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A few weeks ago when my parents were in Kansas City for our extended family’s annual caroling night, I asked her if she would help me make a batch of peanut butter cookies. I had a normal recipe ready for us to try, when she suggested that we make the “easy” version – 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies.
Eh?
Somehow even after living in food blogger land for 3.5 years, and being a cookie lover all the longer, I had never heard of a recipe for 3 ingredient cookies! But she assured me that 1 cup pb, 1 cup sugar and 1 egg would do the trick. So we gave it a try. We mixed up the dough in literally less than a minute. And then she rolled, I forked, and these little guys were in the oven and baked in a snap.
Sure enough, they emerged as delicious little cookies!! Granted, they are definitely much crumblier than traditional peanut butter cookies. But the flavor is there, the look is pretty much identical, and sure enough they were just as irresistible to us cookie lovers as any yummy cookies. So if you are ever in a time crunch, or an ingredient crunch, or just want to try these little baking miracles for yourself, I highly recommend these 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies!
Quick, simple and delicious peanut butter cookies…made with just THREE ingredients!
Ingredients
Scale
1 cup peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)
1 cup sugar (plus extra for dipping if desired)
1 egg
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using an electric mixer or a strong spoon, mix together the peanut butter, white sugar and egg until smooth.
Form dough into round tablespoon-fulls. Then roll in an extra bowl of sugar, if desired, to coat the outside of the dough ball. Place on the baking sheet at least 2 inches apart, and then use a fork to flatten and form a cross pattern.
Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until the cookies are just slightly browned on the botton, being careful not to over-bake. Remove and let cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
I’ve made these for years but to dress them up for special occasions right when they come out of the oven, I make a small indention on top of the cookie with a med sz spoon. Then I melt some almond bark I like the vanilla flavored .Then I put some on top of the cookies. Then after they all cool down and the top is dry they are ready to eat. They are awesome !!!
I’ve made these since I was a teen in the ’80s! Always satisfied my pb cookie addiction! I agree w/another poster, don’t try to double or triple the recipe…for some reason they do turn out different, not as good. Simply mix up a fresh batch of dough…not like it’s time consuming =D
I’ve added choc chips & BONUS!! Also, I’ve made a thumbprint on top & put a tsp of jelly/jam on before baking…YUM!!! (Grape turned out best!)
I make these every other wk end for my granbby. She somtimes helps me. We add cho chip to ingrd. Also some roasted peanuts. Yummy. One time she wanted to add her mm’s on top. Turned out awsome she takes them home and shares them.
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
That’s so sweet, Lupe! Chocolate chips and roasted peanuts sound like a brilliant idea — yum! We’re so happy you both like them. : )
Any ideas how I can make them more chewy instead of crispy. I followed the recipe and they went flat and crunchy.
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Hi Crystal – hmmm, they shouldn’t be flat and crunchy. Scoop and roll the dough into balls, and just don’t press down on them. That way they won’t spread much, and will be thicker, softer and chewier, versus thin and crispy. We hope this helps!
Jamie —
Hunny u may have over stirred all the ingredients maybe?? Only a suggestion… Or not enough sugar
I use a variety of different peanut butters – Peanut Butter & Co makes some great options to play with. Today I’m using The Bees Knees which is blended with honey, but I’ve also used their White Chocolate Wonderful and Dark Chocolate Dreams. The cookies always turn out wonderful!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
How fun Wendy, we need to try some flavored peanut butters in these sometime – yummy! We’re happy you’re a fan!
Hi Sharon! Hmmm, we haven’t tried making these with Stevia, so we can say for sure. However, here is a Stevia baking chart you could use. We hope you enjoy these!
Hi Emily! We’re sorry but we are unsure of the nutrition facts/amount of calories in this recipe. We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope that helps!
