Kirbie's Cravings

2 Ingredient No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies (No Flour, Butter, Eggs or Refined Sugar)

These no bake peanut butter cookies are so easy to make and just 2 ingredients. They don’t contain any flour, butter, eggs or refined sugar. They take only about ten minutes to make and then they are ready to eat.

a stack of no bake peanut butter cookies.

These peanut butter no bake cookies are a great quick and easy snack. They can also be made ahead of time and stored for whenever you’re in need of a snack or something a little sweet.

When you read the ingredient list, it may seem like all you’ll end up with is a sweet peanut butter spread, but that won’t happen. When mixed with natural peanut butter, maple syrup thickens the peanut butter to the point that the mixture is as thick as cookie dough.

Ingredients

  • Natural creamy peanut butter
  • Maple Syrup

Natural Creamy Peanut Butter: This recipe will only work with natural-style peanut butter. You can replace it with other nut butters like almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, etc, but they must also be natural style. Nut butters that have been processed with hydrogenated oils will not work. I recommend you use a fresh or fairly new jar of peanut butter. If your peanut butter is old, it is likely a little dry, which can make the dough dry and crumbly.

Maple Syrup: I used pure maple syrup to make these cookies. The syrup has two uses. It adds sweetness to the cookies. It also thickens the peanut butter to a cookie dough consistency. This recipe will not work with thick syrups like honey. It may work with other syrups that have a high water content and a watery consistency, like maple syrup, but I have not tested it. I have only tested it with maple syrup and Lakanto sugar-free maple flavored syrup.

overhead shot of the cookies.

Recipe Tips

Cookie Sweetness: These cookies are only lightly sweetened. You can’t add too much maple syrup to the dough because it will change the dough consistency. If you prefer something sweeter, I recommend checking out my healthy no bake cookie recipe, which uses dates to sweeten the cookies and can be made sweeter.

Can you bake them? Yes, you can bake these cookies. The baked version is what inspired me to make this no baked version. You can try my healthy peanut butter cookies if you prefer a baked version.

Mix In: I think mini chocolate chips would work well in these cookies if you want to change them up.

Storage Tips: Place the cookies in an airtight container and store them in the fridge. I don’t recommend keeping them at room temperature.

close-up photo of a stack of six cookies.

More Easy No Bake Cookies

2 Ingredient No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies

Servings: 8 cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
These easy no bake peanut butter cookies are just 2 ingredients. They make a great quick and easy snack.
4.79 from 28 votes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (128 g) creamy natural peanut butter unsweetened
  • 1 ½ - 2 tbsp (.75 - 1 oz) maple syrup

Instructions

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl add peanut butter and 1 ½ tbsp syrup. Use a spatula and mix the syrup into the peanut butter. At first the peanut butter will become more liquidy as your stir in the syrup, but as you continue to stir, you should see the peanut butter thicken. Continue to stir until the peanut butter becomes as thick as cookie dough and pulls away from the sides of the bowl and can form a dough. Taste the dough and if it is not sweet enough for you, you can add another 1/2 tbsp of syrup and stir that in.
  • Scoop 1 tbsp of dough and roll between palms until it forms a smooth round ball. Place onto baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing cookies 1 inch apart. Gently press balls to form a thick round disk (about 1/2 inch thick). Use the back of a fork to make crisss-cross patten on cookies. Cookies can be enjoyed right away. They can also be refrigerated for 30 minutes which will make them slightly firmer. Store uneaten cookies in an airtight container.

Notes

  • These cookies do not have the same texture as baked cookies. They are more like energy balls in cookie form. If you wanted baked cookie texture, these cookies can be baked. See my baked version for more details.
  • This recipe will only work with natural-style peanut butter. It will not work with peanut butter processed with hydrogenated oils. You can also substitute with other nut butters like almond butter or cashew butter but they also must be natural-style.
  • Honey will not work as a substitute for maple syrup. Other syrups with a high water content and very thin liquid consistency like maple syrup may work. For example, I have also made these with Lakanto sugar free maple flavored syrup successfully.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 105kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 1mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, NET CARBS: 4

The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.

Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Mention @KirbieCravings and tag #kirbiecravings!

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Recipe Rating




160 comments on “2 Ingredient No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies (No Flour, Butter, Eggs or Refined Sugar)”

  1. These sound great! I plan on trying them. I am enjoying reading these easy recipes.

  2. I tried this recipe and it was amazing but when it turned to dough it was sticky so I added flour to it and it made no difference it still tasted the same

  3. Thank you for this recipe! I followed it as-is the first time and it was great! Then during Covid shutdown, I didn’t have the chance to get good quality maple syrup, so I used pancake syrup as a substitute, which changed the consistency. I added vegan chocolate chips and roll them into bitesize balls, as a yummy snack/dessert. These became my sister-in-law’s favorite healthy “truffles”!

  4. I like easy recipes

  5. looks yummy..sounds great..my son will enjoy making

  6. Hi,
    Great job Kirby and team!
    I will be trying these and the other flavours too.
    Thank you!!!???

  7. Thank you sweetie for your recipes 

  8. I like this recipe so much. Tq??

  9. Thank you for giving us lots of simple recipes I for one am very appreciated for all you provide for free. Ignore the rudeness they are idiots that are miserable people and their drive is to make every body else miserable like them. Sadly we live in a very hateful world. Its not like it was years ago when I was growing up. People then helped each other and families loved one another.

  10. I probably should not have used crunchy peanut butter or I used too much maple syrup. It is still delicious, I just did something wrong that fit is crumbly. Do I need more peanut butter?

    • The chunky peanut butter could make them crumbly because the little bits of nuts make it harder for the cookies to hold together.

  11. was not told how much of each ingredient was needed so now i have to eyeball it

  12. All those who have food allergies would love these cookies! Anyone being rude or having negative comments can go make their own recepies and keep their opinion To themselves.
    Move on and let us people who enjoy KIRBIE’S recepies enjoy them…DELIOUS

  13. Wohoooo ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? 5 stars

  14. Based on the writeup, I think you may hold the answer to a question I have been searching for. I have a cookie recipe that contains natural peanut butter, margarine, brown sugar, white sugar, plus other ingredients. Most cookies I freeze the raw batter and bake as needed. However, these cookies will not spread after a day of being chilled. Do you know if this is related to the idea of mixing peanut butter and maple syrup?

  15. Thank you so much for the free recipe. I look forward to trying it. It is perfect for my family as we have people with gluten allergies and vegans. Thanks again.

  16. These are not only great cookies but it’s a great way to start teaching young children to cook. My young grand daughters loved to make these
    .

  17. Nothing ventured nothing gained…. Will give this a try..
    Thanks for posting it…

  18. If I use the alternate syrup that is not as sweet, do you think I could add stevia?

  19. Sound good i’d like to try it make….

  20. I’m sorry yourself and others have to read those kinds of comments. Why not say I tried it didn’t like it or I don’t see how this can work but I’ll try it and see. Well back to me, have not tried this because I just found this receipe yet but can hardly wait to try it likely tomorrow or day after. Good time of year to be making a no bake reciepe. Looking forward to more reciepes.

  21. I love this idea, sounds good. But I don’t like maple syrup, will they have that flavor??!
    Agreed,haters will just find reasons to be haters.

  22. Sure, the consistency changes, but this is just cold sweetened peanut butter. I don’t get it…

  23. Hi, can the cookies be made with Sunbutter?My grandson is allergic to peanut butter so we only use the Sunbutter. But when Sunbutter is baked it turns green and he won’t eat them.

    • We haven’t tried using sunbutter because we wanted this to be a peanut butter-flavored cookie. Sunbutter is often used as a substitute for peanut butter but it will completely change the flavor.

  24. Thanks for sharing with the world your obviously researched recipe! I appreciate your empathy to those who need more assistance in comprehending simple instructions and grasping the concept of all things natural, you’re great Kirbie!!
    Looking forward to reading more recipes from you!!!

  25. Nice post…Thanks for sharing this recipe I would love to try it.

  26. What temp do they bake & for how long

  27. Hi, would these be considered gluten free. 

    • Natural peanut butter and maple syrup are gluten-free, but you should always check the labels when you buy them to be absolutely sure.

