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These crispy peanut butter cookies are crunchy and salty and need just 4 ingredients. Made in just one bowl, I love that there’s no chill time required!
Want more peanut butter cookie recipes? Try my healthy peanut butter cookies, 2-ingredient peanut butter cookies, and peanut butter oatmeal cookies next.
I LOVE all things peanut butter, but of course, nothing beats my classic peanut butter cookies. The center stays slightly tender and soft, while the edges get the perfect crunch, and the roasted peanuts on top add a subtle saltiness to each bite.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- There is no chill time needed. Just make the dough, shape the cookies, and bake them in the oven.
- Made in one bowl. So clean-up is done in minutes.
- 4 ingredients. All you need is peanut butter, eggs, sugar, and roasted peanuts to garnish on top.
- Addictive texture. With crunchy edges and soft centers, every bite has a crisp yet chewy texture.
- Extra peanut butter flavor. Compared to other peanut butter cookies, these are overloaded with peanut butter in every bite.
Ingredients needed
- Peanut butter. Smooth and creamy peanut butter with no added sugar. Avoid using crunchy peanut butter, which will make the cookie dough too crumbly.
- Large eggs. I always use room-temperature eggs so the dough comes together easily. If they’re not at room temperature, gently place the eggs in a bowl of lukewarm water for 5 minutes.
- Sugar. Any type of sugar will do, though I’m partial to the taste of light brown sugar. White sugar or sugar-free brown sugar both work, too.
- Roasted peanuts. Specifically dry roasted peanuts. These will get chopped finely and garnish the cookies to give them a crunchy bite.
How to make crispy 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- Prep. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2- Combine ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients except for the chopped peanuts. Once mixed, stir in half of the peanuts.
Step 3- Shape and bake. Using a cookie scoop, form 12 balls of dough. Roll each dough ball in the chopped peanuts and transfer to the baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until the edges are golden.
Step 4- Cool. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet completely.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Use a hand mixer. While definitely optional, I find using a hand mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment makes mixing the dough easier.
- Make thicker, chewier cookies. Chill the dough for 2 hours before baking them.
- Give them that peanut butter cookie “look.” Press the dough balls with a fork to create that signature criss-cross pattern.
- Don’t overbake the cookies. They’ll continue to cook as they cool, so pull them from the oven as soon as they begin to golden, and the edges pull away from the parchment paper.
Variations
- Swap the peanut butter. While they’re technically “peanut butter cookies,” you can easily swap the peanut butter for other types of nut butter, like almond butter or cashew butter.
- Skip the eggs. Make a chia or flax egg substitute instead.
- Add mix-ins. Like chocolate chips, chopped Reese’s pieces, or crushed pretzels.
- Add some sea salt on top. Optional, but I love adding a sprinkle of salt over the cookies to create a salty-sweet flavor combo.
Storage instructions
To store: Peanut butter cookies will keep well at room temperature in an airtight container. They will remain fresh for up to 2 weeks. If you’d like to keep them longer, refrigerate them for up to 1 month.
To freeze: Place the cookies in a freezer-friendly container or ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
More cookies to try
- Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies
- Cheesecake cookies
- Biscoff cookies
- Or any of these cookie recipes
Crispy Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 cup sugar * See notes
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup salted peanuts roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a large cookie sheet or baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, egg, and sugar and mix well. Gently fold through half the peanuts.
- Form 12 balls of dough. Roll each ball in the chopped peanuts mixture and transfer to the lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the edges go golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the baking sheet completely.
Notes
Originally published August 2020, updated and republished June 2024
These look awesome!
Thank you!
Stop with the cookies stop – stop – don’t stop!!! 😉
Never haha!
Mmmmm….cookies. I want the peanuts with a side of peanut butter.
Have you ever had lace cookies? They’re very thin, crunchy, sweet and oh so glorious. They’re perfect when cooked to a crisp and they somewhat remind me of these.
I keep telling you to listen to your mum.
OHhhh I’ll have to google them- they sound delicious. (Actually, they sound like bondage. Lace and all :p) .
I’ve always liked my cookies soft and chewy… but these may make a convert out of me!
My family pretty much always talks about food. Before we eat, while we eat, in our sleep… it’s how we bond lol.
I think your family need to adopt me. Please.
So these cookies would literally be the death of me. Stay away!
And I’m a soft and chewy cookie kind of girl. With oats. And chocolate. And raisins… which I used to hate as a little kid, but apparently now love.
I’ll have to come up with an almond version for you!
I love PB cookies! I usually like my cookies slightly underdone so I get a bit of the doughy taste.
But you’ll get worms 😉
(That’s what my mum told me growing up. She’s such a pinochio).
I can’t believe that these cookies are held together with just peanut butter and eggs, and they’re topped with more NUTS! Where’s my tea? I’m totally dunking these!
YES- I literally dunked five of them in coffee……I mean to see if it would disintegrate or not.
I’m an undercooked cookie kinda gal all the way because then it’s like cookie dough, except more acceptable in a social setting. BUT I do absolutely love the crispy edges of some cookies. I also love peanut butter and roasted sweet and salty peanuts, I need these cookies.
What a hand model, Arman! Check out those beautiful nail beds.
LOL. Did you know my mum used to put this disgusting polish on my nails because I bit them?
….I then accustomed myself to the taste of it lol!
Dude (or should I say mate?), those are totally my kinda cookies. Couple of ingredients, easy, quick and delicious. AWESOME!
Cheers, mate. dude. pal. (enter other lingo here). I’d trade for your black pepper chicken.
Major yummy vibes here, just want to reach through the screen and grab some cookies!
Thanks, Pamela- don’t hurt your hand doing so 😉
oh good god! you are going to turn me into a cookie monster with this recipe. LOOK at those NUTS… peanuts that is. hehe
Thanks Linds- so good!
Moms just know everything, don’t they? I don’t know how they do it, but it’s honestly annoying sometimes. But when it comes to cookie convo it’s not annoying at all. THANKS MOM, or in your case, mum.
They do…but not between the ages of 15-20. They are clueless in our eyes then!
Your mum is a genius!!! I love a crispy treat with my coffee 🙂 Can you smuggle a few of these in your suitcase when you come for me??
YES. Well, crumbs. Is that acceptable 😉
Cookies – soft in the middle, crunchy on the outside! Yum!
David and I always talk about food! Then again we are such foodies! I do talk about food to my mum a lot, she is paleo too so is always coming to me for ideas!
And I just LOVE roasted and salted nuts – especially cashews… And pistachios… And almonds… Oh and pecans!
Mmmm roasted and salted cashews are amazing- stay tuned for an upcoming recipe featuring that!