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.
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).
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.
More Easy Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes
- 2 Ingredient No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies
- 2 Ingredient Peanut Butter Meltaway Cookies
- 3 Ingredient No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Chips
- Keto Peanut Butter Cookies
2 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
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.
Nutrition
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.
These cookies were AMAZING!! I am gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free and my goooodness it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to have a cookie. This totally did the trick!! Thank you so much for this recipe??
You’re welcome! We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Can you freeze these cookies or the dough?
Never mind. I missed the answer the first time I looked.
Do you keep these in the fridge? And how long can they keep for? Are they freeze-able? Thank you
You can store them at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator. We haven’t tried freezing them.
I used to make my own peanut butter using just peanuts with the red skin left on. I just put the peanuts in my food processor until it was totally whipped into peanut butter! Nothing added!
how to make simple suger cookies:
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
mix & bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees oven and cool. 15 minutes then serve!
Makes 2 dozen cookies!
Will try very soon like tomarrow Thanks
We hope you enjoy them!
This might be a stupid question but how much do they taste like dates?
They are sweet and the peanut butter masks the date flavor but if you don’t like dates you may not enjoy them.
This might be my favorite peanut butter cookie ever! Turned out perfect
That’s so great! Thanks for letting us know.
So easy and delicious!
Love these. This will be yhe third time making them. I am cooking in my convection toaster oven at 325 degrees for about the same time. This seem okay to you? Mine are dark also.
We haven’t tried them in a convection toaster oven, but it sounds like you’ve got the temperature figured out. As far as the darkness, it may be the brand of dates you use?
Love this but we do a slight variation by using unsalted peanuts, putting them in the blender then blending the dates, and a little honey. Then instead of cooking them, we mKe little cookies and put them in the freezer. They are so yummy in the summer. You can also add a little divot in the middle and a few drops of melted dark chocolate before freezing them.
Thanks for sharing that!
The best!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you!
Absolutely love these cookies and so does my husband!!! Who would of thought you could make cookies with just 2 ingredients!! Thank you!!
So glad you both loved the cookies!
These turned out delicious. Thank you! However I had to adjust my peanut butter. Please check the grams on the peanut butter. 1 cup is not 256 gram
I made these and they turned out fine. My husband especially enjoyed them. They were firm on the outside and chewy on the inside. I did use crunchy peanut butter. It had a lot of oil in it, but it’s not normally the brand of Natural Peanut Butter we usually get. It was something on special. But it still turned out okay. I’m thinking a bit more dates in it may have helped as they were a bit crumbly when they came out of the oven. I was also wondering something. My cookies turned out very dark, as the dates are dark. But your photos show cookies that are light in color, like how regular peanut butter cookies would look. Would you know why that is? Thanks for the recipe.
It’s hard to say what might have made them dark, perhaps the brand of dates you used? but we’re glad you and your husband enjoyed them!
Why is there a full cup of peanut butter in these while the chocolate ones only half 1/2 cup?
because they are 2 different recipes. this is a recipe for peanut butter cookies. the chocolate ones I’m assuming you are referring to are brownie cookies flavored with peanut butter. The chocolate pb brownie cookie is a chewy brownie-like cookie, these are not.
Dumb question
I’m missing the amount of each ingredients. How much of dates and how much of peanut butter? 1:1?
The amounts are in the recipe card at the end of the post.
My 2 ingredient peanut butter cookies did not bake properly. It is soft outside not crispy this is after 17 min in oven. Should I have kept it in the oven for a longer period, it taste delicious kindly let me know
Anet
They won’t be crispy on the outside, but they should be firm and set. The inside should be soft and chewy. If they still look wet on top, they will need more baking time, and also be sure to let them cool fully to set.
Lovely,I added cranberries also to the recipe…yummiest ,Thankyou
We’re glad you loved them!
I had a hard time finding natural peanut butter. Can you please suggest a brand? I bought organic Maranatha Peanut Butter but ingredients show oil. Nothing in my supermarket showed just salt and peanut butter.
Choose one made with peanuts and salt with no added oil (peanuts have natural oils which is fine). If you can’t find one at your store, maybe check online? There are a lot of brands available.
You should be able to find in grocery stores, I found some at my grocery store here in Hamilton Ontario Canada.
