Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

These easy peanut butter cookies take less than 20 minutes to put together and 15 minutes to bake, so you can have homemade peanut butter cookies in an easy 35 minutes.

If that wasn't enough, these peanut butter cookies are made with just four ingredients: peanut butter, egg, vanilla extract, and sugar. The result is a tender, buttery cookie that's a perfect balance of nutty and sweet. They're perfect on their own, a quick dessert or snack for after dinner or a last-minute party. But you can also use them as sandwich cookies, with jam, marshmallow fluff, or frosting in between.

Learn how to make easy peanut butter cookies. Plus, get tips on storing them and having a little fun with variations.

Ingredients for Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

Rather than being built on a structure of butter, sugar, and flour, this quick cookie dough solely depends on four ingredients:

• Peanut butter: The oil in the peanut butter combines with the sugar and egg for structure. Plus it lends the sweet-nutty flavor.
• Sugar: Sugar makes the cookies soft but stable.
• Egg: Provides shape and helps hold the cookie together.
• Vanilla extract: This is optional, but it really helps to elevate the flavor of the cookie so it tastes far more delicious than its brief ingredient list would have you believe.

How To Make Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

This recipe is fast and easy, so knowing the steps before you start will help. The full recipe with step-by-step images is further below, but here's a brief recap:

• Step 1. Mix ingredients: Combine all four ingredients in a large bowl, and stir until well combined.
• Step 2. Scoop cookies: Use a spoon to scoop up some dough, and roll the dough into 1-inch balls.
• Step 3. Press cookies: Place dough balls on the prepared cookie sheet. Use a fork to gently press alternating marks on the top of the cookie.
• Step 4. Bake cookies: Bake until golden brown. Let cool.

What Type of Peanut Butter Is Best for Cookies?

The best peanut butter for cookies is the processed creamy peanut butter, like JIF or Peter Pan. All-natural peanut butters may not have enough fat mixed into the spread to keep the cookies together.

Why Do You Put Fork Lines in Peanut Butter Cookies?

Our Test Kitchen experts say the fork lines are there to help peanut butter cookies cook more evenly. Peanut butter cookies tend to be a bit more dense, so if you left them in ball form, they may remain thick and compact while baking, unlikely to spread out the way chocolate chip cookies do. But pressing the tines of a fork in an alternating cross pattern helps press the cookies out a bit.

It also creates small peaks at the top of the cookie that develop into crispy bits of goodness. That may be our favorite part about all peanut butter cookies.

Do You Have To Put Eggs in Peanut Butter Cookies?

In these easy peanut butter cookies, you'll need the egg for structure. The egg acts as a glue to keep everything together.

There are plenty of egg-free versions, but you shouldn't leave it out of this recipe and expect the cookies to come out OK. They'll likely crumble.

Variations for Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut butter cookies are delicious on their own—rich, dense, nearly fudgy. But you can add some things to them to make them better.

• Add chocolate: Prefer the dynamic duo of chocolate and peanut butter, these Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies shouldn't be skipped. Or get the kids involved, and make these adorable Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies.
• Add a frosting: Drizzle with chocolate for a stylish upgrade to the old-fashioned cookie. Or turn the single cookies into a sandwich cookie by putting a layer of buttercream frosting between two.
• Add crunch: Evenly press 1 cup of your desired addition, such as chocolate morsels, chocolate-coated toffee bits, or chopped peanuts, onto the top of prepared cookie dough on baking sheets; bake as directed.

How To Store Peanut Butter Cookies

Transfer cooled cookies to an airtight container or ziplock bag. Store at room temperature up to 5 days.