a little sticky and that’s okay. Just shape them into a small ball. They will smooth out while baking.
Next, flatten the cookies slightly with the bottom of a glass. Gently press down on the top of the cookies.
Use a fork to press a criss-cross pattern into each cookie. Then bake on a cookie sheet and allow to cook completely. They will harden more as they cool.
These are our go-to baking sheets!
Expert Tips
- This recipe yields crispy cookies. You can adjust cook time to make them softer or chewier.
- To make them soft, reduce the cook time slightly to about 9 to 12 minutes. You can also make them thicker and softer by not pressing down so much with the glass prior to baking.
- To make chewier cookies, press down on the glass more to make them thiner. A thiner cookie will create a chewier cookie.
- Reduce the sugar: If you want to reduce the amount sugar, use 1 cup peanut butter and 3/4 cup sugar instead.
- Don’t use crunchy peanut butter. It changes the consistency of the cookies.
FAQs
Pressing with a fork helps create the best thickness so that the cookies cook evenly. A fork is a basic kitchen tool that everyone has in their kitchen so it makes the process easy.
There are a few reasons why your cookies are falling apart. The wrong ratio of ingredients, such as too little sugar or peanut butter will make them fall apart. The wrong type of peanut butter may cause them to fall apart. Or using old eggs may create crumbly cookies.
These cookies will last up to 5 days in a sealed bag or container. You can freeze them for up to 3 months.
Don’t skip the flattening step. Use the bottom of the glass and the fork to flatten. If you skip this step then your cookies may not flatten.
Other Easy Cookie Recipes
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Lemon Tea Cookies
- No bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
- Double Chocolate Chip Peppermint Cookies
- Stuffed Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
What are you waiting for? Make a batch of these cookies to share with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Once you make them once, you will want to make them again and again.
3 ingredient peanut butter cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Stir the ingredients together until smooth. Roll into 1-inch balls with your hands and place on a paper-lined baking sheet.
- Flatten the cookies a bit with the bottom of a glass, then press a criss-cross pattern into each with the back of a fork.
- Bake 12 minutes, then remove from oven and allow to cool 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack. Store leftovers in an airtight container.
Video
Notes
- Peanut Butter: We recommend using creamy Jiff peanut butter or Jiff natural. You do not want to use crunchy peanut butter.
- Sugar: If you want to reduce the amount sugar, use 1 cup peanut butter and 3/4 cup sugar instead. Do not use confectioners’ (powdered) sugar.
- Eggs: Use fresh eggs. To make it vegan, you can substitute an egg for a flax egg, which is made by mixing together 1 tablespoon flaxseed with 2 tablespoons water and letting it rest for 5 minutes.
- Don’t skip the flattening step.
- To make them soft, reduce the cook time slightly to about 9 to 12 minutes.
- To make chewier cookies, press down on the glass more to make them thiner.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published in December 2018. It was updated in July 2020 with new process photos, tips and FAQs.
What a delicious 3-ingredient recipe! Everyone in our family loves a good peanut butter cookie. This easy recipes a keeper!
No need for a full cup of sugar as they come out so sweet. I use 1/2 cup and they cone out just fine. Also I use a full cup of peanut butter.
Thanks for your feedback, Angie! That’s the great thing about this recipe, you can adapt it to fit your taste.
Can I use crunchy peanut butter ?
No, we do not recommend using crunchy peanut butter for this recipe.
We do batches of both…creamy and crunchy…the crunchy ones are first gone!
So glad to hear. Thanks so much for your feedback!
They turned out Great ! So good I made a second batch ! But on the second batch I only made 12 cookies the original amount of batter. Cuz I want to try them with some chips on top I did however put a few caramel and white chocolate chips by placing them on the cookie ,(5 on each cookie) second batch it turned out Great using the chips I placed 2 caramel and three white choc. chips placed on top of the cookies before placing them in the oven ,Just wanted to share the chips and thank you for the recipe 2nd Batch were thicker & a little creamier
Family ❤’ ed them…
Sincerely, Linda Yon
Thanks so much for your feedback! The chips sound like a great addition. I’m glad you enjoyed them.
Thanks for the recipe I loved it
Can you just use a non stick cookie sheet. I have no paper
Hi, Wanda! Yes, you can use a nonstick cookie sheet. Enjoy!
Degrees Celcius or Fahrenheit???
Hi, Keira! Set the temp in Fahrenheit. Thanks for checking!
I made these years ago for my boys when they were growing up and they were always a hit. I just found this recipe again and now I’m going to make them for my little grand daughters. I’m sure they will love them too!
I add oatmeal to my dough so yummy!!
This is such a great recipe! I love peanut butter cookies and these are so fantastic because they are only 3 ingredients! I can’t wait to make these again!
Wow this is such a simple and easy to make recipe. And cookies look fantastic. They are perfect for snacking and my kiddos lunch box. I must make them soon. Absolutely love this recipe.