These 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies couldn’t be any easier!
How on earth can three simple ingredients create soft and chewy cookies? It sounds impossible, but it’s true.
These peanut butter cookies are the stuff of legends. They’re crisp around the edges and super tender and ooey-gooey in the middle.
That lovely peanut butter flavor is also on point!
But don’t take my word for it. Try the recipe and see for yourself.
You’ll surely go nuts about 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies. Let the baking begin.
3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
Three-ingredient peanut butter cookies defy reality. Unlike most cookie recipes, they don’t require flour, baking powder, baking soda, and not even butter.
Admittedly, I was hesitant to try it at first, because it seemed too good to be true. I’m glad I gave it a go.
It turns out, all it takes are sugar, eggs, and peanut butter to make outrageously soft and chewy cookies that burst with sweet, nutty, and buttery peanut butter flavor.
Why Are My Peanut Butter Cookies Falling Apart?
You most likely overbaked the cookies. Baking for over 10 minutes will cause the cookies to be dry and crumbly.
Another possible culprit is crunchy peanut butter. Stick to smooth and creamy peanut butter for this recipe.
How Do You Make Peanut Butter Cookies Taste Better?
The key is in the ratio. This recipe uses a 1:1 ratio of sugar and peanut butter, so the peanut butter flavor really shines through.
You can give the cookies an even deeper peanut butter flavor by adding a pinch of vanilla extract to the dough mixture.
Also, feel free to add these ingredients to make more decadent cookies:
- Add chocolate chips and/or chopped nuts for extra flavor and crunch.
- Use other nut-butters, like almond and cashew. You can also try sunflower butter, but expect your cookies to be a little green.
- Dip the cooked cookies in chocolate.
Why Do Peanut Butter Cookies Have Fork Marks?
It’s more than just a design!
Peanut butter cookie dough is denser than regular cookie doughs. Flattening the balls will help them bake more evenly.
If not pressed, you’ll end up with cookies that are burned at the bottom and raw on top. Yikes.
Another reason is to tell them apart from nut-free cookies. That way, folks who have peanut allergies will be forewarned.
Fun fact: the first documentation of these fork marks was in a cookie recipe from a 1936 Pillsbury cookbook.
While it wasn’t explained why it had to be done, people followed anyway.
Tips for Making The Best Cookies
- Use a room temperature egg. Cold eggs don’t mix with ingredients as well.
- Allergic to eggs? Use ground flaxseed instead. Just combine 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed and 5 tablespoons of water. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, and it’ll turn into a viscous substance similar to egg whites.
- There’s a debate as to whether all-natural peanut butter is good for this recipe. I personally don’t like using it, but if you’re on a keto diet, all-natural peanut butter is the way to go.
The downside to this is that the cookies will be greasy.
You see, natural peanut butter doesn’t contain stabilizers, which causes the oil to separate from the peanuts.
When baking, the oil from the peanut butter rises to the surface of the cookies, making them a bit greasy and crumbly.
Also, because of the oil, the cookie dough will most likely be too soft and quite a challenge to shape.
You can easily remedy this by freezing the dough for 30 minutes.
Pro-tip: if using natural peanut butter, be sure to check the label. Natural peanut butter should only have one ingredient: peanuts. Some also contain salt.
- Mix the batter well, but don’t overwork it. Otherwise, the cookies will be dense and dry. Stop beating as soon as you no longer see streaks of flour.
- Expect the dough to be crumbly. You can use a trigger cookie scoop when forming the balls to create uniform sizes, but you’ll still need to pack them with your hands to tighten them up.
- For extra flavor and crunch, roll the dough balls in granulated sugar before baking.
- If you love baking cookies, invest in a silicone mat. It bakes cookies evenly and prevents them from over-browning at the bottom.
- To create that signature peanut butter cookie pattern, press a fork into the cookie dough balls twice – horizontally, then vertically. Dip the fork in water or sugar in between presses so it won’t stick to the dough.
- If you want soft and chewy cookies, bake them for only 8 minutes. The longer you bake, the crunchier they get. However, don’t go over 10 minutes. The cookies will continue to cook while cooling, so even though they don’t look done yet, trust that they are.
- Don’t leave the cookies on the baking sheet too long, or they’ll be way too crunchy, instead of soft and chewy. Just let them rest there for 2 minutes, and transfer them onto your serving dish.
- Storage instructions:
- Store the cookies in an airtight container. They’ll last for up to 5 days on the counter and 2 weeks in the fridge.
- To freeze, place either baked cookies or raw cookie dough balls on a baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour or until rock solid.
Place them into freezer-safe bags, with a piece of parchment paper in between layers.
Squeeze out as much excess air as you can before sealing to prevent freezer burn.
Frozen peanut butter cookies will last for up to 3 months.
Thaw the cooked cookies on the counter or microwave for 20 seconds before serving.
Bake the frozen cookie dough balls for 2 to 4 minutes longer than the original baking time.
Is Peanut Butter Keto-Friendly?
Although some keto dieters avoid peanut butter, it’s actually keto-approved, as long as you stick to natural peanut butter, and as long as you consume in moderation.
Natural peanut butter contains only peanuts, and sometimes, salt. So yes, it is keto-friendly. It’s even low in carbs and a great source of fat and protein.
The only caveat is that peanuts are high in Omega-6, which can cause inflammation.
But again, as long as you eat in moderation, it shouldn’t be a problem.
Also, stay away from “no-stir” peanut butter. It contains refined white sugar, emulsifiers, unhealthy oils, all of which cause inflammation.
More Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
- Jif Peanut Butter Cookies
- Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Balls
- Easy Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies
- Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Balls
3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
24
servings10
minutes10
minutes98
kcalIngredients
1 cup 1 peanut butter
1 cup 1 granulated sugar
1 1 egg, room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, beat together the peanut butter, sugar, and egg with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Roll the cookie dough into small balls and arrange them on a baking sheet. Flatten the cookies with a fork twice – horizontally and vertically, creating a criss-cross pattern.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a plate. Serve and enjoy!
