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These 4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies have a rich peanut butter flavor and are SO EASY to make. I love that they’re naturally gluten-free, and can be made vegan, too!
How to Make 4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
These cookies are made with just 4 ingredients you probably already have on hand. I use coconut sugar as a low-glycemic option compared to white sugar, and all-natural peanut butter for maximum peanut butter flavor, but you can use any variety you happen to have.
Pair those two ingredients with an egg and baking soda, and you’ve got the easiest cookies ever. I also recommend adding an extra pinch of salt, especially if you’re using unsalted peanut butter, but that’s optional.
Peanut Butter Cookies without Eggs
If you are vegan or have an egg allergy, you can also make these 4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies without using eggs. You can use a flax egg instead!
To make a flax egg, simply stir together 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds with 3 tablespoons of water. The mixture will begin to “gel” and thicken up in about 10 minutes, and then you can use it in place of an egg in this recipe. The resulting cookies are a little softer and more fragile, but that’s exactly how I like my cookies.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you like the combination of peanut butter + chocolate (like my husband does!) you can also add a few dark chocolate chips to this recipe, if you like. I just press the chocolate chips into the tops of the cookies, right before baking.
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1 egg (or a flax egg; see notes)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter, coconut sugar, egg, and baking soda. Add a pinch of salt, if desired. (If using unsalted peanut butter, add at least 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of fine salt to compensate.)
- Drop the cookie dough by the tablespoon onto the lined baking sheet, then use a fork to flatten them in a criss-cross shape. Once all of the cookies have been flattened, bake them until lightly golden, about 10 to 12 minutes at 350ºF.
- Let the cookies cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. These cookies can be served at room temperature, or place them in the freezer to firm up even more. My husband likes to eat them straight from the freezer for a crispy texture.
- Store the cookies at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge or freezer for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Per cookie: Calories: 92, Fat: 6g, Carbohydrates: 6g, Fiber: 0g, Protein: 3g
Recipe Notes:
- To make these cookies egg-free, use a flax egg. (Or chia egg!) Combine 1 tablespoon of ground seeds with 3 tablespoons of water, and let them “gel” for about 10 minutes before using in this recipe.
- You can use any other nut-butter you like for this recipe, such as almond butter or sunflower seed butter. (Sunflower butter might turn green in the center, as a result of a safe chemical reaction with baking soda.)
- Prefer to use another sweetener? Try my Flourless Peanut Butter Honey Cookies or Date-Sweetened Peanut Butter Cookies instead.
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Reader Feedback: Have you tried these cookies? Let me know what you think about them in the comments below! And if you make any modifications, please let us know how that worked out for you, too. We can all benefit from your experience.
Loved making these, any tips on how I can make them using cookie cutters? Kids want it for christmas 🙂
can you use chunky peanut butter? It has no salt and from trader joes.
These cookies turned out delicious! I used honey, instead of coconut sugar, and they turned out pillowy and fluffy but still had a slight crunch around the edges. I couldn’t use a fork to flatten them, though, because the batter was too sticky, even after refrigerating. I suspect this is because I used honey, instead of sugar. The other modification I made was adding 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract because I love a subtle hint of vanilla in my cookies.
In any case, they turned out delicious, and my 5-year-old devoured three in one sitting, so we know your recipe is a win! I see now that you have a honey version of this recipe available, so I will look into that for next time.
Well it did not taste like cookie. I tasted burnt and not peanut buttery
I absolutely love these cookies. The recipe is super flexible: I cut the sugar in half, sometimes i add a bit of honey instead, and i like to add some oat flour to make them rise a bit more. I’ve also added rolled oats and raisins, or made these into spice cookies… this is a base from which to do literally anything!
Delicious! Big hit with my five and ten-year old grandkids. Great for my diabetic husband and grandchild. I just put 5 chocolate morsels on top.
Want to learning how to make peanut butter
YUM! I just made these with my kids using the vegan eggs, and they turned out SO good. I love that the coconut sugar makes them lightly sweet, and how they pack so much peanut butter flavor. We’ll definitely be making these again and again!
Super easy to make and deliciously peanut buttery! You really have to make sure everything is combined. My peanut butter was a little thick so i really got in there to mix it. I made my first batch with an egg..the texture was really good. Not too crisp, but just enough. I put some chocolate chips on a few of them.. good call for when I need a little of that. My daughter is vegan and GF… can’t wait to try the vegan version and compare the difference.
I made these cookies yesterday. I haven’t had peanut butter cookies in years. I loved how easy & quick this recipe is & the cookies are delicious! I mixed the chocolate chips into the dough (just a few & then topped them with a couple more. Will more than likely make these again.