2 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

These 2-ingredient peanut butter cookies are easy to make and need no eggs, flour, dairy, or leavening agents. I love their addictive, chewy texture!

Looking for peanut butter cookie recipes? Try my healthy peanut butter cookies, coconut flour peanut butter cookies, or crispy peanut butter cookies next.

Nothing saddens me more than when I’m craving cookies but I open my pantry only to find I’m all out of ingredients. 

Luckily, I always have the 2 ingredients I need for this peanut butter cookie recipe. With only peanut butter and maple syrup, I can make golden brown, crispy cookies with a crunchy bite and melt-in-your-mouth center.  

Table of Contents

1. Why I love this recipe
2. Ingredients needed
3. How to make 2 ingredient peanut butter cookies
4. Arman’s recipe tips
5. Storage instructions
6. More 2 ingredient desserts to try
7. 2 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies (Recipe Card)

Why I love this recipe

• Minimal ingredients. The name doesn’t deceive you. These cookies only need two ingredients: peanut butter and maple syrup. 
• No mixers. And no fancy kitchen gadgets are needed. All you need is one bowl and a wooden spoon, and that’s it. 
• Loaded with peanut butter. This is the kind of cookie designed for peanut butter lovers.
• Customizable. Yes, you read that right. Even with only 2 ingredients, you can still customize these cookies to suit your taste buds.  
• Beginner-friendly. This recipe is beyond simple to make, even if you don’t bake often. It’s even fun for the kids to get involved (licking the bowl is a-okay!).

Ingredients needed

• Peanut butter. Smooth and creamy peanut butter with no added sugar. For a crunchier texture, use crunchy peanut butter. I enjoy using mainstream brands like Jiff’s or Skippy’s natural peanut butter.
• Pure maple syrup. Thickens the peanut butter to create a dough. It also adds sweetness. You can also use honey, golden syrup, or homemade keto maple syrup. 

How to make 2 ingredient peanut butter cookies

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1- Make the dough and chill. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter with maple syrup. Cover the bowl and freeze for 45 minutes or refrigerate for 2 hours.

Step 2- Prep work. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Step 3- Shape. Using your hands, roll out dough balls and place them on the parchment paper. Press down on each cookie with a fork to create a criss-cross pattern.

Step 4- Bake. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the edges begin to golden. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool completely before removing them from the baking sheet.

Arman’s recipe tips

• Swap the nut butter. If you don’t have peanut butter, you can use a different nut butter, like cashew butter or almond butter. For a nut-free version, use tahini or sunflower seed butter. 
• Thicken the dough. I’ve noticed that depending on the type of peanut butter I’m using, sometimes the dough is too thin. If this happens to you, add a few tablespoons of powdered sugar, just enough to thicken the dough. 
• Lightly oil your hands or use a cookie scoop. Since these cookies do not contain leavening agents or flour, the dough will be very sticky, so add some oil to your hands before shaping the cookie dough balls. 
• Let them cool completely. These cookies are very delicate, and if you try to move them or pick them up while they’re still warm, they’ll crumble and fall apart.
• Add some mix-ins. Like chocolate chips, chopped peanuts, toasted coconut, or a drop of strawberry jam for a PB&J flavor combo. 
• Top the cookies with flaky sea salt to really bring out the sweet and salty flavors.

Storage instructions

To store: Cookies will keep at room temperature, covered, for up to 1 week. If you’d like them to keep longer, cover them and place them in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

To freeze: Place leftover cookies in a shallow container and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months. Avoid using a ziplock bag as they are prone to breaking apart. 

More 2 ingredient desserts to try

• 2 ingredient banana pancakes
• 2 ingredient fudge
• 2 ingredient brownies
• 2 ingredient pumpkin cake

Originally published July 2021, updated and republished May 2024