No flour? No problem, you can still make cookies with this easy 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies recipe!
I call these cookies Mother Hubbard Cookies because they are what I make when the cupboards are bare. These peanut butter cookies are fast, easy, and only use 3 ingredients: peanut butter, sugar, and an egg. They are perfect for when you want to make a quick treat for unexpected company.
We like to roll our peanut butter cookie dough balls in sugar before flattening them with a fork. If you roll them in sugar, you don’t have to grease the pan. If you don’t want to take the time to do this extra step, then you can grease the baking sheet instead.
This recipe can be doubled or tripled easily. If you choose to make a large batch, you can freeze the extra cookies in an air-tight freezer bag for up to 6 months.
This flourless peanut butter cookie recipe originated in the great depression when staples were sometimes scarce. Two more cookie recipes that can be made without flour are Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies and Flourless Chocolate Cookies.
Because this recipe doesn’t use flour or butter, these peanut butter cookies are naturally gluten-free and dairy-free making them a frugal treat for those who have to avoid gluten and dairy.
3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
This makes 2 dozen peanut butter cookies.
Ingredients:
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup sugar + extra sugar for rolling cookie dough balls
- 1 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
Directions:
-
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease the cookie sheets if not rolling the cookies in sugar.
- In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients together until they are well blended.
- If you like smaller, softer cookies, refrigerate the dough for an hour before moving on to step 4. If you like larger, crunchier cookies, proceed immediately to step 4.
- Drop Tablespoon size balls onto the cookie sheet into a bowl of sugar, and roll to coat.
- Place the cookie dough on a baking sheet. Flatten the cookie dough with a fork.
- Bake for 12 – 14 minutes or until golden brown.
- Place the cookie sheet on a cooling rack for several minutes, then remove the cookies and let them finish cooling on the cookie rack.
Variations on 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies:
- Add 1/2 – 1 cup of nuts
- Add 1/2 – 1 cup of chocolate chips
- Substitute another nut butter for the peanut butter
- Substitute sunflower seed butter for peanut butter
- Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips and coat the baked (and cooled) cookies in the melted chocolate covering one-half of each cookie.
Printable Recipe for 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup peanut butter smooth or chunky
- extra sugar for rolling cookie dough balls
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease the cookie sheets if not rolling the cookies in sugar.
- In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients together until they are well blended.
- If you like smaller, softer cookies, refrigerate the dough for an hour before moving on to step 4. If you like larger, crunchier cookies, proceed immediately to step 4.
- Drop Tablespoon size balls on to the cookie sheet into a bowl of sugar, roll to coat.
- Place the cookie dough on a baking sheet. Flatten the cookie dough with a fork.
- Bake for 12 – 14 minutes or until golden brown.
- Place cookie sheet on a cooling rack for several minutes, then remove the cookies and let them finish cooling on the cookie rack.
More Easy Cookie Recipes:
Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies
What are your favorite desserts to make when your cupboards are bare?
Alea says
That sounds delicious! I will give it a try this weekend.
Anonymous says
Our favorite recipe is very similar: 1 cup pb, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 12 oz bag chocolate chips. I bake them in a pan like brownies.
Alea says
Melissa and Elizabeth – I am so glad that you liked this recipe! Melissa, I like your idea of using a cookie stamp. I bet your cookies look great!
Elizabeth says
I made this for dessert tonight. Quick and easy to make. They taste great.
Rebecca says
If it wasn't 91° here right now, I might be tempted to make these tonight. I can hardly believe they would turn out, so I am motivated by Melissa's comment that they were great. Of course, not that I don't trust you, Alea… 🙂
Angela says
Wow. That is awesome- I can't wait to try the recipe- thanks!
Melissa says
These cookies turned out great! Thanks!
Alea says
Angela- Ground nuts are often used as a flour substitue in gluten free baking. You do not need to add oils because the ground nuts already contain it and they nut flours do not require much if any baking soda.
Angela says
I'm definitely going to make these for my husband this weekend- I'm just wondering why they don't need any flour, baking soda, or baking powder.
Sheila says
I love peanut butter cookies but had no idea they could be that simple to make. I will definitely try these!! Thanks for sharing.
Annie Jones says
I've seen them called Depression Cookies, too. Good recipe!
Melissa says
Ooh, I hope to try these today! My husband gave me a set of cookie stamps for Mother's Day, and I'm looking for a non-shortbread recipe that I can use with them. Thanks for the easy recipe!