The Absolute Best and Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies Ever
3 ingredient peanut butter cookies are truly how peanut butter cookies were meant to be made! This recipe for peanut butter cookies is the one I’ve held on to for 20 years, for good reason! These are the most delicious , simple, and gluten free peanut butter cookies you’ll ever make.
My Slightly Guilty Pleasure… Delicious Homemade Peanut Butter Cookies
Who loves baking peanut butter cookies? Or any cookies for that matter! Baking is awesome and delicious. I was never into baking, only cooking (and I fancy myself a darn good cook!) until I had my first little girl. I learned how to bake as she loved to bake from the age of about two. It’s such a fun, messy, wonderful bonding experience to have with your children. From such a small age they love to scoop, pour, and mix. No, not always the right ingredients; and no, not always in the correct dish (or any dish for that matter); but they adore the experience nonetheless!
Baking was MADE to do with your kids!
Yes, normally there is a monstrous disaster in the end. Even when I continuously clean dishes as we go. The floor and the children and often more things than I even understand usually end up covered in floury substances, but that does not deter me at all! However baking with the littles DEFINITELY makes me simplify recipes. Especially at the toddler age.
I have one recipe that I’ve kept in my mind since childhood. My best childhood friend taught it to me when we were so young I can’t even put an age on the memory… at least two decades ago. I know we had it in my house, handwritten (because that was the only option of coarse), and stored it in our family cookbook accumulation of awesome recipes that sat on the shelf next to The Joy of Cooking. And this is STILL my favorite cookie recipe.
It has now become my husband, Eddie’s, favorite cookie recipe. It has become my daughters’ favorite cookie recipe. This peanut butter cookie recipe is beyond simple, only three ingredients. It even happens to be gluten free! Before that was even a “thing!” There is not even an order of which the ingredients must be combined. It’s an absolutely perfect recipe to bake with even your very little kids. So let me share with you our family’s absolute favorite peanut butter cookie recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup of peanut butter
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 egg
- OPTIONAL: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS:
1. Mix all ingredients well.
2. Spoon onto greased or foil lined cookie sheet.
3. Press each cookie ball with a fork in one direction and then press down on each cookie in the opposite direction as well. (You know to make those cute little marks that just scream peanut butter cookie! And flatten them quite a bit too of coarse.)
4. Bake at 325 degrees for 12-16 minutes. When done they will still be very soft until they cool but they will be golden.
5. ENJOY!!!
Seriously. That’s it. Now you take my family favorite and make it your family favorite! I’m really dying to try to make them with coconut sugar or perhaps even xylitol as a bit healthier alternative but haven’t tried it yet. I’ll have to update this when I do. Any other sugar substitutes have literally fallen flat.
**FALL UPDATE!**
I have an absolutely adorable adaptation for these cookies for fall. It is so easy to turn this delicious recipe into THE CUTEST owl cookies! Only two more supplies needed: candy corn and M&M’s (or raisins work in place of M&M’s as well… but c’mon let’s be real, Halloween is all about the candy.)
I’ve tried adding the owl face on before cooking and the cute little candy corn beaks melt. 🙁 So be really careful to watch your cookies after 12 minutes to make sure you take them out while still super soft and chewy. Then simply add on M&M eyes and a candy corn beak! Simple, adorable, festive, and so so soooo yummy.
These cookies are really easy to adapt in other ways too especially adding chocolate! I’m thinking of a healthy, guilt free chocolate lovers’ post coming up. (Let me know if you’d be into that in the comments!) I even added pumpkin and oats last fall and got a nice result!
Let me know what you think in the comments below……. yummm. Why don’t you take this recipe and apply it to learning to apply the cozy Danish lifestyle of hygge with your family?
My kids loved making these these! They are so easy even my one year old helped.
Glad you enjoyed them Janej! I’m updating the post for fall to make super cute owl cookies so please check back soon.