Peanut Butter Cookies
Three core ingredients and a fork's crosshatch — the easiest proper cookie in existence.
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Join HomecookedIngredients
- 250 g Peanut butter
- 150 g Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla (optional)
- ¼ tsp Salt (optional)
Method
- Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F).
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Mix the peanut butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and salt in a bowl into a soft dough.
- Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls and space them on the lined tray.
- Press each ball flat with a fork in two directions for the classic crosshatch.
- Bake the cookies until just set at the edges, 10–12 minutes — they firm as they cool.
- Cool the cookies on the tray for 10 minutes before lifting and serving.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from ingredients; varies with exact portions and brands.
About Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut butter cookies are an American baking staple, and this is the pared-down flourless version famous for needing barely more than peanut butter, sugar, and an egg. With no flour at all, the peanut butter itself provides both the fat and the structure, which is why the recipe holds together as a soft dough from just a handful of ingredients. That simplicity, plus the signature fork-pressed crosshatch on top, makes it arguably the easiest proper cookie you can bake — a classic first recipe and a reliable last-minute one.
The result is intensely peanutty, tender in the center, and lightly crisp at the edges, with a fork's crosshatch pattern that isn't just decorative — flattening each ball helps the dense dough bake through evenly. Pulling them from the oven when they're only just set at the edges is the trick, since they firm up considerably as they cool on the tray. They're a natural for a cookie plate, a quick after-dinner sweet, or an afternoon snack with coffee or milk. Gluten-free by nature and mixed in a single bowl, they deliver a lot of payoff for very little effort.
Peanut Butter Cookies: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Peanut Butter Cookies?
One serving of Peanut Butter Cookies has about 281 calories, with 8g of protein, 26g of carbs, 16g of fat and 2g of fiber. These are estimates based on the ingredient amounts in this recipe and will vary with your exact portions and brands.
Is Peanut Butter Cookies gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Peanut Butter Cookies has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
How long does Peanut Butter Cookies take to make?
About 25 minutes start to finish, but only around 10 of those are hands-on — the rest is cooking time. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Peanut Butter Cookies?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out vanilla, salt — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Peanut Butter Cookies make?
This recipe makes 8 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.