This I Used To Believe
I believed that if I wore a stretched out paperclip across my front teeth I would be one of the cool kids with a retainer. It turns our that retainers only seem cool when you don’t actually have to wear one.
I believed that if I sunk down in my chair low enough in Honors Algebra, I wouldn’t be called on the answer questions that I didn’t have answers to. I didn’t have answers to any… aaany of the questions. In reality, that posture was like a giant, neon, blinking arrow pointed right in my direction.
I believed that if I stayed up all night chewing gum, I was bound to get the part of Violet Beauregarde in the sixth grade performance of Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. That part went to my best friend Lindsay. What does it say about me if I still think about that from time to time?
I believed that Dylan would never leave Brenda on Beverly Hills, 90210. Um… remember what happened in the pool? With Kelly!? Brenda’s best friend!? Yea… so that didn’t work out.
I believed that really good cookies simply had to have at least a few cups of all-purpose flour flour in them. These Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies changed my mind. Seriously. I know you’re thinking They’re better than you think. Way way better. These are great!
This post was inspired by last weeks episode of This American Life which, in turn, was inspired by the international essay project, This I Believe. Yaaaaay for public radio!
Believe me when I say that these cookies will surprise you. They’re exactly everything I wanted from a peanut butter cookie, without the flour. With only four ingredients (5 if you add the chocolate) I had perfectly chewy and flavorful peanut butter cookies on my table. With a glass of cold milk… my goodness… swoon! Trust me. Try them!
These cookies aren’t the type that you throw in your purse for an afternoon snack. Because they don’t have flour, they’re just a bit more delicate. If you use all-natural peanut butter, you’re cookies will hold up a bit better than if you use the fake stuff. K?
Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
The Gourmet Cookbook
makes about two dozen cookies
1 cup all-natural chunky or smooth peanut butter
1 cup sugar (1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar)
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet with butter and set aside. In a mixer combine peanut butter and sugars until well combined, about 2 minutes. Add egg and baking soda and mix for another 2 minutes. Roll into walnut sized balls and create a cris-cross pattern with a fork. If you’d like, add a few chocolate pieces to the top of the cookies. Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on a baking sheet for two minutes, then transfer to… your mouth.
310 Responses
I made these bad boys for a Labour Day weekend camping trip and they were a HUGE hit!
Definitely be sure to make them “walnut sized” as Joy recommends, they do spread out a fair bit while baking and I nearly had one giant pan of cookies (wouldn’t have been the worst thing to have happen).
Thank you so much, Joy! Your recipes never disappoint!
xo
How many calories are in these cookies?
yes! TRANSFER them to your mouth!
I made these with Truvia (natural Stevia sweetener)instead of sugar, and used unsweetened peanut butter. Absolutely fabulous for the Trim Healthy Mama eating plan.
Love your story about the retainer. A friend and I used to do this too. My mom caught us and gave us trouble because she thought we were making fun. :) Totally gonna try the cookies tonight BTW.
I shared your recipe here: https://erisbakes.wordpress.com/2012/11/04/pbcookies/
My family loves them! Only peanut butter cookies we ever make!
I’m baking my second batch of these cookies as a mid night snack. The first batch was absolutely delish! They were soft in the middle and crisp on the edges…perfect!!! (^_^)
i just made these to take to my small group tonight and hoollyy cooww are they delicious!! –i ‘naturally more’ almond butter. then i did the 1/2 cup brown sugar but instead of the 1/2 of white i did a 1/2 cup of pumpkin!!
I just made a batch of these, and can’t believe how awesome they are. I used homemade almond butter (they’re for church, and we have a peanut allergy in the group) and stirred in 1 cup of chopped dark chocolate. The second batch I sprinkled a little bit of salt on the top of the cookies before baking, and they were heavenly. Thank you!
These are very yummy! However, I found the recipe on pinterest labeled as 36 calories peanut butter cookies. I don’t know if you’re making these cookies bite sized or what. I doubled the recipe and made 36 normal sized cookies, 131 calories cookies. But they are delicious.
These were wonderful! I’m pretty sure I will never make pb cookies any other way now! If anyone is looking at this recipe, and not quite sure about it… Just try it! It works! I made these at about 1 in the morning, I didn’t have any organic pb, and no chocolate either, and they still turned out wonderful. I’m not sure if it was my cheap pb, or what, but they had that little hint of salt that reeses cups pb has. Delicious, thank you for the recipe!
These turned out great, I made two different batches one with Banana and chocolate chips and another one with Reese’s Pieces on top.
Both turned out great. Thanks for the recipe it is definitely a keeper :)
Success! And with ingredients you ALWAYS have. Awesomeness.
Can you freeze these cookies?
I would recognize that Whole Foods melting chocolate anywhere. Good stuff. This is a wonderful basic peanut butter cookies recipe. They came out perfect.
Super. I used half almond butter, half peanut butter, and added 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
That sounds delicious!
p.s. I just made them again with half a cup of chopped toasted hazelnuts stirred in… and I’m going to drizzle them with dark chocolate :) winner.
At 10 PM, I decided to make these! I wanted something simple and quick yet delicious and these did the trick. My dad loved them. I told him I’ll make them on his birthday and he said fine by me, just make sure I get one for each year!! :)
Thanks Joy. I love everything I’ve tried so far!
Sorry but “fake” peanut butter is the best! Skippy!!!
How many calories would each cookie be if I used Splenda? Should I just add together the calories of the peanut butter, egg, and baking soda?
Would it be possible to substitute the sugar with either stevia or applesauce?
This recipe is like a gods sent gift to me!
Would sunbutter work????
any idea how many Weight Watchers points a cookie would be? Thanks for the recipe, I am looking forward to trying it.
I made a batch of peanut butter cookies for my Grandparents and they didn’t really like those. So I made these and these cookies are perfect! In fact they were all gone in like 12 hours. I’m going to make them again. A bunch more times.
These are seriously good cookies! I have toiled endlessly over so very many different pb cookie recipes, and yet they NEVER get the elusive texture I have firmly set in my mind. These, however, and as easy as they are to create, have the “it” factor! So peanut buttery, soft, dense…..not to mention, pretty!
