Slightly chewy, slightly crumbly, sweet and full of peanut butter, these flourless Peanut Butter Cookies are worth every bite! A perfect treat for peanut butter lovers out there, Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Chips are not only very easy to make using just 6 simple ingredients, but they keep very well for up to a week, so you can enjoy them for longer (but we doubt they will last that long…).
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Why You Will Love These GF Peanut Butter Cookies?
- Whilst these cookies are gluten-free, there is no compromise on flavour. So whether or not you are following a gluten-free diet, you will love them!
- 6 simple ingredients (and that’s including salt).
- Ready to eat in just over 30 minutes, with under 10 minutes of hands-on time. It’s definitely an easy recipe even beginners can make!
- No fancy kitchen tools or equipment are needed (if you have a handheld mixer, you are good to go!).
- Slightly crispy edges and soft centre make these gf cookies irresistible.
- These easy peanut butter cookies are gluten-free and can easily be dairy-free too (just use dairy-free chocolate chips).
- Lots of opportunities to jazz them up with fancy sea salt flakes, salted roasted peanuts or pure vanilla extract.
Ingredients
No need for xanthan gum or special gluten-free flour blends. This flourless peanut butter cookie recipe uses very simple ingredients that you are likely to find in your cupboards.
- creamy peanut butter: smooth. Read more about the type of peanut butter that works best in these cookies in the section below.
- caster sugar: also known as superfine sugar, is needed to absorb the moisture in the cookies so that they are not soggy after baking.
- light brown sugar: is needed to keep the flourless cookies moist and chewy.
- salt: we love Maldon Sea Salt Flakes.
- egg: use large egg in the UK, and extra-large in the US.
- chocolate chips: we think dark chocolate chips work best, as they are less sweet, but you can mix dark and milk chocolate chips for a sweeter peanut butter cookie.
A Note On Peanut Butter
Use creamy peanut butter in this recipe (NOT the type that has oil separation). Whilst the latter is a more natural option, it doesn’t work as well in this cookie recipe. Cookies made with natural peanut butter don’t bind well, are too crunchy and have a lot of fat leaking out whilst in the oven.
Optional Extras
If you feel that more is always more, and would like to make these flourless cookies stand out a bit more, you can always add a little something extra special.
- salted roasted peanuts can be added to the cookie dough. We recommend chopping the peanuts up a little, otherwise, the cookies will be too crumbly after baking.
- sprinkle some sea salt flakes on top.
- vanilla bean paste enhances the flavour of the cookies.
- coconut sugar can be used as a healthier alternative, but the texture of the cookies will be altered slightly.
Method
Place the creamy peanut butter, both types of sugar and ¼ teaspoon of salt in a large bowl. Using an electric handheld mixer, beat until sugar is fully incorporated, about 1 minute.
Add an egg and beat again for 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through. Mix in the chocolate chips and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 170°C Fan. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Divide the cookie dough into 14 pieces. Roll them into dough balls (or use an ice cream scoop) and place them on the prepared baking sheet, spaced out by at least 3 cm. Press each cookie down a little bit with your hands as they won’t spread much.
Bake in the centre of the oven for 12-14 minutes. The edges of cookies should be golden brown, but they will be extremely soft when hot. Leave these gf peanut butter cookies to cool down slightly on the baking sheets for about 10 minutes. Transfer them onto a wire rack to cool down completely.
NOTE: Do not eat them warm, they will taste far too sweet and slightly granular, but these issues are gone once they cool down!
Recipe FAQs
Traditional peanut butter cookies are either crunchy or have a chewy texture. This particular recipe is somewhere in between. The cookies are soft to start with, but they form a crust as they cool down. The inside should still be slightly soft when they cool down.
Yes, but you are likely to have a more crumbly cookie, as a final result. For best results, use smooth peanut butter.
Unfortunately, cookie dough containing raw eggs is not considered safe to eat in many countries. However, if you use pasteurised eggs (most shop-bought eggs in the UK, EU countries and USA are pasteurised), they are safe to eat, according to FSA. (I tasted the dough many times, and I would recommend waiting for the cookies to bake and cool down – they are 100% better than raw dough :)).
Watch How To Make Them
Storage
Once the cookies have cooled down to room temperature, place them in an airtight container and store them in a cool dark cupboard for up to 1 week.
Other Recipes for Peanut Butter Lovers
If you enjoy peanut butter flavor in both your desserts and your savoury food, we have some brilliant recipes for you to try!
- West African Peanut Stew With Butternut Squash
- Peanut Millionaires Shortbread
- Peanut Butter Cheesecake (recipe coming soon)
Other Gluten-Free Treats
If you enjoyed these flourless peanut butter cookies, maybe we can tempt you to try a few more of our gluten-free recipes. Here’s what we love:
Recipe Card
Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 250 g creamy smooth peanut butter*
- 30 g caster sugar
- 70 g light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg large
- 170 g chocolate chips milk or dark chocolate
Instructions
- Place the creamy peanut butter, both types of sugar and ¼ teaspoon of salt in a large bowl. Using an electric handheld mixer, beat until sugar is fully incorporated, about 1 minute.
- Add an egg and beat again for 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through. Mix in the chocolate chips and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 170°C Fan. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Divide the cookie dough into 14 pieces. Roll them into dough balls (or use an ice cream scoop) and place them on the prepared baking sheet, spaced out by at least 3 cm. Press each cookie down a little bit with your hands as they won't spread much.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for 12-14 minutes. The edges of cookies should be golden brown, but they will be extremely soft when hot. Leave these gf peanut butter cookies to cool down slightly on the baking sheets for about 10 minutes. Transfer them onto a wire rack to cool down completely.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Whitney
There is no better combo than peanut butter and chocolate!! These are so delicious, thank you for sharing!
Ieva
You are most welcome!
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
I absolutely love peanut butter so these are a winner for me. PLenty or crunch and chocolate too, so these won’t last long. By the way, I love the new look website!
Ieva
Thanks, Amanda! We love the new look too (but not as much as we love the peanut butter cookies 😉
Ned
Oh these are fantastic! Reminds me of when I was young having peanut butter cookies after school. These were even better! Thank you so much!
Ieva
Ned, that’s such wonderful feedback! I love that you found these cookies so nostalgic…