You won't believe how easy these rich, chewy 4 ingredient peanut butter cookies are. These flourless cookies are naturally gluten-free and ready in just minutes!
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🤎 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This recipe is so incredibly simple. It's fantastic if you need a really easy cookie recipe (hello, Christmas baking with kids!).
- You will get a huge dose of peanut butter flavor in each bite of these cookies.
- They're super rich and cakey - no hard, flat cookies here. You'll get just a little bit of a crunch on the outside, with a warm and fluffy inside. Serve these warm - they're to die for with a big glass of milk.
- Because we're not using flour, these peanut butter cookies are naturally gluten-free!
🥜 Ingredients & Variations
- 1 cup peanut butter - I prefer using creamy peanut butter in this recipe, making for a super smooth cookie. If you want to add a little bit of a crunch, substitute crunchy peanut butter.
- ½ cup powdered sugar - Using powdered/confectioner's sugar in place of granulated sugar will give this recipe a super smooth, chewy texture. If you'd prefer, you can use ¼ cup maple syrup or molasses as a sweetener instead.
- 1 egg - The egg helps hold the cookie together while baking and gives the dough a little bit of lightness; with the egg, your cookie won't be so flat. Want to make these cookies vegan? Skip the egg - the cookies won't rise as much, but they will be extra rich!
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract - This is just to take that flavor to the next level! The vanilla extract really brings out the sweetness of the sugar and the richness of the peanut butter.
Recipe Additions
If you'd like, you can add about ½ cup of any of the following to give your cookies different textures & flavors.
- chocolate chips
- crushed toffee pieces
- oatmeal
- shredded coconut
Another yummy idea is to sprinkle just a little bit of sea salt on the top of each cookie. The sweet/salty flavor combo is perfect in this recipe.
Love peanut-buttery goodness? Give my Fluffernutter Cookies and Waffles with Peanut Butter a try, too! 🥜
👩🏻🍳 How to Make 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
- MIX. In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and egg with a hand mixer until the mixture is smooth.
- SCOOP about 2 tablespoons of the cookie dough and place it on a parchment paper or silicone mat-lined baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart.
- BAKE at 350°F for 10-12 minutes, until the tops and edges begin to brown. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack.
❄️ Leftovers & Storage
STORAGE: No need to refrigerate these cookies after baking - they're just fine stored in an airtight container at room temperature. I recommend enjoying these within 4-5 days of baking (past that point, they tend to get stale).
FREEZING: Place in a freezer bag (with as much air as possible removed) and store in the freezer for up to 6 months after baking. When you're ready to serve them, just thaw and enjoy.
💡 More Helpful Tips & Tricks
- When cookies are removed from the oven, it might look like they haven't formed well. Let them cool for 5-10 minutes on the baking sheet; they should become firm while cooling.
- This recipe yields only about 8 cookies. If needed, you can easily double or even triple the recipe.
❓ Recipe FAQs
More Tasty Cookie Recipes
I hope you love this easy recipe! If you want to tell us what you think, leave a ⭐️ review or comment below. You can also tag me on social media (@lambertslately) with your best cookie pictures. 📸
4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
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Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, combine the peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and egg. Beat until smooth.
- Remove about a 2 tablespoon portion of cookie dough mixture and place on a silicone mat-lined sheet pan. Cookies should be spaced about 2" apart.
- Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until tops and edges of cookies start to brown. Allow cookies to cool for 5-10 minutes on the baking sheet before gently moving to a wire cooling rack.
Notes
- Leftovers can be stored at room temperature and should be enjoyed within 4-5 days of baking cookies.
- This is the perfect cookie to freeze! Place in a freezer bag (with as much air as possible removed) and store in the freezer for up to 6 months after baking. When you're ready to serve them, just thaw and enjoy.
- When cookies are removed from the oven, it might look like they haven't formed well. Let them cool for 5-10 minutes on the baking sheet; they should become firm while cooling.
- This recipe yields only about 8 cookies. If needed, you can easily double or even triple the recipe.
Nutrition Facts
Leslie Lambert is a lifestyle writer and content creator specializing in home organization, family recipes, and intentional living. With 16 years of experience in blogging and digital storytelling, she helps busy women create calm, purposeful homes they love.