Thanks for sharing!
Gosh, I don’t believe this is really a recipe! Like, where are the ingredients??!! It’s past midnight here but I’m so tempted to go and put the oven on! I won’t be crazy baker and do them tonight, I will most certainly be making them tomorrow though! I can always count on Joy the Baker for a recipe or two! xx
Hi Joy!
I made these cookies last night for my boyfriend. He loved them so much. I put a chocolate chip in the center of each for a little chocolate flavor. Delicious! Thank you!
These turned out so well! In the oven in under 10 minutes, and in my mouth in less than 20. Awesome. A little crumbly, but it’s ok if you’re just eating them at home. I rolled them in sugar since I didn’t have any chocolate on hand, and they’re great.
I just made these today but added in some organic dark chocolate chunks. They were absolutely fantastic. Thanks so much!
Good morning! First I hav to guess your age because I feel like you were my best friend growing up. I remember making paperclip retainers, even putting almers glue in the pencil tray in the old school desks and when they were dry, peeled them out and tried to use them as long longer nails. 90210! Well I was class of 93 too so I am guess you are around 36:)
Use to have Wednesday night pizza night with all my girl friends! That was an end to a great erra, and the beginning to a whole new one.
I have gotten into the culinary world about 6 years ago, and love to experiment with food.
Even though it’s suppose to get to 91 and humid today, I think I have to turn the oven on to try out these cookies. You mentioned they will hold up better used all Natural PB. I have some traders joes in the frig, that is taking up space. My fiancé did not care for the all natural. I am trying to convert him. Slowly but surely, but we still always have the Jiff on hand.(( I am going to try these out today. I never post anything on peoples sights but you had me at “paperclip retainer”:)
Love it!
Thanks for a great post!
Janell
Ha! Janelle!!! Me too with the paperclip retainers; I couldn’t believe it when I read both of your posts, Joy and Janelle~ Love it… Love the cookies too.
Me too! I used to pretend the paperclips were retainers and i also stretched rubber bands over my teeth to pretend they were braces. Class of ’93 as well – maybe it was something in the water. I now know to thank God I never actually needed braces!
And yes, love the cookie recipe too – :-)
Thanks for sharing.
I have just made a batch of these, I didn’t expect them to be so amazing! I stuck a chunk of dark chocolate on each one…
They are amazing! Thanks…
I was thinking about adding dried cherries and white chocolate chips to this recipe. Would they still turn out?
sounds delicious!
Just made these today for a bake sale and they turned out amazing! Peanut butter cookies are not usually my favorite, but I couldn’t pass up a recipe for cookies with only 4 ingredients! Surprisingly (to me) I really like them a lot :) They have such a wonderful peanut butter flavor. I will definitely be making these again!
I made these at my daughter’s house a few weeks ago while we were visiting her in another state. They are amazing! So today, back home, I decided to try them, again. Yep…just as yummy the second time. Thanks!
I just came across this recipe because I recently discovered that I’m “gluten sensitive” (a new medical phenomenon apparently), and eating gluten-free. I’m always looking for recipes that just happen to be gluten-free (and don’t need to sub out ingredients), so I’m excited to try these! Thanks for your wonderful, wonderful blog.
I just made these, and I may or may not have let them sit on the tray for two minutes before I transferred one to my mouth. Your site is lovely and your posts crack me up. Next up- chicken pot pie!
~Emily
Joy! I do believe I love you…these cookies are just so perfectly delicious! I love peanut butter and they are super easy to make. Thanks! love you blog!
I had a serious craving for peanut butter cookies this week, but I’d never made them before. I’ve noticed your love of peanut butter, so your site was the first place I checked. I used organic natural peanut butter because it’s so much nicer than the scary fake stuff. Just don’t tell anyone that I snarfed some dough–there was no room left on the cookie pan anyway.
They were super fabulous delicious. Thank you, Joy the baker, for being so awesome and sharing your love.
CAN I USE CASHEW BUTTER INSTEAD?
i don’t know how cashew butter would act in this recipe, and i haven’t baked them that way myself. give it a try and let me know.
Yay! A great Gluten free recipe and so easy to make! my Little one is watching them cook now. Thanks
This recipe was in my Aunt Tootsie’s (a sobriquet for Viola) recipe file when we moved her into a nursing home. I tried them once but the texture was not like the ones she had made for me over the years. I discovered that many of her recipes were missing an ingredient — her method for keeping them secret from some unscrupulous recipe thief from her Bridge Club or Ladies Aid committee. After seeing your cookie recipe I realized she’d left out the baking soda.
Thanks for putting your recipe out there. I just made a batch and the cookies were perfect! If Aunt Tootsie were still here, I’d bring some to her. But, alas….
I made these today after trying not to eat any carbs for a week. I was craving something cookie like and though I know they are not low carb because of the sugar, they were so satisfying. I only needed to eat two before I felt really full and the craving was fulfilled. I also put a Hershey’s Kiss in each one after baking for 8 minutes, then back in the oven for 2 more minutes so the Kiss doesn’t fall out. I used grocery store ground peanut butter so they were a little crunchy, which is how I like them. I don’t think I will go back to making peanut butter cookies with flour after these.
Now, do you have an equally delicious flourless chocolate cookie?
I made these the other night for a ladies night and they were a huge hit! I doubled the recipe so I could use one whole jar of peanut butter (so it’s not quite doubled) and used about 1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup white. I also rolled the balls into granulated sugar and then flattened with a glass. I’m making more today, since they are so easy, to bring to work tomorrow. Thank you for this!
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good and so incredibly easy. I can’t thank you enough!
I’m just about to test these out. I’ve been looking for an organic recipe to try. Although I may substitute white sugar for sugar cane or rapudan and see how that works out for an even more organic recipe.
And to the person noting their lactose intolerance, I thought I was too until I swtiched all my dairy and baking ingredients to organic. In short, the processes of hydrogenation and homogenization suck the nutrients out of the product and leave some of us more sensitive people with irritable stomaches. Since I’ve switched I haven’t had any problems. Worth a try as no pill will replicate the natural. Check out a book by Jordan Rubin called “The Great Physician’s RX for Children’s Health” – very informative for both adults and children.
