These Thin Crispy Peanut Cookies are full of irresistible roasted peanut flavor. They’re delicious on their own or dunk one into your next bowl of ice cream for a special treat!

More cookies loaded with peanut flavor include my Peanut Butter Cookie Cups and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.

A stack of thin crispy peanut cookies on a kitchen counter.

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If you’re someone that craves things crispy, salty, and sweet, this recipe is for you! I’m definitely in this group and these Thin Crispy Peanut Cookies are one of my new favorite cookies. They are so gosh darned easy to eat, it’s sort of wonderful and terrible at the same time!

One might assume that these peanut cookies contain peanut butter but surprisingly, they don’t contain any peanut butter at all. Instead, finely chopped roasted peanuts add irresistible flavor and texture. They are unique and ridiculously tasty.

A crispy peanut cookie pressed into a bowl of vanilla ice cream.

These cookies are the perfect ice cream dunker and crumbled up, they add a crispy, peanutty topping that can’t be beat.

Ingredient Notes

Oats, flour, peanuts and other ingredients in small bowls with text.
  • Peanuts: Salted dry roasted peanuts. You’ll find these in the grocery store stocked with the snacking nuts, not the baking nuts.
  • Dry ingredients: The cookie base is made up mostly of quick cooking oats with a very small amount of all-purpose flour. You’ll also need a little baking powder and salt.
  • Wet ingredients: Butter that has been melted and cooled, a large egg, light brown sugar, and some pure vanilla extract.
  • Optional: Semi-sweet baking chocolate or chocolate chips for dipping or drizzling (instructions below).
A pile of thin crispy peanut cookies on a platter.

How to Make Crispy Peanut Cookies

Ground peanuts in a food processor and cookie dough being made in a large mixing bowl.
  1. Chop the peanuts: Pulse the peanuts in a food processor until finely chopped. Alternatively, you can chop the peanuts with a sharp knife.
  2. Wet ingredients: In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the brown sugar and butter until blended. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
  3. Dry ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk the oats, flour, salt, and baking powder. Gradually beat the dry mixture into the butter/sugar mixture.
  4. Add the peanuts: Using a spoon, stir in the chopped peanuts.
Two images of balls of cookie dough on a baking sheet before and after being flattened.
  1. Scoop: Using a small cookie scoop, drop the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls 3-inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  2. Flatten and bake: Use your fingers to flatten the dough into thin 3-inch circles. Bake the cookies in a preheated 350 degree F oven until the edges are golden brown, 11 to 13 minutes. Remove from the oven.

These cookies will not hold their shape if you try to transfer them to the wire rack immediately. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Crispy peanut cookies cooling on a wire rack.

To Dip or Drizzle with Chocolate

We all know that peanut butter and chocolate are one of the best flavor combinations that exists. So, it was a natural thing for me to melt a little chocolate and give it a whirl. If you have chocolate/peanut butter lovers in your house, I highly suggest you give this a try.

  1. Melt the chocolate: Break a semi-sweet baking bar into pieces and place them in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave at full power for 15 to 20 second intervals, stirring in between in each interval, until melted and smooth.
  2. Dip: Dip the cookies about half-way into the melted chocolate and place on wax paper or parchment paper. While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle it with some finely chopped peanuts, if desired.
  3. Drizzle: Use the tines of a fork or the tip of a small spoon to drizzle the chocolate over the top of the cookies in a criss-cross pattern.
Crispy peanut cookies dipped in chocolate.

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Thin Crispy Peanut Cookies

5 from 1 vote
Servings: 20 cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 11 minutes
Total Time: 26 minutes
These Thin Crispy Peanut Cookies are full of irresistible roasted peanut flavor. They're delicious on their own or dunk one into your next bowl of ice cream for a special treat!
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Ingredients 

  • ½ cup salted dry roasted peanuts
  • ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
  • cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups quick-cooking oats
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • 4 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, optional

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Place the peanuts in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Alternatively, you can chop the peanuts with a sharp knife. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the brown sugar and butter until blended. Beat in the egg and vanilla. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the oats, flour, salt, and baking powder. Gradually beat the dry mixture into the butter/sugar mixture. Using a spoon, stir in the chopped peanuts.
  • Using a small cookie scoop, drop by heaping tablespoonfuls 3-inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Use your fingers to flatten the dough into 3-inch circles (should be very thin). Bake until the edges are golden brown, 11 to 13 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Stack and store in an airtight container.

To Drizzle or Dip in Chocolate

  • Break the baking bar into pieces and place them in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave at full power for 15 to 20 second intervals, stirring in between in each interval, until melted and smooth.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 147kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 99mg | Potassium: 76mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 201IU | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.

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About Valerie Brunmeier

Hello and welcome to my online kitchen! My focus here is to provide simple, seasonal meal solutions for busy households. I hope you find some inspiration while you’re here and visit again soon!

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Questions & Reviews

  1. Rachel says:

    5 stars
    These are a thin, crispy delight 😃I added semi-sweet chocolate chips, turned out terrific!

    1. Valerie Brunmeier says:

      I’m so glad you loved them! These cookies are one of my favorites. Thanks, Rachel. 🙂

  2. Lori H says:

    Thin Crispy Peanut cookies look so yummy! I’m lactose intolerance, could i substitute margarine or vegetable shortening for the butter? thx 🙂

    1. Valerie Brunmeier says:

      Hi Lori. I didn’t test the recipe with either margarine or shortening so I can’t say for sure how that would work out. If you try it, be sure to let me know how it works out for you.