YIELD: 11 TO 12 MEDIUM COOKIES
TOTAL TIME:3+ HOURS, FOR DOUGH CHILLING
PREP TIME:5 MINUTES
COOK TIME:8 MINUTES
One bowl, no mixer, and a few ingredients is all you need for these easy cookies. What sets this recipe apart from many other peanut butter cookie recipes is that there’s no butter and no flour making them naturally gluten-free. They’re full of bold, robust peanut butter flavor, chewy around the edges, and perfectly soft and tender in the middle. I recommend classic peanut butter like Jif, Skippy, or similar rather than natural or homemade versions to help prevent spreading. Don’t overbake or they won’t taste nearly as good.55 / 5 (2 Reviews)Did you make this recipe?Leave a review »
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup creamy classic-style peanut butter or honey-roasted peanut butter (Jif, Skippy, or similar rather than natural or homemade versions. Sometimes natural versions work fine but not always; classic peanut butter is more trustworthy. I use honey-roasted.)
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS:
- To a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients and stir to combine using a spoon. It takes some elbow grease and it’s okay for the dough to be slightly granular because the sugar absorbs into the dough over time as the dough chills.
- Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop, form two-tablespoon mounds, place mounds on a large plate, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread and bake thinner and flatter.
- Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet), flatten slightly using a fork to make a criss-cross pattern if desired, and bake for 8 minutes, or until edges are set and tops are barely set, even if slightly underbaked and glossy in the center. Cookies firm up as they cool; don’t overbake.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don’t use a rack. Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.