Peanut butter cookies without baking soda or powder

These easy 4 ingredient peanut butter oatmeal cookies are quick, hearty, and filling and made with simple pantry ingredients you probably have on hand — no flour, brown sugar, or baking soda needed!

Peanut butter cookies without baking soda or powder

The best part about making cookies is, in my opinion, eating the dough. I know it’s not right. Or safe for that matter. 

That’s why I love these cookies: They taste like peanut butter cookie dough. And they only contain four ingredients–all of which you probably have right now in your kitchen.

Want a version that’s safe for peanut and tree nut allergies? Get my recipe for The Best 4-Ingredient SunButter Cookies

Peanut butter cookies without baking soda or powder

These are also so hearty, even just one little cookie is really satisfying.

 You might also like: The BEST No Bake Cookies

Peanut butter cookies without baking soda or powder

What is natural peanut butter?

Natural peanut butter contains either just peanuts or peanuts and salt. Other peanut butter contains additional ingredients like oil and sugar. If you’re using natural peanut butter, these are best made with a variety that has salt. But you can also use regular peanut butter in this recipe.

Which kind of oats are best to use in these cookies?

You can use either quick or old-fashioned oats in this recipe. 

Peanut butter cookies without baking soda or powder

I can’t eat eggs. Now what?

You can make these cookies without using the egg. As a substitute, use a flax egg. How to make a flax egg: Combine one tablespoon ground flaxseed with three tablespoons water, stir, and let it sit for at least five minutes to thicken. Use the mixture in place of the egg in this recipe.

Peanut butter cookies without baking soda or powder

Are these cookies gluten free?

These peanut butter cookies are gluten-free as long as you buy oats labeled “gluten free”. Oats do not naturally contain gluten but may have cross-contact with gluten if they’re processed in a facility or on equipment that also makes gluten-containing products. If you need to avoid gluten, look for oats labeled “gluten-free” such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Old-Fashioned Oats or Quaker Gluten-Free Quick Oats.

Are these cookies Low-FODMAP?

Yes! If you are following a Low-FODMAP diet, which limits or eliminates certain carbohydrates, these cookies are a great choice for you. 

Can you add chocolate chips to these cookies?

Sure! Some readers have added chocolate chips or crushed chocolate bars to the batter (or on top of the cookies before baking).

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Peanut butter cookies without baking soda or powder

Easy 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Yield: 20 cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

These easy 4 ingredient peanut butter oatmeal cookies are quick, hearty, and filling and made with simple pantry ingredients you probably have on hand -- no brown sugar or baking soda required!

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup peanut butter (regular or natural both work)
  • 1 egg (or one flax egg; see recipe note below)
  • 1/2 cup oats (old fashioned or quick)
  • 1/2 cup sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl.
  3. Roll into 1-inch balls or drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet (I use a cookie scoop).
  4. Press the tops of the cookies with the back of a fork (dipped in sugar) to make a crisscross design.
  5. Bake about 10-12 minutes or just until the tops start to look dry.
  6. Cool 1-2 minutes, then remove from baking sheet and place on cooking rack.

Notes

You can use a flax egg in place of the egg in this recipe. To make a flax egg, combine one tablespoon ground flaxseed with three tablespoons water. Stir to combine and allow it to sit at least five minutes to thicken. Add to mixing bowl and combine with other ingredients.

We've developed a lot of baking recipes over the years, and they usually end up being a little complicated. Something like pound cake, for example, requires a precise mixing of ingredients, creaming the butter and sugar before adding the eggs one at a time. Cookies, while they aren't quite as particular as cakes and muffins, still require a mixing process that demands care and attention to details to prevent a dense, dry cookie.

So imagine our surprise when we learned you could make cookies with only three ingredients — peanut butter, flour, and egg. We weren't sure it could be true. After all, how do you make a cookie without using any flour at all? And how will it turn out soft and fluffy without a leavener like baking powder or baking soda? It turns out these cookies are not only naturally gluten-free and easy to make with pantry staples, but they're also just as good as cookies made with more complicated recipes.

What happens to cookies without baking soda or powder?

Tip. It is possible to make cookies without baking soda or baking powder, but the resulting cookie will be dense. This is because carbon dioxide is not being produced by a chemical reaction that typically occurs when baking soda or powder is present in the cookie batter.

Can I bake without baking soda or baking powder?

If you're out of both baking soda and baking powder, self-rising flour might be a good alternative. Self-rising flour combines all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt, so it contains everything you need to help baked goods rise.

What happens if you make cookies without baking powder?

If you leave baking powder out of your cookies, your cookies will be edible, but they'll be denser and won't rise or puff because they won't have the chemical reactions necessary to do that.

Will my cookies be OK without baking soda?

The answer to this is yes, it is totally possible to make cookies without baking soda, as evidenced by how many cookie recipes don't even call for baking soda.