These cookies were PERFECT for a last minute bake sale! They turned out perfect! I do have to say, mine had to bake a little longer because they still were a little uncooked in the middle. Otherwise, thank you for the amazing recipe, it was a life saver!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thank you, Colin — we’re so glad you enjoyed them!
These cookies are easy to make and they taste great. I hate peanut butter and peanut butter cookies from the store. I can even make these with my children at home on the weekends.
these cookies came out amazing. only took a few minutes to whip up and they were gone faster than it took to make them and bake them .will definitely be saving this recipe
Has anyone tried making this with Nutella instead of peanut butter ? Not sure if it would work since Nutella has a thinner constituency than peanut butter but it sounds very delicious!
Christy Clarkson —
I was thinking of doing this, so i did! They turned out a bit flat but super delicious!1
I just made these with my 9 year old son. (I supervised, and rolled, he measured, mixed and cross hatched them.) They were super easy and delicious! We were both proud of his first time making cookies!
This is a great article and i have made this item after reading your article. Its the best peanut butter cookies ever made. I truly loved it. best pvc pipe cutter
Omg I loved them for me and my family! Only 3 ingredients- WOW! Very helpful for my gluten free family. Only problem was that I forgot my son was allergic to peanuts, so we had to take him to the emergency room … But still amazing nonetheless! 10/10 will bake again!! (P.S. Kevin said even though his left leg will never be able to work again, he did love the taste of them!)
★★★★★
Geri Stevens —
If that was meant to be funny about forgetting your son was allergic to peanuts…it wasn’t funny. CPS could be all over a parent who made such a comment .
I have been making cookies using a similar recipe- I add 1 tsp vanilla, and sometimes a handful of whole roasted peanuts (salted or honey-roasted, whatever I have on hand) especially if I use creamy peanut butter. The “batter” is much too gooey to roll into a ball. Do you use a medium egg instead of a large egg, or use refrigerated peanut butter? I use a hand whisk- would using an electric mixer fluff everything up a lot more, and make it roll-able? I also bake for about twice as long as your recipe calls for. Does baking longer make the cookies flatter? I spoon my goop in a 3 X 5 array on a cookie sheet, and they flatten to touch each other when done. By coincidence, I made some of my flat cookies just a day before this recipe came up in my email. My cookies always taste great, but I don’t know how to make them small and thick like in your photos.
I used Jif Crunchy, not very good results. Very crumbly dough, so I added a bit of creamy Jif. Waiting to see if that works better. Will use Kraft next time, I know this works well!
I have these in the oven now as an after the first day of school treat for my nephew, age 9. He loves these, especially if I add some chocolate chips. Sadly today’s are the original. I have also made these with nutella; they were tasty but didn’t hold together. I have been known to bake 2 or three batches in the same day and call them dinner.
I have baked for 60 years and never heard of a cookie without flour or leavening.
I was surprised. They were really good. I had to bake just a little longer and with my small cookie scoop only made 16 cookies. Great recipe for a sugar fix.
Also a great gluten free recipe. I am a believer in this recipe.
Super easy recipe. I double it. Use cookie scoop. Press slightly. Bake. Immediately after coming out of oven I plop a chocolate Kiss in the middle. These disappear at parties!
Made them in a loaf pan ( I know sounds crazy but just got first apartment and wanted to treat son I haven’t bought a cookie sheet yet) made like a delicious cookie bar🥰
These were awesome!! I added a little flour and it made then so light and crispy!! Loved them
How much flour did you add?
Was short 1/3 cup of the peanut butter so I used almond butter. They were delicious. Very easy
I’ve made these for years but to dress them up for special occasions right when they come out of the oven, I make a small indention on top of the cookie with a med sz spoon. Then I melt some almond bark I like the vanilla flavored .Then I put some on top of the cookies. Then after they all cool down and the top is dry they are ready to eat. They are awesome !!!
