Sometimes we just want a simple and easy sweet treat. Not every dessert has to be an ordeal to make. This is where these easy peanut butter cookies come into play.
Another thing that I love about these cookies is that you don’t make a big mess baking them. You only need 1 mixing bowl, mixer and a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. So the clean is super easy. Who doesn’t love that?
If you are looking for a peanut butter cookie that is a true punch of real peanut butter then this is the recipe for you.
Contents
This peanut butter cookie recipe doesn’t even contain flour. This means that it is gluten-free. Now before you can truly call these gluten-free, I do recommend that you fully read the ingredients on your peanut butter. Some brands do actually put gluten in their recipe.
The cookies will last about 5 to 7 days if stored in an airtight container. If you want to make then last even longer consider freezing the leftovers and thawing a couple at a time as you crave them.
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Can you store the dough?
Yes, you can store the unbaked cookie dough in the fridge for 5 days. You can also create cookie dough balls and freeze them. The frozen dough will keep for about 3 months.
Ingredients needed to make these cookies
You could make this recipe without using all of the ingredients listed below. But after tweaking the recipe quite a bit we settled on these as the best version of these cookies.
- Creamy peanut butter – This is the most important ingredient in this recipe. (You could use crunchy peanut butter for a different texture.)
- White granulated sugar – This is a crucial ingredient and is a must-have. (We have experimented with adding less sugar but have never been happy with the results.)
- 1 large egg – The egg binds the sugar and peanut butter together. (You could experiment with an egg substitute if you have an allergy.)
- Vanilla extract – This is not a requirement for peanut butter cookies but it does enhance the flavor enough that we prefer to use it.
- Baking soda – Adding a pinch of baking soda helps the cookies cook more evenly and makes them a bit fluffier. We appreciate the effect but you could leave this out if you don’t have any on hand. They will still be delicious.
- Salt – Salt isn’t a required ingredient in this cookie recipe but it does enhance the flavor enough that we much prefer the cookie recipe with a pinch of salt. It doesn’t take much to have an impact.
Tips on making these cookies
- While you don’t have to use parchment paper we do highly recommend it. You could also use a silicone baking mat. If you don’t have either of those, be sure to spray your baking pan with a bit of cooking spray. You don’t want those cookies to stick to the plan.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes before serving. This extra time to settle really enhances the recipe.
- Pull the cookies out of the oven when tops start to turn white. They will finish cooking during that 5 minutes after you pull them out of the oven.
- Consider sprinkling coarse sugar on top of the cookies prior to baking.
- A nice variation on this recipe is to use ½ cup of white sugar and ½ c light brown sugar.

This is an easy peanut butter cookie recipe. It only includes 6 ingredients and bakes for 8 to 11 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 c sugar
- 1 c peanut butter
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 t vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix until smooth.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll up balls of dough about the size of a walnut.
- Place the balls on the baking sheet and use a fork to smash down and create a crisscross pattern.
- Bake them for 8-11 minutes.
- Allow them to cool for 5 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 197Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 126mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 1gSugar: 18gProtein: 5g
Fred Campos
Tuesday 30th of June 2020
How long will these cookies last? 5-7 days. Really! Who are you kidding? In my family we are lucky if they last one single day. Super recipe, I think we should forgo regular food and just eat cookies!
Thanks for this, peanut butter cookies are DEFINITELY one of my favorites!