3-ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies - 5-Minute Prep - Perfectly Soft and Chewy. (2024)

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These 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies may be the easiest cookie recipe you’ll ever make! Soft and chewy, with no fuss. Ready in less than 20 minutes! Plus, they’re gluten-free too.

3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Ready to make the easiest peanut butter cookie recipe ever? With less than 5 minutes of prep and 10 minutes in the oven, it just doesn’t get easier than this. Plus, they’re soft and chewy – just like you’d expect from any peanut butter cookie. This uses less ingredients than our popular bakery style peanut butter cookies, but still delicious!

My boys always beg for these cookies and I’m always happy to oblige. Not only are they almost effortless to make, they’re just so darn good. I recommend enjoying them warm with a glass of milk. Absolute perfection!

These are great for Christmas too. Every cookie platter needs a good peanut butter cookie and this one certainly fits the bill. It’s a great one to leave out for Santa too. The kids can even help make them.

What You’ll Need

So what are the 3 ingredients you’ll need to make these soft and chewy cookies? Be sure to check the recipe card for the measurements.

• Granulated sugar
• Peanut butter – See notes below for the best peanut butter to use.
• Egg – Gives the shape of the cookie and helps create the soft texture.

What is the best peanut butter to use for cookies?

You will want to use the basic creamy peanut butter that we all grew up on, like Jif and Skippy. I would not recommend using natural peanut butter that has the oil to mix in. The newer peanut butters will make the cookies too crumbly, so stick with the basics.

How To Make 3-ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

This is truly the easiest cookie recipe you will ever make! You can whip this up so quickly and they taste delicious. This is also a easy recipe to remember – 1 cup of peanut butter, 1 cup of sugar, and 1 egg.

• Combine the ingredients. Mix all three ingredients with a wooden spoon until smooth.
• Form the cookies. Roll heaping tablespoons into a ball. Roll in sugar if desired. Place on a baking sheet and flatten with a fork.
• Bake. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until just slightly browned on the bottom. Transfer to a wire rack after 1 minute. Enjoy.

Tips for Success

Here are a few tips to making the softest, chewiest cookies.

• Avoid natural peanut butter. As noted above, for the best cookies you’ll want to use regular creamy peanut butter, not natural.
• Roll the dough in sugar. Though it’s not necessary, I like to roll the balls of dough in a bit of sugar before placing them on the cookie sheet. It just adds an extra bit of texture.
• Flatten the cookies. These cookies do need to be flattened with a fork in a cross pattern, as they won’t spread properly or cook fully otherwise.
• Do not overbake. Keep an eye on the cookies after 10 minutes, to prevent overbaking. They should be firm to the touch and beginning to brown on the edges.
• Customize the peanut butter cookies.Add some chocolate or white chocolate chips, ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract, an additional egg (for a softer cookie), or a sprinkle of sea salt on top.

How to Store

Peanut butter cookies will stay soft and fresh for up to 5 days. Just keep them stored on the container in an airtight container.

Can You Freeze 3 ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies?

YES! After you bake them, let them cool completely. Place them in an airtight container with a piece of parchment paper in between the layers. You can also place them in freezer bags. Freeze for up to3 months. When ready to serve, thaw overnight on the counter or in the fridge.

More Peanut Butter Desserts:

• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Fudge
• The BEST Peanut Butter Blossoms
• 4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Balls
• Peanut Butter Pie Cups
• No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie
• Peanut Butter S’mores Cookie
• Homemade Nutter Butters