Easy peanut butter recipes including cookies, cakes, drinks, sauces, and more to satisfy every craving.
Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth with These Peanut Butter Recipes
Is peanut butter a staple in your pantry? We often keep more than one jar on hand—creamy or crunchy—because it’s incredibly versatile. Beyond the classic peanut butter cookie and PB&J sandwich, peanut butter appears in both sweet treats and savory dishes around the world.
Peanut butter adds rich texture and flavor to everything from cookies and pies to satay sauces and stews. Thai satay, for example, relies on ground peanuts or peanut butter combined with spices and liquid to create its signature sauce.
With creamy and crunchy varieties available, peanut butter opens up many textural possibilities in baking and cooking. Unless noted otherwise, the recipes below work well with any peanut butter you have on hand.
Peanut Butter Alternatives
Peanuts are one of the eight most common food allergens, and about 1–2% of people in the U.S. cannot eat them. Fortunately, there are many excellent alternatives that mimic peanut butter’s creamy texture while offering different flavors.
Common nut-based alternatives:
- Almond butter — a popular vegan-friendly option
- Hazelnut butter — great for chocolatey recipes
- Cashew butter
- Pecan butter
- Walnut butter
Nut-free options for schools and allergy-sensitive households include:
- Sunflower butter
- Tahini
- Soy nut butter
- Granola butter
- Coconut butter
- Flax butter
- Cookie butter (best reserved for desserts)
Most commercial peanut butter jars are gluten-free, but always check labels if you need strict gluten-free assurance.
Peanut Butter Recipes
Here are our favorite recipes featuring peanut butter. From no-bake treats to baked goods and savory dishes, there’s something for every occasion.
No-Bake Peanut Butter Fudge
This four-ingredient, oven-free fudge is a nostalgic favorite. It yields dozens of rich squares and is best made with creamy peanut butter for a silky texture.
Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies
Thumbprint-style cookies made with real peanut butter in the dough for intense flavor. Use your favorite jelly—strawberry or grape both work beautifully.
No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie
A silky filling of peanut butter and cream cheese folded with whipped topping creates a crowd-pleasing dessert. It pairs well with an Oreo crust or a graham cracker base.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
Elevate a boxed brownie mix by swirling in creamy peanut butter, adding chocolate chips and chopped peanut candies for a gooey, decadent treat.
Peanut Butter & Jelly Cake
This scratch-made cake captures the nostalgia of a PB&J sandwich with layers of jam and peanut butter frosting for a playful dessert.
Bacon Peanut Butter Cookies
Sweet and salty collide in these cookies that combine crispy bacon with peanut butter. Crunchy peanut butter adds texture, but creamy works too.
Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
A quick, balanced breakfast or snack—banana, peanut butter, and your choice of milk create a satisfying, nutritious smoothie.
3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
A simple, flourless recipe that traces back to early 20th-century peanut research: peanut butter, sugar, and an egg yield quick, craveable cookies.
Peanut Butter Fudge
An easy four-ingredient fudge that’s been a longtime favorite for producing candy-shop quality squares in under 30 minutes.
Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies
A no-bake combination of oats, chocolate, and peanut butter for an easy, chewy cookie-like treat—perfect when you want dessert fast.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Muddy Buddies
Muddy buddies (aka puppy chow) mix chocolate and peanut butter with Chex cereal for a snackable, shareable treat—use Chocolate Chex for extra cocoa flavor.
No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls
These bite-sized treats require just a few ingredients. Use a cookie scoop for even sizing, and swap in a nut-free butter if needed.
Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
Classic marshmallow rice krispie treats with peanut butter folded in for extra flavor—add chocolate or candy for more decadence.
CopyCat Sonic Peanut Butter Shake
This four-ingredient milkshake recreates the beloved fast-food peanut butter shake—rich, creamy, and simple to make at home.
Peanut Butter Banana No-Bake Pie
A pudding-style pie topped with banana slices, chocolate chips, and peanut butter chips for contrast in flavor and texture.
Peanut Butter Cheerio Bars
Simple cereal bars made with Cheerios, peanut butter, and honey—an easy after-school snack or portable treat.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cake Mix Cookie Bars
These cake-mix bars blur the line between cake and cookie—filled with peanut butter and chocolate for an indulgent dessert.
Buckeye Bars
Inspired by the buckeye nut, these layered bars combine peanut butter, brownie mix, and a sweet condensed milk layer for a rich, decadent treat.
Ants on a Log
A classic, kid-friendly snack: celery “logs” filled with peanut butter and topped with raisins. Try different spreads or toppings for variety.
Butterscotch Cornflake Clusters
Three ingredients—cornflakes, butterscotch chips, and peanut butter—combine to make quick, crunchy clusters that are easy to prepare.
No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Bars
These no-bake bars use oats, chocolate, and peanut butter for a quick dessert option that comes together without an oven.
Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
Seasonal and cozy, these cookies use pumpkin puree and peanut butter as a binder and flavor booster. Rolled oats give them a rustic texture.
Crockpot Thai Pork
A savory slow-cooker dish where peanut butter adds depth and creaminess, echoing flavors found in Thai and Indonesian curries. Serve with rice or noodles.
Crockpot Thai Chicken Stew
A chicken-based variation of the Thai-style stew, offering the same peanut-forward flavor for those who prefer poultry over pork.
Peanut Butter & Jelly Shot
A playful adult take on PB&J using peanut-flavored whiskey and a berry liqueur for the jelly note—can be shaken or layered for presentation.
Recipe Tips
Printable recipe cards are available in the original posts. Nutrition details will vary by brand and portion size, so check labels for exact values.
Favorite Kitchen Tools
Helpful tools we use often:
- Microwave silicone cover — prevents splatters when melting butter or chocolate.
- Heat-resistant potholders — safer than cloth potholders near open burners.
- Baking sheets with sides — make removing cookies and bars easier.
- Vegetable chopper — speeds up prep work for savory dishes.
- Large handled mixing bowl — stable and convenient for mixing batters and doughs.
Great Recipe Collections
Explore other collections for more inspiration: banana recipes, lemon desserts, Rotel-based dishes, Bisquick favorites, and cherry pie filling ideas—all featuring approachable recipes you can make at home.
Enjoy more recipes, including copycat dishes, desserts, and a variety of crockpot meals from our recipe archive. Follow Tammilee Tips on social channels for updates and new posts.