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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Yes! Crunchy and creamy both work great, it just depends on if you want little bits of nuts in the cookies or not.
Natural peanut butter tends to be more oily and therefore the cookies will usually spread out more and become crisper.
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.
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.
OTHER COOKIE RECIPES TO TRY
Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Shortbread Cookies
Brown Butter Coffee Toffee 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!
Small Batch Peanut Butter Cookies
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.
Tyler
Yummmmm 😋
Tyler
😋🤤
Julia
Tasted so good, and I loved that they didn’t make a big recipe. Thanks.
Cindy
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!
Jill
This one is a new favorite in my house. I like to mix in peanut butter pretzels and they are so so good!
kim
should the butter be room temp or melted?
brooke
melted.
Amy
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!