  28. ?? LOVED IT ?

  29. ?? LOVED IT ?

  30. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe with us this can help us to have a healthy diet

  31. Are these keto friendly? I’ve just started doing keto so still getting to grips with it.
    They sound amazing by the way.

  32. I was wondering if you think these would work with crunchy peanut butter which I bought by mistake?

    • We haven’t tested it with crunchy. If it is all-natural (with no oil) it should work but it will give the cookies a different texture.

  33. Sounds like it needs oatmeal, raisins, and chocolate chips sprinkles , icing. Lol everything!!!. Lol. Thanks ,no more melting butter n what not !. #$#

  34. Because of my special nutritional needs, i used natural peanut butter which i can get by grinding whole peanuts at WHOLE FOODS. I also used brown sugar substitute made from monkfruit and a nonabsorbable sugat. I had to add two t. Of water, and stirred a LONG time, about ten minutes, but it worked. I tried again, adding rolled regular oatmeal I had ttoasted in the oven at 350 for 12 minutes, till slightly browned. This added some good fiber and crunch. I loved it. Many thanks. And as for the rude folks, they may just be having a bad day. For the sake of theit friends and families, I hope so. Kathy, a fan of your recipes.

  35. Can I use artificial flavored mapl syrup?

  36. Why cant people keep their rude comments to themselves i guess it gives them a forum to shoe what wonderful assholes they are!

  37. Would it work if I threw in some dark chocolate chips?

  38. Any idea what the sugar or carb count is on these

  39. Can you use regular syrup? Like for pancakes?

  40. Kirbie, you are putting these commentators is check! Whoo, Yaas Queen! Lol I am a science major, and you are so right about the spoonful comment! When you mix it together is does get real thick. I cannot eat just plain peanut butter but these cookies are bomb!!! AND quick to make… Who want to wait 20 minutes for cookies to be prepared then another 30 to cook them?? I LOVE THIS!!!!!

    • I’m so glad you tried them and enjoyed them! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and describing your experience.

  41. These are easy and tasty. Thanks for this recipe! Sorry you have to deal with rude comments from some posters. It’s a free recipe, folks! Have some manners and appreciation.

  42. Could this “dough” be used in homemade ice cream? I make a dairy free ice cream but must eat without gluten also. My done loves cookie dough—thinking this might be a good substitute. Just wondering!?!

    • We love that idea but can’t say for sure. We haven’t tested freezing the dough – if you try it please let us know how that works!

  43. Lol this comment section. Like all of them can’t or didn’t read or understand that when things are mixed together the consistency changes? Zzzzz

    • It always surprises me too. Think of all the amazing foods that would never be discovered or invented if everyone thought like this.

    • Can I use the nut butter that is home made. Its a mixture of peanuts, almonds, cashews ,pecans and walnuts with a little salt and maple syrup, the thing is its a lot more runny that store bought nut butter.

      • We haven’t tested the recipe with those changes so can’t say for sure how that will work.

  44. Look forward to more easy recipes.  I cannot wait  to try this recipe.

  45. Sounds yummy. Can’t wait to try.

  46. Kindly send me update

  47. The cookies are the BEST??

  48. Y’all need to catch up. I’ve eaten this mixture in a bowl with a spoon all my life, I’m 52.

    • We’re happy to know you already love the idea – You should try forming the dough into cookies, as we did!

  49. Do we put it into microwave? If so how long? And if not what do i we put it into ?

  50. Looks almost too easy to be truelll but will try it.

  51. no refined sugar eh? what do you think maple syrup is? That is refined from 100x sap to get 1x syrup.

    • Yes maple syrup does go through a refinement process but it is not considered a refined sugar. It is considered a natural sugar because it is not processed like other sugars where the minerals and nutrition get removed.

  52. It’s amazing with how much hate people react to a simple 2 ingredient recipe.
    I found this recipe amazing, it’s convenient and it tastes great. Definitely adding it to the family “Recetario”

  53. I’m confused. Is this Lakanto syrup considered table syrup or is it pure maple syrup? In reading it’s ingredients it says it’s flavored with monkfruit. Doesn’t sound much like real maple syrup to me. With half of my family hailing from New England, I’m pretty familiar with what the difference is between maple syrup and table syrup. This Lakanto stuff doesn’t sound much like what I know as maple syrup. Is it possible to go to the store and get real maple syrup and use it or does this particular recipe need the fake stuff you use?

