These easy air fryer peanut butter cookies are soft in the middle, crisp on the edges, and packed with rich peanut butter flavor. They're flourless, naturally gluten-free, and made with just 6 simple ingredients. Ready in under 20 minutes for a quick treat.
Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies At A Glance
- ✅ Recipe Name: Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies (Flourless!)
- 🕒 Ready In: 40 minutes (about 8 to 10 minutes of that in the air fryer, plus 30 minutes optional chilling)
- 👪 Serves: 10 cookies
- 🍽 Calories: ~~97 per cookie
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Creamy peanut butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, baking soda, vanilla extract, salt
- 📖 Dietary Info: Flourless, naturally gluten-free, dairy-free
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: A flourless peanut butter cookie made entirely in the air fryer, with crispy edges and a soft, gooey center. Just 6 simple pantry ingredients, no oven required, ready in under 20 minutes of active time.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
I've become a little obsessed with making desserts in the air fryer. It heats up in seconds, you're not warming the whole kitchen, and small batches come out perfectly without babysitting an oven.
These peanut butter cookies were inspired by my peanut butter almond flour cookies and my air fryer vanilla cake, two other quick reader favorites that started me down this path.
Once you get the hang of air fryer desserts, it's hard to stop. If you want to keep going, my gooey air fryer cinnamon rolls are the natural next step. And if you're rounding these cookies into a full treat, they're delicious alongside a warm mug of hot chocolate or a scoop of protein nice cream.
Jump to:
- Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies At A Glance
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredient Substitutions & Variations
- How to Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies (Step-by-Step)
- Video Tutorial (Step-by-Step)
- My Top Tips
- How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
- Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies FAQs
- More Air Fryer Treats You'll Love
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Just 6 simple ingredients: Pantry staples you probably already have, no flour, and no special shopping trip.
- Crispy edges, gooey center: The air fryer gives you crisp outsides and a soft, melty middle every single time.
- Naturally gluten-free: Made without any flour, so the whole table can enjoy them.
- No oven required: The air fryer heats in seconds and won't warm up your whole kitchen, perfect for hot days or small batches.
- Ready fast: Under 20 minutes of active time from bowl to cookie.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SO GOOD!!! We make these weekly now! Gooey and crispy 🙂
- Hadley
You only need a handful of simple ingredients, most of which you probably already have. Here's what each one does and why it matters.
- Peanut butter: Use a stabilized, creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy (just like I do in my 3-ingredient peanut butter oatmeal balls). I've tested natural peanut butter, and the dough turns out too wet, so the cookies spread and fall apart.
- Light and dark brown sugar plus granulated sugar: The brown sugar keeps the centers soft, and the granulated sugar crisps the edges.
- Egg: Binds the dough so the cookies aren't crumbly.
- Baking soda: Helps them puff and stay gooey. Don't swap it for baking powder.
- Vanilla extract: A splash for warmth and flavor.
- Salt: A pinch to balance the sweetness.
Scroll to recipe card for quantities!
Ingredient Substitutions & Variations
- Peanut butter: Almond butter or sunflower seed butter both work. Just choose a creamy, stabilized version so the dough doesn't get too oily.
- Sugar: Swap the brown sugar for coconut sugar.
- Make them dairy-free: Good news, they already are.
- Make them gluten-free: Also already covered, since there's no flour.
- Chocolate chip: Stir in a handful of mini chocolate chips.
- Peanut butter and jelly: Press a small dollop of jam into the center of each cookie before air frying.
- Add some crunch: Mix in chopped roasted peanuts or pecans.
How to Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies (Step-by-Step)
- Step 1: Make the cookie dough. Whisk all the ingredients together in a large bowl until a dough forms. For best results, chill the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Step 2: Preheat and scoop. Preheat your air fryer to 315°F. Scoop about 1.5 tablespoons of dough for each cookie and place them in the basket, leaving a little space between them.
- Step 3: Shape the cookies. Use a fork to gently press down on each cookie, making that classic crisscross pattern. Don't press too flat, just enough to shape them.
- Step 4: Air fry. Air fry at 315°F for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are golden and crispy but the centers remain soft.
