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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!
my take
Nicole's Recipe Notes
These are not your “regular” flourless peanut butter cookies. They're better in taste, texture, and even their good looks!
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.
When I first made flourless peanut butter cookies, the only way I could make them soft and chewy by adding cocoa powder and turning them into chocolate peanut butter cookies.
Here, 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.
what's in it/substitutions
Ingredients and substitutions
These flourless peanut butter cookies are already dairy-free and gluten-free naturally. The secret to their just-right crispy and chewy texture is in the balance of these few ingredients. So keep that in mind as you consider whether to make changes to the recipe below.
Peanut butter
Since these are peanut butter cookies, if you don't like nut butter, I suggest you stay away! These are really for peanut butter lovers.
If you need to make these peanut-free, you can try replacing it 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
There's one egg in 1 dozen cookies. The egg really does help to hold this recipe together and make it puffy and chewy rather than crunchy.
If you need to be egg-free, you could 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 even work.
Sugar
The sugar sweetens the cookies, and also helps keep them tender. If you can find a no-stir peanut butter that doesn't have any regular sugar, you can make these cookies sugar-free.
I've made this exact recipe with a granulated sugar substitute and although the texture wasn't spot on, it worked. I used Lankato brand monkfruit granulated sweetener, but you could also try Swerve brand. Made with a sugar alternative, the cookies are low carb, high protein, and really satisfying.
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. Perfect flourless chocolate peanut butter cookies!
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.
Beat the cookie batter well
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. ✨
Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- Handheld mixer for the best cookie shape and texture (but optional)
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
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. 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 it’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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to make flourless peanut butter cookies, step by step
To help you visualize the steps in the recipe card above, here are some step by step images:
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.
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.
Freezing
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.
To defrost, allow the cookies to sit, still covered, at room temperature for about 30 minutes. You can also microwave them for about 15 seconds to defrost them faster.
You can also freeze the raw, shaped dough balls (before you've marked them with a fork) in a single layer on a baking sheet. Then, place them in a freezer-safe ziptop bag (remove the air) and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost the cookie dough on a baking sheet at room temperature, and reshape into perfect balls of dough, and proceed with the recipe as written.
Is peanut butter gluten free?
Yes, in its pure form, peanut butter is made of peanuts and salt and is naturally gluten free. If you place peanuts (roasted or raw) in a high-speed blender and add salt to taste, eventually you will have peanut butter.
I rarely make my own peanut butter, though, and typically don't bake with truly natural peanut butter. You'll know that your peanut butter is entirely natural when it has only those two basic ingredients, and when it separates as it stands at room temperature into a ring of liquid oil on top and a solid below.
The original ingredients (peanuts, salt) are naturally gluten free, as are all of the potential additives we've mentioned. Make sure you're using a gluten free peanut butter in this recipe or just in a sandwich, you have to read labels—and know your brands.
What brands of peanut butter are reliably gluten free
Some brands, like Jif, will label its peanut butter (and other products) “gluten free” if it fit the U.S. definition of “gluten free,” but may have been prepared on manufacturing equipment that has been shared with gluten-containing products.
Most types of Skippy peanut butter are gluten free, except for those that contain other ingredients. The safest peanut butter brands only make gluten free varieties, like Peanut Butter & Co. Most often, I purchase Skippy peanut butter for my family, but you have to do what makes you most comfortable—and fits in your budget.
Tasty and easy
Perfect, Judy. Thanks for sharing that!
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.
So glad you enjoy the cookies, Lori! And glad to know that small sub works well for you. Thanks for sharing that!
Delicious flavour! My grandsons had fun making them wth me. Thanks.
That’s great to hear, Bev, and sounds like a fun activity. Thanks for sharing that!
These are by far my all time favorite cookies. My hubby’s too. East to make & delicious as well.
That’s so great to hear, Tracey! Thank you for sharing how much you both love these easy cookies.
Thank you. I am starting a gluten free diet today. I look forward to trying your recipes.
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!
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!
I’m honored that they’re part of your spread, Lisa. So glad you enjoyed the cookies!