3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies (Flourless, Foolproof)
The famous 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies need only peanut butter, sugar and an egg — no flour, no mixer, no chilling. They bake up soft and chewy in about 15 minutes and are naturally gluten-free. It sounds too simple to work, but the peanut butter does the job flour usually would. This is one of the most foolproof cookies you can make.
The Quick Version
- 3 ingredients: 1 cup peanut butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg. That’s the whole recipe.
- No flour, no mixer, no chilling. Stir, roll, fork-press, bake.
- Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free as written.
- Let them cool on the sheet 5 minutes — they’re fragile while hot.
Why they work without flour
Peanut butter is the secret structure. Its fat and protein behave a lot like the fat and gluten in a normal cookie, and the egg binds it all together and sets it in the oven. The 1:1 peanut butter to sugar ratio is balanced so the cookies hold their shape and stay chewy. No flour required, and nothing to mismeasure.
How to make them
- Heat oven to 350°F (175°C); line a sheet with parchment.
- Stir 1 cup peanut butter, 1 cup sugar and 1 egg into a thick dough (add ½ tsp vanilla and a pinch of salt if you like).
- Roll into balls and press a fork crisscross on each.
- Bake 9–11 minutes until the edges set but centers look soft. Cool on the sheet 5 minutes.
Foolproof tips
- Use no-stir peanut butter. Natural, oily peanut butter can make the dough greasy or crumbly.
- Don’t overbake. They set as they cool; pull them while the centers still look soft.
- Cool on the sheet before moving — flourless cookies are delicate when hot.
- Want them less sweet? Drop to ¾ cup sugar; they’ll be slightly softer.
Frequently asked questions
Why do 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies work without flour?
Peanut butter and egg do flour’s job — the peanut butter gives structure and fat, the egg binds and sets. You get a soft, chewy, naturally gluten-free cookie with no flour at all.
Why are my peanut butter cookies falling apart?
They’re probably still too warm. Give them 5 minutes on the hot sheet to set before moving. If the dough itself was crumbly, your peanut butter was dry — stir in a teaspoon of oil.
Can I make these gluten-free or dairy-free?
They already are, as written — no flour, no butter. Check your peanut butter has no added wheat or milk, and swap in sunflower seed butter for a nut-free version.
3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350F (175C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Stir the peanut butter, sugar and egg together in one bowl until it forms a thick, smooth dough.
- Roll into balls, place on the sheet, and press a crisscross pattern on top with a fork.
- Bake 9-11 minutes until the edges are set but the centers still look soft. Cool on the sheet 5 minutes before moving – they firm up as they cool.
More easy bakes
These cookies are part of our easy baking recipes for beginners. Want more one-bowl wins? Make one-bowl fudgy brownies or easy banana bread. Browse all beginner recipes.
