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.
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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
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.
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.
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.
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!!
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
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!
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.
I made these last week and they were super tasty! Thanks for the great recipe, I know I’ll make them again and again.
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!!
Wondering if anyone has used 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup honey instead of a full cup of sugar.
Thanks,
Jen
I used 3/4 c. white sugar and some cinnamon– they turned out great!
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.
Fabulous recipe… so easy & quick to put together :)
I sprinkled some fleur de sel on the tops before baking…. HEAVEN!!
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 :)
yum. yum. and yum again. Second time i have made these little gems. What’s not to love about 4 ingredients. Another amazing 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.
Can I substitute baking soda for baking powder? Also, what’s the difference between them? Thank you for this gluten-free recipe.
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.
These are the best cookies that I have ever tasted in my whole entire life!!!!!! :) <3
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 were amazing. i added some “Reeses” peanut butter chips to mine too. and that just makes them extra peanut buttery :)
Has anybody tried freezing the dough and baking later? Do I “fork” them and then freeze or freeze in ball shape? Thanks!
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!!!!
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 alway loved peanutbutter cookies i’m going to make them today
yes indeed…..a quick, good little cookie
Anyone try them with straberry or grape jelly in the middle ? I’m gonna give it a shot!
Just made these for about the gazillionth time. They are absolutely fabulous.
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!
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’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.
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 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.
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!
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!
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.
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’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.
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good and so incredibly easy. I can’t thank you enough!
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!
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?
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….
Yay! A great Gluten free recipe and so easy to make! my Little one is watching them cook now. Thanks
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.
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.
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 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
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 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!
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