This Viral 5-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe Changes Everything

Ever since quarantine began, TikTok has been our go-to source for out-of-the-box recipe ideas, some of which have gone viral for their sheer ingenuity — like who would have thought you could whip up 2 tablespoons of instant coffee with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of water to make dalgona or whipped coffee? Then there was frog bread which basically involved shaping bread dough into frogs and then baking it. If you've run out of flour from experimenting with quarantine-inspired baking ideas you may have found online, do we have a new baked dessert idea for you!

The most recent viral baking idea endorsed by the users of TikTok involves just five ingredients: 1 cup each of light brown sugar and peanut butter, an egg, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and a half cup of chocolate chips to be mixed, and rolled into balls, before they are popped into a 350 degree oven for between 8-10 minutes. That's it; no flour, no fuss, no drama (via People).

While People says this particular combination of ingredients and baking method has been around for a while, it took a combination of quarantine and TikTok to turn the recipe into an internet trend. And while the recipe may be good as it is, bakers have been offering up hacks to make the instant dessert even better. For instance, one TikTok user recommends adding extra chocolate chips and/or sprinkling sea salt on top of the cookies for flavor contrast. Another says if the batter is too oily, the egg may not have been incorporated, and if the batter isn't dry enough, the peanut butter may be too thin (via Distractify).

While one reviewer on Daily Bruin says the cookie just tastes like peanut butter and sugar (because, REALLY, that's what it is), others have given the recipe rave reviews. But if you're really not into peanut butter (or don't have any at home), People says not to worry, because cashew, almond, and sunflower butters will do just as well.