Followed recipe to the letter and made small balls about half sized of the almond shape. SPent 8 minutes in oven and they were absolutely perfect. Great flavor, the whole package! Great recipe thank you!
I’ve made several variations on this and never been pleased with the result. Added a dash of vanilla and a quarter to a half cup of flour ( that I had seen suggested elsewehere), made them sized like yours, baked at three fifty and they looked yummy. Very peanutty,almost overly so. Added some m and m’s to them and that was a nice balance of the two flavors. Found that they were a little crumbly when removing from the pan.
Joy, I love these cookies! These are my favorite go-to dying for cookies recipe. They never fail to please. This time I made them and spread Nutella on top long after they cooled, almost like frosting. Let me tell you if you like peanut butter and you like Nutella you’ll die for the combination. Thanks for the always wonderful recipes!
These were great! I also made them with all natural almond butter (snow bound and no longer had peanut butter so I used the almond butter I had). I did add a vanilla bean and sea salt both times and added some almond extract when I made it with almond butter.
These are just divine! Thank you for the recipe!
I made these cookies following this exact recipe this morning, I found the cookies to be very nice and chewy, they were a bit crumbly though. But nice.
I made these this afternoon and added about 2 tablespoons of Hershey’s Cocoa Powder into the mix to turn them into peanut butter and chocolate cookies. They ended out perfect, with a slight hint of chocolate. Yum! Fulfilled my cravings perfectly!
I’ve been making flourless peanut butter cookies for over 50 years. I use only white sugar and have never put baking soda in the cookies. For additional flavor I add a teaspoon of vanilla and at times a sprinkle of cinnamon. A Hershey’s kiss placed on the cookie when first removed from the oven is a good touch. Whenever I make these cookies I have to make more than one batch or they never seem to make it to the cookie jar.
I’ve also discovered that the best cookies are made with the brand name peanut butter – the cheaper brands and the natural peanut butter have too much oil in them and the cookies end up flat and hard. If you let them cool a bit before trying to remove them from the cookie sheet they tend to crumble less.
These were incredibly wonderful and decadent cookies. I rolled mine into one inch balls, tossed in granulated sugar, then made an imprint with a 1/4 teaspoon and added a 1/4 teaspoon of blackberry perserves to each. To another batch I added Hershey’s kisses right after they came out of the oven. Om nom nom nom :)
I, almost, “double” the recipe, usually. Since there’s about (2) cups of peanut butter in a 16.3oz. jar, I use (2) eggs, (2) tsp. baking soda, and 1 1/3 cup of granulated sugar in the mix. I put about 1/2 cup granulated sugar in small bowl dish, for rolling the 1″ balls of the “dough” before baking. I do NOT press them w/fork. Numerous requests for these during the holiday season, once they find out they’re flourless. Will add a large chocolate chip to the top of a few this batch. These are just TOO easy and SOOO good, that there’s really no excuse not to!
Just made these for about the gazillionth time. They are absolutely fabulous.
Anyone try them with straberry or grape jelly in the middle ? I’m gonna give it a shot!
yes indeed…..a quick, good little cookie
i alway loved peanutbutter cookies i’m going to make them today
Hey Joy! Just baked up a batch of these for a friend with Celiac’s– amazing recipe! I had to use slightly less baking soda, for whatever reason, because my first batch sort of… exploded all over the sheet. A little more time in the oven than 10 minutes, as well, and these cookies are perfection! Thanks for an amazing recipe, again!
I have made these and they are the best! Esp. since I recently found out I have an intolerance to Gluten and Lactose. Do you have one for Chocolate Chip Cookies? I am searching for a good recipe. I come from a family of bakers too. I may end up making my own soon….thanks for sharing!!!!
Has anybody tried freezing the dough and baking later? Do I “fork” them and then freeze or freeze in ball shape? Thanks!
these were amazing. i added some “Reeses” peanut butter chips to mine too. and that just makes them extra peanut buttery :)
This is embarrassing, but I did the paperclip-retainer thing, too! LOL! :D And yes, the ends scratched up my gums and lips, but that was the price we paid to be cool, right?
Thanks for the cookie recipe! I realized I don’t have any flour and need to make a treat for my kids’ class tomorrow – these are going to be a hit! :)
These are the best cookies that I have ever tasted in my whole entire life!!!!!! :) <3
I like this recipe and my kids did too. I cut the flour down to 2/3 of a cup, but they were still too sweet for my taste. I added about a half teaspoon of vanilla and a good pinch of salt. The texture is great, and they are peanutty. I am going to make them again and this time cut the sugar down to around 1/2 of a cup and use two egg whites instead of a whole egg. I’ll let you know how that goes. I just sometimes need a snack that is really high in protein to tide me over between meals and this might do the trick. I think I might try them with almond butter sometime too. Thanks for the recipe.
Can I substitute baking soda for baking powder? Also, what’s the difference between them? Thank you for this gluten-free recipe.
These are pretty m uch the only peanut butter cookies I make, but I don’t usually add any baking powder, just the peanut butter, egg, sugar, salt. And usually I add chocolate chips because they go so well together.
They are really a peanut butter lover’s cookie. They are for when you actually want the cookie to taste like PEANUT BUTTER. My boyfriend and I both love peanut butter so these cookies do us perfectly. You must use natural peanut butter, not peanut-flavoured crisco…
I always reduce the sugar to 1/3 cup, and just brown sugar. I find it’s already pretty sweet that way and can’t imagine how sweet they would be at 1 cup of sugar.
yum. yum. and yum again. Second time i have made these little gems. What’s not to love about 4 ingredients. Another amazing recipe!
oh my god, i love you joy! first of all, i love every blog because you’re so damn witty and charming. secondly, i just moved out into my own place and was craving cookies this evening but had very – and i mean very – limited baking supplies.
thank god for the flourless peanut butter cookie recipe. you just made my night!
amanda :)
Fabulous recipe… so easy & quick to put together :)
I sprinkled some fleur de sel on the tops before baking…. HEAVEN!!
