3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

So, you’re in the mood for something sweet, but you’re not in the mood to head to the grocery store? No problem, provided you have three essential ingredients: peanut butter, sugar and a single egg. Yep, that’s it. These three-ingredient peanut butter cookies really do use just three ingredients. There’s no catch, not even a pinch of salt or a tablespoon of water.

Following this three-ingredient peanut butter cookie recipe is almost as easy as procuring the needed ingredients from your kitchen. For all their simplicity, these cookies still taste and look good enough to bring to a cookie swap, gathering or the office to share with colleagues.

3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookie Ingredients

Sarah Tramonte for Taste of Home

• Egg: You need one large egg, warmed to room temperature and well beaten so the whites and yolk are fully combined.
• Sugar: Use a full cup of white sugar so there’s plenty of sweetness.
• Peanut butter: It’s no surprise to find peanut butter in these peanut butter cookies, right? Use a creamy variety and make sure there’s no excess oil; stir the peanut butter well if it is oily.

Directions

Step 1: Mix the batter and shape cookies

Sarah Tramonte for Taste of Home

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Then, in a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together. Scoop out level tablespoonfuls of the batter and roll them into balls. Place these on ungreased baking sheets and flatten them with a fork, pressing down in perpendicular lines to make a lovely lattice pattern on the cookies.

Step 2: Bake, then cool the cookies and enjoy

Sarah Tramonte for Taste of Home

Bake the peanut butter cookies until set, for about 18 minutes. Place them to wire racks to cool.

Sarah Tramonte for Taste of Home

3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookie Variations

• Add some chopped nuts: Want to add a bit more flavor and texture to these cookies? Add chopped walnuts, almonds or even chopped peanuts to the batter.
• Make peanut butter and jelly thumbprint cookies: Instead of flattening the cookies with a fork, flatten them with the side of a spatula or flat glass. Then, gently press the back of a spoon into a just-baked cookie and add a dollop of strawberry or grape jam.
• Try brown sugar: To make cookies that are a bit less sweet but have a rich, robust taste, use brown sugar instead of the white.

How to Store 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut butter cookies tend to dry out fast so store them at room temperature in an airtight cookie storage container and enjoy them within two to three days. Storing them in the fridge will add a day or two but might make the cookies crumbly.

Can I freeze peanut butter cookies?

It’s best to freeze the peanut butter cookies is in batter form. You can shape the dough into balls and freeze them. Just lay them out on a baking sheet, let them freeze for several hours and store the frozen raw dough balls in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months. Already-baked cookies can be frozen for three to four weeks.

3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookie Tips

Sarah Tramonte for Taste of Home

What’s the best peanut butter for peanut butter cookies?

This peanut butter cookie recipe calls for creamy peanut butter  and as with any recipe, following the ingredient list yields the best, most consistent results. However, you can use crunchy peanut butter instead to add extra texture to these cookies. Substituting natural peanut butter for traditional peanut butter is trickier, as natural peanut butter has no added sugar or stabilizing ingredients and can impact the taste and texture of the finished cookies.

How do you make peanut butter cookies better?

You can liven up these peanut butter cookies by adding mix-ins or by drizzling them with chocolate. Try folding in one cup of dark chocolate chips or chopped peanuts before baking. For some extra sweetness, drizzle your favorite icing over the cooled cookies. Of course a dusting of sugar over the cooling cookies never hurt.

Why are my peanut butter cookies falling apart?

The main reason for dry, crumbly cookies is overbaking. Every oven is slightly different so check the cookies a few minutes before the recommended baking time is up. Your peanut butter cookies should appear soft in the center —a little under baked, but not raw— with golden edges. The cookies will firm up as they cool.