These Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies are easy to make with 4 ingredients in 15 minutes! These gluten-free peanut butter cookies 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 a decade now, and they are so simple and easy to make that you need to whip up a batch ASAP!
I am usually more of a brownie or bar type of person, but these flourless peanut butter cookies are some of my favorites. They are gooey and peanut buttery and even can be dipped in chocolate.
They're easy to make with only 5 ingredients in 15 minutes! Are you running to the kitchen yet?
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!
Combine Peanut Butter and Sugar
The first step in this flourless peanut butter cookie recipe is to combine the peanut butter and sugar. You can do this either by hand, with a hand-held mixer, or in a standing mixer. It's completely up to you.
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 more solid variety), 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.
Add the egg, vanilla and sea salt
Next, add the rest of the ingredients and beat or stir until everything is combined.
Measure and roll out dough
I recommend using a 1 TBS measuring spoon or cookie scoop to make these flourless peanut butter cookies. Measuring out the dough ensures that every cookie is the same size, which means they will all bake evenly.
Make a criss cross pattern on top
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the dough balls on top. Use a fork to make a criss cross pattern on the top of each peanut butter cookie, gently pressing it down.
Bake
Note: Do NOT 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.
So please don't bake them longer than 10 minutes if you can help it (although be aware that all ovens are different and you need to know how warm/cool/normal yours bakes).
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.
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 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips (optional) mini or regular, or chopped chocolate
- Extra chocolate to drizzle.
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
Ingredient Substitutions
- 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!
Can you make cookies with natural peanut butter?
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.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.Nutrition
More delicious cookie recipes!
If you're looking for more gluten-free cookies, check these out!
- Healthy no-bake chocolate peanut butter cookies are a reader favorite (or make them in nest from).
- These no bake peanut butter oatmeal bars are so good (another reader favorite).
- These Paleo Chocolate Cookies are like a brownie in cookie form, a chocolate dream come true!
- These monster cookies are amazing, or try these peanut butter oatmeal cookies.
- Turn these flourless peanut butter cookies into festive gluten-free peanut butter blossoms for Christmas!
- These Almond Butter Blossoms are paleo and vegan!
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Blair
I did not use chocolate chips and I increased the vanilla to 1 tsp. I was wary about the short 10 minutes in the oven, as they were definitely not cooked all the way after I pulled them out! But leaving them 10 minutes on the pan after pulling them out really did continue to cook them all the way. These are so delicious and easy to make!