I had my doubts about these cookies because they contained no flour but I can honestly say that they turned out to be the best tasting peanut butter cookies Ive ever eaten and they are so easy to make ! I’ll be making them quite often because everyone loved them. I put a Hersheys Kiss on half of the batch and they were awesome.
I used 3/4 c. white sugar and some cinnamon– they turned out great!
Wondering if anyone has used 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup honey instead of a full cup of sugar.
Thanks,
Jen
OHMYWOW!!!! These are THE best peanut butter cookies I have EVER had!!!!!!! I just found out about Joy the Baker a couple of days ago, and I am IN love!!!! haha I can’t wait to start making more goodies!!!!!!!!! :D Thanks Joy!!
I made these last week and they were super tasty! Thanks for the great recipe, I know I’ll make them again and again.
Just would like to say, made these for my grandfather and the weekend I gave them to him, I had to make 3 more batches because they were gobbled up so fast. Amazing recipe.
Thank you for having a recipe for all natural peanut butter cookies. I haven’t tried them yet (I’ve just printed the recipe and am headed to the kitchen) but I believed everything you said at the top of your page. The Algebra, the part in the play, and especially the 90210 reference. I will be back to your site because you cracked me right up. Altho’ I’ve always known the best pb cookies contained no flour! Thanks again!
tried these last night via sprouted kitchen and they’re fantastic! crunchy, chewy, the best peanut butter cookies i’ve ever had. looking forward to trying more of your recipes xx
Love these cookies! They are a little crumblier than regular, but other than that, they TASTE just like some GOOD, melt-in-your-mouth peanut butter cookies.
I will definitely make these again!!
Wow you peanut butter cookies really look delicious. Glad I bumped into your website.Peanut butter cookies are the only cookies I love to eat. I’ll be sure to try your easy recipe.
I made these for my husband. I was looking for something that didn’t require baking powder. I didn’t have natural peanut butter so used regular.
I thought they came out great! He is now endlessly teasing me that we have been married 9 years and I didn’t know he didn’t like peanut butter cookies…
I guess that shows how little I cook.
thank you!! i used to frequent a place called cafe choklad in providence, RI. they make an amazing flourless peanut butter cookies, and i have been unable to find a recipe to duplicate them. until now! so excited to have this recipe, especially since i now live 1000 miles away from my favorite cafe.
Your cookies look SO beautiful and just seeing the picture makes me want to have some of them right now!!
I’ve been looking at this picture and recipe on and off now for some time, and I finally decided to make them last night. I should have just stuck to your recipe but I substituted some of the sugar for molasses because I’ve always loved mixing peanut butter and molasses together.
The cookies ended up tasting good with the molasses in it; however, they didn’t turn out looking pretty like yours. They were also way too thin. Your cookies are thick so you have something to bite into. Mine looked like potato chips. :(
I totally suck at making cookies, and from now on, I’m following your recipe without making any changes to it. I think if I do that then I will finally start making successful cookies the way you do! :) Cheers! sheila
Oh nice! I am at my parents and needed to make myself some cookies… I am gluten intolerant so these were super easy, and delish for me! And no flour! YAY! :)
Love it!!! I have celiacs (I just found out); this recipe has saved my reputation as the “Christmas Cookie Maker.” Thank you for posting the recipe!!!
Happy Holidays!!!
why do they use a fork on peanut butter cookies?
good question jackie! you use a fork on peanut butter cookies to help flatten them out. they aren’t very good at flattening themselves out while baking… so they need the extra push the fork pattern provides.
Wow…just made these and they are delish! I even used less sugar and they are soo good! My husband and all his hunting buddies have devoured them all:)
I had been looking for a cookie recipe that would work with natural peanut butter so thank you so much for this!
ha ha ha ha! “then transfer..to your mouth!” joy you are so funny and so inspirational! i wish i could meet you and have laughs in person! you’re just that kind of person!
-catherine, 12!
YUM!
I am going to try this tonight!!
Should I use a fan forced oven?!?!?!
Renee xx
I had totally forgotten about these! I made them when I had nothing else and was craving SWEET! I love these. So easy and you can’t mess them up.
Have just made these and they’re dreamy! As expected. Am taking them into the office tomorrow and expect to be adored for the day! Thanks for the simple recipe!
I personally have not tried these cookies, as I have an aversion to all things peanut butter. However, a friend of mine requested peanut butter cookies when he left for college so I obliged him, by making this easy recipe for the first time. He ate over two dozen in three days.
And within ten minutes of finishing them off, he texted me saying that he needed more ASAP.
Needless to say, these cookies are good.
My mother even sampled some even though she’s not a fan of peanut butter cookies either. She still loved them them and managed to consume about five before I shipped them off to my friend.
However, the recipe I used didn’t call for baking soda, and instead called for vanilla. (I believe it was also a teaspoon)
These cookies rule.
As an added bonus, all of my friends new college friends (who happen to be male) are requesting that I send some to them.
Thank you peanut buttery goodness.
:)
I’m wondering…do you ever make peanut butter cookies with honey? my best friend can’t eat sugar. :(
Here in Canada, this recipe is on the back of the Kraft peanut butter jar. How awesome ay? But i agree with joy, this recipe is not for the lunchbox joys.
OOHH I have made these before and they are irresistable!
Totally ruined. Nothing to do with your ‘simple’ recipe but my own stupidity:
Error 1: Tried making some cookies without the egg. This produced nice looking cookies which were a nice tasting crumbly mess.
Error 2: Halve the peanut butter and sugar but use a whole egg for the rest of the cookies. This Produced a splodgy mess, which could have turned out okay if I didn’t overcook them – I stopped cooking when I smelled burning…it was too late.
Error 3: Disheartened by this dual disaster, I placed a cookie straight in mouth and burned my tongue.
Easy as 1-2-3.
