Three basic ingredients come together with ease in this flourless, dairy-free cookie that is sure to become a favorite!
This recipe originally came from my friend Abby, who has a delightful blog called Manila Spoon. Besides being incredibly easy, the cookies are grain- and dairy-free to boot. My gluten-free dad adores them, yet those who can eat wheat flour always rave about them, too.
Over time, I’ve made a few adjustments to the recipe. Though I was smitten with the utter ease and overall outcome of the original recipe, I was willing to overlook a touch of crumbliness given the incredible ease. After the cookies sat for a day, they became firmer–but who wants to wait a day for the perfect cookie?
At the same time, this was a three ingredient recipe. If I starting fussing with it, the ingredient list would likely grow. Perhaps it would be worth it.
As it turned out, the key to success was simple. I needed more binder, but another whole egg was too much. Slightly reducing the amount of peanut butter and sugar, however, served to increase the ratio of egg to those ingredients.
It was the hint of extra binding power that was needed. A secondary perk was less sugar and a sweetness level I preferred.
The texture of these cookies is dense yet soft and chewy, and the edges become a touch crisp. The cookies are sturdy–none of the previous crumbliness–but they do need to fully cool before moving. Soft and hot from the oven, they will be more likely to break.
I should also note that I’ve made these cookies with regular and natural peanut butter. While they both work, the use of regular peanut butter–I tend to use Jif–creates a slightly sturdier cookie as well.
As for the three ingredient mention, my original recipe did offer vanilla and salt as an optional extra. Minor as they are, I think these inclusions subtly elevate the cookies, so I wrote them into the recipe.
If you’re wondering where the baking soda or powder is, there isn’t any. I’ve tried it, but use of a leavener does not fundamentally improve the texture or flavor of the cookie.
And for all those fans of the mini peanut butter cup within the peanut butter cookie, pictured below, this recipe works brilliantly.
Effortless, scrumptious, and versatile. What’s not to love!
A few testing notes and tips:
Should I use natural or regular peanut butter? My preference for these cookies is regular peanut butter, like Jif or Skippy. I have made them with natural peanut butter, and while the recipe works and the cookies taste great, they are somewhat more crumbly, especially when first baked.
Creamy or Crunchy? I tend to use creamy, but you could use crunchy if you prefer the texture.
What type of sugar works best? In my original recipe, I used granulated sugar. I now prefer brown sugar for its hint of molasses flavor and the chewy yet tender texture it produces. Feel free to experiment with both–or use a mix.
I’ve also made this recipe with coconut sugar. The cookies did brown sooner and were not quite as tender as the brown sugar version, but still very good. If using this ingredient, check the cookies a minute or two early.
Do I need to refrigerate the dough? Refrigerating the dough for at least 15 minutes (longer is fine) will make the cookies easier to scoop and they will better retain their shape.
How do I make uniformly shaped cookies? I like to use a 2 to 3 tablespoon cookie scoop, level it off, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. There is no need to flatten the cookies. I used to press them with a fork to make the traditional criss-cross marks, but I’ve found the texture to be slightly better when not flattened.
What is the recipe yield? When using the method above, I get 10 cookies with a diameter of about 2½ inches. For those who like to use a kitchen scale, you’ll want to scoop 42 grams of dough.
How do I make jumbo cookies? The cookies described above are fairly generous, but for bakery-size cookies, scoop the dough into a large ice-cream scoop or quarter cup measure and level off before transferring to the prepared baking sheet. Adjust the baking time up 1-2 minutes, as needed.
Can I use this batter for peanut butter cup cookies? Yes! In this case, I make 20 balls that are about 1-inch in diameter (21 grams each for those who like to use a kitchen scale) and bake according to the recipe, adding a minute or two to the bake time as compared to the store-bought peanut butter cookie dough recommendation.
What is the best baking temperature? I used to bake the cookies at 375℉ and now bake them at 350℉. This way, the thick cookies have time to thoroughly cook through without risk of burning the bottoms.
Did you forget the leavener? No–you don’t need it. The cookies bake beautifully without it, and when used, I’ve found that it didn’t perceptibly change them.
Pro tip #1: Just before baking, sprinkle the cookies with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
Pro tip #2: For added decadence, dip the cooled cookies in melted chocolate. Dark chocolate is my personal favorite, although peanut butter has an affinity for white chocolate as well.
Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup less 2 tablespoons (224g) smooth or crunchy peanut butter*
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup (150g) packed light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (use ⅛ teaspoon if using table salt)
- Optional: flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Storage: The cookies may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days or so, and they may be refrigerated to maintain freshness even longer. The cookies freeze well, too.
Notes
This recipe was first posted on May 15, 2013. ⬇
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