This recipe for 3 Ingredient PB Cookies is for peanut butter lovers. It’s the easiest peanut butter cookie recipe ever using just peanut butter, sugar and egg. Prepare them and have them finished and ready to eat in about 15 minutes.
If you’re a lover of cookies, you’ll enjoy checking out my cookie recipe collection. My great grandma’s peanut butter cookies have always been my favorite, but I love this recipe because these are three simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. And while you’re at it, try my 3 ingredient brownie recipe and these 3 ingredient pumpkin muffins too.
Grab a cold glass of milk, because this 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies recipe is going to be your new favorite recipe. There is no flour needed for the recipe, so they happen to be naturally gluten free (and naturally dairy free too!) Anyone can make these cookies. They turn out soft and chewy and delicious. This peanut butter cookie recipe is a great first baking recipe for kids!
Only 3 Ingredients Needed:
- Peanut Butter: I suggest using regular, old-school Skippy or Jif brand peanut butter for this recipe (creamy for classic or crunchy if a crunchy texture is desired). Avoid using natural peanut butter that has the oil separated out. You can use almond, cashew or sunflower butter, but make sure it’s a “no stir” butter that has a similar consistency to the old-school PB.
- Sugar: I use white granulated sugar for this recipe, but you can certainly try using brown sugar too (or half and half). Brown sugar will give these peanut butter cookies a subtle caramel flavor. A sugar substitute may also be used. Just make sure it’s a 1:1 equivalent.
- Egg: You’ll need one large egg. The egg provides moisture and acts as a binder to hold the cookie dough together.
How to make 3 Ingredient PB Cookies:
The complete, printable recipe is at the end of the post. Here’s an overview.
Combine the 3 ingredients with a mixer. Roll the dough into balls. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat mat. Use the back of a fork to make a criss-cross pattern and press the dough down. Bake! Let cool. Then move to a wire rack.
Recipe Tips:
- If you do not have an electric mixer, you can combine the 3 ingredient peanut butter cookie dough by hand. Just make sure it’s mixed well.
- Add one teaspoon of vanilla extract for additional flavor.
- Consider add-ins such as 1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips or mini M&M’s.
- Roll the dough balls in sugar (or sprinkle a little sugar on top of the already fork-pressed cookies.
- And if you love the salty/sweet combination, sprinkle a little bit of flaky sea salt on top of the cookies before baking.
- Chocolate lovers can dip half of these 3 ingredient PB cookies in melted chocolate.
- The peanut butter cookies will be super soft after baking, so let them cool on the baking sheet as long as you need to before they’re firm enough to transfer to a cooling rack.
- If your cookies turn out dry and crumbly, you have probably over-baked them. Be sure to check on them at 8 minutes- they should have golden brown edges.
Why do you put fork marks on peanut butter cookies?
I always thought that the fork marks were just an indicator for peanut butter cookies so they were easy to identify. But there’s actual science behind the fork markings on peanut butter cookies. Criss crossing the dough with a fork helps distribute the heat and bake the cookies. Peanut butter cookies don’t naturally spread like traditional cookies. Peanut butter cookie dough is dense, so pressing it down with a fork assists with that.
How to store 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies:
Store 3 ingredient PB cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Add a slice of bread to your airtight storage container to absorb any excess moisture. It will help to keep the cookies fresh longer.
You can freeze the baked cookies too, but they tend to lose their soft texture. Instead, freeze the dough balls before baking. Slide a cookie sheet full of dough balls into the freezer and let them freeze solid. Then slip them into a freezer zip baggie and freeze for up to 2 months. Place the frozen cookie dough onto a baking sheet and bake as directed. You may need to add an additional minute onto the baking time since the dough is frozen.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- They are such a quick and easy cookie recipe to make!
- These are inexpensive cookies to make since you only need 3 easy to find ingredients.
- If you have a person who needs to eat gluten-free, this is a nice treat to surprise them with. You will also find that these cookies will be MUCH cheaper and more delicious than any gluten-free cookie that you would buy in your market.
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Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the peanut butter, sugar and egg.
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Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place on the baking sheet about 2-inches apart. Flatten each ball of dough with a fork in a criss-cross pattern.
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Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are firm and golden brown. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 159kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.001g, Cholesterol: 12mg, Sodium: 79mg, Potassium: 102mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 15g, Vitamin A: 18IU, Calcium: 10mg, Iron: 0.4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.