• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
One Happy Dish
  • Recipes
  • Fermented Foods
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Fermented Foods
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Fermented Foods
    • About
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Dessert » 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

    3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

    by Allison · Modified: Jul 18, 2024 · Published: Mar 15, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links · 6 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    This is one of my all time go-to recipes when time is short and something sweet is required. Plus, your family or guests won't believe you when you tell them that these easy PB cookies only have 3 ingredients, if you want to tell them at all. 😉

    3 ingredient peanut butter cookies on white plate atop a brown table.

    "Delish! This is wayyyy better than white sugar, I can't believe I have never thought of this."

    ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Brittny, One Happy Dish reader

    Get this recipe in your inbox

    Enter your email below and we’ll send it right to your inbox. Plus, you'll get our latest recipes emailed each week!

    Loading

    So I know exactly what you're thinking if you haven't tried some variation of three-ingredient cookies before: how can they possibly be good or even come close to "real" cookies, right?

    Believe me, I thought the same for a long time. But then desperation set in: I needed home-baked cookies in less time than I had to work with. I knew the three basic ingredients well—there are plenty of variations out there of this simple combo. So with no time to spare I grabbed the ingredients, made my best estimates as to a good baking ratio and crossed my fingers.

    The result? They were SO good, like you wouldn't believe how good. These delicate but chewy peanut butter cookies tasted just like the real thing! And from that day on I continued to test and tweak until these cookies were absolutely...perfect.

    PS: If you love peanut butter as much as I do and want to venture off cookies and into other easy peanut butter recipes, you have to try these peanut butter protein balls too.

    Jump to:
    • ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
    • 🌿 Ingredients
    • 📝 Instructions
    • 📋 Substitutions
    • 📖 Variations
    • 🔪 Equipment
    • 🍱 Storage
    • 🎉 Top tip
    • 💭 FAQ
    • 🍳 Recipe

    ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe

    • They are truly 3 ingredient cookies (woohoo!)
    • No chilling time required
    • Store well in the fridge or freezer
    • Great recipe to bake with kids
    • Easy cleanup

    🌿 Ingredients

    So at this point you're probably wondering, well, just what are the three ingredients (spoiler alert: one is peanut butter), and how can these cookies be so easy?? And here they are:

    • peanut butter
    • brown sugar (white sugar works too; I just prefer the taste of brown!)
    • a large egg
    • bonus ingredient: ½ teaspoon sea salt for sprinkling on top (optional, but highly recommended!)
    Ingredients for 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies on a white marble countertop.

    See recipe card below for exact quantities.

    Yep, that's it! And these simple, flourless peanut butter cookies will work out great if you follow just a few important tips below.

    Tip #1: Salted, creamy no-stir peanut butter works best for this recipe. If you use natural peanut butter instead (the one that you can see the oil separated on top), just make sure you stir in and incorporate all of the oil really well first. I like using creamy peanut butter, but crunchy works too if you like crunchy peanut butter cookies! Also, make sure it has salt added—if not, you'll definitely want to see tip #3 below.

    Tip #2: Once you get the three basic ingredients mixed together, let your cookie dough "set" by leaving it on the countertop for about 10-15 minutes. This lets the sugar incorporate and the consistency to become a bit more solid before you form the cookies.

    Tip #3: Yes, I know I said these are three ingredient peanut butter cookies, but if you happen to have some sea salt on hand, go ahead and sprinkle a little on your cookies just before they go into the oven. Call them 4 ingredient peanut butter cookies, and you can thank me later. 🙂

    📝 Instructions

    Peanut butter cookie dough balls on a stainless steel baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

    Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (This makes for super easy cleanup afterward.)

    Mix the peanut butter, brown sugar and egg together in a large bowl and stir well to incorporate. Let the dough stand and set for 10-15 minutes at room temperature.

    Then, scoop out tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto your baking sheet, leaving a couple inches in between each.

    Close up of peanut butter cookies with a crisscross design on their tops.

    Step 2: Make a crisscross pattern on each ball using the back of a large fork to gently press down on the dough.

    Close up of peanut butter cookies sprinkled with sea salt.

    Step 3: Sprinkle some sea salt over the cookies before they go in the oven. (This is optional, but so delicious!)

    3 ingredient peanut butter cookies on white plate atop a brown table.

    Step 4: Bake for 12-13 minutes or just until the edges start to brown, and then let the cookies stand on the baking sheet for another five minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.

    📋 Substitutions

    As written, this is a gluten free peanut butter cookie recipe (no flour required!) Feel free to make any of the following adjustments as necessary.

    • Peanut butter - salted, creamy no-stir peanut butter works best for this recipe but you could substitute natural peanut butter if you'd like (the kind with oil separated on top when you first open it); just make sure to stir it really well first in order to incorporate all the oil
    • Brown sugar - use white granulated sugar, coconut sugar or maple sugar instead; they're all delicious!
    • Sea salt - this is optional unless the peanut butter you use doesn't have added salt, in which case it is necessary to balance out the sweetness

    📖 Variations

    • Crunchy peanut butter cookies - use crunchy salted, no-stir peanut butter instead of creamy
    • Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies - add up to ½ cup of mini chocolate chips to the batter (mini work better than regular sized to allow for the crisscross design on top)

    🔪 Equipment

    I used the following equipment to make these 3 ingredient cookies:

    • baking sheet
    • parchment paper (optional, for easy cleanup)
    • measuring cups
    • large mixing bowl
    • cooling rack

    🍱 Storage

    Once they're cool, 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies can be stored in the fridge for up to five days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

    🎉 Top tip

    This is one of the best recipes for getting kiddos involved in baking, and the whole family will love them. It's hard to mess anything up, and kids will love to mix the batter together and stamp the balls of dough with a crisscross design.

