These healthy 2-ingredient peanut butter cookies have no egg, butter, milk, or flour. They are completely vegan, gluten-free, and incredibly easy to make. They have the best soft, chewy texture and delicious peanut butter flavor that's not too sweet.
Whenever I'm craving cookies but don't have much time, I make these. An easier recipe literally does not exist... these are as simple as it gets! Despite only having two ingredients, the flavors are incredible, making this a fan-favorite cookie recipe.
Similar to this recipe are these 3-ingredient almond flour peanut butter cookies. If you love easy baking, you have to try these 4-ingredient banana oatmeal cookies sometime, too!
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Why You'll Love These Cookies
- Easy - With only two ingredients, these cookies are super easy to make. No chill time is necessary. They're ready to eat in just 20 minutes!
- Gluten-Free - These are flourless peanut butter cookies, making them naturally gluten-free and safe for those with celiac.
- Dairy-Free - This recipe has no milk or butter. It is completely dairy-free!
- Vegan - Since the cookies are eggless, they are also vegan!
- Sugar-Free - Maple syrup naturally sweetens the cookies, making this recipe refined sugar-free and especially great for kids.
Ingredients
The ingredients for these cookies could not get simpler. You only need two! That's it!
- Natural Peanut Butter - It's important to use 100% natural, creamy peanut butter for these cookies. I recommend Crazy Richard's 100% Peanuts, but any natural peanut butter without stabilizers should work. It should have a drippy, runny consistency in order for the cookies to come together properly.
- Pure Maple Syrup - I highly recommend using 100% pure maple syrup to sweeten the cookies. Sugar-free maple syrup or date syrup may work, but I prefer pure maple syrup for the best taste and texture.
Remember to see the recipe card at the bottom of the post for ingredient quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions for how to make two ingredient peanut butter cookies:
STEP 1: Add the natural peanut butter and pure maple syrup to a large mixing bowl.
STEP 2: Use a rubber spatula to stir the ingredients together. It will be runny at first, but keep stirring and the ingredients will eventually form a soft cookie dough.
STEP 3: Use a cookie scoop to form evenly-sized dough balls. Place them evenly apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
STEP 4: Gently press the cookie dough balls into small disc shapes. Not too much! Just enough to flatten them slightly.
STEP 5: Use a fork to make a cross-hatch pattern on top of the cookie dough discs. This will flatten them even more, into the perfect peanut butter cookie shape.
STEP 6: Bake the cookies at 350°F for 11-12 minutes, or until the tops are no longer shiny and appear firm and cooked through. Be careful not to over bake them or they may be dry!
TIP: Be sure to allow the cookies cool for at least 10 minutes on the baking sheet after removing them from the oven. They are very delicate while they are still warm. Don't move them off the baking sheet too soon, or they may fall apart.
Expert Baking Tips
- Use a rubber spatula - I find it easiest to stir the peanut butter and maple syrup with a rubber spatula instead of a mixing spoon. This makes it easier and quicker to fold the two ingredients together smoothly.
- Shape the cookies - The cookies will not spread much in the oven while they bake, so I recommend gently "shaping" the cookies into discs before baking them. Pressing on the tops with a fork shapes them fairly well.
- Don't overbake - Be careful not to bake the cookies too long, or they will become dry and crumbly. Check on the cookies at around 10 minutes and remove them when the tops of the cookies are no longer shiny and appear cooked.
- Let the cookies set up - It is important to allow the cookies to fully cool on the baking sheet before transferring them to another plate. This allows them to set up. If you move them too soon, they may crumble or fall apart.
Peanut Butter Cookie Variations
Below are some ways you can customize these simple peanut butter cookies:
- With Banana - Try making peanut butter banana cookies by replacing the maple syrup with ⅔ cup mashed banana puree.
- With Chocolate - Mix in ½ cup of your favorite chocolate chips if you'd like.
- No Bake - You don't have to bake these cookies. You can enjoy the cookie dough by itself, or shape the cookie dough into round discs on a cookie sheet and refrigerate them for 30 minutes. You can enjoy no-bake cookies immediately.
- Keto - Use sugar-free maple syrup and these cookies become keto-friendly.
- With Sugar - Use ¾ cup powdered sugar instead of maple syrup. The cookies will be a bit softer and slightly sweeter in flavor.
I highly recommend giving these vegan biscoff butter cookies a try sometime, too!
