These 2-ingredient peanut butter cookies don’t contain any flour, added sugar, eggs, oil, baking powder, or baking soda. They are firm on the outside and soft on the inside. They store well and make a great snack or dessert.

a pile of peanut butter cookies.

I’m excited to share these easy peanut butter cookies. I’ve made them several times already these last few weeks and they are a new favorite in our house. If you’ve ever made the popular three ingredient peanut butter cookies (peanut butter, egg, sugar), it has a very similar result but with less ingredients and without eggs or refined sugar.

Ingredients

  • Natural Peanut Butter
  • Medjool Dates

Natural Peanut Butter: Make sure to use unsweetened natural creamy peanut butter. This recipe only works with natural peanut butter (just peanuts and salt in the ingredient list and no added oils). It’s not essential for the peanut butter to be unsweetened but if you want no added sugar, then use unsweetened.

This recipe will also work with a different nut butter, like natural almond butter or natural cashew butter. For a peanut and nut-free version, it should also work with natural sunflower seed butter.

Medjool Dates: Make sure to use medjool dates which are the larger type dates. These dates have more flesh which is needed to blend it into a paste. You can buy pitted dates or if you can’t find pitted dates, it’s easy to remove the pits. Just make sure you remove them before measuring them out for the recipe.

If you don’t have dates or don’t like dates, I do have two other recipes you can try though the cookies won’t turn out the same. You can try my gluten-free peanut butter banana cookies (these are very low in sugar/sweetness and have a more cakey center). I also have a 2 ingredient healthy peanut butter cookies recipe that uses pure maple syrup (these produce firm shortbread-like cookies).

close up shot of a stack of cookies.

How to Make 2 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

It only takes a few minutes to make the dough, and you don’t need a mixing bowl. The dates are pulsed in a food processor until a date paste forms. The peanut butter is then mixed in until a thick dough forms.

The dough is then ready to be scooped out and baked. I like to use a 1 and 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop to form the cookie dough balls. The cookies need only about 10 minutes to bake. Full instructions are in the recipe card below.

Cookie Texture

These cookies are firm on the outside and soft and slightly chewy on the inside. If you’ve made the popular 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies (peanut butter, egg, and sugar), they have a very similar texture. These cookies are more delicate than regular cookies, so they do get a little crumbly once you bite in.

Recipe Tips

You don’t have to soak the dates if you use fresh dried dates that are soft. If yours aren’t as soft, soaking rehydrates them so they are easier to work with.

Once the cookies are cool, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for two to three days.

a stack of five peanut butter cookies.

More Easy Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes

4.87 from 22 votes

2 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

These easy peanut butter cookies are firm on the outside and soft on the inside. They don't contain any flour, added sugar, eggs, oil, baking powder or baking soda.
Servings: 16 cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review

Ingredients

  • 1 packed cup (162 g) pitted medjool dates
  • 1 cup (256 g) unsweetened natural creamy peanut butter

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  • Soak dates in warm water for 10-15 minutes. If you are using a new package of dates and your dates are very soft, you do not need to soak them and you can use them as is. Drain dates from water (no need to completely pat dry them) and add them to food processor. Pulse until dates form a thick paste. You may need to scrape the sides of your food processor a few times with a spatula to ensure all the dates are evenly pulsed and mixed in.
  • Add in peanut butter. Pulse until peanut butter is fully mixed in and becomes a thick cookie dough. Your dough may seem a little crumbly but if you pinch it together, it should stick.
  • Using a 1.5 cookie scoop, scoop cookie dough and place onto prepared baking sheet. Continue to scoop until all dough is used up. You should have enough for 16 cookies. Grab one dough ball and press between your palms to compact it and keep the dough from getting crumbly. Roll between your hands to form a round ball. Place back onto cookie sheet and repeat with remaining dough, placing dough balls 2 inches apart.
  • Press down on each dough ball so it form a thick round disk (about 1/2 inch thick). The cookies will not spread much during baking so you want to shape the cookies as close to you want their final appearance as possible. Use the back of a fork to make criss-cross pattern on the surface of each disk.
  • Bake cookies for about 10 minutes or until they puff up and the surface of the dough does not look wet. If you are unsure if your cookies are ready, you can test one by gently try to slide it on the baking sheet. It should without the bottom sticking. Be gentle because cookies are not fully set yet.
  • Let cookies cool on cookie sheet and fully set before removing the cookies from the baking sheet.

Notes

  • Dates need to be pitted before measuring them on the scale or cup. If you are using already pitted dates, I recommend breaking them in half before adding them to the measuring cup for a more accurate measurement (this is not needed if you are using a scale).
  • My favorite Medjool dates to use are Double Date Organic Medjool Dates.*
  • If you have questions regarding substitutions, please see the Ingredients section of the post where I discuss potential substitutions.
  • Make sure to use natural peanut butter (just peanuts and salt and no added oils) and not regular peanut butter, otherwise the dough won't firm up properly. Substitutions for peanut butter are discussed in the Ingredients section of the post.
  • *This product link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 128kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 9g, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 7g, NET CARBS: 9
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!