Making peanut butter cookies doesn’t get any easier than these 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies that are so soft & chewy. You better make a double batch! (Don’t miss my tips for making these low-carb, sugar-free, Keto.)
I super love easy recipes and I really really love them when they make a delicious dessert that I can’t get enough of.
So I’m swooning over these 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies that are literally ready in less than 30 minutes. You can’t beat that!
My friends, if you are a regular here then you know how much I love a good cookie. You probably also know that when I’m craving a cookie, I don’t want to wait.
Chill time drives me batty, which is why even my most popular recipes (which some do require chill time – links to those below) are not the ones I make the most often. Cookies like these 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies make my heart go pitter-patter.
Peanut Butter Cookies
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My daughter found this recipe in great-grandma’s old cookbook a while back and wanted to give it a try. You see, it’s only 3-ingredients, so it was simple enough for her to make on her own.
I have to admit, I was skeptical that just 3 ingredients could turn into something so delicious. But I was pleasantly surprised.
3 ingredient cookies
If you want easy, this is where it’s at. I mean, these cookies are as easy as mixing all the ingredients together in a large bowl and then rolling the dough into balls before baking.
No chill time is required, which is always a hit in my book. There’s nothing worse than wanting cookies only to find out that you have to wait up to 24 hours before you can bake and enjoy them.
three-ingredient peanut butter cookies
Here are some commonly asked questions
Can I use crunchy peanut butter?
YES! Please do! We love to make a batch with creamy and a batch with crunchy to keep things interesting. Either way is delicious and I highly recommend both!
Can this recipe be doubled?
Yes and I actually recommend it because they really do go quickly. It is our favorite peanut butter cookie recipe. Besides, with as fast as it is to make these, it doesn’t hurt to make double.
3 ingredient peanut butter cookies recipe
HOW DO YOU MAKE 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
- Preheat oven.
- Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Take tablespoon sized scoops of dough and roll them into balls.
- Place on a parchment lined baking sheet about 2″ apart.
- Use the back of a fork in a cross pattern and press into the cookies to flatten them.
- Bake.
Can I Use Natural Peanut Butter?
I don’t recommend using natural peanut butter for these cookies as the end result will be a dryer and more crumbly cookie. It will work, but they won’t be as delicious.
Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
Can these be made with another type of nut butter?
Yes – if you would like to use almond or cashew butter – these cookies will work with either of those varieties.
Can these be made nut-free?
Yes – these cookies can be made nut-free if you swap out the peanut butter with sunflower seed butter – often called SunButter.
We often make a double batch because once everyone has a couple as they come out of the oven and then they have a couple more after dinner there are hardly any left to enjoy with lunch the next day.
Can this recipe be cut in half?
Since this recipe only calls for one egg – you will need to whisk the egg until the yolk is blended with the white and then portion out half of that. Or you can use a pasteurized egg product to measure out half of an egg to cut this recipe in half.
Can we use confectioner’s sugar instead of brown?
Please do not use confectioner’s sugar/powdered sugar. That is not the right consistency and will alter the flavor as well.
Ingredients for peanut butter cookies…
- creamy peanut butter
- egg
- brown sugar
Can you add rolled oats as a dry ingredient?
Do you mean in place of the sugar? I would think that would turn these into more of a granola breakfast biscuit. I’m not sure how adding the oat would work along with the sugar.
Definitely make the dough thicker, the chewiness of the cookies, and might change the baking time too.
3 ingredient pb cookies
Should I use light or dark brown sugar?
Since I make my own brown sugar, I use light brown sugar for almost all of my recipes. But light or dark brown sugar will work in this recipe.
Want to know how to make your own brown sugar – visit my Homemade Brown Sugar post here.
Is chilling necessary?
Chilling isn’t necessary unless you wish to make the dough thicker as mentioned in the notes of the recipe.
My dough is too thin, what do I do?
If your dough is still too soft, this can be caused by not packing the brown sugar firmly enough or that some peanut butter brands can be oilier than others (making them softer/creamier), which might keep things from coagulating.
Try using 1 cup of granulated sugar instead of 1/2 cup of brown sugar or increasing your brown sugar to 3/4 cup or 1 cup depending on how much moisture you need to absorb.
This should give you thicker dough. You could also try chilling the peanut butter to make it a bit thicker before working with it.
This works ESPECIALLY WELL when using the sugar-free peanut butter that needs to be stirred first. I like to give it a really good stir and then refrigerate it so it stays nice and thick for when I plan on using it.
