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These flourless peanut butter cookies are made simply with just 5 regular pantry ingredients, and have that crispy outside and soft and chewy inside.

I've modified the “classic” recipe you've seen elsewhere to improve the cookie texture, shape, and even taste. All without changing the ingredients very much at all!

Closeup image of flourless peanut butter cookies on rack

my take

Nicole's Recipe Notes

These are not your “regular” flourless peanut butter cookies. They're better in taste, texture, and even appearance.

The most classic recipe you've no doubt seen before is simply 1 egg + 1 cup peanut butter + 1 cup granulated sugar. But that makes a cookie that's much more fragile, more crunchy than chewy and has those jagged, cracked edges.

So I cut back on the sugar and added some baking powder to create a classic “3-ingredient” peanut butter cookie that holds together so well. I was even able to create the classic crosshatch pattern of our classic gluten free peanut butter cookies without flour, and without getting those broken edges.

ingredients for flourless peanut butter cookies in small bowls with white block writing with names of ingredients
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what's in it

Recipe Ingredients

  • Peanut butter: creamy, no-stir peanut butter (the oil doesn't separate in the jar) provides the flavor and much of the support for the cookies.
  • Egg: provides structure and binds the cookie dough together
  • Sugar: adds sweetness and tenderness to the cookies
  • Baking powder: helps provide a slight rise in the cookies and create a more uniform shape
  • Salt: balances and brightens the flavors
Hand pressing a fork into flourless peanut butter cookie dough on white paper on gold colored baking sheet

How to make flourless peanut butter cookies

Make the cookie dough by beating the peanut butter, white sugar and egg with a handheld mixer (or by hand) into a thick, soft dough. Mix in the baking powder and salt.

I like to use a #40 cookie scoop to create 12 equal portions of 1 1/2 tablespoons each, but spoons work, too. Roll each piece into a dough ball.

Then, wet the tines of a fork, dip it in some more sugar, and press the fork down twice on each ball to create a crisscross pattern.

If the cookies have lost their shape during baking, as soon as they come out of the oven, you can coax them back into shape by circling them with a plain round cookie cutter.

Let them sit on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, and then you can move to racks to cool completely, if needed.

substitutions

Ingredient substitutions

Peanut free

You can try replacing peanut butter with a no-stir variety of almond butter (Barney Butter is a good (if expensive) option). Either way, you'll need a “no-stir” variety.

Cashew butter might also work, as long as it's no-stir. I also think that it's worth trying the recipe with no-stir Wowbutter, which is made from soy beans.

Egg-free

Try replacing the egg in this recipe with a “chia egg” each (1 tablespoon ground chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel) or a “flax egg.” Bob's Red Mill's egg replacer might also work.

Sugar-free

If you can find a no-stir peanut butter that doesn't have any regular sugar, you can make these sugar-free. I've made this recipe with Lankato brand granulated monkfruit sugar alternative, and although the texture wasn't exactly the same, it worked. Swerve might also work.

Flavor variations

This is such a simple recipe, but you can make a few swaps to change it up a bit:

  • Add chocolate chips: add up to 2 ounces of miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips to the raw cookie dough.
  • Add cocoa powder: replace the 10 tablespoons granulated sugar with 6 tablespoons (82 grams) light brown sugar, add 1/4 cup (20 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, and replace the baking powder with 1 teaspoon baking soda.

My Pro Tip

Expert tips

Use a “no stir” peanut butter

A nut butter is “no stir” if, when you open the jar, the liquid oil hasn't separated from the solid nut butter. It's all integrated (and not drippy). It usually has palm oil added to it to keep the peanut butter stable and fully emulsified at room temperature.

It's mostly the balance of ingredients that creates the proper texture in the cookie that's crispy outside and chewy inside. But beating the batter a bit extra helps, too.

In a traditional cookie made with flour, creaming butter (or other fat) with sugar creates a bond between the two that allows the heat of the oven to cause them to rise and crisp. If you want crispy-chewy cookies, try beating the batter a bit more.

Use a mixer

This recipe can be made with a bowl and spoon, by hand. But making it with a stand mixer or hand mixer makes cookies with the best smooth texture and the most tender cookie.

Press a fork on top for even baking

Flattening the dough ball helps the cookies bake evenly, and spread properly. For that distinctive peanut butter cookie look, press a fork in that criss cross pattern on top of each cookie dough ball.

The granulated sugar on the outside of the cookies is absolutely optional. But dipping the fork in water first, and then in some granulated sugar first does help create a bit of a crust on the outside. And you really don't need much granulated sugar to make that sort of magic happen. โœจ

5 Flourless peanut butter cookies on a cooling rack

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

5 from 63 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Chilling time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 12 cookies
These flourless peanut butter cookies are are crispy outside, soft and chewy inside, and made simply with just 5 basic ingredients.

