Short on time but longing for a sweet treat? These easy 3-Ingredient Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies bake in just 7-8 minutes! Fast, foolproof, and fabulously tasty, they're the perfect bite when you're craving something sweet.
The air fryer has transformed the way I cook, whipping up delicious dishes in a flash. Some of my favorite air fryer recipes are my air fryer sweet potatoes, chocolate baked oats, and pasta chips. I even wrote an air fryer cookbook!
But did you know that you can also bake tasty treats like cookies in your air fryer? The air fryer is actually the perfect appliance for baking up small batches of goodies like these delicious 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies in a flash!
You'll be amazed at how 3 simple ingredients can be effortlessly transformed into the most delicious peanut butter cookies in the air fryer.
These air fryer peanut butter cookies are lightly crispy on the outside and perfectly chewy on the inside. And the best part is that they cook up in the air fryer at lightning speed! It's a great recipe to have in your back pocket for those times when that sweet craving hits in a hurry.
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Why You'll Love These Cookies:
- Easy: With just 3 ingredients, this easy cookie recipe is so simple! No need for flour, baking powder, vanilla extract, etc.
- Fast: These easy air fryer cookies bake in just 7-8 minutes!
- Small Batch Recipe: The perfect recipe for those moments when you want just want to cook a small batch of cookies.
- Perfect Texture: The air fryer gives you delicious cookies that are lightly crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.
- Gluten Free: Made with 3 simple ingredients and no flour.
- Kid-Friendly: A great treat for your kids as an after-school snack or to pack in their lunchboxes.
Baking In The Air Fryer
You may be surprised to hear that you can bake things like cookies in an air fryer. But, the air fryer is actually the perfect tool for baking up small batches of treats like these peanut butter cookies in a hurry!
Why The Air Fryer Is A Game-Changer For Baking:
- Quick: Air fryers work their magic by circulating hot air around the food, ensuring an even cook in record time. Say goodbye to lengthy baking sessions—these air fryer peanut butter cookies are ready in a fraction of the time.
- Perfect Texture: The air fryer creates the perfect balance: a crispy, golden-brown exterior and a chewy interior. It's the ultimate texture perfection for your cookies.
- Energy-Efficient Baking: With shorter preheating times and faster cooking, the air fryer is an energy-efficient option. Bake your cookies without heating up the entire kitchen or waiting around for the oven to do its thing.
- Perfectly Sized Batches: The air fryer is ideal for cooking small batches of cookies.
Want to learn more? Read my article on Why You Need An Air Fryer In Your Life.
How To Convert Oven To Air Fryer Instructions:
You have to follow a few rules when baking in the air fryer. Air fryers are small and circulate the air very efficiently, so they cook food very quickly compared to conventional ovens. So you have to adjust the cooking temperature and time.
A good rule of thumb when converting oven instructions to air fryer instructions for recipes is to reduce the baking temperature by about 25 degrees. So if a cookie recipe calls for baking at 350°F, then set your air fryer to 325°F.
You also have to shorten the cooking time. For baking, I recommend cutting the cooking time in half and then adjusting from there. So if a cookie recipe calls for a cook time of 10 minutes, set your timer for 5 minutes. Then you can check on the cookies and add more time as needed.
Because the heating element is at the top in an air fryer, the tops of the cookies can get dark before the rest of the cookies are fully cooked. So it's important to keep an eye on them.
Learn how to adapt any recipe to cook in your air fryer! Read my Easy Oven to Air Fryer Conversion Guide and get my helpful conversion chart!
Ingredients
Ingredient notes and substitutions. See recipe card at the bottom of the post for full recipe:
- Peanut butter: I use creamy peanut butter for this recipe, but you can use crunchy peanut butter if you want more texture.
- Sugar: You'll need white sugar to get the right consistency.
- Egg: The binding agent that holds everything together.
Equipment
Best Air Fryer
Looking for an air fryer? I love the Ninja Max XL 5.5 quart Air Fryer. The large basket is perfect for a family of four.
How To Make Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies Step-By-Step
See recipe card at the end of the post for full recipe details.
- Step 1- Mix peanut butter, sugar, and egg together in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Scoop up balls of the peanut butter cookie dough with a small cookie scoop or tablespoon and roll them into small balls in the palm of your hand.
- Step 2- Flatten the cookies slightly with the tines of a fork, making a crisscross pattern on the top of the cookies.
