3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe (Video) Bigger Bolder Baking (2024)

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Hi Bold Bakers!

If you’re anything like me, you’re an avid peanut butter lover. My favorite way to enjoy the nutty flavor and creamy texture of peanut butter is with this classic homemade peanut butter cookies recipe.

IMPORTANT NOTE:This recipe was updated and improved on 6/16/2023 to include the most commonly and frequently asked questions and answers.

Who doesn’t have happy childhood memories of making or eating peanut butter cookies? With a crosshatch pattern on top and a chewy bite and nutty sweet taste, three-ingredient peanut butter cookies are a classic.

Since Bold Baking is all about giving you the confidence to bake anytime, anywhere, behold my 3-Ingredient Cookies and this easy peanut butter cookies recipe. That means no baking powder, flour, baking soda, or butter is necessary. All you need are peanut butter, sugar, and eggs. (If you have a few more ingredients, though, you can try my Best-Ever Peanut Butter Cookies, too!)

The Best Peanut Butter For Making Peanut Butter Cookies

If you tell anyone I said this, I will deny it and say that you are lying. The best peanut butter to use in this recipe is cheap, smooth peanut butter. The brand you want to use is probably the one you grew up on, but don’t buy anymore at the store.

Nothing against my Homemade Peanut Butter recipe, but it just doesn’t yield you the best peanut butter cookie with the fullest peanut butter flavor. If you find your cookies are too crumbly, it can be a result of a more quality peanut butter. Sometimes the perfect peanut butter is the most affordable kind.

Ratio of Ingredients For 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

My 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookie recipe is truly as easy as 1, 2, 3, meaning you can whip them up on any old day. This recipe is pretty much magic, made with just 1 cup of creamy peanut butter, 1 cup of sugar, and 1 egg. The 1-to-1 ratio really makes this recipe easy to remember.

What You’ll Need To Make Homemade Peanut Butter Cookies

• Large cookie sheet (or baking sheet) and parchment paper.
• Large bowl
• Measuring cups
• Fork
• Wire rack

How To Make Peanut Butter Cookies From Scratch

Not only does this three-ingredient peanut butter cookie recipe need few ingredients, it only takes a few steps. Here’s how you do it, and don’t forget to get the full printable written recipe, with measurements, down below.

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Stir all three ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Scoop out 2 tablespoons of cookies and roll into a ball.
4. Place cookie dough balls on cookie sheet.
5. Press down with a fork. Create a criss-cross pattern by pressing down again at a perpendicular angle.
6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and let cool for 1 to 2 minutes. Then move cookies to a wire rack to continue cooling.
8. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.

Making These Cookies Vegan And Substituting The Eggs

Yes, you can replace the eggs, but just note you might not get the EXACT same result as I did. You can replace the eggs in this recipe by following my Egg Substitutes Chart for cookies. Flax egg will be the best substitute.

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies Ideas

While these simple peanut butter cookies are perfect all on their own, I love the idea of these being filled with my creamy 2-Ingredient Ice Cream to make some homemade ice cream sandwiches. You could absolutely cover these peanut butter cookies in rich Chocolate Frosting, or dip them in melted chocolate! All you Bold Bakers must give these a try.

I promise you, these soft peanut butter cookies will be an instant hit.

FAQs

What sugar substitute can I use to make these 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies?

You can use honey, maple syrup, agave, or stevia in place of sugar. Check out my Sugar Substitute Chart for details.

Can I reduce sugar and how much is the maximum?

Yes, you can reduce the sugar amount.

• Sugar is not only a sweetener, it’s also a binding agent to hold other ingredients together, to give the cookies crispy outside from caramelizing in the heat.
• Cutting back further than a quarter is not recommended.

Can I use brown sugar and how it will affect the result?

Yes, you can use brown sugar to replace some or all of the white sugar required by the recipe.

• Brown sugar has more moisture than white sugar so the result would be softer and chewer.
• In the meanwhile, brown sugar also contains more molasses than white sugar so the result would have more caramel flavor.

Can I use chunky peanut butter?

It’s a matter of preference. You can use chunky peanut butter if you prefer the texture contrast and extra crunch.

What other nut-free butter can I use if I’m allergic to nuts?

• You can substitute sunflower seed butter, sesame seed butter, pumpkin seed butter, or soy butter.
• Do carefully check the labels to make sure the nut-free butter substitutes are not processed in facilities that also handle nuts.

Try More of My Cookie Recipes:

• More 3 Ingredient Cookies
• Crazy Cookie Dough: One Cookie Dough with Endless Flavor Variations
• Gemma’s Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Gemma’s Best-Ever Peanut Butter Cookies

And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!

IMPORTANT NOTE:This recipe was updated and improved on 6/16/2023 to include the most commonly and frequently asked questions and answers.

Full (and printable) recipe below!

Ingredients

Instructions

Recipe Notes