Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies (Gluten-Free)
Posted Mar 29, 2020, Updated Apr 18, 2024
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These flourless peanut butter cookies are easy to make with 4 ingredients in 15 minutes! They are delicious, gluten-free peanut butter cookies that are so good no one can tell they’re made without flour or butter!
I have been making this flourless peanut butter cookies recipe for over two decades now, because they are so simple and absolutely delicious!
They are gooey and peanut buttery and even can be dipped in chocolate. Plus, they’re easy to make with only 5 ingredients in 15 minutes!
Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies: Ingredients & Substitutions
These gluten-free peanut butter cookies are made with ingredients you probably have on hand! Let’s chat about possible substitutions.
- Creamy peanut butter. choose your favorite peanut butter variety! Allergic to peanuts? Any nut or seed butter should work well in this recipe! I recommend using a peanut butter that is solid at room temperature. Some natural varieties do meet this requirement and can be used. If you use a peanut butter that’s liquid at room temperature (like this homemade peanut butter), you will have to chill the dough for 60 minutes before baking.
- Sugar. Use granulated sugar or organic cane sugar for the best results. Note. I tired coconut sugar and it did not work.
- Chocolate. Drizzling chocolate on top of these cookies, or adding chocolate chips to the batter, is optional, but delicious!
How to Make Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
These gluten-free peanut butter cookies are made in one bowl and 15 minutes (from start to finish)! Let’s walk through the process together, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Begin by combining the peanut butter and sugar. You can do this by hand, with a hand-held mixer, or in a standing mixer.
You may need to warm the peanut butter
If your peanut butter is too hard to serve (if you store it in the fridge or use a variety that is solid at room temperature), gently warm it in the microwave until it’s soft enough to stir. Be careful not to overhead or you run the risk of cooking the egg when it’s added to the batter.
Next, add the egg & vanilla and beat or stir until everything is combined.
Then, use a 1 Tablespoon measuring spoon or cookie scoop to portion the dough, roll them into balls and place them evenly spaced on a baking sheet.
Once the dough is ready to go on the baking sheet, use a fork to make a criss cross pattern on the top of each dough ball, gently pressing it down.
Bake
Next, bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the top and edges look just barely set.
Don’t Over-bake
These flourless peanut butter cookies may not look completely done when you remove them from the oven. But they will cook more as they cool on the pan before being transferred to a wire rack.
Cool
Once the cookies are removed from the oven, let them cool on the baking pan for at least 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Dip in Chocolate
If desired, wait until the gluten-free peanut butter cookies are completely cool, then dip them in chocolate. To do this:
- Melt some chocolate chips or chopped chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler over medium heat.
- Line a large baking sheet with wax paper.
- Dip half of each cookie into the melted chocolate, then place on the wax paper.
- Let harden at room temperature or in the freezer.
- If desired, drizzle a little extra chocolate over the dipped side for a pretty texture.
- Enjoy!
Store/Freeze
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. If you add chocolate on top, be sure to let it harden completely before stacking them in a container.
Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe FAQS
I recommend using a peanut butter that is solid at room temperature to make these gluten-free peanut butter cookies. Some natural varieties do meet this requirement and can be used. If you use a peanut butter that’s liquid at room temperature (like this homemade peanut butter), you will have to chill the dough for 60 minutes before baking.
This flourless peanut butter cookie dough is denser than other cookie dough. Pressing the cookie dough down with a fork while making a criss cross pattern flattens the cookie dough and makes them bake more evenly.
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Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips (optional) mini or regular, or chopped chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Mix together peanut butter and sugar.
- Add egg, vanilla and salt and stir until combined.
- If desired, mix in chocolate chips.
- Roll 1 TBS portions of dough into balls and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (or use a cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto the baking sheet)
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until bottoms are just barely browned.
- Let the cookies sit on the pan for 10 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Creamy peanut butter. choose your favorite peanut butter variety! Allergic to peanuts? Any nut or seed butter should work well in this recipe!
- Sugar. Use granulated sugar or organic cane sugar for the best results. Note. I tired coconut sugar and it did not work.
- Chocolate. Drizzling chocolate on top of these cookies, or adding chocolate chips to the batter, is optional, but delicious!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These are amazing. My daughter said they’re just as good as homemade gluten cookies. She’s missed peanut butter cookies for a long time.
I divided the batch into half and milk duds in the other. They were caramelly delicious!!! Thank you so much!!
I’m so glad you and your daughter love them, Jennifer!
I always make mine with crunchy PB. Personal preference.
Believe it or not, I found this recipe too sweet. I will make it again, but cut the sugar.
Absolutely delicious and I love that the recipe calls for half the sugar of “normal” recipes. I added some cinnamon and 3/4 tsp baking soda. I added chocolate chips but next time I’ll dip them in chocolate.
Super quick, easy, and yummy! I used the Kirkland natural peanut butter from costco, which is very runny at room temp, and the dough surprisingly came together really well. Definitely going to make again!
There is a step missing in the list of instructions (I tend to skip the long essay portion of recipes, lol), “Make a criss-cross pattern with a fork, flattening the balls.” I followed the instruction steps literally and put the first batch in as balls and they stayed balls – did not flatten at all. The second batch, I did the criss cross pattern on top and those turned out great.
The cookies came out perfect – better than regular peanut butter cookies. Be sure to let them cool before taking them off the cookie sheet. They are a little fragile so try not to stack them. They are great dipped in chocolate!
I used 1/4 cup sugar instead of 1/2 and they were delicious – very peanutty! I also stuck a Trader Joe’s dark chocolate peanut butter cup in the middle of the little ball of dough instead of using dark chocolate chips (which would also be delicious, I’m sure). So yummy. I’m addicted.