- Step 3- Line the bottom of your air fryer with a perforated parchment liner or silicone liner and place the cookies on top in a single layer, spacing them about an inch apart. I was able to get 6 cookies in my basket.
- Step 4- Turn the air fryer on to 300°F and cook until cookies are golden brown, 7-8 minutes. Remove the basket from the air fryer and allow cookies to set for 2-3 minutes in the basket. Then, using a spatula, transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Try not to devour them all at once!
Chef's Tips
- You don’t need to make the crosshatch pattern fork marks- that’s mainly for decoration. But you do need to flatten these cookies before baking since they won’t spread much. You can use a fork or the bottom of a glass.
- Use a silicone liner or perforated parchment liner for easier clean up. You also use a piece of parchment paper and punch your own holes in it. Do not put the parchment paper in the air fryer by itself- make sure it's weighed down by the cookies. Otherwise it can fly up into the heating element and catch fire. Read my post on Can you use parchment paper in an air fryer?
- The cookies will be very soft so leave them in the air fryer basket for several minutes afterwards to let them set before trying to remove them.
- Looking for more peanut butter recipes? Try my Giant Peanut Butter Cup Rice Cake.
Recommended Air Fryer Accessories
You can line your air fryer basket with one-time-use perforated parchment sheets. They come in different shapes, sizes and colors- white or brown (unbleached).
You can also line the basket with these reusable perforated silicone mats. You can buy square or round mats. The holes allow hot air to circulate around the food prevent it from sticking.
Recipe FAQs
You can store the cooled cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the cookies for up to 3 months.
Yes, you can make these cookies in the oven. Bake them in the oven on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. Then let them sit on the sheet pan for 2-3 minutes until set.
Want more delicious air fryer recipes like this? Check out my new cookbook, The Ultimate Air Fryer Cookbook & Guide!
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More Air Fryer Resources & Recipes
- Why You Need An Air Fryer In Your Life
- Best Oils and Oil Sprays For The Air Fryer
- Can You Put Parchment Paper In An Air Fryer?
- Easy Oven to Air Fryer Conversion Guide
- How To Quickly Ripen Bananas in the Oven or Air Fryer
- How to Cook Frozen Chicken Tenders or Nuggets in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Apple Chips
- How To Reheat Food in an Air Fryer
Want To Shop My Favorite Air Fryer Products?
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If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Recipe
Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies (Just 3 Ingredients!)
Equipment
Instructions
- Mix peanut butter, sugar, and egg together in a large bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Roll the peanut butter mixture into small balls, about a tablespoon in size. Line the air fryer basket with a parchment or silicone liner and place a batch of the balls on the liner, spacing them about an inch apart. Flatten each one with the tines of a fork, making a crisscross pattern.
- Cook at 300°F until cookies are golden brown, 7-8 minutes. Remove the basket from the air fryer and allow cookies to set for 2-3 minutes in the basket. Then, using a spatula, transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.
Notes
- You don’t need to make the crosshatch pattern fork marks- that’s just for decoration. But you do need to flatten these cookies before baking since they won’t spread much. You can use a fork or the bottom of a glass.
- Use a silicone liner or perforated parchment liner for easier clean up. You also use a piece of parchment paper and punch your own holes in it. Do not put the parchment paper in the air fryer by itself- make sure it's weighed down by the cookies. Otherwise it can fly up into the heating element and catch fire. Read my post on Can you use parchment paper in an air fryer?
- The cookie will be very soft so leave them in the air fryer basket for several minutes afterwards to let them set before trying to remove them.
Alice says
Couldn't believe how simple the recipe is
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
Yes,super easy! I hope you enjoyed it!
Lyn Koh says
Thanks, Sonali, these are sooooo moreish, one wasn’t enough for me 😊. I mixed creamy peanut butter with a drier one containing pumpkin seeds and other seeds. An easy recipe when you need to bake something quick. Is it supposed to be very crispy or still a bit soft after sitting for a few minutes out of th airfryer? Maybe I’ve got the measurements wrong. How much is one cup of peanut butter in grams? I’d only used 60 ml of sugar which is our 1/4 australian cup but still tasted good as we are trying to eat a low sugar diet. Would more sugar make it crispy? The bottom of the cookie is still moist. Do they need to be turned over and baked further to crisp it up?
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
Hi Lyn! So happy to hear you enjoyed the cookies! They should still be pretty soft even after they cool because they don't have any flour. Yes, adding more sugar should make them crispier. I just edited the recipe so that you can click on "metric" and get the exact conversions. 🙂