Chewy Gluten-free Peanut Butter Cookies

Name: Chewy Gluten-free Peanut Butter Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 ¼ Cups 1:1 Gluten-free Flour (155 grams. ); ½ Teaspoon Xanthan Gum (Omit if your blend already has it. ); 2 Tablespoon Corn Starch (You can also use arrowroot starch. ); ¾ Teaspoon Baking Soda; ½ Teaspoon Baking Powder; ¼ Teaspoon Salt; ½ Cup Butter (You can also use a dairy-free or vegan butter. ); ½ Cup Sugar; ½ Cup Brown Sugar; ⅔ Cup No-Stir Gluten-free Peanut Butter (See notes for making these without peanut butter. ); 1 Large Egg (Or equivalent amount of an egg replacer. ); 1 Teaspoon Vanilla

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These gluten-free peanut butter cookies are rich in peanut butter flavor and so simple to whip up a batch when you want a sweet treat.

When it comes to gluten-free cookies, these gluten-free peanut butter cookies are some of the easiest ones to make. They are filled with so much delicious peanut butter flavor that will make any peanut butter lover happy.

Overhead view some peanut butter cookies next to a spoon of creamy gluten-free peanut butter.

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Ingredients.
Ingredient notes and substitutions.
Peanut butter cookies without peanut butter.
Steps.
Tips and tricks.
Peanut butter cookie FAQ.
Gluten-free cookie add-ins.
Serving.
Storing and make ahead.
More gluten-free cookies.
📖 Recipe

Ingredients.

These gluten-free peanut butter cookies are made with simple ingredients you probably already have on hand.

1:1 Gluten-free Flour
Corn starch
Baking Soda
Baking Powder
Butter
Sugar
Brown Sugar
Peanut Butter
Egg
Vanilla
Salt

Overhead view of the ingredients needed to make gluten-free peanut butter cookies.

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Ingredient notes and substitutions.

1:1 Gluten-free Flour - I use King Arthur 1:1 blend that contains xanthan gum. These gluten-free peanut butter cookies work best with a light gluten-free flour blend. If your blend does not already contain xanthan gum, then you'll need to add half a teaspoon to the batter.
Corn starch - You can also use arrowroot starch instead of corn starch if you prefer.
Butter - You can use a dairy-free alternative like earth balance sticks to make these dairy-free peanut butter cookies.
Egg - There is only one egg in these gluten-free cookies, but I have made these into egg free peanut butter cookies using both a flax egg and Bob's Red Mill egg replacement, and they work both ways.
Peanut butter - These cookies work best with a no-stir type of gluten-free peanut butter. You don't want to use a natural peanut butter that the oil separates from and sits on top of the jar. If you use this kind of peanut butter to make these, your cookie dough will be very greasy, and your peanut butter cookies will be very crumbly.
No egg or butter. - Subbing out the egg and butter will make these vegan, gluten-free peanut butter cookies.

Peanut butter cookies without peanut butter.

I understand the need to want to make these gluten-free cookies completely nut free. I've made these several times using alternatives to peanut butter.

You can actually make these peanut butter cookies without any peanut butter at all. This recipe works really well with no-stir almond butter and other nut and seed butter.

The only thing I would say when replacing the peanut butter in this recipe is that you make sure your substitution does not work great if the nut or seed butter is thin enough to drip off the spoon. These types of butters do not yield the best texture in these gluten-free cookies.

The only one I really don't suggest using as a substitute is Sunbutter. I find the final texture of the cookie not the best when using it. However, you could try using Sunbutter in a flourless peanut butter recipe.

Steps.

These cookies are super simple to make; you'll be enjoying fresh gluten-free cookies before you know it.

Whisk the dry ingredients together.
Cream the butter and sugars.
Add the peanut butter to the sugar.
Then add the egg and vanilla.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet.
Scoop, shape, and bake.

Overhead step photos to make and bake a batch of gluten-free peanut butter cookies.

Tips and tricks.

When it comes to baking gluten-free cookies, it's not hard, but a few tips help make sure they are perfect every time you bake them.

Measure the flour by weight. - I know getting out that kitchen scale is not always ideal. However, when it comes to gluten-free baking, ingredients settle a lot, and weighing our gluten-free flour ensures that we get the exact amount of flour we want.
Use room temperature ingredients. - When it comes to gluten-free baking, you want to ensure everything comes together smoothly. Having your butter, egg, and peanut butter be at room temperature will help with that.
No need to chill. - This gluten-free cookie dough doesn't need to be chilled.
Do NOT over-bake peanut butter cookies. You want the bottoms to be slightly golden when they are removed from the oven.
Note that baking times can vary depending on your oven and altitude.
Let the cookies rest and chill on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack and storing them. These cookies are soft coming out of the oven and need time to cool.

Is peanut butter gluten-free?

Peanuts are naturally gluten-free. Peanut butter that is made with peanuts and salt is also naturally gluten-free. Store-bought peanut butter tends to add preservatives and additives like sugar and oil. This means not all commercially made peanut butter is gluten-free. Always check your labels to ensure you get and use gluten-free peanut butter.

How are gluten-free peanut butter cookies different than flourless peanut butter cookies?

Flourless peanut butter cookies have a different texture than gluten-free peanut butter cookies that use a gluten-free flour. The added gluten-free flour gives the peanut butter cookies more texture and a slightly crispy outer edge. Flourless peanut butter cookies tend to be very soft.

These peanut butter cookies are delicious on their own, but sometimes it's fun to take them over the top.

Chocolate chips. - Adding chocolate chips makes these delicious gluten-free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.
Reese's pieces. - Like the chocolate chips adding in some Reese's pieces, candy gives more texture and peanut butter fun to these gluten-free cookies.
Add fresh peanuts. - If you really love peanuts, you can add some chopped peanuts to these peanut butter cookies for extra texture.

Serving.

These peanut butter cookies are delicious on their own. They can be served as soon as they are cool enough to handle coming out of the oven. In our house, Santa loves these as a delicious gluten-free Christmas cookies alongside a glass of cold milk.

Storing and make ahead.

Store cooled peanut butter cookies in an air-tight container for up to four days at room temperature.
If you prefer cold peanut butter cookies, you can store them in the fridge for up to seven days.
If you want to store cookies longer than that, you can freeze baked cookies for up to a month. Just let them sit at room temperature to soften when you want to eat them.
You can also freeze balls of raw cookie dough and bake them off as you want, so you always have fresh peanut butter cookies when you want them.

More gluten-free cookies.

When it comes to gluten-free baking, making gluten-free cookies is the easiest thing you can make. I love making gluten-free cookies, especially ones that rival their gluten-filled counterparts that no one can even tell are completely gluten-free, like my gluten-free crumble sugar cookies. Of course, I am also a little biased towards my gluten-free chocolate chip cookies as well.

Looking down on a a fresh batch of gluten-free peanut butter cookies cooled and ready to eat.

📖 Recipe