Skip to Content

3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Sharing is caring!

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies are one of the easiest and tastiest cookies you can make! If you love peanut butter cookies, this easy 3 ingredient recipe is sure to become one of your favorites. The simplicity of the recipe itself is what makes these the best peanut butter cookies which can be served two different ways! 

 

 

The classic criss cross version and the peanut butter kiss cookie version!  There’s a good chance you have everything you need already and can whip these up today!  

I love curling up with a cup of Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix and a plate of peanut butter kiss cookies during the winter. There is something soothing about the combination of peanut butter and chocolate right?! 

And when you’re only using three ingredients, these cookies are hard to mess up! This recipe not only has just three ingredients but it’s also a low sodium cookie recipe!  There is no salt in the recipe, especially if you use a no salt natural peanut butter!

Everyone loves both the classic 3 ingredient cookies and peanut butter kiss cookies. Luckily, you only need this one easy peanut butter cookie recipe to accomplish both! This 3 ingredient peanut butter blossoms cookie is a winner with time, ingredients and flavor!

 

 

Peanut Butter Cookie Ingredients:   

  • Peanut Butter:  Using creamy peanut butter is best for this easy peanut butter cookie recipe. Sadly, natural peanut butters can sometimes be a bit too oily for this simple recipe so I suggest using the traditional store version which will make the cookies soft instead of crumbly. 
  • Sugar: Just plain white sugar is the way to go! This vital ingredient is what makes these 3 ingredient cookies sweet and delicious. 
  • Egg: The egg provides the structure for these cookies.

 

  •  

How to Make 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies: 

  1. Make the Batter!  With only 3 ingredients, these cookies are hard to mess up!  Naturally gluten free, you’ll be surprised at how easy and delicious these turn out!
  2. Determine the Type of Cookie – Do you want classic peanut butter cookies with the criss crossed fork marks, or peanut butter blossom type with a Hershey kiss?  If you can’t decide I say make BOTH!  
  3. Enjoy!  Eat these fresh out of the oven or with a cup of Candy Bar Hot Chocolate!

 

 

Make these 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies yours: 

Even though this easy peanut butter cookie recipe only calls for three ingredients, sometimes I feel fancy and want to add in something a little extra. These are my favorite things to add in: 

  • A little vanilla extract: This will enhance the flavor of the peanut butter, and makes the cookies just a little sweeter.
  • Salt: Want to bring out the nuttier side of these 3 ingredient cookies? Add a pinch of salt to the mix! Salt adds just enough of an extra power punch to this already rich cookie.  
  • Chocolate Chips: What’s the only way to make the best peanut butter cookie better? More Chocolate! Add some chocolate chips to your cookie dough and then you can enjoy chocolate in every bite. 
  • Peanut Butter Cups instead of a Hershey Kiss!
  • Rolo – Wrap your cookie dough around a Rolo for a caramel-filled peanut butter cookie!

 

 

How do you know when Peanut Butter Cookies are done cooking? 

When the cookies start to have a light tan around their edges, they are ready to come out of the oven! Don’t wait for them to turn golden brown. 6-8 minutes in the oven should be plenty of time.  I suggest trusting the recipe for your first batch in the oven, then adjusting your cooking time accordingly! Remember to let the cookies rest for 5 minutes to firm up before taste testing them. 

 

 

Why do peanut butter cookies have fork marks? 

Even though these 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies don’t have much in them, peanut butter cookie dough is actually denser than other cookie doughs. By pressing them down with the back of your fork, the baking area is spread out for more even baking.  

 

 

Is peanut butter gluten free? 

Yes! Peanut butter is gluten free. If you’re gluten sensitive, or just aiming to live a gluten-free lifestyle, these 3 ingredient cookies are ideal. Baking gluten free can be a real challenge! But this easy peanut butter cookie recipe won’t upset your stomach. Yay! 

 

 

Can dogs eat peanut butter cookies?  

Actually, yes! If you want to share the best peanut butter cookies with your four legged friend, make sure to leave out any chocolate. You shouldn’t let your dog eat too many cookies, but go ahead and give them one! It is totally fine for them to enjoy them with you in moderation. (You can help yourself to as many as you’d like, of course) 

Can I make these 3 ingredient Peanut Butter cookies vegan? 

Yes, but they might turn out a little more crumbly than the non-vegan way. If you’re looking to replace the egg for these 3 ingredient cookies, flax egg is the best substitute for baking. 

 

 

3 Ingredient Recipes You’ll Love…

 

 

Peanut Butter Recipes You’ll Love…

 

 

These are simply the best peanut butter cookies around. It is a beautiful bonus that they are easy to make and only 3 ingredients! Whether you stick to the classic 3 ingredient cookies or decide to add a kiss, it is practically impossible to mess up this easy peanut butter cookie recipe. 

 

Yield: 2 Dozen Cookies

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies - close up of cookies on platter

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies - If you love peanut butter cookies, you should try this classic three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookie recipe. Perfect for traditional PB cookies or Peanut Butter Blossoms. 

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Total Time 11 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Peanut Butter
  • 1 Cup Sugar
  • 1 Egg

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350*F
  2. In a bowl, mix peanut butter, sugar and egg.
  3. If doing the Kiss method, roll dough into 1 Tablespoon sized balls and place on a prepared cookie sheet.
  4. If doing traditional peanut butter cookie method, roll 1 Tablespoon sized ball of dough in sugar and place on prepared cookie sheet.
  5. Take a fork and press criss-cross pattern into cookie.
  6. Bake both styles of cookies for 6 - 8 minutes or until edges are a hint of tan.
  7. If doing kiss cookies, press kiss on top of cookies as soon as you remove from oven.
  8. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes then remove to a cooling rack.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 98Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 54mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1gSugar: 9gProtein: 3g
Originally Posted: January 25, 2016

Photo Updated: February 19, 2019

Text Updated: January 5, 2020

 

Sharing is caring!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Judy

Saturday 1st of July 2023

I must say I was pretty skeptical about this 3 ingredient cookie recipe. It turned out great!! I did add a dash of salt and vanilla to the mix. I will make again.

Janelle

Thursday 28th of September 2023

Thanks Judy. It's been around for AGES and yet always works! So glad you gave it a try and liked it!

Tamara

Saturday 19th of January 2019

Can this dough be frozen for later?

Janelle

Sunday 7th of April 2019

Hi Tamara! I've never tried freezing this dough, so I don't know for sure. However my gut says no. Because there are only 3 ingredients it's a drier dough. However you can freeze them after baking!

Karen

Wednesday 27th of January 2016

I have made these for quite some time and all who eat them are amazed when I tell them. The one thing I have learned is to not use peanut butter that is extra creamy, and I use a little less sugar, 3/4 cup.

Janelle

Saturday 30th of January 2016

Karen, isn't that the truth! Everyone is always amazed at how simple these are! I've never tried extra creamy peanut butter but that is an excellent tip for others. I find that the sugar ratio in these is easy to adjust to ones taste as it has little effect on the actual cookie holding together! Thank you so much for your comments!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Skip to Recipe