I’ve made these since I was a teen in the ’80s! Always satisfied my pb cookie addiction! I agree w/another poster, don’t try to double or triple the recipe…for some reason they do turn out different, not as good. Simply mix up a fresh batch of dough…not like it’s time consuming =D
I’ve added choc chips & BONUS!! Also, I’ve made a thumbprint on top & put a tsp of jelly/jam on before baking…YUM!!! (Grape turned out best!)
I tried this recipe and they are awesome
Could you use another sugar form? Maybe coconut sugar?
They sound good. But trying to get more healthy.
I haven’t tried them with coconut sugar, but believe it would work as a substitution. If you give it a try, let me know how it goes!
So simple so neat so delicious to eat. Thank you. God bless.
I make these every other wk end for my granbby. She somtimes helps me. We add cho chip to ingrd. Also some roasted peanuts. Yummy. One time she wanted to add her mm’s on top. Turned out awsome she takes them home and shares them.
That’s so sweet, Lupe! Chocolate chips and roasted peanuts sound like a brilliant idea — yum! We’re so happy you both like them. : )
I don’t have parchment paper, could I use a nonstick spray instead? Or could I butter my tray?
Hey, Carly! Yes, nonstick spray or butter would work just fine! : ) We hope you enjoy!
I used half sugar/half Stevia and it worked fine. Bonus–gluten free for my GF friends!
Awesome, Jo Ann, we’re glad to hear that! Thanks for sharing!
They came out great but if you are doubling the recipe use a cup and a half of sugar instead of two cups
We’re glad to hear that Christina, and thank you for sharing the doubling tip!
has anyone use honey–my husband wanted me to use honey,
Any ideas how I can make them more chewy instead of crispy. I followed the recipe and they went flat and crunchy.
Hi Crystal – hmmm, they shouldn’t be flat and crunchy. Scoop and roll the dough into balls, and just don’t press down on them. That way they won’t spread much, and will be thicker, softer and chewier, versus thin and crispy. We hope this helps!
Hunny u may have over stirred all the ingredients maybe?? Only a suggestion… Or not enough sugar
I like to experiment. After first batch I placed a small triangle of mild cheddar cheese on each when I took them from the oven. Incredible!
Very interesting addition George, we’re super curious to try that – thanks for sharing!
I use a variety of different peanut butters – Peanut Butter & Co makes some great options to play with. Today I’m using The Bees Knees which is blended with honey, but I’ve also used their White Chocolate Wonderful and Dark Chocolate Dreams. The cookies always turn out wonderful!
How fun Wendy, we need to try some flavored peanut butters in these sometime – yummy! We’re happy you’re a fan!
can they be made with stevia?
Hi Sharon! Hmmm, we haven’t tried making these with Stevia, so we can say for sure. However, here is a Stevia baking chart you could use. We hope you enjoy these!
These sound amazing, using them for a bake sale. Do you know what I should price them at?
How many calories are there in these ??
Hi Emily! We’re sorry but we are unsure of the nutrition facts/amount of calories in this recipe. We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope that helps!
I made these cookies last night hubby liked them alot ty!!!
You’re welcome, Nakeyha — we’re so happy they were a hit!
These cookies were PERFECT for a last minute bake sale! They turned out perfect! I do have to say, mine had to bake a little longer because they still were a little uncooked in the middle. Otherwise, thank you for the amazing recipe, it was a life saver!
Thank you, Colin — we’re so glad you enjoyed them!
Hi, this recipe has been on our Kraft Peanut Butter jar for years in Canada
These cookies are easy to make and they taste great. I hate peanut butter and peanut butter cookies from the store. I can even make these with my children at home on the weekends.
★★★★
We’re glad you enjoy them, Sharon!
That was my grandma’s recipe ? .man were those the best tasting num nums u ever tasted!!!!?
Thanks for the memories I had long forgotten
these cookies came out amazing. only took a few minutes to whip up and they were gone faster than it took to make them and bake them .will definitely be saving this recipe
★★★★★
I add vanilla extract every time and turns out so good. I agree don’t double the ingredients.
