Are these peanut butter cookies the EASIEST in the world? Given they only have 3 ingredients. And all you have to do is stir together some brown sugar, peanut butter and an egg – I definitely haven’t come across an easier cookie.
Although if you do know of a cookie recipe that can top these, I’m all ears! Email me jules@thestonesoup.com and let me know.
Don’t let the simplicity of these cookies fool you. They have a satisfying wonderful chewy texture and the combo of brown sugar and peanut butter means they’re no slouch in the flavour department.
The only downside is that they contain nuts so I can’t pop them in school lunches. Although new I’m going to have to buy one of those peanut-free nut butter substitutes to see if they will work.
Oh and to give credit where credit is due… I actually discovered these cookies via a comment someone left on my blog. I’m forever grateful.
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 12 cookies
Ingredients
- 250 g / 9 oz smooth peanut butter
- 200 g / 7 oz brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C (350F).
- In a bowl, stir together peanut butter, sugar and baking powder.
- Stir in egg to form a wet dough.
- Form into balls using heaped teaspoons and place on 2 trays lined with baking paper, allowing room to spread. Press on cookies to flatten slightly and sprinkle with a little sea salt.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cookies are golden at the edges. Cool on the tray.
Shelf Life
Will keep for a few weeks in an airtight container. Just make sure they’re well sealed to they don’t pick up moisture and go stale.
Variations and Substitutions
chocolate chip – stir in a handful of chocolate chunks or chips.
almond butter cookies – replace peanut butter with almond or other nut butter.
super crunchy peanut butter cookies – stir in a large handful of roasted peanut halves.
nut-free – try with ‘sunbutter’ ie paste made from sunflower seeds or other lunchbox-friendly peanut butter substitutes.
paleo (gluten, grain + dairy-free) – use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar or make these sugar-free cookies.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
peanut butter, sugar, baking powder – pantry.
egg – will keep in the fridge for about a month. Or use for another meal.
Problem Solving Guide
too soft – a sign of underbaked cookies – you could pop them back in the oven for a few minutes. It could be that your cookies are too large as well.
cookies falling apart – larger oookies are more likely to have problems in this department so next time use smaller scoops of dough with your teaspoon.
Packaging Suggestions
Needs an air tight container. Zip lock bags are great because you can get rid of the excess air and avoid them picking up moisture – the biggest contributor to ‘staleness’.
Serving Suggestions
straight up – serve on their own.
with milk or tea – no explanation required :)
quick dessert – bash cookies into chunks and crumbs and serve atop scoops of vanilla ice cream.
peanut butter cheeseckae – use as a base for your favourite cheesecake.
sandwiches – spread the base of one cookie with cream cheese. Top with another cookie. Alternatively make sandwiches with softened vanilla icecream.