3 ingredient peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips

September 19, 2022

by Kirbie

These no bake chocolate peanut butter cookies are an easy healthy snack or dessert. The cookies are just 3 ingredients and don’t require any flour, eggs, added sugar or butter. They can be made ahead of time and store well.

3 ingredient peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips

With summer and vacation over, I’ve been meal planning and prepping and also trying to do the same with snacks. What I love about these no bake cookies is that they store well and taste just as good days after they are made. They are a very easy snack and dessert that my whole family enjoys.

Ingredients

  • Peanut Butter
  • Dates
  • Cocoa Powder

Peanut Butter: This recipe is made with unsweetened natural creamy peanut butter. Make sure the only things listed in the ingredient list in your jar of peanut butter are peanuts and salt because some brands of peanut butter will label their peanut butter “natural-style” but it still contains added oils. This recipe will not work with peanut butter that has added oils.  Peanut butter can be substituted with natural almond butter or natural sunflower seed butter.

Dates: This recipe uses Medjool dates because Medjool dates are big and contain a lot of soft flesh, which is what is needed to make a date paste. Dates are used as a natural sweetener for these cookies. They also create the structure and texture for the cookies.

Cocoa Powder: I used dutch process cocoa powder though I think it should also work with natural cocoa powder.

How to Make No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

The dates are first blended to form a date paste. The peanut butter and cocoa powder are then mixed in until a thick cookie dough forms. The cookie dough is then shaped into cookies and placed into the fridge until set. The cookies are then ready to eat.

3 ingredient peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips

Because these cookies are not baked or cooked, they will not have the same texture as a baked cookie. They are chewy and sweet, with a slightly crumbly texture.

These cookies are not super sweet. Everyone has different levels of sweetness they prefer. If you prefer these cookies to be sweeter, you can reduce the amount of cocoa powder, add more dates or add chocolate chips to the dough.

3 ingredient peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips

  • 3 Ingredient No Bake Banana Oatmeal Cookies
  • 3 Ingredient Healthy No Bake Cookies
  • 3 Ingredient No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies

3 ingredient peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips

  • 1 packed cup (165 g) pitted Medjool dates
  • 1/2 cup (128 g) unsweetened natural peanut butter
  • 2 tbsp (14 g) unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder

  • Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

  • Add dates to food processor and pulse until a smooth paste forms. You will need to stop a few times and scrape down the sides of your food processor with a spatula to help it mix. If you are using older dates that are a little dry you may need to rehydrate them before using. See notes for more details.

  • Add in cocoa powder and peanut butter. Pulse until they are evenly incorporated and blended in, with no cocoa or peanut butter streaks remaining. You will need to scrape the sides of your food processor a few times with a spatula to help the food processor mix. When you are done mixing, your mixture should be the consistency of cookie dough.

  • Using a 1 tbsp cookie scoop, scoop out dough. Release onto prepared cookie sheet, spreading 1 inch apart. Repeat with remaining dough.

  • Pick up a dough ball and roll between hands to form a round, smooth ball. Place back onto cookie sheet. Lightly press down on the dough ball so that it flattens into a thick disk. Use the back of a fork to make criss-cross pattern across surface of the cookie. Repeat with remaining dough balls.

  • Place cookies into the fridge to help them firm up (I usually put them in for about 30 minutes). Store uneaten cookies at room temperature for a few days or longer in the fridge or freezer.

  • You want to use dates that are very soft and moist in order for them to form a smooth date paste. If the dates you are using feel dry or hard you can rehydrate them before using. To do so, soak them in warm water for about 15 minutes. Drain from water, lightly pat dry, and then use.
  • Make sure to pit the dates before measuring them.
  • I use Double Date Organic Medjool Dates.*
  • I used this 1 tbsp cookie scoop.*
  • *This product link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
  • These cookies are sweet but not super sweet. If you prefer sweeter cookies, you can reduce the amount of cocoa powder (by 1 tbsp), add more dates, or add chocolate chips (if adding chocolate chips, add them at the very end after the dough has formed).
  • The cookies do not have the same texture as baked cookies. They are chewy and slightly crumbly.

Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 92kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 0.1g, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 8g, NET CARBS: 9g

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.

Subscribe to receive new post updates via email

don’t miss a thing!

Get new post updates via email:

Butter contributes milk solids and water to a cookie, both of which soften it. Brown sugar contributes molasses – again, a softener. Using lower-moisture sugar (granulated) and fat (vegetable shortening), plus a longer, slower bake than normal, produces light, crunchy cookies.
Double Your Yolks Most cookie recipes call for at least one egg. You can try omitting the white of each egg, which tends to dry out when baked, and replacing it with an additional yolk Plus, egg yolks have more fat than egg whites, which helps to keep your cookies moist and chewy.

What makes cookies fluffy vs flat?

Room temperature butter is just the right consistency to incorporate air when it's creamed with sugar. These trapped air pockets result in risen, fluffy cookies. If the butter is any warmer, it won't incorporate enough air and your cookies will have less rise.

Which ingredient makes cookies moist and tender?

Use Brown Sugar instead of White Sugar Brown sugar retains more moisture than white sugar, making it a great option for cookies that are moister and not as crisp. That's because brown sugar is a mixture of sugar and molasses, and the molasses is really the key here to help keep those cookies moist.