Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
My vegan peanut butter cookies have crisp, golden edges, soft centers, and a rich peanut butter flavor in every bite. Made with pantry staples, they bake in just 12 minutes for the perfect quick treat.
Did you grow up eating peanut butter cookies? I sure did. In my household, peanut butter cookies were made more often than any other cookie. Now, sometimes, I need that classic peanut butter cookie flavor, but sans egg and dairy. That’s where my vegan cookies come in.
Thick and chewy with soft middles, these vegan peanut butter cookies are such a favorite. I tested it multiple times to ensure it had the perfect balance of sweet and salty flavors, and it tasted like classic cookies. They use pantry staples like flour and peanut butter, and everything is mixed in one bowl. I like how I can freeze the dough balls to always have some on hand when the cravings strike!
Why I love these vegan peanut butter cookies
- Quick and easy. Prep time is less than five minutes and bake time in 12 minutes. You get cookies in under 20 minutes!
- No egg replacers needed. Most vegan cookie recipes require flax eggs or other egg substitutes, but not this one!
- Easy to make ahead. If you’re like me and try to keep a batch of cookie dough in the freezer at all times, this recipe is perfect.
- The perfect taste and texture. Like my healthy peanut butter cookies, these cookies tick all the boxes.
Key Ingredients
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
- All-purpose flour. Sift your flour first to ensure that there are no clumps. You can also use gluten-free all-purpose flour, like Bob’s Red Mill 1:1.
- Baking powder and baking soda. A combination of the two ensures the cookies remain thick and rise nicely.
- Peanut butter. Use smooth peanut butter, not crunchy, and choose a brand with no added sugar. Avoid all-natural varieties, as they often don’t mix well with the flour- mainstream brands like Jif or Teddy’s work best.
- Powdered sugar. Many peanut butter cookie recipes call for white or brown sugar, but using powdered sugar gives them a lovely thickness but with a softer texture.
- Non-dairy milk. Any plant-based milk works. I’ve used oat milk, unsweetened almond milk, and even soy milk.
- Vanilla extract. A must for any good cookie recipe!
How to make vegan peanut butter cookies
Step 1- Mix dry. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
Step 2- Make cookie dough. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until just combined.
Step 3- Shape. Form 12 dough balls and place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet 1-2 inches apart.
Step 4- Decorate and bake. Press down on each cookie with a fork. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until golden.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Don’t over-mix the dough. Otherwise, the cookies will spread too much. Only mix until you have a smooth dough, and don’t fret if there are tiny pockets of flour remaining (you can see this in my step-by-step photos above).
- For thick cookies, chill the dough. I know it can seem like a pain, but chilling the dough helps the cookies not overspread and remain thick and chewy.
- Add a sugar coating. For a more traditional peanut butter cookie ‘look,’ roll the peanut butter cookie dough balls in sugar before baking them.
Frequently asked questions
If you’d like these cookies to be gluten-free, swap out the all-purpose flour for gluten-free flour with added xanthan gum.
If you overbake the cookies, they will be dry and brittle. I recommend removing them from the oven when the edges are just golden. Remember, the cookies will continue to firm up as they cool down.
Yes, you can! Prepare the dough up to two days in advance, keeping it covered in the fridge. Then, let it come to room temperature for 20 minutes before baking.
You can! I recommend freezing the dough as dough balls and keeping them in a ziplock bag. You can bake from frozen, but increase the baking time by 5 minutes.
This may sound like blasphemy, but you can, in fact, use other types of nut butter or seed butter to make these cookies. I just made a batch with almond butter, and they turned out great!
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks or in the refrigerator for up to one month.
To freeze: Transfer the leftover cookies into a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag and freeze for up to six months.
If you tried this Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies recipe, please leave a star rating and comment. It helps others thinking of making this.
Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour gluten free, if needed
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup milk of choice I used unsweetened almond milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, powdered sugar, and baking soda, mixing well. Add the peanut butter and milk and mix until just combined.
- If you want thicker cookies, cover the mixing bowl and refrigerate the cookie dough for 30 minutes.
- Form 12 balls of dough. Place each ball of cookie dough on the lined tray, one to two inches apart. Press down on each cookie or use a cookie stamp.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until just beginning to go golden. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the tray completely
Notes
- Make-ahead cookie dough. If you’d like to prepare the dough in advance, you can keep it chilled and covered for up to 2 days. Be sure to remove it from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.
- Freezing cookie dough. Freeze individual dough balls and keep in a ziplock bag. Bake from frozen, but add an extra 5 minutes cooking time.
- Leftovers. Keep at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for 6 months.
- Gluten-free. Use a gluten-free flour blend that has xanthan gum in it, like Bob’s Red Mill or Dove’s Farm. Please do not use any grain-free flour (almond, coconut, etc), as it won’t work.
I need to try this. I have vegan “rice flour”.
Best vegan peanut butter cookies EVER!
When do we add the vanilla &how much
I was wondering if I could bake these as a bar cookie? How much time would they need to bake for? Thanks Kim
You can experiment and see
Perfection!
I doubled the recipe and used 1 cup of almond flour and one cup of gf flour. I added some chocolate chips too. Turned out really well! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Hi! these look wonderful, and I plan to try them very soon! Just a couple things: there is no mention of vanilla in the written recipe, though I see it in the post, just FYI. Also, do the cookies spread in baking? Just wondering how much to flatten them. Thanks for your input and all of the amazing recipes!
Will fix it up 😀 They can, but refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes prior and they shouldn’t do it much 🙂