• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
My Quiet Kitchen
  • Recipes
  • Newsletter
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Newsletter
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Newsletter
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Vegan Dessert Recipes

    Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies (Vegan)

    Updated Apr 10, 2022 by Lori · THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS.

    867 shares
    • Share!
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
    pin for Pinterest
    pin to save on Pinterest
    a stack of gluten free peanut butter cookies to save on Pinterest.
    image to save on Pinterest.

    These vegan gluten-free peanut butter cookies are oil-free, sweetened with maple syrup, and so easy to make. Choose from two flour options: oat flour or a GF 1:1 blend. Rich, irresistible, and only 25 minutes to make a batch!

    a stack of 6 peanut butter cookies with one cookie leaning against the stack.
    Jump to:
    • Recipe Features
    • Ingredient Notes
    • How to Make Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies
    • Recipe Notes
    • Baking Tips
    • Can I freeze oat flour cookies?
    • Recipe Video
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    This recipe was originally published in April 2020, and has been updated for photos and content.

    Recipe Features

    Somehow, a sunbutter cookie made it to the blog before a peanut butter cookie did. As much as we LOVE peanut butter in this house, I really can't explain this. So today I'm finally giving this vegan food blog the peanut butter cookie it deserves!

    Considering there are about 101 ways to make a peanut butter cookie, I wanted to create one that best reflects my cookie philosophy - secretly healthier than most cookies but so tasty no one will even know!

    These peanut butter cookies are perfect because they're:

    • oil-free and suitable for whole-food, plant-based diets (WFPB)
    • gluten-free and vegan
    • made without refined-sugar
    • soft and chewy with a lightly crisp exterior
    • made in 1 bowl
    • and ridiculously easy!
    golden baked cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet.

    Ingredient Notes

    • flour - choose either a fine oat flour (store-bought or homemade) or your favorite gluten-free baking blend
    • peanut butter - I used a creamy, unsalted natural peanut butter
    • sweeteners - maple syrup and coconut sugar combine to create a wonderfully moist and sweet cookie that isn't too maple-y
    • baking soda
    • vanilla extract and salt - important for overall flavor; omit the salt if using a salted peanut butter

    How to Make Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

    Okay, I've promised you these are ridiculously easy to make, so now I'll prove it! Be sure to check out the video below for a quick glimpse of the process.

    1. In a mixing bowl cream together the peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut sugar, and vanilla.
    2. Add the flour, salt, and baking soda to the bowl, and stir until everything is fully mixed.
    3. Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop up about 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie. Roll the dough between your palms, and place each ball of dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
    4. Use a fork to make a criss-cross pattern on each cookie, which also flattens them a bit (dip the underside of the fork tines in a small amount of sugar to keep it from sticking to the dough).
    5. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly brown on the bottoms.

    Since cookies are very soft straight out of the oven, it can be tricky to check the bottoms. But just do you best!

    Allow the cookies cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

    stirring ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
    balls of peanut butter cookie dough on a baking sheet.

    The recipe makes exactly twelve cookies, and I'll be honest with you... they disappear quickly! So depending on the number of people in your household, you may want to double the recipe right off the bat.

    Pair these oat flour peanut butter cookies with a cold glass of almond milk, a scoop of vanilla-maple oat ice cream, or a bowl-full of creamy banana nice cream!

    oil-free peanut butter cookies cooling on a rack.

    Recipe Notes

    I tested these peanut butter cookies five times just to play around with different flours and levels of sweetness.

    The cookies you see in the video and photos had a touch more maple syrup than I decided on for the final recipe. So what that means is that your dough may not look quite as sticky as the dough in the video.

    All of the testing showed me that this recipe is actually pretty foolproof. No matter which flour I tested and how sweet (or not sweet) they were, they were always delicious.

    So just know that a little bit of variance in flour/moisture doesn't make or break the results. If you want a sweeter cookie, add another tablespoon of maple syrup.

    Baking Tips

    For a softer cookie, err on the side of a shorter bake time. For a crispier cookie, just 1 to 2 minutes more does the trick.

    Keep in mind that oven temperatures can vary quite a bit. If you often have trouble with consistency, or baked goods don't turn out as expected (require significantly more or less time in the oven), your oven temp might not be accurate.

    It's easy to test this with an inexpensive oven thermometer, and then your bakes will be much more successful!

    close up of beaters and whipped cream cheese in a bowl.

    Do you struggle with baking?
    See this article with my Top 12 Vegan Baking Tips!

    Read More

    Can I freeze oat flour cookies?

    You bet! You can freeze the baked cookies or the unbaked dough. Just make sure they are well-protected from air.