  54. How many cookies does it make?

      • I was a skeptic and rushed to my kitchen to try this. It actually worked beautifully and they were really good!

      • I’m so glad you tried them out and that they worked out for you!

    • Thank you for sharing this easy to make recipe. I will try it this weekend. It looks really delicious to have a different way of enjoying protein rich peanut butter aside from the usual way of enjoying peanut butter spread on banana or toast or shake. I am sorry that you have to see a couple of hurtful comments/words about this recipe. But I am appreciative of your time in creating simple recipes for people who do not much time to spare in a day with ultra busy schedule 24/7 and can still get to enjoy snacks like this on the go. 2-thumbs up for you from me. Thank you.

  55. With all due respect, simply adding sweetener to peanut butter and forming it into a cookie shape is not a “recipe”, nor is it really a cookie. Why should I bother going to all the trouble of making this “recipe” when I could simply put a dollop of maple syrup on a spoonful of peanut butter and put it in my mouth? It would taste the same. You can’t be serious with this nonsense, can you? I mean, come on!

    • With all due respect, it’s not just adding a dollop of syrup to a spread. There is a chemical reaction when the two ingredients are actually mixed together for a long enough time which causes the peanut butter to change its texture and become like cookie dough rather than just a spread that sticks to the roof of your mouth. You won’t achieve the same results by putting a spoonful of peanut butter and syrup in your mouth.

      • If someone has to tell you how it’s made than it’s a recipe

      • With no due respect, you’re a douche bag for making a comment like that.

      • It’s an emulsion, not a “chemical reaction.” A sugar syrup mixed into fats will thicken the way blending oil into eggs makes mayonnaise.
        You can get the same result mixing any kind of peanut or nut butter with an equal amount of canned cake frosting, or a little coconut milk or any number of syrups/oils/liquids.
        But that’s the way the cookie crumbles… er… smooshes.

      • Thanks for your comment!

    • This is a new version of an old fashioned candy recipe. It’s very good, just don’t expect it to be cookie like. It’s peanut butter fudge.

      • Thank you for the nice rating, but fudge is made with completely different ingredients and cooked.

    • Chill the fuck out Alan. Skip the recipe if it’s too simple for your brilliant mind.

    • That was unnecessary. Please take your negativity elsewhere.

    • Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for this recipe ?? My hubby and I are Paleo eaters and always looking flourless sugar free treats and this is perfect! I am going to try your baked version as well!

    • How rude…

    • My thoughts exactly!

    • Really Alan??? My Mom taught me a long time ago; If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. My Grandgirl in college finds it a great snack when you don’t have access to a kitchen or stove.

    • Delicious

    • Alan,
      I suppose you have never had meringue. Do you know what that is made from?? 2 Ingredients egg whites and sugar. Enjoy having your runny egg whites and sugar on top of a delicious pie as I will do what’s called baking and mix the 2 together and Voila!!! It’s a miracle they’re not runny anymore.
      Sorry for the negativity Kirbie some people are angry, lonely souls.
      Thanks for the recipe as I look forward to trying it.
      Jen

  56. Wood like recp

  57. I have a three ingredient peanut butter recipe, I have been making it for years. Great tasting.

  58. I love your recipes! I made these and they hit the spot!

  59. Nice

  60. How long do I cook in oven?

  61. Love your peanut butter recipe, will continue to try more recipes.

  62. Love your recipes

  63. Nice & nice this is cokies

  64. Simple to do

  65. I make something similar with Reduced Fat Jif and Smuckers Caramel Sundae Syrup. You’d think adding something syrupy to peanut butter would make it more runny but it actually thickens the peanut butter. It turns out like a Reese’s filling.

    Note: don’t be scared of the “Reduced Fat” part. What it means is that it is sweeter and less oily than regular peanut butter. I can’t even eat the oily stuff anymore!