Video Tutorial (Step-by-Step)
My Top Tips
These are the things I learned from making these enough times to get them right, including the mistakes that taught me what not to do.
- Use thick, stabilized peanut butter. This is my number one tip. Natural peanut butter is too oily and makes the dough too loose, so the cookies spread and fall apart. Stick with a no-stir creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. If your dough feels extra soft, use a firmer peanut butter next time.
- Chilling is optional, but it changes the texture. This dough is thick enough to skip the chill if you're short on time. Just know that unchilled cookies bake up thinner and spread more, while chilled dough holds its shape better.
- Don't overcrowd the basket. Air needs room to circulate, so leave space between cookies and work in batches. Crowded cookies melt into each other instead of baking evenly.
- Let them cool in the basket. Leave the cookies in the air fryer basket for 5 to 10 minutes after cooking. They're very soft when they come out, and moving them too soon is the main reason they fall apart. Then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Every air fryer runs differently. Wattage and size vary by model, so check your cookies the first time and adjust the time or temperature for your machine.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
- To store: Keep leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 to 5 days. Cover them well so they stay soft. Skip the fridge, since it tends to dry cookies out faster.
- To freeze baked cookies: Once completely cooled, layer them in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature when you're ready to eat.
- To freeze the dough: Wrap the dough directly in plastic wrap, then store in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before air frying. You can also freeze pre-scooped dough balls and air fry them straight from frozen, just add a minute or two to the cook time.
Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies FAQs
The most common cause is peanut butter that's too oily. Natural, runny peanut butter makes the dough too loose, so use a thick, stabilized brand like Jif or Skippy. Also, let the cookies cool in the basket for 5 to 10 minutes before moving them, since they're very soft straight out of the air fryer.
I don't recommend it. Natural peanut butter is too wet and the cookies tend to spread and crumble. A no-stir creamy peanut butter holds the dough together much better.
No. This dough is thick enough to air fry right away. Chilling for 30 minutes helps the cookies hold their shape and bake up a little thicker, but you can skip it if you're short on time. Unchilled cookies just spread a bit more.
I use 315°F for 8 to 10 minutes. Lower, slower heat keeps the edges from burning before the centers cook through. Every air fryer runs differently, so check them the first time and adjust as needed.
If the edges brown but the centers stay raw, your temperature is likely too high. Drop it and cook a little longer rather than blasting them hot. This is the most common air fryer cookie problem, and it's almost always a temperature issue.
Yes. Bake at 350°F for about 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers are still soft.
More Air Fryer Treats You'll Love
If you loved these cinnamon rolls, here are a few more sweet air fryer recipes to try next:
Did you make this recipe?
If you make this recipe, be sure to comment and rate it down below. Also, don't forget to tag me @healthfulblondie on Instagram and use the hashtag #healthfulblondie so I can see your delicious creation and share it with my followers!
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter spread, (like Jiff, Skippies, or the Whole Foods Brand
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the dough. Whisk all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until a dough forms.
- Chill (optional) and preheat. For best results, chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This is optional, but it helps the cookies hold their shape. About 5 minutes before the dough is done chilling, preheat the air fryer to 315°F.
- Line the basket. Line the air fryer basket with a piece of parchment paper.
- Scoop the cookies. Using a cookie scoop, portion out about 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie and space them evenly in the basket.
- Add the crisscross. Use a fork to gently press a crisscross pattern into the top of each cookie. Don't flatten them too much.
- Air fry. Air fry at 315°F for 8 to 10 minutes, until puffed, golden, and crisp on the outside. The centers will be very soft.
- Cool in the basket. Let the cookies cool in the basket for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. They firm up as they cool, so don't skip this step or they may fall apart.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe tested and developed by Tati Chermayeff, creator of Healthful Blondie. A former Division I rower, Ironman triathlete, and recipe developer based in Austin, TX - Tati creates high-protein and healthy recipes that actually taste like the real thing.
Hadley says
SO GOOD!!! We make these weekly now! Gooey and crispy 🙂
Tati Chermayeff says
Thank you! these are one of my favorite cookies and i love that they are made in the air fryer too.