Peanut Butter Cookies
You won’t believe how easy it is to make these flourless peanut butter cookies! Just 5 ingredients, and the peanut butter flavor is off the charts. Sure to become a family favorite, and they’re gluten-free to boot!
*This post originally published on July 2, 2013. I thought it was about time the pics were updated. So, many of the photos you see here now are new and improved. Most everything else is exactly the same as it ever was! Hopefully you’ll enjoy these flourless peanut butter cookies as much as my family and I do.*
In case you haven’t already picked up on it, I’m kiiiiiiiiiind of a cookie lover.
You might even say, “connoisseur.”
I have strong opinions on what I think a cookie should be. And baking them (not to mention eating them!), is one of my favorite things to do. I wouldn’t be the least bit sad if you told me I could eat nothing but cookies from now until the day I die.
Peanut butter cookies are no exception. So rich, and satisfying, and hearty! I love their sweet/salty flavor, and they stand up so well to all sorts of add-ins (more on that later ;)).
I have tried a lot of peanut butter cookie recipes. These soft double peanut butter cookies are definitely a favorite. And these homemade do si dos taste exactly like the girl scout cookie we all know and love.
But honestly, nothing can beat the intense peanut-butter-iness of these flourless peanut butter cookies.
WHAT YOU’LL LOVE ABOUT THIS PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE RECIPE:
These peanut butter cookies will practically melt in your mouth. The edges are tender as can be, and the centers have just the right amount of chewiness. They’re creamy textured, and intensely peanutty, almost coating the palette with that sticky peanut buttery unctuousness.
My sincerest apologies for using the word “unctuousness.” So pretentious, I know. I hate that word too but you have to admit, it is descriptive.
Back to the recipe, shall we? This is maybe the oddest cookie recipe I have ever seen. You’re not going to believe it, but I promise you it’s not a typo! There are only 5 ingredients, none of which are flour.
That’s right, a flourless peanut butter cookie.
Which makes them, yes, gluten-free. I promise you won’t miss it though. 😉
I’ve had this on an index card in my old-school recipe box for probably over ten years. It’s titled “Mom-Mom Fritch’s Peanut Butter Cookies.”
I have no idea who Mom-Mom Fritch is! Mom-Mom Fritch, if you’re reading this, drop me a comment so I can give proper credit!
I did a quick google search to see if I could find the original recipe, and it seems lots of other bloggers have gone before me here, so I’m not really sure who did it first.
However, what I do know is, these are my all-time FAVORITE peanut butter cookies, like, EVER. And they’re SO quick and easy.
You gotta try them, people.
More great cookie recipes on my “Cookie Recipes Galore” Pinterest board!
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Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups peanut butter
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the peanut butter, sugar, baking soda, salt, and eggs in a large mixing bowl and stir together until combined.
- Scoop 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized balls of dough on to the prepared baking sheets.
- Press the balls down with the tines of a fork.
- Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, or until set around the edges but still soft in the middle.
- Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes (cookies will be very tender while warm).
These look amazing!
My FAV cookies! Can’t wait to try!
Total perfection! Great photos, too!
Allie, Could I sub some of the sugar for brown sugar? or would brown sugar change the texture too much?
Hey Jeannie! I think you definitely could and I bet it would be fantastic! Probably make the cookies even softer. Let me know how it works out for you!
These were delicious!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed!
OK Allie . . . I’m blaming it all on you! I sat down to my new go-to lean-meal of steamed veggies and a small portion of salmon – yes, also known as a diet-dinner. I even patted myself on the back for having such will-power! Then came my nightly therapy session – an hour on Pinterest, which is my way to de-stress after a hectic day. Not sure how I ended up on your site and the peanut butter cookies but there I was. I truly did have intentions of sticking with my lean meal plan but then I saw . . . only 4 ingredients, 10 minutes and, of course, peanut butter -so how could I resist. So I’m sitting here all guilt ridden after 4 PB cookies down the hatch. Oh well, you only live once, is what i kept repeating to! Alas, to avoid eating more than 4 PB cookies at a time, I rolled the remaining dough into logs and froze them right away. I also must confess, nothing goes better with peanut butter than chocolate so my version was studded with chocolate morsels. If I’m going to break the rules then I might as well do it all the way! So thanks for leading me down the path of yummy guilty pleasure. ;- )
Sophia
You sound like me Sophia! Lol… well, pat yourself on the back for at least eating a healthy dinner! Very happy you enjoyed the cookies. Thanks for the chuckle and for the great feedback too 😀
The original Mom-Mom Fritch’s Peanut Butter Cookies recipe was submitted to Gourmet magazine by her granddaughter, Amy Fritch of New York, New York. It appeared in the February 1999 issue in the Sugar and Spice section, p. 30.
