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You are here: Home / All Recipes / Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies | Vegan

January 14, 2019 By Rachel 8 Comments

Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies | Vegan

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PIN Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies on White Plate

Peanut Butter Cookies Piled on White Plate
 
These 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies have 8 grams of protein per cookie (more than 1 egg!) and 12 grams of net carbs, making a good snack or dessert if you’re looking to support blood sugar levels. This recipe uses ‘flax-eggs’ for an egg-free version, but the recipe can be modified to use regular eggs.

Ingredients for Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

First: Make ‘flax-eggs’ by mixing ground flax with water. Next, add flax-eggs to a bowl with maple syrup and peanut butter

Nutrition

Low In Refined Carbohydrates

These cookies don’t contain any grains, including oats and wheat flour. So, although you won’t get the chewy gluten-y bakery-style cookie we are so used to, you will get a cookie that is low in carbs with only 12 grams of net carbs per cookie.

Refined-Sugar Free

Why use sugar when you can use maple syrup? Maple syrup not only has a lower glycemic index than regular sugar (breaks down more slowly into glucose and has a lesser effect on our blood sugar levels), it also lends a delicious maple flavour to the cookies.

Good Source Of Protein

Just one cookie contains 8 grams of protein! This is more protein than 1 egg. Including a source of protein with desserts and sweets helps to stabilize blood sugar levels. Another favourite high protein cookie recipe – Seedy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies.

Diabetes-Friendly

Thanks to the higher protein and healthy fat content of these cookies, they won’t spike blood sugar levels as much as a conventional cookie. Maple syrup is also a better option than regular table sugar for blood sugar levels.

Mixing bowl with peanut butter, maple syrup and flax-egg

Mix all three ingredients in a bowl

Tips

Making SoftCookies

The trick to the perfect consistency is to not over-bake them. You will know they are done baking when you can lightly tap the cookies and there is a small amount of resistance.

Using Salted Peanut Butter

Try to use a natural peanut butter, making sure there are no funny ingredients or added oils. My favourite natural peanut butter is 100% natural and does NOT separate – there is no oil on the top and no stirring is required. Using salted peanut butter omits the need to add salt to this recipe. Salt helps to enhance the flavour of the cookie; if your peanut butter is unsalted, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the recipe.

Making These Cookies Without Eggs

This recipe uses a flax-egg instead of an egg. Flax-eggs are convenient for when you don’t have eggs on hand, or if you prefer not to use eggs (vegan, ethical reasons). The best flax-egg recipe I have found is 1 tablespoon of ground flax to 2 1/2 tablespoons of water.

Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies raw and baked on baking tray

Form 8 cookies and bake for 20 minutes at 350°F

Notes

Can I Use Honey Instead of Maple Syrup?

Honey can be used in this recipe in place of maple syrup. When using honey in baking always reduce the temperature by 25°Fahrenheit as honey makes baked goods brown more easily. The cooking time may need to be increased by 5 to 7 minutes.

Can I Use Almond Butter Instead of Peanut Butter?

Almond butter (or any other nut butter) can replace the peanut butter in the recipe at a 1:1 ratio. For a nut-free cookie try tahini paste or sunflower seed butter.

Adding Chocolate Chips

For something a little extra special, I love adding 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips (vegan) or even better getting a block of quality dark chocolate and chopping half of it into small chocolate chip-sized chunks. Add this to the batter before baking – see Healthy Soft Pumpkin Cookies for a photo example of this.

Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies on Baking Tray, and Cooling Rack

After baking the Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies cool on a cooling rack

Adapted Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookie

All Recipes is the first recipe that comes up for Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies. This version contains refined sugar, egg, and makes up to 20 small cookies (not specified). This recipe has been adapted to use no refined sugar, and no egg (vegan alternative). I have found that the recipe forms 8 good-sized cookies that are nice and satisfying. The larger cookies require a longer baking time.

More Cookie Recipes

Try these tasty cookies:

  • Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies
  • Healthy Soft Pumpkin Cookies
  • Seedy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

More Peanut Butter Recipes

If you love peanut butter as much as I do you will love these:

  • No-Bake Peanut Butter Energy Balls
  • High Protein Peanut Butter Energy Balls.
  • High Protein Steel-Cut Oats with Peanut Butter.

