Next time you have a craving for peanut butter cookies, try these old-fashioned super simple 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies! You won’t believe how easy (and totally delicious) they are!
I can’t wait to share my favorite old-fashioned peanut butter cookie recipe with you today. Let me tell ya, these are cookie perfection! And you’ll never believe it, but these little peanut butter cookies only have 3 simple ingredients! I know – SO AWESOME!
As you know, I have a cookie problem. I do. And because of that, there is a lot of cookie bakin’ going on at my house. All. The. Time. Almost every day I’m working on something new!
But when it comes to baking a cookie treat for my family, I almost always resort to an old trusty recipe. These 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies are just that, old and trusted, as well as simple, soft, crumbly, and completely delicious!
Second to the taste and texture of these cookies, my favorite part is that the ingredients are in my pantry 100% of the time, so I can whip up a batch whenever the need (or want) arises! Oh, and they’re perfect for getting the little ones involved without making a humongous mess (one bowl and a few cookie sheets should do the trick). You’re welcome!
Egg. Sugar. Peanut butter. That’s all you need to have a soft, crumbly, bursting with peanut butter flavor (and did I mention, gluten-free?) batch of cookies! I know, I almost can’t believe it myself!
The process is simple; in a medium bowl you combine the 3 ingredients and mix until smooth. Then you just scoop them out by the tablespoon, gently flatten them with a fork, sprinkle with sugar (which is optional, but I mean why wouldn’t you???) and throw them in the oven (not literally, of course – please don’t throw the cookies; that will most certainly end up being a big mess and no-one wants that!).
And then, after a few minutes at 350 degrees, when you open the oven, you’ll find these perfectly sweet old-fashioned 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies!
There are a few things you should know about these cookies though, so check out these tips.
Kristine’s tips:
- These cookies are super soft and crumbly right out of the oven. Please don’t try to eat them right away! They need a few (or more like 10 to 15) minutes on the pan before being moved. Trust me, they’re worth the wait!
- Yes, you can add 1 tsp of vanilla extract and/or 1/4 tsp salt to the recipe to enhance/balance the flavors, but that makes them more like 4 or 5 ingredient cookies, haha!
- You can also add an extra egg to make them a little chewier if you don’t prefer a crumbly cookie.
- Try adding a chocolate drizzle to the top of the cookies to ‘fancy’ them up a bit, which also makes them super-duper yummy! Just melt a 1/2 cup chocolate chips in the microwave and drizzle over the cookies while they are cooling on the baking sheet. But again, that’s more like 4+ ingredients. 🙂
3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- Extra sugar for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine ingredients and stir until smooth.
- Using a 1.5 TBS cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto cookie sheets 2 inches apart.
- Using the backs of a fork gently press down on the top of each cookie crossways.
- Sprinkle the tops of each cookie with sugar (if you're doing this).
- Bake for 12 minutes, rotating halfway through.
- Let cookies cool on the pan for 10-15 minutes prior to transferring to a wire rack. Store in an airtight container or freeze.
Notes
Nutrition
If you’re a peanut butter lover, make sure you scope out these homemade peanut butter chocolate crunch bars or or these no-bake chocolate peanut butter bars, they’re both delicious and easy!
I love how easy and simple these cookies are! Peanut butter is one of my favorite ingredients to bake with.
Thank you so much Diana! I totally agree, simple peanut butter cookies for the win!
Yum! I can see why you keep coming back to these. So delicious and easy! They would be a huge hit with my family.
Thank you so much Tara! They are such a great quick treat! 🙂
I love peanut butter cookies and these look PERFECT! Can’t wait to try your recipe.
Oh girl, me too! I hope you love them!
OMG, I would have never thought you can make cookies with just 3 ingredients. Incredible. I need to give it a try 🙂
Right, Edyta? They’re pretty amazing, I hope you like them!
I also love that the ingredients for these are in the pantry 100% of the time. These make a great little packable nibble. I may surprise my husband with some today!
Oh my gosh, yes Jeni! You could whip them up on a whim! I hope you love them! 🙂
Simple easy and delicious – that’s how I like it. My kids love peanut butter and these look perfect.
Yes, yes, yes Veena! I agree! Thank you so much.
YUM! These cookies look so good! I love how easy it is to make them ♥
Thank you so much Natalie! 🙂
I remember making 3 ingredient PB cookies growing up. One of my first baking memories. 🙂 These cookies are so simple, but so delicious! I always have these ingredients in my pantry too; I need to whip these up soon.
Oh my gosh, Marie – me too! They were always a go-to for my mom because they were easy and we ALWAYS had the ingredients in the pantry!
I love that these are so simple and need so little ingredients! Definitely going to be making these with the kids
Aw thank you Bintu, I do hope you guys have fun and enjoy them!
These look so scrummy! Absolutely love the guidance photos too, thanks so much for sharing!!
Thanks so much, Chris! 🙂
A great recipe with simple ingredients and so easy to make. Delicious with a decent coffee, and a good book.
Oh 100% Helen! Coffee and cookies are the perfect combination!
My granddaughter and I just made these peanut butter cookies. They are delicious! We were snowed in and I didn’t think I had ingredients to make anything. Then I got your email. We always have these 3 ingredients. I did add a little vanilla and a little salt. They are delicious! Thank you, Kristine! We had cookies and milk on a snowy day.
Hi Christine! I was just reading your email too! I’m so glad – that’s probably the thing I love the most about this recipe, I literally always have the ingredients! I’m so glad you two enjoyed them and that you were able to have homemade cookies on a snowy day! I’m kind of jealous of your snow, it’s already 80 degrees here! Sending love! XO