: S
How did you EVER come up with something this amazingly delicious and easy?????? these cookies are great and wonderful and so wonderfully fast to make, i wonder why i didnt know about them before! and
FLOURLESS? wow, wow, wow! i am happy to have this recipe and me and my sister julia will deffinetly make these many, many more times!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i just tried one cookie right now mmm delicious this is my first time making them and i think they rock i will make them often
I have been waiting for a MONTH to be able to make these cookies. All the stars have aligned: my peanut-allergy boyfriend is out of town for three days, i’m moving apartments and need to get rid of excess food before saturday, i just finished the box of chocolates my mom sent me and i’m in need of a new sweet treat…i can almost smell the peanut buttery goodness already!
I’m a teacher & always looking for a little afternoon pick me up to serve with tea at my classes. This looks perfect, ‘cept for all the sugar.
Has anyone substituted stevia or something else for all or part of the sugar? Definitely can’t wait to try them!
wow, I just made these and I am so impressed considering they haven’t any flour or butter. I’ll post to my blog in the next week or so.
thanks :)
Just baked these last night for the first time … they are wonderful and so easy to make ! I sprinkled on some mini semi-sweet chocolate chips on top of them to make them entice my chocolate loving girls :)
I’m going to experiment with different types of nut butters next time … and possibly with agave nectar in lieu of sugar …
Just whipped up a batch – how easy was that? Cannot believe how good these are, I want to phone up all my friends and tell them! These cookies had a perfect crunchy texture, I just can’t get over the fact they are just peanut butter and egg – magic!!
Just made these-delicious and SO easy. And held up better than I thought they would. Thanks Joy!
I made these with macadamia butter because I’m not too keen on peanuts & they were yummy!
I wish I could quit my job & take up a bakers apprenticeship *sigh*
Thanks Joy
we are doing the gluten-free thing at our house and this recipe shall be our rescue cookie-love my peanut butter. I think i will probably include it in my peanut butter and jelly cooking class at Central market if that is ok
I’ve already made two batches of these cookies. The first batch, I used 1 full cup of sugar but had to use almost all pourable light brown sugar because that was all I had on hand. The cookies were delicious but a touch too sweet for me. For the second batch, I used 2/3 cup sugar, this time using 1/3 cup regular sugar and 1/3 cup pourable light brown sugar. They came out perfect. I gave these cookies as a gift to both my mom and mother-in-law and they loved them! Thanks for posting the recipe.
I absolutly love them!!! I came back to my home country (france) and wanted to make my family discover some american flavors, it was just the perfect treat :)
I added some chocolate chips to the dough yamiiiiiiiiiii ( yeah i’m crazy about chocolate i know…as my principal addiction it could be worse!)
Your blog is great by the way, i keep on reading it for month, in the shaddow, but that was too much this time i had to say something, keep on doing what you do, it’s just perfect! (and nerver oh never let the butter down ah ah, as a french i know what i’m talking about!)
Take care of yourself and our stomac ;p
I’ve been trying to figure out what to make my mom for mother’s day and I think this is it! I’m going to try them with sunflower seed butter though since she’s allergic to nuts (and gluten and chocolate… it’s a hard life).
Thank you for another drool worthy recipe. Your blog always brings a smile to my face and a rumble from my stomach.
Happy spring!
mmmmm these are baking in the oven right now! 3 minutes left, i can barely stand it, i’m drooling!
I just tried this out with cashew butter…absolutely delicious!! And I absolutely love your blog :)
This is the way to make pb cookies! These cookies are deadly but go down way too fast!
i made these today. the dough was crumbley. it rolled together well. but again fell apart a bit when pressing with the fork. after cooled for a bit, they hold together. and they taste delicious.
my friends and I made these for years in grade school, in the late 50’s to early 60’s .old recipe indeed!!
i just found you through eat, make, read. these cookies look fabulous and i love your public radio tribute post, it made me laugh. i think it’s okay that you still think about violet. i still think about things like that :)
I tried the recipe and liked it. Very sweet cookies and hard to stop eating.
I absolutely love your blog! and your pictures are beautifully taken! i made these cookies and EVERYONE LOVED them! THANK YOU!
For the PB&J lovers out there —
I’ve made a PB&J cookie before for my kids – but this looked so much easier. I admit – I had to add 1/2 c oatmeal on the theory that oatmeal makes everything healthy – and these are for an event at my son’s school, so healthy is good. For the PB&J twist – I just roll the dough in balls and instead of smashing with the fork, use my thumb to make an indentation for the jelly. Then a little scoop of jelly (we used Trader Joe’s low sugar blueberry because that’s what we had) in the indent and bake as usual.
Very cute & very delish. And my daughter had so much fun rolling the dough and spooning in the jam.
Ooh, these look divine. Thanks for posting them!
Just made these tonight and they are delicious! I followed the recipe as it was provided and they were amazing. Definitely needed the tall glass of milk for sure. I added mini chocolate chips on half the cookie dough. I will try for variations in the future but am glad to have a quick and easy cookie recipe to whip up any time! Thanks! I love your site and visit it daily looking for the next mouth-watering treat. Keep it up!
I just made these using 2/3 cup PB and 1/3 cup Nutella. Words cannot describe how good they are. I chilled the dough, then rolled it in balls and dipped the tops in sugar, which made making the hatch marks much easier ….I believe all-Nutella wouldn’t work, though ….
I’ve made peanut butter cookies (normal flour-full ones) w/ sunflower butter from Trader Joe’s before b/c I had a co-worker allergic to PB. They tasted awesome!
Tried these with non-natural peanut butter (Skippy chunky)– still yummy!!!
Sounds like a winner to me! Since I prefer flourless cake to regular, I will probably like these better than the typical version too! Can’t wait to try!
These sounds heavenly! :)
I was bored yesterday which always leads to searching around for things to bake. I came across this post and not only did the cookie sound intriguing but you also invoked the name of my one true obsession, TAL, so I gave these a try. Crazy yummy and easy. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing! I had a flourless PB cookie recipe but this one turned out better. Keep the flourless posts coming – your gluten free readers appreciate it!
I made these for my roommates last night- they were a hit! Thanks for the great recipe!
Whoa, I’m surprised all these people haven’t seen this flourless PB cookie recipe yet. It’s everywhere–even Paula has it on her FoodNetwork site. :)
That being said, it’s worth sharing. Thanks for sharing the cute post, Joy!