    Tips for freezing cookie dough

    After rolling the dough into individual balls, place them on a baking sheet and freeze for about 30 minutes.

    Then transfer the individual balls of dough to an airtight container and keep frozen until ready to use. Either allow the dough to thaw, or bake the cookies from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the total bake time.

    backlit photo of a stack of 7 peanut butter cookies.

    I hope you enjoy these Oil-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies! Be sure to drop a comment and a star rating below if you give them a try.

    And if you’re on instagram tag a photo of your dish with @myquietkitchen. I love to see what you’re baking! 

    More vegan cookie recipes:

    • Oat Flour Double Chocolate Cookies
    • Easiest Almond Flour Cookies
    • Vegan Protein Cookies
    • Spelt Cookies with Peanuts and Chocolate
    • Almond Flour Thumbprint Cookies
    • Rosemary Tahini Cookies
    • Cashew Butter Cookies
    • 1-Bowl Sunbutter Cookies

    Recipe Video

    📖 Recipe

    a stack of healthy peanut butter cookies on parchment paper.

    Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies (Vegan, Oil-Free)

    Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen
    These gluten-free peanut butter cookies are oil-free, vegan, sweetened with maple syrup, and so easy to make. Choose from two flour options: oat flour or a GF 1:1 blend. Rich, irresistible, and only 25 minutes to make a batch!
    Servings: 12 cookies
    4.95 from 20 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time: 15 mins
    Cook Time: 10 mins
    Total Time: 25 mins

    Equipment

    • cookie scoop (1.5 Tbsp)
    • baking sheet
    • cooling rack

    Ingredients 

    • ½ cup unsalted natural peanut butter, creamy - If using salted peanut butter omit the salt listed below.
    • ¼ cup pure maple syrup
    • ¼ cup coconut sugar plus 2 teaspoons, divided - Sub brown sugar or cane sugar, if desired.
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ½ cup gluten-free 1:1 flour blend (70 g) or ⅔ cup fine oat flour (60 g) - If not using a scale, whisk flour before measuring. Then spoon into measuring cup and level off the top.
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt - Omit if using salted peanut butter.
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment.
    • In a large bowl, stir together the peanut butter, maple syrup, ¼ cup coconut sugar, and vanilla.
    • Add the flour, baking soda, and salt (if using), and stir until fully combined. Use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon to scoop 1.5 tablespoons of dough into your hand. Roll the dough between your palms to form a smooth ball, and place on cookie sheet about 3 inches apart.
    • Place the 2 teaspoons sugar in a small bowl. Use the underside of a fork to create a criss-cross pattern on top of one ball of dough, gently pressing down to flatten it into a cookie shape. Now dip the underside of the fork tines in coconut sugar (this will help it not stick to the dough). Repeat with the remaining cookies.
    • Bake 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies will be very soft when removed from the oven. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

    Notes

    Storage
    Store cookies in a container at room temperature or refrigerated for up to 5 days. Cookies can also be frozen. Be sure they're well-protected from air.
    Unbaked cookie dough can be frozen, as well. Place rolled cookie dough balls on a baking sheet and freeze for about 30 minutes. Then transfer to an airtight container and freeze until ready to bake. Bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time.

    Estimated Nutrition (per serving)

    Calories: 100kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 3.5gFat: 5.5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 28mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5g

    Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used. We calculate this information using the online calculator cronometer.com.

    Tried the recipe?I love hearing from you! Share your feedback below!

    More Vegan Desserts

    • Healthy Oatmeal Mug Cake
    • Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies With Orange
    • Nut-Free Vegan Pie Crust (Gluten-Free, No Oil)
    • Air Fryer French Toast
    867 shares
    • Share!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Share Feedback Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Addie

      July 22, 2022 at 8:29 am

      These cookies were amazing! It's hard to find gluten-free and oil-free cookies that spread out and are slightly chewy but these worked a treat! Loved the recipe, thanks 🙂

      Reply
    2. Missy

      January 06, 2022 at 6:07 pm

      I've made these several times. It's simple to make and delicious!

      Reply
    3. Harmony

      January 03, 2022 at 11:33 am

      Delish! I was a bit concerned about the oven temp as I’ve tried so many different vegan, gf peanut butter cookie recipes and they almost always get a slight burn on the bottom. So I had been baking mine at 325°! But I followed your recipe, using Bob’s 1:1 flour, baked for 10 min, then turned the oven off and left for another 2 min. Perfection! Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe. 😍

      Reply
    4. Steve

      February 04, 2021 at 1:03 pm

      Lori,
      Forgot to leave my rating

      Reply
    5. Steve

      February 04, 2021 at 1:00 pm

      Here’s a hint!