Making Keto Peanut Butter Cookies
The key to making these Keto, low-carb, or sugar-free is to first start with a sugar substitute. I have tried quite a few because I want it to be as close to what I am used to when having the real thing.
So my personal preference for brown sugar and granulated sugar substitute are the ones from Purecane Sugar Substitute. They are THE CLOSEST to taste and performance when it comes to making these cookies!
Find the Purecane Sugar Substitute Brown Sweetener on Amazon or at the Purecane online store.
What is the best Keto peanut butter?
When we first went to Keto I searched high and low for the lowest carb peanut butter. Everything has sugar in it and I was so frustrated. OR it was insanely expensive and I wasn’t willing to shell out $20 for peanut butter that wasn’t loaded with a bunch of stuff.
Fortunately, I came across Thrive Market. Not only is it made with just peanuts and salt – no sugar, no oil, or anything else added to it. But it is really affordable – like I just picked some up on sale for $2 per jar – regularly just under $4.
I have found that with these cookies, the peanut butter will perform as expected while at room temperature if it is properly stirred using 1 cup of granulated sugar substitute.
It was a bit grittier in texture and far sweeter than my personal preference when compared to the original recipe. However, I did try it again with the same peanut butter chilled and just the 1/2 cup of the brown sugar substitute and they came out EXACTLY like the original recipe.
3 ingred peanut butter cookies
These make great gifts for the neighbors this time of year. Of course, make sure there aren’t any nut allergies first before giving these away.
But they are so easy that it makes it quick to whip them up and take them over while they are still warm right out of the oven.
More Great Goodies to Try
BEST PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE RECIPE
If you love this easy Peanut Butter Cookie recipe, you’re going to love these other cookies too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Santa’s Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies
More Awesome Peanut Butter Recipes
Easy Peanut Butter Cookie Cups
Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
easy 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies
3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
Standard
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar **see notes below
Keto / Sugar-Free / Low Carb
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter choose one that is just peanuts or peanuts and salt – with the lowest net carb count you can find.
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup brown sugar alternative I prefer Purecane Sugar Substitute Brown Sweetener
Instructions
For Both Versions – Process is the Same
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Take tablespoon sized scoops of dough and roll them into balls.
- Place on a parchment lined baking sheet about 2″ apart.
- Use the back of a fork in a cross pattern and press into the cookies to flatten them.
- Bake for 8 minutes.
- Allow to cool on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Taste of the Frontier cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
April says
These were easy to make but our family thought these were just okay. I’d consider adding some vanilla to sweeten them up slightly. We ended up turning half of them into peanut butter blossoms.
Linda says
Quick and easy. I enjoy having this recipe to take to the nursing homes. Thank you.
Cathy A says
Makes about 18 cookies. I used a cookie scoop. Delish. Kid approved of all ages!
Elena says
How many cookies it makes and no fork mark?
Gina Kleinworth says
The recipe shows that this yields 12 cookies. Step 5 calls for the fork mark. I don’t recommend skipping that part.
Whitney says
Super easy, we added chocolate chips to some, and powdered sugar on top after baking them. They were great!
W says
Forgot rating. Whops!
Marcie VanDuyne says
My cookies turned out gritty tasting. Do you have any clue why this would of happened.?
Gina Kleinworth says
This would be because the mixture wasn’t stirred for long enough to dissolve the sugar granules. I recommend stirring for a longer period of time. You should be able to hear the grittiness of the sugar against the bowl when you are first stirring and then it should become less as the dough comes together.
Shari says
Very easy to make and they turned out delicious
ANGELA SIMKINS says
Quick and simple and delicious
Lita says
I used 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract
Verna says
I made 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies they were too moist,sticky
Gina Kleinworth says
It could be the brand of peanut butter or how the sugar was measured and whether you chose to use brown sugar or granuated sugar. Can you tell me what peanut butter and type of sugar you used as well as the measurements? I talk about this in the FAQS because you will get a completely different result if the peanut butter is too soft.
Vicky says
Excellent peanut butter cookie. This has great flavor and is super easy. I tried one batch with regular peanut butter and another batch with peanut chunks in peanut butter. Enjoyed both. Thank you for super recipe 🙏. Vicky
Sherry says
So easy and so yummy, doesn’t make sense for it to taste soooo yummy. Wasn’t sure it would be good without flour, (I can’t have flour) but what in the world, great recipe, very quick and easy too! 10 stars 🌟
Veronica Craig says
Can imake the dough a head of time, refrigerator, then bake later?
Gina Kleinworth says
Yes – that will work just fine. The chilled dough might take another 1-2 minutes of baking time. So just keep an eye on them.