Great recipe. I tried the cookies and they were absolutely divine!!
Thanks for this recipe! I am making them right now to bring down to my future mother in law for her birthday!
Joy,
Your amazingly delicious cookie recipes have inspired me. I have tried about 4 or 5 of your cookies so far and have yet to be let down. Thank you for sharing your baking and insight with us. I have started my own baking tradition of making cookies every week, and I created a blog to capture my adventure. I promise you will be seeing many of your own recipes echoed there in the near future. :)
I would have appreciated it if you had given a “yield” to your recipe. I would like to know how many cookies this amount of dough being baked at this specific time would yield. Thanks.
These cookies were great. I thought they tasted a teensey bit plain, so I added a sprinkle of salt and a splash of vanilla to the dough. They turned out so delicious — I also put a glob of marshmallow fluff on top of the cookies after they baked…MMMMMM so good!!!
I can’t wait to try these. They look and sound delicious. I might actually try them with the almond butter just for kicks. thanks
I just tried these. I really was having a bad sweet tooth and nothing to make and came across this recipe on the The Sweetest Kitchen blog. The dough was really weird and oily, but the baked up very nice. I need to try again. I think my peanut butter was weird and affected the dough a bit.
If you knew me, you would know that my world revolves around Peanut Butter – it’s my heaven. Sad, but true. I made this recipe last night and completely fell in love! What a fun snack….and breakfast, shhhhh.
Mmmm, those look so good and so easy!
Yes! I make something similar for a friend who is on a gluten-free diet, but I use only brown sugar and add lots of chocolate chips before baking. Yum!
Thank goodness I have all-natural peanut butter on hand and oh how the hubby wishes for the processed stuff! I’m hoping these cookies will change his mind.
these were “orgasmic” (as my grandmother would say, haha). so good that i had to destroy them with dish soap because i ate 6 within minutes of taking them out of the oven!
p.s. i totally rocked the paperclip retainer too!
Peanut Butter & Chocolate & Cookies……OH MY!
Hahahah! I thought I was the only kid who did the paperclip retainer thing!
Loved reading your former beliefs. And I’m wishing I’d had this recipe a week ago when I promised someone I’d make cookies to take to a friend and then went to make them at 10 o’clock at night and only had 3/4 cup flour due to a roll making extravaganza earlier in the week. Oh well… I’ll try them now. :)
Joy, I discovered your blog two days ago, and have been back and read almost every entry (and nearly killed my laptop from drooling on it!).
I’ve already made the cinnamon bun muffins (HOW GOOD!?), and I am a sucker for peanut butter, so these are next on my to-do list.
Thanks for such a lovely, entertaining, and yummy blog!
Haha! I am listening to that episode as I read this. How appropriate! These cookies sound amazing–I am going to test them out!
I made these yesterday and they are fantastic! Thanks for sharing the recipe! :)
I’m celiac so no flour anything is like a godsend and I can’t wait to try these! Admittedly, I’ve already got a recipe for flourless pb cookies, but yours is considerably different! This’s mine:
1 cup flour
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Joy, I was wondering…peanut butter is really an american thing. I guess it would be very difficult to find someone in the US who doesn’t like it… but in France…wow!! not so much!! BUT. we have Nutella. Ok, nothing similar in taste, but i’ve always considered it as the european peanut butter. You know, you have to grow up with it to truly get it…
So, do you think something like Flourless Nutella Cookies could work??
Can’t wait to make these! I LOVE PB cookies! And these will be awesome to share with a few loved ones who can’t eat flour!
Also, I have a question. In SO MANY recipes that call for peanut butter, the recipe writer clarifies to NOT use natural peanut butter. I’ve always assumed it’s because the hydrogenated oils add something. But I don’t know. And you just now suggesting that the natural stuff will make these hold up better has left me wondering if you know why…Are there recipes that you make for which you do recommend using the fake stuff?
i love flourless baking – this recipe looks so good and tasty
yum!
My father is convinced he’s allergic to peanuts. (Or maybe he is, but it’s totally mild.) Of course, this isn’t enough to curtail his love for the nut, and this sounds like the PERFECT little treat to make for him. Death by cookie? Not a bad way to go.
It wasn’t until Algebra II in the 9th grade where I realized that the best way to avoid being called to the board to do the homework problems were to look busy (but not too busy) checking my answers against the ones in the book. It wasn’t a perfect system, but I know I was called on far fewer times!
You guys crack me up! I had no idea there were so many of you out there who pulled the paperclip trick too!
For those of you allergic to peanuts, you should totally give almond butter a try. I haven’t tried it myself, so I don’t know how they’ll turn out, but it’s worth a shot, right!? Let me know how your experiment goes!
Also, those chocolate pieces are Valrhona 70% Chocolate discs. Beyond good!
I love peanut butter almost as much as chocolate. Only 5 ingredients and no flour? I won’t believe it until I’ve tried it myself. I must try it.
I’ve made a similar recipe I found in Shirley Corriher’s Bakewise — she says the peanut butter acts as a nut flour. I added some honey roasted peanuts and toasted pecans to mine, but the chocolate feves are a stroke of brilliance.
What? I thought I was the only one who stuck a paperclip across my teeth to emulate a retainer (it was held in place with gum on the roof of my mouth). What freaks we were.
I will definitely try these.
a) I’m making these soon.
b) I did the paper clip trick too. And my dad was a dentist, so there’s a chance I could’ve had the real thing if I’d asked. And, I did end up with brace & a retainer when I was 18. Not as cool then.
Hi Joy~ These looked so yummy and simple, I just had to try them! In fact, they are in the oven right now! I had one problem though, I could not make the criss crosses with a fork, because the dough was just to sticky. I had to use a reduced fat, all natural pb because it was the only kind I had on hand. Do you think that caused the stickiness, even though it was still “all natural”?
I was the same way about the retainer thing – yeah, then I had to wear braces for four years. Not so great after all. Anyway, these cookies are so delicious! And I really, really love your blog. It just makes me happy.
