These 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies are easy peanut butter cookies made with simple pantry ingredients for a quick cookie. They are also egg-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free.
I love making super easy cookies and nothing is easier than peanut butter cookies. While I already have many recipes, like my Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies, Chickpea Peanut Butter Cookies, or Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies. But today, I wanted a simpler and yet healthy recipe.
These cookies are made with just 3 ingredients and still bring 3.5g of net carbs for 115 Calories. They’re a great option for a cookie jar!
Ingredients and Substitutions
You only need 3 ingredients to make these delicious cookies.
- Peanut Butter – Use a fresh, drippy, natural peanut butter with no added sugar or oil. You can also use almond butter for a nutty twist or sunflower seed butter for a nut-free option. Avoid chunky peanut butter, as it will change the texture.
- Maple Syrup – This adds sweetness and moisture to the dough. You can also use agave syrup, coconut nectar, or honey (if not vegan). Avoid regular sugar syrups, as they may make the dough too thick.
- All-Purpose Flour – Flour binds the cookies. You can also use all-purpose gluten-free flour (tested with Bob’s Red Mill). Almond flour can also work but may result in a softer, crumblier texture but the best is to use my Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies. Avoid coconut flour, as it will absorb too much moisture and make the dough dry.
How to Make Peanut Butter Cookies
These cookies are really easy to whip up. Here’s how in pictures.
Combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl until sticky.
Form cookie dough balls and place them on a baking sheet.
Press the cookies with a fork to form a crisscross patter.
Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C).
Carine’s Baking Tips
Let me share a few of my tips to make the best cookies possible.
- Use Fresh, Drippy Peanut Butter: This ensures a smooth dough that is easy to mix and shape. If your peanut butter is too thick, the dough may not hold together well. Stir the jar thoroughly before using.
- Chill the Dough: The dough is naturally sticky, so refrigerating it for 10 minutes makes it easier to handle and shape into balls.
- Work with Oiled Hands and Tools: Lightly oiling your hands and the back of your fork prevents sticking when rolling and pressing the dough.
- For Crispier Cookies: Add ¼ cup of sugar (or your favorite granulated sweetener) to the maple syrup mixture and bake for the full 14 minutes.
- Don’t Overbake: These cookies will look soft when they come out of the oven but firm up as they cool. Let them cool on the baking sheet for at least 30 minutes before transferring to a rack.
- Cool Completely for Best Texture: For the crispiest cookies, refrigerate after cooling at room temperature to let them firm up even more.
Troubleshooting
If you’re still having issues, I have a few tips to fix potential problems!
- Why is my dough too dry? This can happen if your peanut butter isn’t fresh or drippy. Add 1 teaspoon of almond milk or a touch more maple syrup to loosen the dough.
- Why are my cookies too soft? Ensure you chill the dough before shaping and you can also refrigerate the cookies after baking. Also, make sure your oven temperature is accurate; underbaking can leave the cookies too soft.
- Why are my cookies crumbly? This may occur if the flour measurement was too heavy. Scoop the flour lightly into the measuring spoon and level it off to avoid adding too much.
More Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes
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3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup Peanut Butter (Unsalted)
- ¼ cup Maple Syrup
- 2 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
Optional
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ cup Sugar - for crispier cookies
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly oil the paper with cooking oil spray. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, stir peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and sugar if used.
- Add the flour and salt (if used), and stir the mixture for a good minute. It thickens as you stir. It should stay soft and sticky.
- Refrigerate the dough for 10 minutes.
- Scoop one tablespoon of dough and roll it between lightly oiled hands. The dough is soft and sticky. That's normal.
- Release each dough ball on the baking sheet a thumb apart.
- Lightly oil the back of a fork and lightly press the top of each cookie dough ball twice at a 90-degree angle to form a crisscross pattern on top of the cookies.
- Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C) in the center rack of the oven then remove from the oven and do not touch the cookies. Let them cool down for 30 minutes on the sheet.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and refrigerate to firm up even more.
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