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Chewy and Easy 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Perfectly chewy cookies packed with peanut butter flavor and made with only 4 simple pantry ingredients.

4 ingredient peanut butter cookies

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Welcome peanut butter lovers, are you in need of a sweet treat?   This is an easy recipe that uses a few very simple ingredients from your pantry to come together to make the best chewy peanut butter cookies.

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO BAKE MY PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE RECIPE:

  • Peanut Butter- this is an obvious one.  I prefer to use creamy peanut butter, like smooth Jif of Skippy (something with peanuts and oil in it) though you can use natural peanut butter if you prefer. A Jif or Skippy peanut butter will keep the cookies moist and crisp while natural peanut butter may make for a more dry cookie.
  • A large egg – The Binder
  • Flour – Creates that lovely chewy texture
  • Granulated sugar – Just use traditional white sugar for this recipe
  • Optional ingredients: a pinch of salt, a splash of vanilla extract, or chocolate chunks.

That’s it! No need for butter. These cookies break the usual cookie rules!

How to make the best 4-ingredient peanut butter cookies

Grab a large mixing bowl and we’ll quickly assemble the cookie dough. No stand mixer is required.  I used a hand mixer for extra ease but a bowl and wooden spoon work just as well.

In a large bowl beat together the peanut butter and sugar.

4 ingredient peanut butter cookies

It’s natural for the dough to be a little crumbly, just not dry. It’ll be easy to press and shape the dough.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or, in a pinch, lightly grease the pan with butter just to ensure the cookies don’t stick.

I like to make big peanut butter cookies about 3.5″ across, but you can make smaller walnut sized cookies if you prefer.  Just reduce the baking time to about 10-12 minutes.

For the classic peanut butter cookie look, press on the center of each cookie with the tines of a fork to make a criss-cross pattern.

4 ingredient peanut butter cookies

Bake in the upper third of the preheated oven until a bit golden around the edges and on the bottoms.  The cookies will seem soft coming out of the oven but crisp up as they cool.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet and serve with a big glass of milk!

CAN THIS PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE RECIPE BE FROZEN?

Yes absolutely! Shape cookie dough into balls and use a fork to create a crisscross on the centers of the cookie balls. Freeze the cookie dough balls side-by-side on a baking sheet until frozen through then store in a freezer bag.  Bake from frozen for 2-3 minutes longer.  Thaw at room temperature and then bake as usual.

Cookie dough can also be refrigerated for up to three days before baking.

How should extra peanut butter cookies be stored?

Extra cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Can these cookies be made gluten-free?

Yes, these can be made as flourless peanut butter cookies by simply omitting the flour.  The texture won’t be quite as chewy but it will work, and the 3 ingredient cookies are still quite delicious!

4 ingredient peanut butter cookies

Printable Recipe Card

Chewy and Easy 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

A simple recipe for perfectly chewy cookies packed with peanut butter flavor and made with only 4 pantry ingredients.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings 8 Giant Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Peanut Butter
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup Flour
  • 1 cup Granulated sugar
  • Optional ingredients: a pinch of salt a splash of vanilla extract, or chocolate chunks or chips.

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F
  • Grab a bowl and we’ll quickly assemble the cookie dough. No stand mixer is required. I used electric hand beaters for extra ease but a bowl and wooden spoon work just as well.
  • In a large bowl beat together the peanut butter and sugar.
  • It’s natural for the dough to be a little crumbly, just not dry. It’ll be easy to press and shape the dough into small walnut-sized balls.
  • Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, a silicone baking mat, or, in a pinch, lightly grease the pan with butter to ensure the cookies don’t stick
  • Use a cookie scoop or two spoons to make cookie dough balls. I use a large cookie scoop because I like huge peanut butter cookies. If you use a smaller scoop, reduce the cooking time to 10-12 minutes.
  • For the classic peanut butter cookie look, press on the center of each cookie with the tines of a fork to make a criss-cross pattern.
  • Bake in the upper third of the preheated oven until just golden around the edges and split in pleasing cracks across the top about 15 minutes. The cookies will seem soft and break apart when they first come out of the oven but they will crisp up as they cool.
  • Let the cookies cool completely on the cookie sheet and then they are ready to serve.

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