I have to admit that I wanted to make these cookies so bad that I went to my kitchen straight away and tried to make natural peanut butter so that I could…Yeah, that didn’t go so well! I still wanted to make them, so I used Jif, and they were great! Great story too, btw.
Ha ha ha – sounds as if we shared many of the same beliefs (especially that one about the paper clip…until I got my “real” retainer and found it not so envious after all). Have been meaning to try flourless peanut butter cookies – they looks so yummy!
you lead into your recipes very nicely.
i got a fresh jar of the all natural peanut butter 2 nights ago. i am excited to try this out.
They look SO good! I’m definitely a peanut butter lover and will surely try these very soon! Thanks!
Joy, I wish I had seen this startlingly simple recipe before I made peanut butter cookies last night. Mine had way too much flour and were pretty powdery, unfortunately. Thanks so much for sharing this!
Yeah! I’m so excited. My daughter will be thrilled to make these. I will be thrilled to eat them! :) Thanks!
I deliberately left this sitting in my reader for a while before I read it because I love PB far too much. After reading this, I know I need to make these. Soon!
Oh woman, you are pure evil. I am going to have to make these and then when my husband asks about my no sugar pact I will tell him that it is all your fault. Pure evil. ;)
These cookies are awesome. They are pure pb to the max.
Oh.
Mah.
Gawd.
Be still my flapper heart, those look scrumptious. What kind of chocolate pieces are those??? I want those exact ones. :)
Ha! I was one of those kids with a retainer who would’ve given anything to take the damn thing off and be like other cool kids..those who didn’t need to wear a retainer! I think I was like one of like three kids who wore retainers in my school. We were the weird ones… No wonder I hated junior high :)
But these cookies. are something I have to try out right NOW. They look so delicious!
Hi Joy! I just wanted to say that I love your blog…absolutely Luuvvv it! I’m sorry, but I needed to tell you that.
I’ve made these once before, but instead of using chocolate to top some them I used preserves. Chocolate sounds like a better idea though since you can’t go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter. I’ll have to try the chocolate next time :)
LULZ I did the same thing with a paper clip! I’m glad I’m not the only one.
Your posts always make me laugh, thank you for that :)
ps – the cookies look divine with the chocolate melted in the middle yummmm
Thanks! My husband pointed this recipe out to me, plus he included a link to you… https://boatbits.blogspot.com
These look SOoooooo EASY! We live on a small sailboat so easy, no-fuss baking is important.
Any recommendations on the peanut butter? We used to be able to buy sugar-free Jif peanut butter but it is no longer available here on the island of St. Martin.
We have a jar of “natural” peanut butter which we haven’t used because it separates with an oily layer and is too much of a pain to deal with, but perhaps it will be good for these cookies and we can use it up :)
Happy Robin Knox Johnston day!
Sheila
I used to make these growing up, but I don’t remember the baking soda. They are yummy and peanutty! And the chocolate, what a great idea! Thanks!
oh. my. word. i thought i was the only goober (no offense intended) who made a fake retainer with a paper clip. i’m blushing just thinking about it. and yes, i did end up with my very own, very real retainer, and it wasn’t nearly as exciting as i’d hoped. :)
on to happier things–your cookies look stellar, especially consider the short list of ingredients! thanks for sharing. :)
Those are cute, especially with the chocolate disks on top! I’m a freak who doesn’t like peanut butter in desserts (especially not with chocolate, I KNOW) but I would definitely try this with almond butter, or even cashew butter. Plus, just 4 ingredients, proving simpler is totally better!
I haven’t made these in ages. love the memories of the ways we thought when we were kids. I used to put bandaids on my nose just so I could look like those girls who had nose jobs, crazy huh? lol
these look amazing – I want them now !
I love that your cookie sheet is well worn and wears the patina of many great recipes that have gone before.
These, too, look amazing.
I just discovered your blog today through Times Online Real Food – Meet the blogger and it’s brilliant!! I can’t wait to keep visiting….
did you ever try these with chocolate chips in the batter? i wonder how they would hold their shape?? this looks delicious!
i had the braces…i always wanted a black eye?!
sweetcharity – what do you put in your really good pat-in-pan tart crust?
i’m imagining something chocolatey-banana-ish…
I second Elisa’s question: is it possible to make these with a PB substitute, like almond or cashew butter? I’m deathly allergic to peanuts, boo!
Thank you so much for posting these – no flour AND no butter! I forgot to get butter at the store the last time I was there and was wondering what I was going to bake this week for sweet treats, and now I have just the thing! :)
These look wonderful. I can’t wait to try them because I am such a Peanut Butter Lover.
Ha! I love it! (And This American Life.)
I totally used a jelly bracelet along my teeth to pretend I had braces/retainer. It wasn’t as much fun when I actually had a retainer that I HAD to wear ;)
I’ve been making these cookies (or ones very much like them) for years — I started making them when I was put on a gluten-free diet, and then when we discovered I didn’t need to eat GF, kept this recipe anyway because they’re SO good.
sorry, that should say “MOVED” not mosed…slippery fingers :P
Good lord, these look divine!!! Yet another recipe to add to my “must make once I’ve mosed” list :)
I think I may have found something that could possibly melt the hearts of my hardworking, unsocial, non English speaking, new co-workers. The best way to the heart of Japanese people is gifts and these cookies are definitely a gift from heaven.
Viva Joy!!!
I meant cookies look so good – (Not God…cos that would be a feat)
I always thought Brenda and Dylan were meant to be forever and ever too. New beverly Hills is back on tv which is weird.
Cookies look so god – will definitely have to make them :)
i believed that peanut butter was a food group…
hang on, i still believe that :)
great looking cookies, yet agian!
Oh gosh, bring them on!
“I believed that if I stayed up all night chewing gum, I was bound to get the part of Violet Beauregarde in the sixth grade performance of Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. That part went to my best friend Lindsay. What does it say about me if I still think about that from time to time?”
I still believe I should have been Fern in my fifth grade performance of Charlotte’s Web (even though I can’t sing). You are not alone!