Overhead Peanut Butter Cookies
 

Feature Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies Stacked on White Plate
Print Recipe
5 from 7 votes

Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookie | Vegan, GF, Paleo

These simple three ingredient peanut butter cookies are soft and satisfying, and naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, low-carb, vegan and paleo-friendly. Simply mix all three ingredients and bake. It doesn't get much better than that!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time30 mins
Course: Dessert
Keyword: Easy Peanut Butter Cookie, Healthy Peanut Butter Cookie, High Protein Cookie, Low Carb Cookie, Three Ingredient Cookie
Servings: 8 cookies
Calories: 220kcal
Author: Rachel Dickens, RD

Ingredients

  • 1 cup peanut butter natural and salted
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup real
  • 1 tbsp flaxseed ground (+ 2 1/2 tbsp water for flax-egg) or 1 egg

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Line one baking tray with parchment paper.
  • To make a flax-egg, mix 1 tbsp ground flaxseed with 2 1/2 tbsp water and let sit for 5 minutes to thicken.
  • Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and mix well. If the mixture looks a bit runny, let it sit for 5-10 minutes to thicken up.
  • Evenly divide the batter into 8 cookies, they should be about 2" in diameter. Make sure to space the cookies apart as they will spread during the cooking process.
  • Bake for 18-20 minutes (I baked mine for 20 minutes). You will know when they are done as they will be slightly firm to the touch. Let the cookies and cool slightly and firm up further before moving onto a cooling rack.

Notes

Making Three Ingredient Peanut Butter With Egg

This recipe uses a 'flax-egg' instead of an egg. Flax-eggs are convenient for when you don't have eggs on hand, or if you prefer not to use eggs (vegan, ethical reasons). The best flax-egg recipe I have found is 1 tablespoon of ground flax to 2 1/2 tablespoons of water. You can replace the 'flax-egg' with 1 regular egg.

Using Honey Instead of Maple Syrup

Honey can be used in this recipe in place of maple syrup. When using honey in baking always reduce the temperature by 25°Fahrenheit as honey makes baked goods brown more easily. The cooking time may need to be increased by 5 to 7 minutes.

Substituting Almond Butter For Peanut Butter

Almond butter (or any other nut butter) can replace the peanut butter in the recipe at a 1:1 ratio. For a nut-free cookie try tahini paste or sunflower seed butter.

Nutrition

Sodium: 150mg | Calcium: 23mg | Sugar: 9.9g | Fiber: 3.1g | Potassium: 270mg | Calories: 220kcal | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2.7g | Fat: 16.4g | Protein: 8g | Carbohydrates: 15.1g | Iron: 0.6mg

Filed Under: All Recipes

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jaya says

    October 20, 2019 at 7:00 pm

    Hi Rachel, I’ve made this recipe with caster sugar, Demerara sugar, egg and peanut butter. It was great but I didn’t know about this recipe then! I’m keen to try this as I don’t want to get my family hooked on processed sugar.

    I was actually searching for a basic cookie recipe (a basic scone recipe would be awesome too) that can be used with different spices/dried fruits to flavour it? I’m looking for a healthy recipe I can start with rather than just going straight for the caster sugar, SR flour and butter (not that I really know what I’m talking about!). If I can freeze it too, all the better!
    Thanks :)

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      October 28, 2019 at 12:10 am

      Hi Jaya!
      I hope you liked it! I make the recipe all the time, and often when I do it with kids at work I just use an egg (instead of the flax and water) to make it easier. We often make it with honey as well, which is cheaper. I find that we need to bake the cookies at 325F for about 20 minutes with honey.

      Another great basic recipe is this one https://racheldickens.ca/all-recipes/easy-almond-butter-chocolate-chip-cookies-vegan-gf-sugar-free/ I often make it with peanut butter, honey and eggs. Its great with candied ginger, or spices, or the classic chocolate chips. I hope you love this one too!

      Rachel

      Reply
    • Rachel says

      March 24, 2020 at 5:51 pm

      Hi Jaya! Yes I am always trying to find replacements for refined sugar and flour. It is surprisingly easy to do, and I think everything with peanut butter tastes good! It might be more difficult with scones because it is all flour and sugar, but I would be interested to hear if you find a good recipe!

      Reply

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