These three-ingredient peanut butter cookies are super easy to make! They are also free of refined-sugar, grain-free, vegan, low-carb and paleo-friendly. They tick all the boxes, and best of all – only one bowl required!
Nothing better than a freshly baked cookie straight out of the oven. Have you ever gotten that urge to bake something at 10 pm but you don’t want to deal with multiple ingredients and dirty dishes? Introducing these Three Ingredient Peanut Butter cookies – only three ingredients (I promise) and only one bowl required. They are soft and gooey, and naturally gluten-free, vegan and high protein making them a great choice when catering to multiple dietary requirements.
First: Make ‘flax-eggs’ by mixing ground flax with water. Next, add flax-eggs to a bowl with maple syrup and peanut butter
Why Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies?
These Cookies are Low Carb
These cookies don’t contain any grains, including oats and wheat flour. So, although you won’t get the chewy gluten-y bakery-style cookie we are so used to, you will get a cookie that is low in carbs with only 12 grams of net carbs per cookie.
These Cookies are Refined-Sugar Free
Why use sugar when you can use maple syrup? Maple syrup not only has a lower glycemic index than regular sugar (breaks down more slowly into glucose and has a lesser effect on our blood sugar levels), it also lends a delicious maple flavour to the cookies.
These Cookies Are High In Protein
I didn’t intentionally set out to make a high protein cookie, but the result was a cookie that contains 8 grams of protein! This is more protein than 1 egg. Including a source of protein with desserts and sweets helps to stabilize blood sugar levels. Another favourite high protein cookie recipe – Seedy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies!
These Cookies Are So Easy To Make
What can be easier than three ingredients? Simply mix, bake and enjoy! Only one bowl required! I love three-ingredient recipes – see my Three Ingredient Banana Pancakes recipe.
These Cookies Are Suitable For Diabetics
I had the pleasure of serving one of these cookies to someone who had diabetes and was wearing a continuous glucose monitor. Their blood sugars went up less than 1mmol/LÂ after having one of these cookies. Now every person living with diabetes is different but thanks to the higher protein and fat content of these cookies, it seems reasonable that this would be a consistent result.
Mix all three ingredients in a bowl
Tips For Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
Making Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
The trick to the perfect consistency is to not over-bake them. You will know they are done baking when you can lightly tap the cookies and there is a small amount of resistance.
Using Salted Peanut Butter
Always use a natural peanut butter, making sure there are no funny ingredients or added oils. My favourite natural peanut butter is 100% natural and does NOT separate – there is no oil on the top and no stirring is required. Using salted peanut butter omits the need to add salt to this recipe. Salt helps to enhance the flavour of the cookie; if your peanut butter is unsalted, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the recipe.
Making Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies Without Egg
This recipe uses a flax-egg instead of an egg. Flax-eggs are convenient for when you don’t have eggs on hand, or if you prefer not to use eggs (vegan, ethical reasons). The best flax-egg recipe I have found is 1 tablespoon of ground flax to 2 1/2 tablespoons of water.
Form 8 cookies and bake for 20 minutes at 350°F
Notes For Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
Can I Use Honey Instead of Maple Syrup?
Honey can be used in this recipe in place of maple syrup. When using honey in baking always reduce the temperature by 25°Fahrenheit as honey makes baked goods brown more easily. The cooking time may need to be increased by 5 to 7 minutes.
Can I Use Almond Butter Instead of Peanut Butter?
Almond butter (or any other nut butter) can replace the peanut butter in the recipe at a 1:1 ratio. For a nut-free cookie try tahini paste or sunflower seed butter.
How Do I Make Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies?
These cookies are naturally gluten-free and are suitable for anyone who has celiac disease or a gluten intolerance.
Adding Chocolate Chips
For something a little extra special, I love adding 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips (vegan) or even better getting a block of quality dark chocolate and chopping half of it into small chocolate chip-sized chunks. Add this to the batter before baking – see my recipe for Healthy Soft Pumpkin Cookies for a photo example of this.
After baking the Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies cool on a cooling rack
Adapted Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookie
All Recipes is the first recipe that comes up for Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies. This version contains refined sugar, egg, and makes up to 20 small cookies (not specified). This recipe has been adapted to use no refined sugar, and no egg (vegan alternative). I have found that the recipe forms 8 good-sized cookies that are nice and satisfying. The larger cookies require a longer baking time.
