These 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies are soft, chewy and packed with peanut butter flavor. They taste like classic peanut butter cookies but require far less effort.
***This recipe was first published in 2018 and updated August 27, 2020 with new photos and tips.***
You can make extra-soft, irresistibly chewy peanut butter cookies with just three ingredients: peanut butter, sugar, and one egg. They’re never greasy and have a perfect salty-sweet balance. This simple recipe is ideal when you want a quick treat without a lot of fuss.
How to Make 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
The recipe is straightforward. You’ll need:
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 3/4 cup sugar (up to 1 cup for sweeter cookies)
- 1 large egg
Combine the peanut butter, sugar and egg in a bowl. Stir by hand with a spoon or use an electric mixer; the mixture will look slightly grainy but will bake into smooth cookies. Scoop dough into balls about one tablespoon each, place them on a lined baking sheet, and gently press the tops with a lightly greased fork.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 8–10 minutes, or until the tops look set. You can roll the dough balls in sugar before baking or sprinkle coarse salt or chopped peanuts on top after they come out of the oven. For thicker cookies, chill the dough balls 15–30 minutes before baking.
Tip: Different brands or varieties of peanut butter can affect spread. I’ve noticed cookies spread more with thinner peanut butters and remain thicker with firmer, stabilized brands.
Questions, Tips & Substitutions
- I recommend smooth, American-style peanut butter (for example Skippy, Jif or similar). Natural peanut butter can be more temperamental for baking; if using it, stir very well before measuring.
- Crunchy peanut butter works fine if you prefer texture.
- This method works with many stabilized nut butters, such as almond or sunflower butter. Avoid nut butters with a lot of separated oil on top unless you re-emulsify them thoroughly.
- Sugar can be swapped for brown sugar or palm sugar for a richer, caramel note. Do not replace the sugar with liquid sweeteners (honey, agave, or maple syrup) — the dough will be too loose and the cookies will spread excessively.
- If cookies spread too thin, refrigerate the shaped dough for 30 minutes before baking.
These cookies are quick (no mixer required), take less than 30 minutes from start to finish, and make a great gluten-free option when using gluten-free peanut butter. They store well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days.
Equipment
- cookie tray
Ingredients (yields ~18 cookies)
- 1 cup peanut butter*
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup sugar*
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the peanut butter, egg and sugar until smooth. This can be done by hand or with an electric mixer.
- Form the dough into balls about 1 tablespoon each.
- Place the balls 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets and lightly press the top of each cookie with a fork to flatten slightly.
- Bake 8–10 minutes or until the tops look set. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- Smooth, stabilized peanut butter works best. Natural or homemade peanut butter may give different results unless thoroughly stirred.
- For sweeter cookies use 1 cup sugar. Brown sugar gives a deeper flavor. Do not use liquid sweeteners instead of sugar.
- If cookies spread too thin, chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking. Different peanut butter brands and countries can produce varying dough consistencies.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Nutrition estimates are approximate and based on 18 equal-sized cookies.
Nutrition (per cookie, approximate)
Calories: 121 kcal, Carbohydrates: 11 g, Protein: 4 g, Fat: 7 g, Sugar: 10 g
These three-ingredient peanut butter cookies are a simple, reliable recipe that delivers soft, chewy cookies with minimal effort.
