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’m a college student with not much in the way of baking ingredients, but I was craving a snack at like 11pm. Substituted granulated for powdered stevia and forgot to flatten them. Also didn’t have parchment paper. Still yummy and perfect for a quick snack when your pantry is empty and you don’t want to run to the store. Any small goofs or changes such as the above still result in what is basically just a simple cookie. It’s not going to rock your world but it’s what you expect from four ingredients and that’s good enough for me.
Yooo don’t use protein peanut butter (like Mayver’s that has peanut flour in the ingredients) they go too crumbly :((
I like to eat peanut butter cookies at my leisure period of time.You may visit this website to know how to write unique articles with your recipe’s description.
I love these cookies! They’re fast, easy, and great for lactose intolerant folks (like my boyfriend, who begs me to make them for him again constantly) Thanks! 🙂
Just an update – did make these tonight. My husband told our daughters (with a sly look on his face) that they really wouldn’t like them and they shouldn’t have ANY of them. LOL… 😉
Yes, we’ll be making these again!
Erika
Cuisinart 12 cup food processor
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, thanks for letting me know!
This is perfect for tonight! I’m roasting a chicken, so I’ll have plenty of time to whip this up and toss them in the oven with the bird. We are peanut butter fans, and we eat and cook gluten free at home. Nothing we need to replace or adapt here! Thanks for such an easy indulgence 🙂
Erika
Cuisinart 12 cup food processor
I like baking like I like my one night stands … Quick , easy and fun (; Thanks for the recipe , these cookies were tasty !
You can't go wrong with flourless PB cookies! The only problem is I eat them all since Josh is allergic:)
Love the simplicity. Perfect for a lazy baking day, in my case! Thanks for the inspiration!
Bookmarked! These look great for the weekend.
Just made 'em. Added about a cup of unsweetened coconut for extra deliciousness. They're awesome–this recipe is totally a keeper for cool nights when I'm low on time and my pantry's low on ingredients!
omg I"m in heaven!
These look delicious! I love peanut butter anything but my hubby doesn't…hmm, wonder if i'll be able to win him over with these divine looking things!
Fantastic! I love how easy it is to make these cookies, and they still taste so yummy. 🙂
I am always so surprised when I see flourless cookies and they really look like there is flour in them. Ok, I am making these – your pictures look so yummy!