Want More Cookie Recipes?
Try these tasty cookies:
- Easy Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Or these delicious Healthy Soft Pumpkin Cookies
- Or one of my top recipes Seedy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Want More Peanut Butter Recipes?
If you love peanut butter as much as I do you will love these:
- 100 Calorie No-Bake Peanut Butter Energy Balls
- Or these High Protein Peanut Butter Energy Balls.
- For breakfast, I’ve been loving this High Protein Steel-Cut Oats with Peanut Butter.
Did you make this Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe? Let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and share it on Pinterest. If you take a photo of your recreation for Instagram, tag me @theconsciousdietitian so I can see it!
Want More Plant-Based Recipes?
Check out this meal-plan below made by a Registered Dietitian for more recipes like this. A simple one-week vegan meal plan, formatted so it easy to follow with tips on how to maximize a plant-based diet, and includes over 30 nourishing drinks and healthy snacks recipes.
Pin This Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe!
Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookie | Vegan, GF, Paleo
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter natural and salted
- 1/3 cup maple syrup real
- 1 tbsp flaxseed ground (+ 2 1/2 tbsp water for flax-egg) or 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Line one baking tray with parchment paper.
- To make a flax-egg, mix 1 tbsp ground flaxseed with 2 1/2 tbsp water and let sit for 5 minutes to thicken.
- Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and mix well. If the mixture looks a bit runny, let it sit for 5-10 minutes to thicken up.
- Evenly divide the batter into 8 cookies, they should be about 2" in diameter. Make sure to space the cookies apart as they will spread during the cooking process.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes (I baked mine for 20 minutes). You will know when they are done as they will be slightly firm to the touch. Let the cookies and cool slightly and firm up further before moving onto a cooling rack.
Notes
Making Three Ingredient Peanut Butter With Egg
This recipe uses a 'flax-egg' instead of an egg. Flax-eggs are convenient for when you don't have eggs on hand, or if you prefer not to use eggs (vegan, ethical reasons). The best flax-egg recipe I have found is 1 tablespoon of ground flax to 2 1/2 tablespoons of water. You can replace the 'flax-egg' with 1 regular egg.Using Honey Instead of Maple Syrup
Honey can be used in this recipe in place of maple syrup. When using honey in baking always reduce the temperature by 25°Fahrenheit as honey makes baked goods brown more easily. The cooking time may need to be increased by 5 to 7 minutes.Substituting Almond Butter For Peanut Butter
Almond butter (or any other nut butter) can replace the peanut butter in the recipe at a 1:1 ratio. For a nut-free cookie try tahini paste or sunflower seed butter.Nutrition
Rachel Dickens, The Conscious Dietitian, is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator. She graduated with her Masters in Nutrition and Dietetics in 2010 from Griffith University. She strives to provide evidence-based nutrition information with a focus on plant-based nutrition, and share some of her favourite seasonal recipes and sustainable eating tips.
Hi Rachel, I’ve made this recipe with caster sugar, Demerara sugar, egg and peanut butter. It was great but I didn’t know about this recipe then! I’m keen to try this as I don’t want to get my family hooked on processed sugar.
I was actually searching for a basic cookie recipe (a basic scone recipe would be awesome too) that can be used with different spices/dried fruits to flavour it? I’m looking for a healthy recipe I can start with rather than just going straight for the caster sugar, SR flour and butter (not that I really know what I’m talking about!). If I can freeze it too, all the better!
Thanks :)
Hi Jaya!
I hope you liked it! I make the recipe all the time, and often when I do it with kids at work I just use an egg (instead of the flax and water) to make it easier. We often make it with honey as well, which is cheaper. I find that we need to bake the cookies at 325F for about 20 minutes with honey.
Another great basic recipe is this one https://theconsciousdietitian.com/all-recipes/easy-almond-butter-chocolate-chip-cookies-vegan-gf-sugar-free/ I often make it with peanut butter, honey and eggs. Its great with candied ginger, or spices, or the classic chocolate chips. I hope you love this one too!
Rachel
Hi Jaya! Yes I am always trying to find replacements for refined sugar and flour. It is surprisingly easy to do, and I think everything with peanut butter tastes good! It might be more difficult with scones because it is all flour and sugar, but I would be interested to hear if you find a good recipe!