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Home » Recipes » Cookies

Small Batch Peanut Butter Cookies

February 15, 2022 by brooke 8 Comments

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These quick and easy small batch peanut butter cookies are perfect for when you need just a few chewy cookies to satisfy your craving. And the best part is they can be made in less than 30 minutes!

4 small batch peanut butter cookies stacked on top of each other

Sometimes you just need a little something sweet, and these small batch peanut butter cookies will always do the trick. They're a chewy cookie with a slightly crisp edge, and rolled in sugar for that extra bit of sweetness. They're so simple to make and so satisfying.

And if this leaves you wanting to try other peanut butter cookie recipes of mine, you should try my peanut butter blossom cookies, or my gluten free chewy monster cookies that are loaded with oats and M&M's. And if you're needing a full batch of cookies try my chewy peanut butter cookies that will make 24 cookies instead.

side view of small batch peanut butter cookies on baking sheet

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THESE

SMALL BATCH- Sometimes we don't need a bunch of cookies and just want a few. This recipe gives 4 cookies so you don't feel like it's too much.

ONE BOWL- You only need one small mixing bowl and a spoon to make these cookies.

QUICK & EASY- These cookies are so simple to make and can be made in about twenty minutes.

INGREDIENT NOTES

  • Butter- You'll use melted butter in these cookies which makes them so easy to mix without a mixer.
  • Egg Yolk- You only need one yolk, but can save the egg white in the fridge to use for something else if you want.
  • Peanut Butter- I prefer to make these cookies with creamy peanut butter, but crunchy will also work if you like having the bits of nuts. Do not use all natural peanut butter as it doesn't have the same consistency.
  • Sugar- I like to roll my cookies in sugar before baking, it gives them a bit of a sweeter taste and also a little bit more crunch.
  • Flaked Sea Salt- The little bit of salt on these cookies is amazing. It pairs so perfectly with the peanut butter and sugar.
ingredients needed to make small batch peanut butter cookies

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Here is how to make these quick and easy cookies!

STEP 1: Preheat oven. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a cookie sheets with parchement paper.

STEP 2: Mix wet ingredients. Place melted butter and sugars together in a small mixing bowl and stir until combined. Add egg yolk and vanilla and stir until smooth. Then add peanut butter and mix again.

butter and sugars
adding peanut butter
mixing in dry ingredients

STEP 3: Mix in dry ingredients. Slowly mix in salt, baking soda and flour, being careful not to over mix.

STEP 4: Scoop dough. Using a large cookie scoop, (I use a 4 TBSP) scoop dough into balls and place on a large cookie sheet. Roll cookie dough balls in granulated sugar. Sprinkle a little salt on too if you like that.

scooping dough
rolling in sugar
cookie dough balls sprinkled with salt

STEP 5: Bake. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are slightly golden brown. Let cool on the cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes to help the center finish setting.

4 cookies freshly baked on cookie sheet

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

Weighing your ingredients is extremely helpful when baking, but especially when making small batch recipes. Because of the small amount of flour, if you add too much or too little it can have a larger effect on the results. If you do not have a kitchen scale, fluff your flour before scooping. Make sure it is not compact.

Making smaller cookies will work great for this recipe too. Just adjust the time of baking accordingly. I usually start by taking 2 minutes off the bake time and then watch them from there.

These cookies will not have the same results if you use all natural peanut butter. Because of the oil separating this usually ends up creating a runnier and flatter cookie.

FAQ

Can I use crunchy peanut butter instead of creamy?

Yes! Crunchy and creamy both work great, it just depends on if you want little bits of nuts in the cookies or not.

What will happen if I use natural peanut butter instead of regular?

Natural peanut butter tends to be more oily and therefore the cookies will usually spread out more and become crisper.

How do I know if my cookies are done baking?

The edges of the cookies will start to turn a golden brown and you'll start to see some crackling in the tops of the cookies. If there is a slight dome in the middle then they are not quite done baking.

broken cookie on baking sheet

STORING AND FREEZING

Small batch peanut butter cookies will remain fresh in an air tight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Storing in the fridge is not suggested. It will dry them out.

FREEZING

You can freeze your cookies in an airtight container for 2-3 months with them remaining fresh. You can also freeze the cookie dough balls if you would like to bake them one at a time.

close up of small batch peanut butter cookies

OTHER COOKIE RECIPES TO TRY

Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Shortbread Cookies

Brown Butter Coffee Toffee Cookies

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

For more yummy treats follow me on instagram @thesaltedsweets. And be sure to tag me and comment if you make them and love them as much as I do. 

And please make sure to leave a star review below!

4 small batch peanut butter cookies stacked on top of each other

Small Batch Peanut Butter Cookies

brooke
These quick and easy small batch peanut butter cookies are perfect for when you need just a few chewy cookies in less than 30 minutes!
4.93 from 13 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 361 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • ¼ cup creamy peanut butter not natural
  • ¼ cup butter melted
  • ⅓ cups brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • extra sugar for rolling
  • flaked sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a cookie sheets with parchement paper.
  • Place melted butter and sugars together in a small mixing bowl and stir until combined.
  • Add egg yolk and vanilla and stir until smooth. Then add peanut butter and mix again.
  • Slowly mix in dry ingredients, being careful not to over mix.
  • Using a large cookie scoop, (I use a 4 TBSP) scoop dough into balls and place on a large cookie sheet.
  • Roll cookie dough balls in granulated sugar. Sprinkle a little salt on too if you like that.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are slightly golden brown. Let cool on the cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes to help the center finish setting.

Notes

If you want to add chocolate, ⅓ cup would be the perfect amount!
These cookies can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days, or months in the freezer.
I like to sprinkle extra sugar on top of the cookies after they bake for an extra pretty look. And if you know me, always a little salt too!
I have given both cups and grams as measurements. Grams will be more precise, especially when measuring flour. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, no problem! Just lightly spoon flour into your measuring cup to insure its not packed in there. Light and fluffy is the key.

Nutrition

Calories: 361kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 6gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 397mgPotassium: 155mgFiber: 1gSugar: 25gVitamin A: 416IUCalcium: 34mgIron: 1mg
Keyword chewy, cookies, crispy, peanut butter, small batch
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tyler

    February 16, 2022 at 12:16 am

    Yummmmm 😋

    Reply
  2. Tyler

    February 16, 2022 at 12:17 am

    5 stars
    😋🤤

    Reply
  3. Julia

    February 21, 2022 at 8:37 pm

    5 stars
    Tasted so good, and I loved that they didn’t make a big recipe. Thanks.

    Reply
  4. Cindy

    February 28, 2022 at 8:17 pm

    5 stars
    These cookies are absolutely delicious! Love that you can make 4 or bigger batches that are already converted. Thank you for sharing such great recipes!

    Reply
  5. Jill

    July 16, 2022 at 12:45 pm

    5 stars
    This one is a new favorite in my house. I like to mix in peanut butter pretzels and they are so so good!

    Reply
  6. kim

    September 09, 2022 at 9:45 am

    should the butter be room temp or melted?

    Reply
    • brooke

      September 10, 2022 at 9:18 am

      melted.

      Reply
  7. Amy

    November 29, 2022 at 9:03 am

    5 stars
    These are my favorite! Perfect texture and love how quick and easy they are to make with what I have on hand. Yum yumm yummm!

    Reply

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Hi! I'm Brooke,

Welcome to the SALTED sweets! I am a self-taught baker, dessert lover, and mom of three. My hope is to share my love language of sweet and simple baked goods with you. More about me...

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