★★★★★
I tried these with Sunflower Butter & chocolate shavings…so delicious :) Thanks for the recipe! It was very to follow…which I need, lol
★★★
These are perfect! Simple, easy, and very tasty! Thanks
★★★★★
Has anyone tried making this with Nutella instead of peanut butter ? Not sure if it would work since Nutella has a thinner constituency than peanut butter but it sounds very delicious!
I was thinking of doing this, so i did! They turned out a bit flat but super delicious!1
I added vanilla, flax, and cocoa powder… probably the best cookies ever.
★★★★★
Love these easy peanut Butter cookies yummy !!!
★★★★★
My great grandfather made these growing up an i still make them till this day
★★★★★
I just made these with my 9 year old son. (I supervised, and rolled, he measured, mixed and cross hatched them.) They were super easy and delicious! We were both proud of his first time making cookies!
This is a great article and i have made this item after reading your article. Its the best peanut butter cookies ever made. I truly loved it. best pvc pipe cutter
★★★★★
Omg I loved them for me and my family! Only 3 ingredients- WOW! Very helpful for my gluten free family. Only problem was that I forgot my son was allergic to peanuts, so we had to take him to the emergency room … But still amazing nonetheless! 10/10 will bake again!! (P.S. Kevin said even though his left leg will never be able to work again, he did love the taste of them!)
★★★★★
If that was meant to be funny about forgetting your son was allergic to peanuts…it wasn’t funny. CPS could be all over a parent who made such a comment .
★★★★
I have been making cookies using a similar recipe- I add 1 tsp vanilla, and sometimes a handful of whole roasted peanuts (salted or honey-roasted, whatever I have on hand) especially if I use creamy peanut butter. The “batter” is much too gooey to roll into a ball. Do you use a medium egg instead of a large egg, or use refrigerated peanut butter? I use a hand whisk- would using an electric mixer fluff everything up a lot more, and make it roll-able? I also bake for about twice as long as your recipe calls for. Does baking longer make the cookies flatter? I spoon my goop in a 3 X 5 array on a cookie sheet, and they flatten to touch each other when done. By coincidence, I made some of my flat cookies just a day before this recipe came up in my email. My cookies always taste great, but I don’t know how to make them small and thick like in your photos.
I used Jif Crunchy, not very good results. Very crumbly dough, so I added a bit of creamy Jif. Waiting to see if that works better. Will use Kraft next time, I know this works well!
Easy and quick to make. Love It.
★★★★★
Super easy and pretty good little moist (I am a crunchy cookie person) highly recommended
★★★★★
So amazing but I double the recipe and put just a smidge of flour in and vanilla extract and it comes out perfect each time. Thanks for the recipe.
★★★★★
I added vanilla extract and then when it was all mixed up I added a bunch of butterscotch chips. They turned out great!
I have these in the oven now as an after the first day of school treat for my nephew, age 9. He loves these, especially if I add some chocolate chips. Sadly today’s are the original. I have also made these with nutella; they were tasty but didn’t hold together. I have been known to bake 2 or three batches in the same day and call them dinner.
can u use splenda
I have baked for 60 years and never heard of a cookie without flour or leavening.
I was surprised. They were really good. I had to bake just a little longer and with my small cookie scoop only made 16 cookies. Great recipe for a sugar fix.
Also a great gluten free recipe. I am a believer in this recipe.
★★★★★
These are the best!! So easy, and so good!! I Love easy, and good!! Thanks, for this!!
Super easy recipe. I double it. Use cookie scoop. Press slightly. Bake. Immediately after coming out of oven I plop a chocolate Kiss in the middle. These disappear at parties!
★★★★★
So I’m wondering what each cookie is in calories wise ?? Does anyone know also love them so much
Made them in a loaf pan ( I know sounds crazy but just got first apartment and wanted to treat son I haven’t bought a cookie sheet yet) made like a delicious cookie bar🥰
★★★★★