These Peanut Butter Almond Cookies are soft in the center, lightly crisp around the edges, and finished with a whole almond pressed into the top. The dough is made with peanut butter, sugar, and one egg—no flour, no butter, and no mixer needed.
The almond on top might be a tiny detail, but it gives these cookies a completely different look from classic fork-mark peanut butter cookies. They come out lightly crackled, golden around the edges, and pretty enough to add straight to a holiday cookie tray.
If you want the classic three-ingredient version with crisscross fork marks instead, make my 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies. That recipe uses peanut butter, sugar, and egg without the almond topping.
For serious peanut butter fans, these Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Cookies have a soft peanut butter center wrapped in chocolate cookie dough.
And if short ingredient lists are the main attraction, try my Easy 3-Ingredient Butter Cookies or browse the full 3 Ingredient Recipes Collection. Both are already part of the same simple-recipe cluster on The Foodie Blog.
Ingredients
How to Make Peanut Butter Almond Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the dough: In a mixing bowl, combine peanut butter, sugar, and egg. Mix until thick, smooth, and evenly blended.
- Portion: Scoop and roll the dough into small balls (about 1 tablespoon each). Place on the lined baking sheet, leaving space between cookies.
- Bake for 8 minutes. The cookies should look slightly puffed but still soft.
- Add topping: Remove the tray and gently press one whole almond into the center of each cookie.
- Bake again: Return to the oven and bake 4–6 minutes more, until the tops are crackled and the edges look set.
- Cool on the tray for 10 minutes.
- Finish cooling: Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Which Peanut Butter Is Best for These Cookies?
For the most predictable result, I would recommend regular creamy, no-stir peanut butter.
Why?
Peanut butter brands vary significantly in their ratios of peanuts, oil, sugar, salt, and stabilizers.
King Arthur recommends conventional creamy peanut butter for its classic peanut butter cookie recipe and notes that all-natural peanut butter can change the intended texture. King Arthur Baking – Classic Peanut Butter Cookies.
However, if your photographed/tested recipe was made with natural peanut butter and you were happy with it, keep using it.
Just stir it extremely well first.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Using very runny peanut butter, which can make the cookie dough too soft.
- Adding too much almond flour or chopped almonds, which can make the cookies dry.
- Overmixing the dough after the ingredients come together.
- Skipping the chilling time if the dough feels too soft to shape.
- Making the cookies too large, so they bake unevenly.
- Overbaking the cookies, which can make them dry instead of soft and chewy.
- Moving the cookies too soon before they have cooled and firmed up.
What to Serve With Peanut Butter Almond Cookies
These cookies are especially good with:
- Cold milk
- Coffee
- Espresso
- Cappuccino
- Black tea
- Hot chocolate
- Vanilla ice cream
- Chocolate ice cream
For a mixed cookie platter, add my Greek Cretan Biscuits for a stronger almond flavor and Easy 3-Ingredient Butter Cookies for a simple buttery option.
If peanut butter is the theme, add my Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Cookies beside them. Those use an entirely different chocolate-cookie dough wrapped around a peanut butter center, so they’re a strong internal link without creating the same keyword overlap.
FAQs
Yes. Roll into balls, freeze on a tray, then store in a freezer bag up to 2 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes.
Yes—leave them plain or do fork marks.
They spread a little, but they mostly puff and crack. Keep balls evenly sized for consistent baking.
You can reduce a little, but too much reduction can affect texture and structure.
They may be overbaked or the dough wasn’t mixed evenly. Pull them when edges are set and let them cool on the tray to firm up.
Yes—just mix it very well first. If it’s extremely runny, the dough may spread more.
More Recipes You Will like
Peanut Butter Almond Cookies – Easy Flourless Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, combine peanut butter, sugar, and egg. Mix until thick and smooth.
- Scoop and roll dough into balls (about 1 tablespoon each). Arrange on the baking sheet with space between cookies.
- Bake for 8 minutes.
- Remove the tray and gently press one whole almond into the center of each cookie.
- Bake 4–6 minutes more, until crackled and set at the edges.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
Tip: Don’t overbake—cookies firm up as they cool.
Swap: Use crunchy peanut butter for extra texture.
Swap: Skip almonds and do fork marks for a classic look.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
