Easy Small Batch Peanut Butter Cookies: Your One-Bowl, No-Chill Recipe
Craving a warm, freshly baked peanut butter cookie but don’t want a huge batch tempting you for days? Look no further! This incredible recipe for easy small batch peanut butter cookies is exactly what you need. Requiring just one bowl for mixing and no chilling of the dough, you can whip up 6-7 perfectly soft and chewy cookies in under 30 minutes from start to finish. It’s the ideal solution for satisfying that sweet tooth without overindulging, making it a fantastic option for baking for one or two people.
The Joys of Small Batch Baking: A Personal Journey
Before Josh and I tied the knot, I spent a year living alone in my own apartment. It was a significant learning curve, especially when it came to cooking. I quickly realized how challenging it was to scale down recipes designed for families to suit just one person, or sometimes two if Josh joined me for dinner after work. This period also coincided with the whirlwind of wedding planning and, of course, countless wedding dress fittings – an experience I certainly don’t miss!
During that time, I faced a common dilemma for anyone living solo: what to do with large batches of baked goods. Making a dozen or two cookies meant I’d inevitably end up eating more than I should, or they’d go stale before I could finish them. This predicament sparked my journey into the wonderful world of small batch recipes. I began experimenting, eager to find ways to enjoy fresh desserts without the excess.
Why Small Batch? The Benefits for Every Baker
Small batch baking isn’t just for single households. It’s perfect for couples, small families, or anyone who simply loves the taste of fresh-from-the-oven treats without the commitment of a large quantity. The benefits are numerous: it minimizes food waste, helps with portion control, and allows for spontaneous baking whenever a craving strikes. There’s something truly special about having warm cookies ready in minutes, especially when you know you won’t have leftovers sitting around for days.
I’ve previously shared my small batch chocolate chip cookies, which quickly became a favorite for those urgent cookie cravings. But lately, I’ve been on a major peanut butter kick. It felt like the perfect time to adapt my successful small batch philosophy to create the ultimate peanut butter cookie recipe.
I know, I know – it’s January, and many of us are trying to embrace healthier eating habits. But let’s be honest, sometimes a cookie craving hits, and only a cookie will do. These moments shouldn’t lead to guilt or deprivation. Instead, they call for a mindful approach, which is precisely where this recipe shines.
Crafting the Perfect Small Batch Peanut Butter Cookie
My goal was to create a peanut butter cookie that was exceptionally soft, bursting with rich peanut butter flavor, and yielded just a few cookies. And let me tell you, this recipe absolutely delivers! It’s incredibly straightforward, requiring minimal equipment and effort. The simplicity begins with using just one bowl for all your mixing. This means less cleanup, which is always a win in my book!
Another fantastic feature of these no-chill peanut butter cookies is that there’s no waiting around for the dough to firm up in the refrigerator. Once your dough is mixed, you can immediately scoop it onto your baking sheet and pop it into the oven. This drastically cuts down on your total time, allowing you to enjoy warm, homemade cookies in record time. From measuring ingredients to taking that first delicious bite, you’re looking at a mere 30 minutes. That’s faster than ordering takeout!
Key to Success: Baking and Cooling for Optimal Texture
Achieving the perfect texture for these soft peanut butter cookies is all about timing. I’ve found that baking them for exactly 9 minutes yields cookies with slightly crisp edges and wonderfully soft, chewy centers. However, every oven is different, so I recommend starting to check your cookies at the 9-minute mark. Look for edges that are just beginning to set and turn golden, while the center still looks slightly underbaked. This is the secret to their incredible tenderness.
Once you pull them from the oven, resist the urge to move them immediately. Let these delicious morsels cool on the baking sheet for a crucial 10 minutes. This cooling period allows them to firm up slightly while retaining their beautiful softness and preventing them from falling apart. After 10 minutes, they’ll be perfectly set and ready to transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling, if you can wait that long!
This recipe consistently yields 6 to 7 cookies when using a two-tablespoon cookie scoop. I typically get exactly 7, providing just enough for a delightful treat without any lingering temptation. You truly can go from a sudden craving to enjoying a warm, fresh, homemade cookie in less than half an hour. Now that’s my kind of baking!
Ingredients and Instructions: Your Go-To Small Batch Recipe
Gathering your ingredients for these quick peanut butter cookies is simple. You likely have most of them in your pantry right now. The recipe calls for creamy peanut butter, softened unsalted butter, a blend of brown and granulated sugar for depth of flavor and chewiness, an egg yolk (to keep the batch small and the cookies tender), vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, baking soda, and an optional tiny pinch of salt to enhance the flavors. Measuring your flour correctly (spooned and leveled) is key to the cookie’s texture.
The instructions are designed for efficiency. First, you’ll preheat your oven and prepare your baking sheet. Then, in that single bowl, you’ll cream together the peanut butter and butter, followed by the sugars, egg yolk, and vanilla. Finally, the dry ingredients are gently mixed in until just combined. The iconic criss-cross pattern, made with a fork, isn’t just for aesthetics; it helps flatten the cookies for even baking and signals that these are indeed classic peanut butter delights.
This method ensures you get maximum flavor and the perfect chewy-soft texture every single time, making these homemade peanut butter cookies a staple for anyone who loves baking but prefers to keep quantities small and manageable.
Small Batch Peanut Butter Cookies
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Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons (50 g) creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) unsalted butter softened
- 3 tablespoons (40 g) brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (50 g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- tiny pinch of salt optional
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
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In a medium sized bowl using an electric mixer, beat the peanut butter and butter until smooth. Add in the brown sugar and granulated sugar and mix until fully combined. Add in the egg yolk and vanilla and mix until well combined.
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Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until everything is well combined.
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Scoop out two tablespoon sized pieces of dough onto the prepared baking sheet (I usually get about 7 cookies). Gently press down with a fork on the top of each cookie to make a small criss-cross pattern.
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Bake at 350°F for 9-10 minutes.
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Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.
Tips for the Best Small Batch Peanut Butter Cookies
To ensure your one-bowl peanut butter cookies turn out perfectly every time, here are a few extra tips:
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Softened butter and room temperature egg yolk emulsify better with the sugars and peanut butter, leading to a smoother, more uniform dough and better cookie texture.
- Creamy Peanut Butter is Key: For this recipe, creamy peanut butter works best to achieve that consistent, soft texture. Natural peanut butter (the kind that separates) might alter the consistency, so if you use it, make sure it’s very well stirred.
- Don’t Overmix: Once you add the flour, mix only until just combined. Overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour, resulting in tougher cookies.
- Parchment Paper or Silicone Mat: Lining your baking sheet prevents sticking and ensures even baking and easy removal of the cookies.
- The Criss-Cross Pattern: This isn’t just a classic peanut butter cookie look; pressing with a fork helps to slightly flatten the dough, promoting even baking and a lovely soft interior.
Storage and Enjoyment
These small batch peanut butter cookies are best enjoyed fresh, but they store well too. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. While they remain delicious, their peak softness is within the first day or two. If you want to savor that warm, freshly baked experience even longer, you could freeze the dough balls before baking. Simply scoop the dough, form the criss-cross pattern, then freeze them on a baking sheet until solid. Once frozen, transfer them to an airtight freezer bag for up to 3 months. When a craving strikes, just place a few frozen dough balls on a prepared baking sheet and bake as directed, adding a minute or two to the baking time.
Whether you’re baking for yourself, a partner, or a small gathering, these easy peanut butter cookies offer the perfect balance of convenience, flavor, and portion control. Say goodbye to stale leftovers and hello to fresh, warm, incredibly delicious cookies whenever the mood strikes. Happy baking!