4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
on Apr 22, 2023, Updated Nov 30, 2023
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These 4 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! Everything comes together in one bowl and in under 20 minutes, you’ll have the most delicious bite-sized treats.
If you’re a peanut butter lover, you’ve probably heard of nutter butter cookies. They’re peanut butter-flavored cookie sandwiches with a peanut butter filling, but their ingredient list is pretty hefty. You can make a homemade version of that classic cookie with just 4 simple ingredients that you may already have sitting in your pantry.
If you’re looking for more peanut butter treats, be sure to also try out this peanut butter banana cake and these peanut butter oatmeal pancakes as well!
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need
Here is what you’ll need to make these 4 ingredient peanut butter cookies:
- Peanut Butter: Make sure to use natural peanut butter with only peanuts (or peanuts and salt) listed as the ingredients.
- Maple Syrup: The main source of sweetness for these cookies.
- Almond Flour: I like to use the Kirkland superfine almond flour from Costco.
- Vanilla: Optional for a touch of flavor.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Recipe Substitutions & Additions
- 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. If you’re looking for a non-peanut butter-based cookie, try out these banana coconut cookies!
- Maple Syrup: The maple syrup may be replaced with equal parts honey. Note – Honey should not be offered to babies under the age of 1 as per CDC guidelines.
Step By Step Instructions
STEP 1: Add the peanut butter, almond flour, maple syrup, and vanilla to a bowl and mix until a dough is formed (Steps 1 & 2). You will know you have mixed it enough once there is no more mixture stuck to the sides of the bowl.
STEP 2: Scoop out a teaspoon-sized portion of the dough and roll a small ball. Place this on a parchment paper lined pan and repeat for all of the balls to form about 32 small balls of dough (Step 3).
STEP 3: Use a fork to press down on the dough to flatten it (Step 4). It helps to wet your fork with water between presses if the dough is a little sticky!
STEP 4: Bake the cookies for 9 to 10 minutes, until the edges are slightly golden. Let them cool completely.
STEP 5: As the cookies are baking, prepare the peanut butter filling. Mix together the peanut butter and maple syrup until it slightly thickens (Steps 5 & 6).
STEP 6: Spread about 1/2 teaspoon of the peanut butter filling on one fully-cooled cookie and top it with another cookie to form a mini sandwich (Steps 7 & 8). Repeat for the remaining cookies.
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.
Tips For Success
- Make sure to use only natural peanut butter that doesn’t contain any ingredients besides peanuts (or peanuts and salt). I like to use either the whole foods peanut butter or the Kirkland 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 it does not stick to the cookies.
- Make sure to let the cookies cool completely before spreading the peanut butter mixture.
- Use more or less maple syrup depending on your sweetness preference. If you prefer a fruit-sweetened cookie, be sure to try out these peanut butter banana cookies!
Recipe FAQs
This recipe will only work with natural peanut butter – peanut butter that contains only peanuts (or peanuts and salt) as the ingredient. If your peanut butter has a layer of oil at the top, give it a good stir before using it in the mixture.
These cookies are soft-textured with a slight crisp on the edges. They will seem soft when they come out of the oven but will firm up as they cool.
Absolutely! If you are making them without the filling, you can scoop out tablespoon-sized portions instead of teaspoons.
Other Peanut Butter Recipes You’ll Love
Peanut Butter Banana Cake (Flourless)
Banana Peanut Butter Bars
Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins
If you tried these 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below! I love hearing from you!
4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Cookies
- ⅓ cup natural peanut butter
- ⅔ cup almond flour
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- ⅛ tsp vanilla extract
Peanut Butter Filling
- 3 tbsp natural peanut butter
- 1 tsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
- Add the peanut butter, almond flour, maple syrup, and vanilla to a bowl and mix until a dough is formed. You will know you have mixed it enough once there is no more mixture stuck to the sides of the bowl.
- Scoop out a teaspoon-sized portion of the dough and roll it into a small ball. Place this on a parchment paper lined pan and repeat for all of the balls to form about 32 small balls of dough.
- Use a fork to press down on each dough ball to flatten it. It helps to wet your fork with water between presses if the dough is a little sticky
- Bake the cookies for 9 to 10 minutes, until the edges are slightly golden. Let them cool completely. They may seem soft at first but will firm up as they cool.
- As the cookies are baking, prepare the peanut butter filling. Mix together the peanut butter and maple syrup until it slightly thickens.
- Spread about 1/2 teaspoon of the peanut butter filling on one fully-cooled cookie and top it with another cookie to form a mini sandwich. Repeat for the remaining cookies.
- *Note: If you'd like to use peanut-shaped cutters to make the cookies resemble storebought nutter butter cookies, roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper in a thin layer. Use the cutter to cut out the shapes and lightly press down and lift up slowly to form the peanut pattern. Be careful not to press too hard so that the mixture doesn't stick to the mixture. Gently peel away the scraps and reroll them to form more shapes (or roll and press them into small balls). Transfer the parchment paper directly onto a baking sheet to bake. Make sure to allow the cookies to cool completely before forming the sandwiches because they will be soft and fragile right out of the oven.
Notes
- Make sure to use only natural peanut butter that doesn’t contain any ingredients besides peanuts (or peanuts and salt). I like to use either the whole foods peanut butter or the Kirkland 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 it does not stick to the cookies.
- Make sure to let the cookies cool completely before spreading the peanut butter mixture.
- Use more or less maple syrup depending on your sweetness preference.
Could you use regular flour instead of almond flour?
Hi Jane! This recipe unfortunately will not work with normal flour.
Are the nutritional facts for 16 mini cookies?
Hi! The nutritional facts shown are for each individual cookie sandwich with the filling included.😊
These were so quick to make and were delicious! My 15 month old has already eaten three today 😄 I didn’t turn mine into sandwiches and made them a little bit bigger and they were still just as good!
I’m so happy to hear that you both enjoyed them, Nozomi!😊
It’s really good, healthy and yummy.. we all loved it, my 18 months son loved it so much.. thank you ❤️
I’m so glad to hear that you all liked these cookies!😊
So easy and the whole family loved them!
I’m so glad to hear that you all enjoyed these cookies!😊
So easy to make and my 3 year old loved them!
My 3 years old Absolutely love it.
I’m so glad to hear that your little one loved these cookies, Sonam!😊
Is there a substitute for maple syrup I can use that’s not a sweetener? Like banana or juice or apple sauce?
Hi Jacqueline! I’d suggest maybe trying this recipe instead and adding a little peanut butter to it for that peanut butter flavor😊
Would almond butter work for this recipe??
Yes, as long as it is a natural almond butter with just almonds (or almond and salt) listed as the ingredients😊
This recipe I have used a few times. My kids love it and it is is a very simple recipe that my kids love to help me make and they can even make it theirselves. Plus this recipe is not bad for you and they are very delicious .
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, Samantha!😊