Easy 5-ingredient Sunbutter Cookies are the perfect combination of sweet, salty, chewy, and wholesome. They're nut-free, oil-free, refined sugar-free, and ready in 25 minutes!
If you're a fan of sunflower seed butter you're going to love these deliciously rich and nutty tasting cookies.
We love these sunbutter cookies because they're:
- made from wholesome, plant-based ingredients (WFPB)
- easy to prepare and ready in less than 25 minutes
- nut-free and great for school lunch boxes
- oil-free
- naturally sweetened with maple syrup and coconut sugar
- and every bit as delicious as peanut butter cookies!
Equipment
To make sunbutter cookies you'll need:
- mixing bowl and fork
- parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
- large baking sheet
Ingredient Notes
- Roasted sunflower seed butter - I usually buy the unsweetened one from Trader Joe's, but there are several other brands available in stores and online, including the Sunbutter name brand. Or see tips below for making your own sunbutter at home!
- Coconut sugar or other granulated sweetener
- Maple syrup - if using sweetened sunbutter, decrease maple to 3 tablespoons and add 2 teaspoons non-dairy milk.
- Flour - I've tested both spelt and oat flour in this recipe.
- Vanilla extract
See recipe card below for quantities.
How To Make Sunbutter Cookies
I promised you these are easy, right? Here's a quick overview of the process. See recipe card below for full instructions.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a mixing bowl cream together the sunbutter, coconut sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla. *Add ¼ teaspoon salt if using an unsalted sunflower seed butter.
- Add flour and stir just until a smooth dough forms.
- Scoop up 1 rounded tablespoon of dough per cookie. Roll between your palms to form a smooth ball, and place on baking sheet about 3 inches apart.
- Use the tines of a fork to create a criss-cross pattern on top of each cookie. This also flattens and helps them bake evenly.
- Bake for about 10 minutes. Carefully check the underside of one cookie, which should be golden.
- The cookies will be very soft straight from the oven. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before transferring to a plate or cooling rack.
Tips and Substitutions
If you prefer to make your own sunflower seed butter, it's very easy to do. Follow this recipe from Angela at Oh She Glows, and simply omit the sugar, oil, and flavorings.
I haven't had a chance yet to test other flours in this particular cookie recipe (only oat and spelt), but I find it to be a pretty forgiving cookie. Similar to my peanut butter cookies, I'm sure a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend would work well, as would whole wheat or all-purpose.
The recipe makes exactly one dozen cookies, so if you have a hungry family or are baking for a crowd, go ahead and double it!
Sunbutter cookies are freezer-friendly. Just make sure they are wrapped/sealed well to protect from freezer burn, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
RELATED: Check out these Top 12 Vegan Baking Tips.
Love nut-free recipes? Try our favorite Nut-Free Vegan Mac and Cheese and Nut-Free Vegan Ranch Dressing!
More oil-free vegan cookie recipes:
Spiced Tahini Oatmeal Cookies
Rosemary Tahini Cookies
1-Bowl Peanut Butter Cookies
Vegan Protein Cookies
Almond Flour Thumbprints
Cashew Butter Cookies
Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
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1-Bowl Vegan Sunbutter Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup sunflower seed butter, unsweetened
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar or other granulated sweetener
- ¼ cup maple syrup - *Reduce to 3 Tbsp if using sweetened Sunbutter, and add 2 teaspoons non-dairy milk for consistency.
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup spelt flour or ⅔ cup oat flour
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt - only needed if using unsalted sunbutter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a mixing bowl, use a fork to cream together the sunbutter, coconut sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla. If using unsalted sunbutter, add ¼ tsp salt. Add the flour and and stir until just mixed. The dough should look moist and smooth but not be too sticky.
- Scoop up one rounded tablespoon of dough per cookie. Roll the dough betwen your palms and place on cookie sheet at least 3 inches apart. The cookies will spread during baking. Use the underside of a fork to create a criss-cross pattern into the top of each ball of dough, gently pressing down to flatten into shape.
- Bake for about 10 minutes or until fragrant and the undersides are golden. The cookies will be very soft straight from the oven. Allow to cool on the baking sheets for at least 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
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. For the most accurate nutrition information we recommend calculating it yourself to reflect the specific ingredients used in your dish.
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