Awesome! Thank you so much for the great info, Stephanie!
Hi can I know if I can use natural peanut butter? 😀 or will that affect the texture and consistency of the cookies? Love your blog and photography btw! ^^
Hey thank you so much! I would certainly give it a try with natural peanut butter! I’m thinking it would work out~ let me know, ok? And thanks so much for reading 😀
I just made them with Skippy creamy and with Costco natural peanut butter. Totally different texture. The natural peanut butter was runnier out of the jar but the batter was much more dry. And final cookies are drier and crumblier at the edges, although so far still chewy in the middle. The natural PB cookies don’t spread out as much either. They both work but they are very different cookies. I probably like the texture of the Skippy ones better? But I’ll let my kids be the judge after school!!
Thanks so much for posting your results here Alby! I’m sure other readers would love to know this. I really appreciate it! Hope your kids enjoy the cookies!
Seriously the best peanut butter cookies ever! So moist and chewy!
Yay! I’m so happy you like them! Thanks so much for reading, Brooke, and for the great feedback!
Yay! I have been trying to make the three ingredient version of this recipe (without baking soda) for years. I have had them made by other people, and they’re fine, but mine always came out dry, crumbly, and still shaped like a ball. I have no clue about the science behind baking. Who knew a teaspoon of baking soda would make all the difference?! I’m so glad I stumbled upon your blog. Thank you!
Wow, so baking soda is the key ingredient I guess! So glad you finally got it figured out! Thanks so much for stopping by Callie!
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I use a very similar peanut butter cookie recipe too Allie! I needed something for my gluten-free mother-in-law and these are just too good! My recipe calls for vanilla but it’s sooo close! I think I need to share it one of these days… 😉 Never enough time, right? Happy New Year girl!
You too, Trish! I’ve had that recipe tucked away for years, and when I posted it here it got me on a pb cookie kick and I made it many times over the summer. I realized it needed a pinch of salt and a splash of vanilla too. And I’ve even added a handful or two of oats and chocolate chips and it’s sooo good. Don’t even miss the flour! 😉
Can this be made by just using a spatula to mix the dough? 🙂
Hi Kris! Absolutely! A spatula or a wooden spoon would be perfect for this batter. Good luck, hope you enjoy, and thanks so much for reading, and for reaching out with an excellent question! 🙂
Great! Thanks!
Hi Allie, We made these last week with my daugher (she is 5) — they were an instant hit. She taught me to get the tines of the fork wet so they don’t stick to the dough. Thanks again for this recipe.
Neil, I just love hearing that! It makes me so happy to imagine families in the kitchen together. I have little ones too, mine are 4 & 6, and I love when they help me in the kitchen. I’m so happy you and your daughter enjoyed making the cookies! Thanks so much for reading my blog and for the sweet comment!
These take me back to my childhood, my mom used to make these and I used to love pressing the fork into the dough 🙂
What a sweet memory! Pressing the fork is the most fun part 😀 Thanks so much for reading and for sharing your thoughts! Love when food can bring back a treasured memory like that…
This may just seem like a silly question since the recipe is so simple, but I tried to make these and they weren’t soft, they were very crispy. Any idea what I may have done wrong?
I’m so sorry you weren’t happy with the result, Rainne! I’m thinking they were maybe overbaked. I use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop when I make them, and I bake for 10 minutes. They come out, for me, very soft when they are warm, and then they get chewier over time. If your are smaller, they would require less time in the oven. Also if you are using a very thin or dark cookie sheet that could have an effect. I’m crazy about these: http://astore.amazon.com/yinmomyangmom-20/detail/B000G0KJG4, they are super high quality and I feel that can really make a difference. I hope that helps! And thanks so much for reading my blog, and for reaching out! 🙂
I made the cookies too small. I made them tiny (1 TBS) the first time and the 2nd time I made them with 2 TBS and they turned out great. I also added a little vanilla the 2nd time which was a nice touch. Thanks!!
Yay! So happy they worked better the second time around. Vanilla is a great idea, and when I use natural peanut butter I also think they need a pinch of salt. Thanks for reaching out, Rainne!