While there are some great bakery-style peanut butter cookie recipes, sometimes you need a quick cookie fix. Fortunately, peanut butter is a fantastic starting point for making easy and delicious homemade cookies. There are satisfying three-ingredient peanut butter-oatmeal cookies that can be whipped up for a substantial bite. But for a simpler snack, there’s a two-ingredient version that comes together in less than 30 minutes from start to finish. Just some natural peanut butter and maple syrup mixed together form an intensely flavored dough that perfectly balances sweet and nutty flavors. The result is a delicate, crumbly cookie that’s egg- and gluten-free, vegan, and can be stored for up to a week in an airtight container. These cookies are great on their own or even crumbled over a creamy dessert for some delicious texture.
While the sweetness can be adjusted, start with between one and two tablespoons of maple syrup per cup of peanut butter. Combine into a batter and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes or until the edges start to slightly darken. There are several good natural options in peanut butter brands that you can buy, so pick those over the ones with additives; the extra oils added to regular peanut butter hinder the cookies from coming together. Some natural butters tend to be runny, but stirring them helps thicken the batter. You can also refrigerate the mixture for a short time to firm it up before shaping into cookies. They may fall apart when warm, so let the cookies cool once they’re baked. Because of how easy they are to make, there are a lot of ways to customize these two-ingredient peanut butter cookies.
Easily experiment with and customize two-ingredient peanut butter cookies
You can easily switch between smooth and chunky peanut butter for a nuttier texture. However, it’s with the sweetener that you can really start to experiment. Maple syrup can be substituted with honey, date syrup, or other sweet syrups. Powdered sugar is also an option if you want the cookies to be slightly sweeter. The cornstarch in powdered sugar helps the cookie dough bind together, so if you use a different type of sugar, add about a teaspoon of cornstarch into the batter to keep the cookies from falling apart.
For more nutritious versions, skip processed sweeteners entirely and use whole, deseeded dates or ripe bananas. To keep the texture smooth, first blend the bananas or dates into a paste and then mix with peanut butter. Since these natural ingredients are only lightly sweet, you may have to use more of them compared to other sweeteners to balance the flavors. This cookie dough is also delicious and safe to eat raw.
Finally, play around with mix-ins. Chocolate chips are the easiest and a classic pairing for peanut butter. You can even throw a few roasted seeds, crushed nuts, or M&M’s into the batter. Try mixing in some shredded coconut for a nice flavor and texture boost. These cookies are perfect for experimenting with ingredients you have on hand, so make the two-ingredient batter and then look around in your refrigerator or pantry for mix-in inspiration.