    Enjoy!

    💭 FAQ

    What are the 3 ingredients in 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies?

    The three ingredients you'll need for simple peanut butter cookies are salted peanut butter, white or brown sugar and an egg.

    What kind of peanut butter works best for 3 ingredient cookies?

    Creamy, no-stir salted peanut butter works best for this recipe, but crunchy peanut butter works too. If you use natural peanut butter, make sure to mix thoroughly first to incorporate the oil and peanuts well.

    Do I need an electric mixer to make these PB cookies?

    No, you don't need any kind of mixer for this recipe; mixing by hand with a spoon works perfectly well.

    Are these peanut butter cookies gluten free?

    Yes; as written, this peanut butter cookie recipe is naturally flourless and gluten free.

    🍳 Recipe

    3 ingredient peanut butter cookies on white plate.

    3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

    These easy, flourless peanut butter cookies are naturally gluten free and require only three simple ingredients (but you'd never know it!)
    5 from 3 ratings
    Print Pin Rate SaveSaved!
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes
    Cooling Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 37 minutes minutes
    Servings: 24 cookies
    Author: Allison

    Equipment

    • baking sheet
    • parchment paper optional, for easy cleanup
    • measuring cups
    • large mixing bowl
    • cooling rack

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup peanut butter (see notes)
    • ⅔ cup packed brown sugar or white sugar
    • 1 large egg
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt optional, but recommended

    Instructions

    • Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
    • Mix: In a large mixing bowl, add the peanut butter, brown sugar and egg and stir well to incorporate. Let the dough stand for at least 10 minutes on the countertop.
    • Bake: Use a tablespoon measure to scoop out balls of dough onto the baking sheet, leaving a couple inches in between each, and then use the back of a large fork to gently press down each cookie, creating a crisscross pattern. Sprinkle the cookies with sea salt (if using) and then bake for 12-13 minutes or just until the edges start to brown. Once out of the oven, let the cookies set on the baking sheet for another five minutes.
    • Enjoy: Carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool, and enjoy! Cookies can be stored in the fridge for up to five days.

    Notes

    Peanut butter: Salted, creamy no-stir peanut butter works best for this recipe. If you use natural peanut butter (the kind with oil separated on top when you first open it), make sure to stir it really well first in order to incorporate all the oil. Crunchy peanut butter works too if you prefer crunchy peanut butter cookies. And if the peanut butter you use doesn't have added salt, you'll want to make sure to sprinkle the optional sea salt on top to balance out the sweetness.
    Storage: 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies can be stored in the fridge for up to five days, or frozen for up to 2 months.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 90kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 99mg | Potassium: 71mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.3mg
    Did you make this recipe?I'd love to know how it turned out! Please rate and leave a comment below, or share a picture on Instagram @onehappydish with the tag #onehappydish.

    More Dessert Recipes

    • Freshly baked apple muffins.
      Apple Muffins
    • Freshly baked banana walnut muffins on a black wire rack.
      Banana Walnut Muffins
    • Mini chocolate chip cookies on a white plate.
      Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Triple chocolate cookies on a white serving plate.
      Triple Chocolate Cookies
    • Facebook
    • X

    Stay updated

    Get new recipes via email.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tim

      November 11, 2024 at 11:51 am

      I will sometimes make these as a "thumbprint" style, slightly flattening the ball with the bottom of a glass and setting a Hershey's kiss into the center, instead of mini chocolate chips. I've never gotten any complaints with the result.

      Reply
      • Allison

        November 11, 2024 at 4:25 pm

        Love this idea Tim; thanks for sharing!!

        Reply
        • Brittny

          November 18, 2024 at 9:02 pm

          5 stars
          Delish! This is wayyyy better than white sugar, I can't believe I have never thought of this. xD

          Reply
          • Allison

            November 19, 2024 at 5:21 pm

            Thanks Brittny! Right?! The brown sugar makes all the difference. 🙂

            Reply
    2. Terri

      January 16, 2024 at 8:07 am

      5 stars
      Could I use coconut brown sugar instead?

      Reply
      • Allison

        January 16, 2024 at 12:02 pm

        Absolutely Terri! I love using coconut sugar for this recipe. 🙂

        Reply
    5 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Headshot of Allison Campbell, food blogger at One Happy Dish.

    Hi, I'm Allison! I love creating fresh, easy recipes with seasonal and fermented foods. Hello, jar of sauerkraut at the back of the fridge: I'm looking at you. ;)

    More about me →

    Banner with image of homemade Instant Pot yogurt.
    Banner with image of smoked salmon scrambled eggs.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About this Food Blog

    • About

    Terms & Conditions

    • Privacy Policy

    Contact Us

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
    Copyright © 2025 One Happy Dish. All rights reserved.

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.