Equipment

  • Handheld mixer for the best cookie shape and texture (but optional)
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Ingredients 

  • 10 tablespoons (125 g) granulated sugar, plus more for topping
  • 1 cup (256 g) smooth no-stir peanut butter, See Recipe Notes
  • 1 (50 g (weighed out of shell)) egg, at room temperature, beaten
  • โ…› teaspoon baking powder
  • ยผ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions 

  • Preheat your oven to 350ยฐF. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
  • In a large bowl, place the granulated sugar, peanut butter, and egg, and mix to combine very well. Using an electric mixer (hand or stand mixer) will help get the perfect cookie texture, but itโ€™s not necessary. Add the baking powder, and salt, and mix again to combine.
  • Divide the dough into portions of 1 1/2 tablespoons (or 35 grams) each. A #40 ice cream scoop works great, or you can use 2 spoons.
  • Place the pieces of dough about 1 1/2-inches apart from one another on the prepared baking sheet. Roll each piece of dough between clean palms, and return to the baking sheet.
  • For slightly thicker cookies, or if you just think that your peanut butter was a little oily and soft, place the baking sheet in the freezer to chill for about 10 minutes.
  • Wet the tines of a salad fork, press into the extra granulated sugar, and then press into a crosshatch pattern on each piece of cookie dough. Wet the fork as often as necessary to prevent it from sticking to the cookie dough. You can just use the wet tines without the sugar if you prefer.
  • Place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cookies are puffed and the dough no longer glistens on top (although the granulated sugar will glisten where it has clumped).
  • Remove the cookies from the oven. If they've lost their shape at all, quickly run a round cookie cutter around the edges of each cookie on the baking sheet to coax it back into shape.
  • Allow them to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet or until firm.

Video

Notes

A note about the proper peanut butter.
Be sure to use a โ€œno stirโ€ peanut butter in this recipe. That just means that, when you open the jar, the liquid oil hasnโ€™t separated from the solid nut butter. Itโ€™s all integrated, and not drippy.
Chilling the dough.
For the thickest cookies, chill the shaped pieces of dough for about 10 minutes in the freezer or 30 minutes in the refrigerator before baking.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 172kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 150mg | Potassium: 127mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 0.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!
Flourless peanut butter cookies raw with a fork marking them, overhead on a rack, and closeup on a rack

make ahead/leftovers

Storage instructions

These cooled baked cookies will keep well and maintain their texture in a sealed glass container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Storing them on the counter in plastic may lead to a change in texture.

For longer storage, place the baked and cooled cookies in a sealed plastic zip-top bag with as much air removed as possible, or wrapped tightly in freezer-safe wrap. Then, place them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature or in the microwave.

About Nicole Hunn

Hi, Iโ€™m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that arenโ€™t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, โ€œgood, for gluten freeโ€ just isnโ€™t good enough!

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53 Comments

  1. Benjie says:

    5 stars
    Just wanted to let you know that these were absolutely delicious, had a super texture, and were very quick and easy to make! I will definitely make these again!

    1. Nicole Hunn says:

      So glad to hear it, Benjie!

  2. Tennille Messina says:

    Can you use regular peanut butter?

    1. Nicole Hunn says:

      I’m not sure what you mean by regular peanut butter, Tennille. This recipe just calls for “no stir peanut butter,” which is just the kind that doesn’t separate to have a layer of unmixed oil on top. That’s the “regular” Skippy, Jiff, etc. peanut butter.

  3. Judy Santaga says:

    5 stars
    Tasty and easy

    1. Nicole Hunn says:

      Perfect, Judy. Thanks for sharing that!

  4. Lori G says:

    5 stars
    I have made these lots of times – sometimes I sub a bit of brown sugar for the white. I think it adds a nice richness.

    1. Nicole Hunn says:

      So glad you enjoy the cookies, Lori! And glad to know that small sub works well for you. Thanks for sharing that!

  5. Bev says:

    5 stars
    Delicious flavour! My grandsons had fun making them wth me. Thanks.

    1. Nicole Hunn says:

      That’s great to hear, Bev, and sounds like a fun activity. Thanks for sharing that!

  6. tracey Loftus says:

    5 stars
    These are by far my all time favorite cookies. My hubbyโ€™s too. East to make & delicious as well.

    1. Nicole Hunn says:

      That’s so great to hear, Tracey! Thank you for sharing how much you both love these easy cookies.

  7. Darlene says:

    Thank you. I am starting a gluten free diet today. I look forward to trying your recipes.

    1. Nicole Hunn says:

      You’re so welcome, Darlene. A flourless recipe like this, with everyday ordinary ingredients, is the perfect place to start. I’m really glad you found me!

  8. Lisa Abbiati says:

    5 stars
    These cookies are absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe exactly as written and wouldn’t change a thing. They were a big hit with everyone who tried one. They’re now a part of my Christmas cookie tray. Thanks Nicole!

    1. Nicole Hunn says:

      I’m honored that they’re part of your spread, Lisa. So glad you enjoyed the cookies!