These peanut butter cookies are sugar-free, gluten-free, flourless and made with just 3 ingredients: natural peanut butter, powdered allulose, and egg. They have 6g protein and 1.4g net carbs per cookie. Total time is 25 minutes. Makes 12 cookies.
The BEST 3 ingredient sugar-free peanut butter cookies! Made with allulose, they're soft in the middle, lightly crisp around the edges, and bursting with that signature sweet-and-salty peanut butter flavor. Ready in under 30 minutes, it only uses one bowl. No mixer needed!
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I originally published this recipe in 2022, but recently re-visited and retested to see if I could improve it. I'm always working to improve my recipes, even those I've already published. In this case, new pictures were needed, and I landed on allulose as my new favorite natural sugar-free sweetener for this cookie. This recipe was also one of my very first viral videos and continues to get views, likes, comments, and reshares to this day.
Peanut butter is the key ingredient to make these cookies work, of course. But not just any peanut butter, natural peanut butter with 1 ingredient: peanuts! The egg binds everything together, and powdered allulose dissolves into the dough so the cookies bake up smooth. Mix it all together, roll into balls, press, and bake. The hardest step: waiting for them to cool, but a very much needed step. Don't skip it!
If you love simple recipes like these, you will love my no-bake pistachio protein bars and 3 ingredient sugar-free cookies. Make these for an easy sugar-free dessert that hits the spot. I hope you love them as much as I do!
Ingredients
This recipe uses 3 simple ingredients. No flour, no butter, no dairy, no sugar.
- Peanut butter - Of course! Use a natural, smooth peanut butter with no added sugar. I used Crazy Richard's (100% peanuts). Stir it thoroughly before measuring so the oil and solids are fully recombined.
- Powdered sugar-free sweetener - For sweetness. I used Besti allulose in this version so they would be more chewy with a lighter natural sweetness. Be careful on baking times since allulose browns faster. Powdered monk fruit and erythritol blends also work. Or use your favorite sweetener - pure stevia is not recommended.
- Egg - For binding. Room temperature works best. If you don't want to wait, run it under warm water for 5 minutes.
See recipe card for complete measurements below.
Instructions
These cookies come together in one bowl with a spatula. Here's how to make them:
Before you get started: Pull your egg out of the fridge about 15 minutes ahead so it's closer to room temperature. Stir your peanut butter thoroughly if it's the natural kind and separated. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°F.
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- Mix the dough. Add all 3 ingredients to a medium mixing bowl. Stir with a spatula until a thick, smooth dough forms. It should hold together and scoop cleanly.
- Shape the cookies. Scoop 1.5-inch dough balls onto the parchment-lined baking sheet using a cookie scoop or tablespoon. Press each ball with the back of a fork in a criss-cross pattern to flatten.
- Bake. Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Start checking at 8 minutes because ovens vary, and pull them when the edges are set but the middles still look slightly soft.
- Cool completely. This part is non-negotiable! These cookies are delicate straight out of the oven and will break apart if you try to lift them too soon. Let them cool on the pan for at least 10 minutes. They firm up as they cool.
Tip: A good cookie scoop makes portioning faster and keeps your cookies uniform in size, which means they bake evenly. I used a 40 size scoop which is about 1.5 tablespoons.
Variations
- Chocolate-dipped peanut butter cookies. Melt ¼ cup Lily's sugar-free chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon coconut oil in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in between. Dip each cooled cookie halfway and set on parchment until the chocolate firms up.
- Sugar-coated cookies. Roll the dough balls in a little extra powdered sweetener before pressing with the fork for a sparkly finish.
- Chocolate chip peanut butter cookies. Fold ¼ cup Lily's sugar-free chocolate chips into the dough before shaping.
- Chunky peanut butter cookies. Swap the smooth peanut butter for crunchy, or stir 2 tablespoons of chopped peanuts into the dough.
- Almond butter cookies. Swap the peanut butter one for one with natural almond butter.
Let me know which version you try!
Storage
Let the cookies cool completely before storing. Transfer them to an airtight container and keep at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Let them thaw on the counter for about an hour, or microwave one for 15 seconds.
FAQ
The most common causes are peanut butter that's too dry (not enough oil), not allowing them to cool completely, or using pure stevia.
Yes. Almond butter, cashew butter, and sunflower seed butter all swap one for one.
It'll work, but the texture will be gritty. Powdered is worth the swap if you can get it.
Yes. There's no flour of any kind, so they're naturally gluten-free.
Yes, but it's a completely different recipe. I recommend this recipe from Rainbow Nourishments!
Yes. Keep the ratio exact and use a second baking sheet.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter
- ½ cup powdered sugar-free sweetener
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl with spatula until dough forms.
- Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop out cookie dough (about 1.5 tbsp). Roll into a ball. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a fork, apply a criss-cross pattern to the cookies to flatten (they will not spread without this step). Repeat with remaining dough.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes until lightly brown on edges with soft centers. (Remember allulose browns faster so keep an eye on it)
- Allow to cool at least 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Deborah Hinkle says
I enjoyed watching you make this video, you are comical!
I think you should film yourself instead of just your hands more while you do your baking, that way it seems more personable. But you are lovely and I enjoyed it.
I do have one question, in the written recipe you said 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, but in the video you said 1/3. Which do you think is more sustainable?
Thanks again and keep those videos (with yourself 😊) coming!
Olivia Wyles says
Hi Deborah, you are so very kind! Ha, this video is in need of an update too. Go with the written recipe, it’s the most up to date!
Olivia Wyles says
I enjoyed creating and testing updated version with allulose. My husband even stole a few for himself and he didn't even know they were sugar-free! I hope you enjoy them too.
Jean Trucks says
I like these easy to do recipes.
Olivia Wyles says
I'm so glad you're here! I hope you enjoy.