The easiest flourless peanut butter cookies that are adapted from my cookbook, Flourless. As you might expect, no flour is needed here, just peanut butter, brown sugar, and a couple of other pantry basics!
Similar to my flourless almond butter cookies, these flourless peanut butter cookies are, you guessed, entirely flour-free. They rely on just an egg and plenty of peanut butter to create a wonderful cookie that
I love that you need minimal ingredients here, just PB, egg, sugar, baking soda, and salt. This is a go-to choice when I need to make a quick batch of something delicious, and it is so reliable and easy. If you want to change up your gluten-free peanut butter cookies routine, make this recipe!
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Cookie Highlights
What could be easier than a one-bowl recipe? I love that these cookies are:
- Truly flourless. I love gluten-free recipes that don't need any flour substitutes - in fact, I wrote a whole cookbook based on this premise! While I LOVE using gluten-free single-origin flours, there's nothing easier than skipping the flour altogether.
- Lovely on the holiday cookie plate. These cookies are a staple on my yearly gluten free Christmas cookies plate. They go so well with oat flour sugar cookies and gluten free maple shortbread.
- Or anytime! You don't need to save these for the holidays, though. I always turn to this recipe when I need a last-minute cookie option because I can throw them together in literally 5 minutes.
Ingredients Needed
Here's the super simple ingredients list for gluten-free peanut butter cookies. Make sure to scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions!
- Peanut butter - Any type of almond butter works. I used the Whole Foods brand of creamy unsalted and unsweetened peanut butter.
- Egg - A large or medium egg is best.
- Brown sugar - Feel free to use light or dark brown sugar.
- Baking soda
- Salt - Fine sea salt or table salt.
Variation Ideas
- Another nut butter - You can use any type of nut butter you like here, from almond to cashew.
- Nut-free - If you don't eat nuts, substitute an equal amount of sunflower seed butter.
- Use crunchy pb - I like smooth peanut butter here, but for a bit of crunch, choose a crunchy peanut butter variety.
- Flaky salt - For a sweet-salty vibe, sprinkle a little bit of regular or flaky salt over the cookies before baking.
- Chocolate - Stir in ½ cup of semisweet chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here's an overview in photos of how to make these cookies:
1. Make dough: Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and mix until smooth.
2. Form cookies: Roll the cookies into balls, then press down lightly with a fork.
3. Bake: Place in a 350°F oven and bake for 10-15 minutes.
Tips & Recipe Notes
- How long to bake? For crunchier cookies, bake for about 15 minutes. For softer, more chewy cookies, bake for 10-12 minutes.
- The dough will be wet. Note that the dough may be wet depending on your type of peanut butter, but you will still be able to form the cookies. If you want, place the bowl in the fridge for 10 minutes or so to help it firm up.
- Sprinkle with sugar. For a little extra sweetness, sprinkle the tops of the cookies with coarse or granulated sugar before baking.
- Make vegan. This is a dairy-free recipe that's easy to convert to being vegan. Swap the egg for 1 teaspoon of cornstarch.
Proper Storage
- Counter - Keep cookies in an airtight container and store them on the counter for up to 5 days.
- Freezer - Place cookies in a freezer-safe bag with a small piece of parchment in between each one to prevent sticking and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw cookies in the fridge before eating. (Or, eat them slightly frozen - so good!)
More Peanut Butter Recipes
Happy baking! If you make this recipe, I'd love to know. Please leave a comment below, reach out with any questions, and tag me on Instagram @Cucina Nicolina ❤️
Recipe
Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease a baking sheet with butter and set aside.
- With a whisk or a good wooden spoon (or with a mixer) combine the 1 cup smooth peanut butter, 1 cup brown sugar, and ½ cup granulated sugar until well combined. Add 1 teaspoon maple syrup if using, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon fine sea salt and mix well to form a dough. The dough will be wet.
- With a teaspoon, scoop out balls of dough and roll into balls, then press lightly in a cross-hatch pattern with a fork dipped in water. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on a baking sheet for two minutes.
Notes
- What size cookie? In the process shots above, you can see that I made larger cookies, which does tend to allow them to run into each other a bit. This doesn't bother me, but you may wish to spread them out further or to make slightly smaller cookies. It's up to you. Larger cookies will take a tad longer to bake.
- How long to bake? Again, this is personal preference. For crunchier cookies, bake for about 15 minutes. For softer, more chewy cookies, bake for less time.
- The dough will be wet. Note that the dough will be quite loose and wet, but you will still be able to form the cookies. If you want, pop the bowl in the fridge for 10 minutes or so to help it firm up.
- Sprinkle with sugar. For a little extra sweetness, dust the tops of the cookies with coarse or granulated sugar before baking.
- Make vegan. This is a dairy-free recipe that's easy to convert to being vegan. Swap the egg for 1 teaspoon of cornstarch.
I'd love to hear from you! Please leave me a note.