Frequently Asked Questions
After removing the cookies from the oven, make sure you allow them to fully cool on the baking sheet before transferring them to another plate. They are delicate when warm and need time to set up. If you move them too soon, they may fall apart.
Nut butter, like peanut butter, is often used as a substitute for eggs in baking recipes with great results. No egg is needed in this recipe since the thick and creamy peanut butter binds the ingredients similar to how eggs would.
These cookies are made with simple ingredients, making them quite healthy. They are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and full of healthy fats and protein from peanut butter. They are naturally sweetened, making them refined sugar-free, too.
Using a fork to add "hash marks" to peanut butter cookies helps flatten them into the right shape before baking, since they do not spread much on their own. This technique has become a tradition for peanut butter cookies over time, making their cross-hatched appearance so easily recognizable today.
There are about 146 calories in one 2-ingredient peanut butter cookie, if you make a batch of 16 cookies.
Storing & Freezing
Store leftover peanut butter cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days. To freeze the cookies, place them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you stack the cookies, place parchment paper between each cookie layer so they do not stick together when frozen.
Remember to allow the cookies to thaw at room temperature for a few hours before enjoying them again.
More Easy Cookie Recipes
Did you make these easy 2-ingredient peanut butter cookies without eggs? Please leave a star rating and review below. This helps other readers and supports my blog immensely! If you share a photo of your cookies on Instagram and tag me, I would love to repost it. To stay updated with the latest recipes, join my email list and follow me on Pinterest. Happy baking!
Recipe
2-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies (No Egg)
Equipment
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Large Baking Sheet
- 1 Rubber Spatula
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups natural, creamy peanut butter
- 3 ½ tablespoons pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the peanut butter and maple syrup to a large mixing bowl. Use a rubber spatula to thoroughly stir the ingredients together into a soft cookie dough. The mixture will be very runny at first, but just keep mixing. The longer you mix, the thicker the mixture becomes. It should be firm enough to form balls.1 ½ cups natural, creamy peanut butter, 3 ½ tablespoons pure maple syrup
- Once the dough is firm enough to scoop, use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop evenly-sized balls of dough. Place each ball of cookie dough on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Gently press on the cookie dough balls to flatten them slightly into small disc shapes. Not too much! Then, use a fork to make a cross-hatch pattern on the top of each cookie. This will flatten them slightly more, giving you a nice, round cookie shape.
- Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes, or until the cookies are no longer shiny and appear to have a dry, cooked top and edges. Be careful not to overbake them! They will continue to cook on the baking sheet once removed.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet (at least 10-15 minutes) before transferring them to another plate. This allows them to fully set up. If you move them while they are warm, they may crumble or fall apart. Enjoy!
Autumn says
These are even better than I expected! To be honest, I wasn't sure how only two ingredients were going to become cookies... but they do! Just keep mixing and it is amazing how it turns into cookie dough! The flavors are awesome too, not too sweet, but plenty of flavor. I'm going to add chocolate chips next time! Thanks for the awesome vegan & gluten-free recipe!
Samantha Ensinger says
Hi Autumn,
I'm so glad you enjoyed the cookies! Isn't it amazing how peanut butter and maple syrup can become such awesome deliciousness? Adding chocolate chips sounds like a great plan for next time! Thank you for leaving a review!
christi says
Hi Samantha, wondering if date syrup in place of maple would work?
Samantha Ensinger says
Hi Christi!
Great question. I am not familiar with date syrup, but I believe it will work just fine as a replacement for maple syrup as long as they are similar in consistency. Honey can be used as a replacement also. Let me know how they turn out! Enjoy!
Jess says
So delicious!
Andrea says
love how simple these pb cookies are to whip up! so tasty and so so good!
Nicola says
I can't believe how simple yet delicious this recipe is! Thank you for sharing!
Allie says
I'm gluten-free so it's hard to find GF cookie recipes that work. I love so many of your recipes and these cookies are another one I can add to my list. So easy to make and they turned out great! Thanks 🙂
Samantha Ensinger says
Hi Allie,
I am so happy to hear that you're enjoying my gluten-free recipes! These have been a favorite of mine because of how easy they are. Enjoy them!
Lori says
These cookies are incredible! So insanely easy and yet they taste just as delicious as the peanut butter recipes with way more ingredients. Can't beat this recipe! I make it all the time. The whole family loves these. Thanks for the awesome cookie recipe!!
Samantha Ensinger says
Hi Lori, thank you for such a kind review! I am always happy to hear a recipe is being enjoyed by the entire family. Thanks for giving it a try!