Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

Author: Sarah Smith

These Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies are soft, chewy, and full of rich peanut butter flavor, with simple one-bowl prep, no eggs, no dairy, and no chilling required.

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Prep Time:10

Cook Time:13

Total Time:25

Course: Cookies, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Dairy-Free Cookies, Easy Vegan Cookies, Egg-Free Cookies, Gluten-Free Adaptable Cookies, Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies, One-Bowl Cookies, Peanut Butter Cookies, Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

Servings: cookies

Calories: 125kcal

Equipment

Large mixing bowl
Mixing spoon
Baking sheet
Silicone baking mat or parchment paper
1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop
Fork
Wire cooling rack

Ingredients

Cookies

1 cup natural peanut butter 270g, creamy or crunchy; almond butter may also be used
1 cup coconut sugar 192g, or pure cane sugar; reduce to 3/4 cup for a less sweet cookie
6 Tbsp almond milk room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour 120g; use spelt, unbleached all-purpose, almond flour, or a 1-to-1 gluten-free blend
1 tsp baking soda baking powder may be used if needed
mineral salt generous pinch; use only if the nut butter is unsalted

Optional Finish

sugar or coarse salt optional, for sprinkling before baking

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper, or leave it ungreased.
In a large bowl, mix the peanut butter and sugar until creamy.
Stir in the almond milk and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and combined.
Add the flour, baking soda, and mineral salt if using. Mix until the dough comes together. The dough will be thick and may be easier to finish mixing by hand.
Using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the dough and roll it into balls about 1 1/4 inches wide.
Place the dough balls about 2 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Use the back of a fork to flatten each cookie in a crisscross pattern. If desired, sprinkle the tops with sugar or coarse salt.
Bake for 10 to 13 minutes. Bake closer to 10 minutes for softer cookies, or 13 minutes for cookies that are crisper at the edges and tender inside.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Repeat with the remaining dough.
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days, or loosely covered on the counter for 2 to 3 days.
For longer storage, refrigerate the cookies for up to 2 weeks, or freeze completely cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.

Notes

Use room-temperature peanut butter and almond milk so the dough mixes smoothly.

If the dough feels too dry, add almond milk 1 teaspoon at a time. If it feels too sticky, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time.

The cookies may look slightly underdone when they come out of the oven, but they will firm up beautifully as they cool.

Dip the fork in sugar between pressing the cookies if the dough sticks while making the crisscross pattern.

For a less sweet cookie, reduce the sugar to 3/4 cup.

If baking soda is not available, baking powder can be used instead.

For a nut-free version, use sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter, keeping in mind that the flavor and color may change slightly.

This recipe can easily be cut in half or doubled.

Gram conversions may vary depending on the exact flour used, especially when swapping all-purpose flour, spelt flour, almond flour, or a gluten-free blend.

Nutrition