Kraft has a natural peanut butter. You can find it with the regular peanut butter.
Thank you for this recipe. What caught my Attn.is the 2 ingredients without any added sugar, or eggs or flour.
I made it & it came out really good; though it was a task trying to get the dates into a paste form.
I’m glad you enjoyed!
I made these yesterday and they are good. And healthy so no sugar guilt!! I was running short on time so just pressed some dough down into cupcake liner papers and baked them that way. I got 6 flat cupcakes/cookies that way. When these are gone I intend to try the version with oats. Again healthy (and will be quick). BTW I make the peanut butter loaf all the time. So good (and quick).
I’m so glad these worked out for you!
Looking forward to creating these treats !!
We hope you enjoy them!
I made these today, my husband and I were looking at alternative for nutritious snacks. My husband loves peanut butter so I thought I’d give this a try. Very good, thank you for sharing.
I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed!
Sounds great
I love these recepies. Thank you.
You’re welcome!
Great nutritional recipes!
Wish I had seen the peanut cookie recipe before I came home from Dubai. Had I I would not have bought Choc covered dates but natural ones as I understand diabetics can eat. But this is a great recipe. Thanks for that.
This recipe sounds recipe sounds amazing!
We hope you try it soon!
Good ideas
Thanks!
Love to try these easy recipes.
Very educative
Cant wait to make thank youn
We hope you love them!
Grear to see these fast healthy recipes
I had a wonderful experience making these cookies, the only downside being their severe lack of flavor.
We’re sorry you didn’t enjoy the flavor but glad you had fun making them!
Thank you I have granddaughter’s and they will enjoy your no bake recipes
Oh, we hope they love the cookies!
Thank you.
I have not tried them yet?
We hope you do soon!
I need to try it because I love peanut butter cookies??
We hope you love them!
Great recipe! Love dates? Pls keep sharing your healthy recipes!
So glad you’re enjoying the recipes!
If I already have pureed dates left over from another recipe, would it still be 1 cup of the puree??
No, it would be best if you use a scale if you are using already pureed dates. 1 cup of dates before puree will not equal 1 cup of pureed dates.
Would like to be in better health
Absolutely brilliant idea with two of my favourite ingredients. Thanks. I will definitely try this recipe
We hope you enjoy them!
I rolled them in unsweetened shredded coconut. Perfect natural sweet for my Daniel fast. Thank you!!
I’m so glad they worked out for you!
ThankYou
you’re welcome!
Love your Peanut butter cookies
I’m glad you enjoy!
Gonna try today.
Enjoy!
Can’t wait to try
it’s best thing to do with my grandkids show them how to cook.
We’re so glad you love the recipe!
Could substitute the peanuts for almonds or another nut?
you can substitute with natural almond butter
Can almond butter be substituted for peanut butter?
yes, just make sure to use natural almond butter
Do you have any sugar free recipes for diabetics? The peanut butter and dates recipe sounds wonderful. Have you made 2ingredients fudge? Sugar free cake icing and all natural peanut butter. Thanks for letting me be a part of this group.
We can’t advise what is diabetic friendly but we do have a 2 ingredient fudge recipe you can check out.
Can’t wait to try the two ingredient peanut butter cookies they look healthy and delicious I’m so excited
We hope you love them!
Its nice to read and do the cookies without baking its happy to know that its a healthy food we serve
So glad you like the cookies!
This is good
Can hardly wait for the recipes you will be sendibg.
We can’t wait for you to try them!
Excellent
Want to learn cookie baking
Great options for people with high cholesterol and diabetes
Healthy cooking, wonder about the taste
Give them a try and let us know what you think!
I want this Recipe for banana oatmeal and something ? cookies. How do I get it?
Do you mean our No Bake Banana Oatmeal Cookies? If not, you can search for recipes in the search box at the top of this page. Hope that helps!
Nice.
I’m going to try my bannacookies
Let us know what you think!
Just Awesome Looks Good Will Make them Thank You.
Enjoy!
Just Awesome And Easy,Yummy indeed.
These cookies are really delicious !
I added chocolate chips , to mine .
They have alittle sugar ,but are great ??
I’m so glad you liked them!
Just made the peanut butter cookies and they look delicious and my house smell good too
I’m glad you tried them!
The recipe is cool specially since I am a diabetic