Also, these cookies look great! And so well timed, since I just ran out of flour. I am looking forward to giving these a try!
yum:)
Yum!!! I love these cookies!! A real depth of peanut butter nothing can compare to!
these look like HEAVEN…………….. and soooooo easy to make — yay! thank you joy! your blog is always such a delight to read :)
P.S. I used aluminum foil to make fake braces. I also wanted glasses and a cast (arm or leg would have been fine). So thankful I have yet to have to wear a cast.
I heart your blog!
I also believed that if I wore a stretched out paperclip across my front teeth I would be one of the cool kids with a retainer. I remember sitting in dad’s study rooting throught the paper clips to find the perfect one!
Thanks for the great recipe, cant wait to try it!
I totally agree with you…flour would always be an ingredient I think of in cookies! There is only one cookie that I’ve loved without any flour and not I bet this will make two! Thanks for the great post!
OMG I did the paper clip retainer too! Haha. Then I got a real retainer and never wore it.
I’m making these cookies this afternoon. I have some all natural PB I brought back from Malawi. Think that will do nicely. Love how quick and easy they are! And 4 ingredients?!? These are better than you ‘super-fast-easy-to-make-when-you-have-no-ingredients’ jam cookies
I love these cookies… I discovered the recipe on the back of a Kraft peanut butter jar waaaaaaaay back… I’m talking the 80’s. I’ve tried other versions of peanut butter cookies, but always come back to these because they are so good… The dough also makes a really good pat-in-pan tart crust if you’re into that (which I am).
Ah Hah! Glad you finally came across a recipe for flourless peanut butter cookies….. I’ve been making these for years…. Every time I make them people just can’t believe the taste and texture….
Here’s my post on my blog from last year:
https://themerlinmenu.blogspot.com/2008/06/recipe-world-class-peanut-butter.html
WOW!!! thanks! I just passed this on to a bunch of friends who are gluten free!
I also used to pretend to wear retainers and braces.. even going so far as to wind tiny rubber bands around my teeth!
Oh my gah. These cookies look so good. Yum! I used to think that having braces, glasses, and crutches would make me the coolest kid in school. Seriously, why did I wish those things upon myself? I mean, braces? Really? And glasses? And why I would ever wish a broken leg upon myself, I’m not sure. Anyway…back to these cookies. They look divine! Can’t wait to try them.
These cookies are amazing… I have made them before, this recipe is not unique. Some use fake pbutter, some use baking powder. However, rolling them in the sugar before you bake them and fork-smush-them really makes a difference! I highly recommend these cookies :)
I went to my older brother’s orthodontist hoping my teeth needed braces. What a crazy kid I was (and still am)…thank god I didn’t need them! Love these cookies. I loved the TAL – especially the interview with Jay Allison about the teenagers who believe in their BMW! :) I’m going to the TAL Live in the movie theatre this week – should be interesting!
I want to try these. They sound great and easy!
I’ve made these before and they are incredible. Oh my.
omg. i sooo wanted a retainer too…and did that paperclip thingie! I got a retainer for reals at the age of 28 and stopped wearing it immediately. Go figure.
im excited to try this recipe! i’ve seen it a few places, but your pictures have pushed me over the edge. oh yes these will be mine…and my thighs are going to hate me for it ;)
Oh Joy, you’re feeding my current peanut butter frenzy! I can’t wait to try these!
i LOVE peanut butter…in everything! these look extra peanut buttery, too! have you tried peanut butter in your oatmeal? it sounds strange but is really good! :)
I made these for Baking Gals and they were awesome! I stole a few before I shipped them, you know, for quality control.
We got this recipe YEARS ago from a lady at our church – I think she was having the small kids help make them or something…but we tried it and indeed it is no mistake, you don’t need flour! No more crumbly cookies!!! And they are delish.
I’ve always believed that when it comes to peanut butter cookies, the flourless ones are the best! My mom’s never big on cookies, but when they’re flourless pb cookies, she’ll just sit by the table, hoarding the whole jar :P
I loooove TAL!! I haven’t listened to this weeks podcast yet. I’m waiting until the office is absolutely unbearable and then i’ll plug in and shut everyone out for an hour.
also love peanut butter…. yay!
i think i found my next cookie recipe to try. i need to get the natural pnut butter first. and maybe some chocolate too.
Oh yum! THis is how I made mine too. I got my recipe from Paula Deen and hers omit the baking soda but it includes a dash of vanilla essence. YUMMY!!!!!
Most important, my girls love it.
I never add chocolate though. Duh!!! I HAVE to try that. Thanks for the idea.
That is a great idea. I am all for cutting out flour (especially white) where it isn’t needed. Now if only we had a recipe for flourless choc. chip cookies…that’s my downfall:)
I also enjoyed the “This I used to believe” and love public radio.
Thanks for another great innovative recipe!
you are right, retainers are only cool to kids who didn’t need them… I had one! I also tried to hide in algebra class… hated getting called on since I just didn’t understand why algegra was so darn important to life.
those cookies look fantastic! I’d love one right now!
oh! how delicious! i’ve made similar with ground peanuts & butter in the place of the peanut butter and i understand what you mean when you said “my goodness… swoon!” :)
Wow, those look good! I have made a similar recipe before and they were a hit!
I have big jar of unsalted peanuts bought by mistake and I’ve been looking for a reason to grind them up. May add a bit of salt though. This American Life is my favorite podcast too. With it, I can make it through an hour long run or bout of housecleaning. The episode re-aired last week, about cryogenics, was spellbinding.
Just wanted to tell you that I made the breakfast dish with the orange sugar & it was delish! It is definately a keeper.
boo! my boyfriend is allergic to peanuts so i’m not allowed to make these even though they look delicious…do you think i could use something like almond butter or nutella?
So funny – I wanted a retainer (and braces) when I was a kid, too. Now my son has them and I’m not nearly so jealous!
Your cookies sound great and I love the way you added the chocolate on top.
These cookies look great! Did you write the recipe?
Who needs flour when you can just have peanut butter and chocolate?! This looks perfect and delicious.
This may possibly be the shortest ingredient recipe in your site. Sounds and looks delicious Joy!