• About the Author
Great Food For Thought – An Idea Blog

The Simplest Peanut Butter Cookies EVER – Theme With a Chocolate Chip and Bacon Variation

May 8, 2015 11:56 am / 2 Comments / Stephen Eure

I learned this basic recipe for peanut butter cookies when I was about 10 years old. After reading the directions once, I never needed to see the recipe again – it was that simple. I have never forgotten the recipe. You can find it online (with minor variations) under a variety of names: flourless peanut butter cookies, easy peanut butter cookies, three-ingredient peanut butter cookies.

In its simplest form that anticipates variations, the recipe goes like this:

Three Ingredients:

Peanut Butter – 1 Cup (9 oz. – smooth or crunchy)
White Granulated Sugar – 1 Cup (7 oz. – or use half white and half light brown sugar)
Egg – 1 large

Optional Additional Ingredients:

Vanilla Extract – 1 tsp.
Baking Soda – 1 tsp. or less
Garnish – whatever you like within reason

Directions:

Line a half-sheet pan with parchment (optional). Mix ingredients until thoroughly combined. Using your hands, roll dough into balls that are 1″ to 1 1/2″ in diameter and coat with granulated sugar. Arrange the balls of dough on the baking sheet so that individual balls are about 2″ apart. Using a fork, flatten the dough and imprint with a crosshatch pattern. Bake in a 350°F oven for about 10 – 12 minutes. The cookies will be very soft while they are hot – they need to cool completely before they can be moved or handled.

——————————-

The basic elements I have always remembered are: 1 cup PB, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp. vanilla, roll-and-fork, 350°F, 10 minutes. The vanilla is optional, some people add a little baking soda for added puffiness, and traditional garnishes like chocolate chips and raisins taste great in these cookies.

This is definitely NOT a recipe to over-think.

Example 1 – Simple Peanut Butter Cookies (the Theme) – using the recipe I learned as a child: 1 cup PB, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp. vanilla, roll-and-fork, 350°F, 10 minutes. I used vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract.

I used half white granulated sugar and half light brown sugar - my light brown sugar was lumpy so I spun the sugars in a food processor first.

I used half white granulated sugar and half light brown sugar – my light brown sugar was lumpy so I spun the sugars in a food processor first.

This directions are as simple as dumping and mixing:  1 cup PB, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp. vanilla.  You can see that I used crunchy peanut butter here.

This directions are as simple as dumping and mixing: 1 cup PB, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp. vanilla. You can see that I used crunchy peanut butter here.

Mix with a spatula or fork or spoon or whatever.

Mix with a spatula or fork or spoon or whatever.

Here, I rolled the cookie dough into balls that were about 1" in diameter then rolled them in granulated sugar.

Here, I rolled the cookie dough into balls that were about 1″ in diameter then rolled them in granulated sugar.

All of your dough should fit on a single half-sheet pan.

All of your dough should fit on a single half-sheet pan.

Notes – I just space-out my dough as much as I can so that everything fits on a single pan. Also, I prefer to bake cookies on parchment – it isn’t necessary, but I like to use it (and with parchment, you can slide the whole tray of cookies off the pan onto a cooling rack without damaging the soft hot cookies).

Flatten each cookie gently with the tines of a fork in a crosshatch pattern.

Flatten each cookie gently with the tines of a fork in a crosshatch pattern.

Bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes.

Bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes.

Note – Because the hot cookies are so soft, you really need to let them cool completely before handling them. The cookies usually need to bake for at least 10 minutes – I look for a little browning around the edges of the cookies. The longer you bake the cookies, the crisper they will be when they cool. Cookies that bake for about 10 minutes are a little crisp and a little chewy too. This batch came out of the oven after just under 11 minutes of baking.

DSC03026

The underside of the cookie should be darker than the top.

The underside of the cookie should be darker than the top.

DSC03044

Example 2 – Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Chips and Bacon (the Variation) – 1 cup PB, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 3/4 cup crumbled bacon, 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, roll-and-fork, 350°F, 10 minutes. I decided to use a little baking soda for some lift – and I left out the vanilla because I didn’t think it would pair well with the bacon.

Hindsight – I used 7 strips of bacon to make one batch of cookies here – that gave me about 3/4 cup of crumbled bacon. The chocolate definitely overpowered the saltiness of the bacon. The next time I make a batch of these cookies, I will probably use a little less chocolate (like 1/2 cup) and a lot more bacon (possibly even doubling what I used here). Raisins might be good in the mix too.

So I’m just using more-or-less the same recipe as before – no vanilla this time – I added a little leavening – and a bunch of chocolate and bacon.

The secret weapons.

The secret weapons.

Mix and form as before.

Mix and form as before.

I made larger cookies this time.

I made larger cookies this time.

Note – This batch took a little longer to bake sufficiently – just over 12 minutes.

DSC03100

DSC03075

DSC03095

Share this:

  • Print
  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
Posted in: Uncategorized

2 Thoughts on “The Simplest Peanut Butter Cookies EVER – Theme With a Chocolate Chip and Bacon Variation”

  1. Christopher Enzi on June 21, 2015 at 2:38 am said:

    Nice to come across this blog and see that you are not only still breathing air and taking up space on the planet but still aspiring!
    I am thinking of you on this Solstice Eve of my 56th birthday, wishing you well from San Francisco.

    Reply↓
    • Stephen Eure on June 21, 2015 at 7:31 pm said:

      Surely the Bay air, and your beautiful husband, and your wrinkly dogs are keeping you younger than 56! There are legitimate exceptions to the 1 year = 1 age rule – don’t argue with me on that point because you know that you’re the pretty one and I’m the practical one. I just turned 53 calendar years last month – and, meanness aside, we both know that age isn’t realistic! Oh yeah, I’m definitely alive and aspiring on this end. And thank you for letting me know that I’m still alive in your memory – God knows you are alive and well in mine. I will update you directly in a few days.

      Reply↓

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Post Navigation

← Previous Post
Next Post →

Recent Posts

  • The Simplicity of Buffalo Chicken Wings
  • Steel Cut Oatmeal With Apples and Raisins (Overnight Slow Cooker Recipe)
  • Not-Totally-From-Scratch Homemade Chili
  • Tiramisu and Authenticity
  • Mitigating Salmonella Risk In Recipes With Raw Eggs

Recent Comments

  • Andrew on The Quick Bread Ratio At Work Again – Banana Bread with Walnuts
  • Pastry Chef on Mixed Measures – How Much Does a Cup of Flour Weigh? – Addendum
  • Stephen Eure on Going From Chocolate Chip Cookies to Blondies
  • Wistaria on Going From Chocolate Chip Cookies to Blondies
  • STEPHANIE on Mixed Measures – How Much Does a Cup of Flour Weigh? – Addendum

Archives

  • April 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • May 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014

Categories

  • Uncategorized

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 5 other subscribers
© Copyright 2025 - Great Food For Thought - An Idea Blog
Infinity Theme by DesignCoral / WordPress