3-ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

These 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies are so simple to make and melt in your mouth for a perfect sweet treat! They are egg-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free, making them a great allergy-friendly snack!

I make peanut butter banana cookies pretty often and my boys love them, but I wanted to see if I could come up with a lighter version of them. I came up with these simple peanut butter cookies and they have definitely become a new favorite in our house!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Here is what you’ll need to make these 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies:

• Peanut Butter: Make sure to use a natural peanut butter with only peanuts (or peanuts and salt) listed as the ingredients.
• Maple Syrup: The main source of sweetness for these cookies.
• Oat Flour: You may use premade oat flour, but I always make my own by simply grinding up rolled oats!
• Cinnamon: Optional warm spice for added flavor.

PROCESS

1. Add the peanut butter, oat flour, maple syrup, and cinnamon to a bowl and mix. It may seem super liquidy at first, but keep stirring.
2. As you stir, you will notice that the mixture will begin to harden and become more dough-like. Keep stirring until a dough forms. You will know you have mixed it enough once there is no more mixture stuck to the sides of the bowl.
3. Scoop out tablespoon-sized portions, roll them into a ball, place the balls on a parchment paper-lined pan, and flatten the cookies. I used a fork to flatten the cookies and make a criss-cross pattern on top.
4. Bake the cookies 350 degrees F for 10 minutes, or until the edges are slightly brown. Let the cookies cool completely before serving. They may seem soft at first but will harden once they cool.

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS

Once cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. They may also be frozen for up to 2 months in an air-tight, freezer-safe container.

SUBSTITUTIONS

• Peanut Butter: The peanut butter may be replaced with another type of natural butter like almond butter. It may also be replaced with a seed-based butter like sunflower seed butter.
• Maple Syrup: The maple syrup may be replaced with unsweetenend applesauce but the cookies will not be as sweet in taste. I also found that the texture was a little different when I used applesauce and that the cookies broke apart more easily. If you prefer a sturdier, naturally sweetenend cookie, I recommend these peanut butter banana cookies!

RECIPE NOTES

• Make sure to use only a natural peanut butter that doesn’t contain any ingredients besides peanuts (or peanuts and salt). I like to use either the smuckers brand or trader joes brand peanut butter.
• Make sure to flatten and shape the cookies beforehand because they will not change shape while baking. If you are using a fork to flatten them, dip the fork in water each time so that it does not stick to the cookies.
• Use 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup depending on your sweetness preference. Feel free to taste the dough beforehand (since it doesn’t contain eggs) and adjust the sweetness as needed.
• These cookies have a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Make sure to let them cool completely before serving because they can break apart easily.

Here are some other peanut butter recipes that you may like!

• Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins
• Peanut Butter and Banana Granola Bars
• Peanut Butter and Banana Rollups