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.
Hi!!
Please help. I tried the cookies with unblanched almond flour, tbh i did not know there was difference, its the first time i was using almond flour. So they turned out very cute but when i tasted them they were extremely bitter, is it because i have used unblanched almond flour or did i do something wrong??
Hi Amul! I’m so sorry to hear that they came out bitter! I always use blanched almond flour (usually the Kirkland brand almond flour from Costco) and find that unblanched almond flour has a nuttier flavor that is a little more bitter but blanched almond flour is more mild in flavor, so it likely is the almond flour! If you give these another shot, I’d definitely try using blanched almond flour. I hope that helps!
Hey thank you for your reply. I made them with blanched almonds flour this time and they turned out great. Im so happy, my kid loved them. Also i wanted to ask can we keep them in the refrigerator in a ziplock bag? Would they stay good for a week? Or do we have to freeze them to keep them good for longer.
I’m so glad that they turned out! You can 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😊
Hi may i please know if we can use raw un-blanched almond flour? Thank you
Hello how are you? Just a question, does this recipe work with almond butter?
Thanks, have a good day.
Hi Zahraa! Yes, you can make these with almond butter instead, as long as it is natural almond butter (with just almond and salt as the ingredients)😊
Hi! Is blanched almond flour suitable?
Hi Cindy! Yes, I use the Kirkland brand blanched almond flour for this recipe😊
Hi! Can I substitute almond flour with oat flour and will it still melt in the mouth? Can I omit the maple syrup for a no added sugar alternative? Thanks.
Hi Karin! Unfortunately, oat flour won’t work for these cookies, the texture would not be the same. Maple syrup is needed for this recipe, but if you’re looking for a naturally sweetened cookie, you can try these peanut butter banana cookies instead😊
So easy to make and so yummy toddler loved them! I was craving nutter butters and these satisfied my craving!
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed them, Karina!😊
I can’t wait to try this for my children, but looking at the ingredients list, it’s already a favorite of mine!!!
Hello,
You mentioned how long these would store for at room temperature and frozen, but what about in the fridge? I’ve had mine for a week and a half in the fridge, is that still good to eat?
Hi Chantelle! They should be good stored in the fridge for about a week, I’m not too sure about the week and half mark, but I’d recommend freezing if you plan to store for more than a week😊
can I used regular all purpose flour?
Hi AG! Unfortunately, all purpose flour won’t work for this recipe.
Could you use oat flour instead of almond flour?
Hi Peyton! I’ve tried making these cookies with oat flour in the past and they come out more dry in texture, crumbly, and are a little difficult to maintain their shape. I don’t recommend it, but if you have to, the overall taste will be similar, but the texture will definitely be different. I hope that helps!😊
can I use regular store bought peanut butter if I don’t have organic/all natural
Hi Trisha! I haven’t tested these with normal peanut butter so I’m not sure how they would turn out, normal peanut butter is usually thicker in consistency and contains other ingredients, so I can’t say for sure if the batter mixture would be the same consistency. Would love to know if you try it out!