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close up view of vegan peanut butter cookie.

Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies


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5 from 1 review

  • Author: Lexi
  • Total Time: 52 minutes
  • Yield: 2 dozen 1x

Description

These vegan peanut butter cookies are soft, chewy, sugary peanut butter perfection. They practically melt in your mouth and you'd never be able to tell that they're vegan and gluten free! Best of all, this recipe is super easy to make, and you probably already have everything you need in your pantry.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup vegan butter (melted)
  • 1 cup of creamy unsweetened peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup granulated cane sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 flax egg: 1.5 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup gluten free all purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F / 175° C.
  2. Combine 1.5 tbsp of ground flax and 3 tbsp of water to create a flax egg. Set aside and let thicken while you prepare the batter. It should take around 10 minutes to reach the right consistency.
  3. In a saucepan, melt 1/2 cup of vegan butter over low heat. 
  4. After the butter is melted, add it to a stand mixer with 1 cup of creamy peanut butter, 1/2 cup of granulated cane sugar, and 1/2 cup of light brown sugar. Mix on medium speed with the paddle attachment for 15-20 seconds until the butter, peanut butter, and sugars combine to form a thick paste.
  5. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the 1 cup of gluten free all purpose flour, 1/4 tsp of baking soda, and 1/4 tsp of salt. 
  6. Add the flax egg and vanilla to the wet ingredients. Mix again with the stand mixer for around 10 seconds, or just long enough to combine everything. Make sure to avoid over mixing, or the batter can get too thick. 
  7. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the stand mixer. Again, mix until *just* combined, about 10 seconds or so. The resulting dough should be soft and should hold its shape well.
  8. Use a cookie scoop (we used a 3 tbsp one) to portion the dough. Then roll the dough into a ball with your hands and dip the top of the ball into a bit of granulated sugar. This will form a crunchy top after baking.
  9. Put the dough balls on a cookie sheet and press each cookie down gently with your hand. They should form a disc about half an inch (1.3cm) thick. This is a crucial step, as the dough will not spread out very much during the bake. 
  10. Bake for 12-13 minutes. Let the cookies for 20 minutes before enjoying (so they can set up). 

Notes

We used unsweetened peanut butter, so note that if you use a sweetened version, these will be much sweeter. If you can't find unsweetened peanut butter, adjust the sugar levels accordingly.

Make sure to cool the cookies for 20-30 minutes after baking. The texture will be off if you skip this step.

Don't fear the flax egg: it's just ground flax and water in a 1:2 ratio.

Pack the brown sugar into the vessel you use to measure it out to ensure the correct measurement.

We recommend melting the butter in a saucepan as opposed to a microwave (it can "explode" and make a huge mess!).

Don't over mix the dough. Less is more. The instant the ingredients have blended thoroughly, stop mixing.

Don't forget to dip the cookies into some granulated cane sugar before baking.

Make sure to press down the dough balls before baking. They do not spread well on their own.

  • Prep Time: 40 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 minutes
  • Category: Cookies
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Cookie
  • Calories: 149
  • Sugar: 9.8 g
  • Sodium: 107.9 mg
  • Fat: 9.4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 15.4 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 2.8 g