      If you don’t have a cookie scoop, just roll the dough into a long log and cut the pieces off then roll into a ball.

      Reply
    6. Joy Patras

      January 19, 2021 at 8:03 pm

      Hi Lori! My daughter and I have made this recipe twice so far and we really think the cookies tasted delicious. It is such an easy recipe to follow and a short time later, we were snacking on delicious cookies and oat milk. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

      Reply
      • Lori

        January 21, 2021 at 7:52 am

        So happy you and your daughter enjoy the cookies, Joy. Thank you!

        Reply
    7. Lita

      September 15, 2020 at 11:33 am

      We're big peanut butter lovers - the type of folks that eat it by the spoonful out of the container 🙂 and I was excited to try this simple recipe. I substituted unbleached spelt flour that I had purchased when the stores were out of all purpose wheat flour and they turned out fabulously if not a touch dry (I whisked the flour - thanks for the tip) and a bit too sweet for us. The next time I make these cookies I will omit the coconut sugar and might try using whole wheat flour (reducing the amount a tad) to make them a super-healthy treat. Thank you Lori!

      Reply
      • Lori

        September 18, 2020 at 1:41 pm

        That sounds great, Lita. Glad you liked them! Thank you for the comment/feedback.

        Reply
    8. Karen Ricketts

      April 18, 2020 at 3:39 pm

      These do disappear quick, just like you said! We love these and they are so quick and easy to make. Thanks for this wonderful recipe!

      Reply
      • Lori

        April 19, 2020 at 4:36 pm

        Thanks for the review, Karen. Glad you enjoyed them!

        Reply
    9. Tracy

      April 05, 2020 at 4:28 pm

      These cookies are amazing! They are super easy to make which means I can get the urge and be eating a cookie in no time - love that. But even better, they taste amazing!!! I'm so happy to have found this recipe, it's my new favorite cookie!!

      Reply
      • Lori

        April 06, 2020 at 2:11 pm

        Tracy, I'm so glad you loved them! And thank you for the feedback! 😀

        Reply
    10. daisy

      April 03, 2020 at 7:38 am

      I want to make these for one of my clients, but he is nut-allergic, so he can't have the coconut sugar. I will try to add more maple syrup instead. Thanks! We love easy!

      Reply
      • Lori

        April 03, 2020 at 7:44 am

        Hi Daisy,
        Since coconut isn’t technically a nut, it might be okay, unless you know he’s specifically allergic to coconut. ?
        The easiest swap would be another granulated sweetener, like brown sugar, since maple syrup will also add moisture. But since maple is so sweet you might be able to just add 1 or 2 Tbsp, then increase the flour just a touch.
        So I guess he’s only allergic to tree nuts, not peanuts? For a seed-based cookie, check out the Sunbutter cookie recipe, too!
        Let me know how they turn out!

        Reply
    11. Teresa Sklenicka

      April 02, 2020 at 11:50 pm

      Wow! These cookies are amazing! The best peanut butter cookies I've eaten. I was so happy to see a cookie recipe with oat flour. We're rationing our wheat flour because we can't seem to find any anywhere. I'll be making lot of these!

      Reply
      • Lori

        April 03, 2020 at 7:47 am

        Thanks so much, Teresa! I just love baking with oat flour. Enjoy! 😀

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Lori Rasmussen, Owner/Creator

    Hi, I'm Lori. Welcome to My Quiet Kitchen where I share easy vegan recipes with a healthier twist. Many are special diet-friendly or easily adapted. I also have a passion for veganizing classic desserts, and sometimes even those get a healthy-ish makeover.

    Learn more about me →

    Winter Favorites

    • Creamy Vegan Mushroom Stew
    • Vegan Buffalo Wings
    • EASY Instant Pot Red Lentil Curry
    • Vegan Beyond Meat Chili
    • Green Curry Tofu With Vegetables
    • Vegan Ground Beef (Gluten-Free, WFPB)
    • Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup
    • Vegan Chicken Broth Powder & Seasoning

    Popular Recipes

    • Vegan Gluten-Free Pie Crust (Easy & Oil Free)
    • Vegan Oat Milk Ice Cream (No Coconut)
    • Tahini Salad Dressing 5 Ways
    • Oil-Free Italian Salad Dressing
    • Healthy Vegan Banana Brownies
    • Easy Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms
    • Healthy Oatmeal Mug Cake
    • Vegan Protein Cookies

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    About
    Privacy Policy
    Accessibility

    Newsletter

    Sign Up for free recipes by email!

    Contact/Follow

    Facebook
    Pinterest
    Instagram
    Contact Us

    Copyright © 2022 My Quiet Kitchen