4-Ingredient Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
These 4-ingredient flourless peanut butter cookies may just be the easiest treat you’ll ever bake! They are a little crisp and chewy, with intense peanut butter flavor, and they’re completely addictive.
Cookies as easy as 1-2-3-4— peanut butter, sugar, baking soda, and an egg. That’s it! These tasty peanut butter cookies are naturally gluten-free, but if I didn’t tell you they were flourless you might not have guessed.
My boys used to make these easy peanut butter cookies with me all the time, and now they’re old enough that they don’t even need my help anymore (that’s how EASY they are!). You won’t find a simpler cookie recipe, and kids and adults are sure to love them! Psst, I also have a flourless peanut butter chocolate chip cookie recipe variation, if that’s more your thing.
Table of Contents
- Yes, just 4 ingredients!
- How to make these easy peanut butter cookies
- Cookie tips & FAQs
- More peanut butter cookie recipes
“These were so delicious, and so easy. I loved that they weren’t overpoweringly sweet. I used Skippy natural peanut butter. I rolled the cookies in coarse sugar before baking. Brought them to my sister after she had a baby, and they were perfect! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐” —from reader Lisa
Yes, just 4 ingredients!
Here’s everything you need to make this easy peanut butter cookie recipe (full recipe at the end of this article):
- Peanut butter
- Brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- Baking soda
Optional flavor boosts: add a splash of vanilla, a sprinkle of salt to the tops of the cookies, or mix in a 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.
baking tip:What is the best peanut butter for baking?
Crunchy or creamy? In many cases the decision is ultimately up to you, though creamy peanut butter is slightly more preferred for a lighter, softer end product. Chunky peanut butter can possibly create drier, more crumbly baked goods.
Traditional or natural-style? Unless stated otherwise, use traditional-processed peanut butter (think Jif, Skippy, etc.) instead of natural peanut butter for the best texture. It is possible to substitute natural-style peanut butter in many recipes, just know the results may be different.
How to make these easy peanut butter cookies
- Mix ingredients in a bowl, no mixer required! Use a spatula or wooden spoon to combine the peanut butter, brown sugar, egg and baking soda to make a uniform dough.
- Portion and flatten with a fork. I like to use a cookie scoop to make sure they’re all the same size, then roll dough into rounds. Make a criss-cross pattern with your fork to flatten the cookie dough balls slightly.
- Bake. Place on a baking sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake in a 350°F oven for about 8-10 minutes.
- Enjoy! And watch how fast these cookies disappear.
Cookie tips & FAQs
- Natural-style peanut butter vs traditional processed peanut butter: I recommend traditional peanut butter because it contains additional oil which will keep the cookies moist. If you use natural-style peanut butter, just know that your cookie may be a bit more dry and crisp.
- Do not over bake! These cookies are done when they look slightly puffed with some cracks. If you wait till the edges are golden brown, the cookies will lose their soft texture and instead will be crisp and crumbly.
- Cookie dough freezes very well. And it’s my favorite hack for fresh cookies whenever I want them. Simply take them out of the freezer, place on a sheet pan, and let them thaw a bit while the oven preheats.
More peanut butter cookie recipes
- Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
- Monster Cookies
- Classic Peanut Butter Cookies
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (270 grams) peanut butter, crunchy or smooth (270 grams)
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter, sugar, baking soda and egg.
- Shape into rounded tablespoons and place on prepared sheet pan. Use the tines of a fork to create a crosshatch pattern.
- Bake until puffed and bottoms are golden, about 8-10 minutes. Let cool on the sheet pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to several days.
This recipe was originally published October 2011.
I used Crunchy Peanut Butter. They came out perfect!
These were so delicious, and so easy. I loved that they weren’t overpoweringly sweet. I used Skippy natural peanut butter. I rolled the cookies in coarse sugar before baking. Brought them to my sister after she had a baby, and they were perfect!