• Home
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
  • Blog
  • Prep-Ahead Meals Cookbooks
  • Recipes
  • Lifestyle
  • Gardening
  • Kid’s Activities
  • Gluten-Free Recipes
  • Budgeting Tips
↑

Premeditated Leftovers™

Prep-Ahead Meals, Cooking Tips, and Frugal Living

  • Cookbooks
    • Prep-Ahead Breakfasts and Lunches
    • Prep-Ahead Meals From Scratch
  • Recipe Index
  • Members Area
    • Member Login
    • Join Us
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Recipes
  • Gluten-Free Recipes
  • Lifestyle
  • Garden
  • DIY
  • Kids
  • Budget

You are here: Home / Recipes and Cooking Tips / 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

July 15, 2015 by Alea Milham 34 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.
13879 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
easy 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies recipe
easy 3 ingredient flour-less peanut butter cookies recipe

No flour? No problem, you can still make cookies with this easy 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies recipe!

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies - These quick and easy peanut butter cookies use peanut butter, egg, and sugar and can be baked in less than 15 minutes.

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.

making flour-less peanut butter cookies with only 3 ingredients

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

Ingredients:

  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup sugar + extra sugar for rolling cookie dough balls
  • 1 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)

Directions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease the cookie sheets if not rolling the cookies in sugar.
    2. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients together until they are well blended.
    3. 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.
    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.
    5. 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. Makes 2 dozen.

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

5.0 from 1 reviews
3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
 
Print
Prep time
5 mins
Cook time
15 mins
Total time
20 mins
 
Easy flourless peanut butter cookies using only peanut butter, sugar, and an egg.
Author: Alea
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Serves: 24
Ingredients
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
  • extra sugar for rolling cookie dough balls
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease the cookie sheets if not rolling the cookies in sugar.
  2. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients together until they are well blended.
  3. 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.
  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.
  5. 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. Makes 2 dozen.
3.5.3251

3 ingredient peanut butter cookies

More Easy Cookie Recipes:

Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

Chai Spiced Meringues

Egg-Free Almond Cookies

Flourless Chocolate Cookies

What are your favorite desserts to make when your cupboards are bare?

13879 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

About Alea Milham

Alea Milham is the owner of Premeditated Leftovers and the author of Prep-Ahead Meals from Scatch. She shares her tips for saving money and time while reducing waste in her home. Her favorite hobby, gardening, is a frugal source of organic produce for her recipes. She believes it is possible to live fully and eat well while spending less.

Comments

  1. chris yeah a cool gluten free cookie I'm excited says

    February 15, 2012 at 9:17 am

    Thanks a new gluten free recipe my grandaughter will love.

    Reply
  2. Heidi says

    January 24, 2012 at 11:13 am

    I wonder if they would turn out okay if I used Splenda instead of sugar? Has anyone tried it?

    Reply
    • Alea says

      January 24, 2012 at 11:20 am

      I haven’t tried it, but I would also love to hear from someone who has.

      Reply
  3. Porch Days says

    July 15, 2010 at 1:47 am

    Can a recipe really be this simple? Have to try it!

    Reply
  4. gnee says

    June 27, 2010 at 3:30 pm

    1,2,3, what a snap! I've got to try these…never seen such a simple recipe before and your cookies look delicious!

    Reply
  5. Dave says

    June 26, 2010 at 10:56 pm

    Great recipe, I think I need to buy some more peanut butter!

    Reply
  6. Melinda says

    June 26, 2010 at 3:29 pm

    These do looks incredibly easy! I have 4 extra girls here for the weekend – sounds like a fun baking project!

    Reply
  7. Alea says

    June 25, 2010 at 7:58 pm

    Mama Eva, Great advice on reducing the sugar when using PB that contains sugar. Thanks for the suggestion to use other nut butters. I think this recipe would be delicious with almond butter!

    Reply
  8. ButterYum says

    June 25, 2010 at 4:34 pm

    What could be easier?!! Going onto my baking list for the week. Thanks for posting such a cool recipe.

    Happy Foodie Friday!
    🙂
    ButterYum

    Reply
  9. Struggler says

    June 25, 2010 at 3:37 pm

    Awesome! Who knew just 3 ingredients could make cookies? Love this!

    Reply
  10. Mama Eva says

    June 25, 2010 at 11:20 am

    WOW! This is the recipe I use! It is so easy, the kids can help and they are done so quick! I have used peanut butter that is just ground nuts (like from the deli at my grocery store), and I have used stuff like Peter Pan peanut butter and both are great. Though I would suggest if it is a brand with lots of additives (like sugar or molasses), then use less than 1 cup of sugar in the recipe. I think it also works with stuff like Sunbutter or almond butter, for those with peanut allergies 😉

    Reply
  11. Alea says

    June 25, 2010 at 4:20 am

    Melodie, The recipe actually makes a crunchy cookie. I always bake with organic (no sugar added) peanut butter.

    Reply
  12. Melodie says

    June 25, 2010 at 4:01 am

    I've never heard of these easy-peasy cookies. I will have to give them a go! Are they soft? I am going to assume so since there is no flour. Can I use all natural PB? I hope so….. I invite you to come and link up at my Vegetarian Foodie Fridays carnival if you'd like too. I'd love to have you. Thanks! I'm at http://www.breastfeedingmomsunite.com

    Reply
« Older Comments
Newer Comments »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Rate this recipe:  
Prep-Ahead Breakfasts and Lunches by Alea Milham

Search

Prep-Ahead Meals from Scratch Where to Buy

Recent Articles:

Granola-Coated-Caramel-Apples

Granola Coated Caramel Apple

lemon rice krispie treats recipe - a no-bake dessert

Lemon Meringue Rice Krispie Treats

baked goat cheese marinara dip recipe

Baked Goat Cheese Marinara Dip

BROWSE:

  • Blog
  • Cookbooks
  • Recipe Index
  • Members Area

ABOUT:

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure

Welcome. I'm Alea!

On Premeditated Leftovers I share simple recipes made with whole foods, practical shopping tips, time saving techniques, and meal planning strategies. I also share tips for minimizing food waste, so more of the food that is purchased ends up on the table.

While volunteering as a budget counselor, I realized that food is the element of most people’s budgets where they have the greatest control. I set out to develop low-cost recipes from scratch to prove it’s possible to create delicious meals on a limited budget. Eating well while spending less is about more than just creating recipes using inexpensive ingredients; it’s about creatively combining ingredients so you don’t feel deprived and are inspired to stick to your budget.

Copyright ©2022, Premeditated Leftovers™. All Rights Reserved.
Design by Pixel Me Designs
13879 shares