These chewy, dense, Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies are an unforgettable memory from my childhood. 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies are a classic cookie; just an egg, a cup of peanut butter and a cup of sugar. If you’re hanging out with me on Snapchat or Instagram, the odds are good that you’ve seen me make these a time or two.
After you’ve made them once, the recipe will be forever in your memory too. When I was in high school, I remember stirring a batch of these together with a girlfriend in the middle of the night. There is nothing like being able to satisfy a sweet tooth craving on a moment’s notice! We sat and nibbled on the warm cookies and talked half the night.
In less time than it takes to preheat the oven, you can have these ready and waiting to bake on a tray. There are plenty of variations here and I’ve played with the recipe a bit in the past. In the end, I keep going back to the original. I love it for its simplicity. Follow me on Pinterest for all of my favorite easy dessert recipes.
Feel free to add a teaspoon of vanilla, an additional egg (for a gooier cookie – see note in recipe), a pinch of sea salt or a handful of chocolate chips, the cookies are delicious as written or with the extra ingredients. I do not recommend using a natural peanut butter for this recipe. I’ve found that a commercial peanut butter, i.e. Jiff or Skippy will work best for these cookies.
Pin this recipe now, so you’ll have it when you need it. For more easy dessert recipes, check out these {5 Ingredient} Coconut Lovers Oatmeal Cookies, the {6 Ingredient} Cranberry Christmas Cake, and these {5 Ingredient} Almond Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies.
I’m always looking for more simple dessert recipes to try. These Easy Double Chocolate Nutella Cookies and these Easy Shortbread Cookies (made with a cookie press) are both on my to-bake list now. These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies are amazing with a cup of coffee or glass of milk, I need to add them to my list to make again sooner than later.
Do you have a favorite super easy cookie recipe? If so, I’d love to hear about it!
Check out all of the Gluten Free Dessert Recipes on this website!
Kitchen Tip: I use these mixing bowls, this spatula, and this baking sheet to make this recipe.
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 egg
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Stir the ingredients together until smooth. Scoop onto a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet. (Roll into 1" balls with your hands, if you do not have a scoop.) Press down with the back of a fork and then press again from the opposite direction, to form the criss-cross pattern on top.
- These cookies will not spread at all. You can bake the full recipe on a single tray if you would like. Bake for 12 minutes and then let cool on the tray for 1-2 minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!
I like to remove about 2 tablespoons of peanut butter from the "cup" listed in this recipe. This results in a slightly less dense cookie that everyone loves even more than the original. Alternatively, some readers have mentioned that they like to add an extra egg to this recipe. If you choose to add an extra egg, simply scoop the finished cookie dough onto the baking tray. It will not be firm enough to roll into balls or press with a criss-cross pattern. The cookies will be puffier straight out of the oven and then will settle a bit as they cool.
(originally published 08/14/2013 – photos and recipe notes updated 04/1/17)
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