If you’re the kind of person who sneaks spoonfuls of peanut butter straight from the jar, these gluten-free peanut butter cookies are calling your name. They’re soft and chewy with golden edges, a melt-in-your-mouth texture, and a rich peanut butter flavor that fills your kitchen with the coziest aroma while they bake. Every bite has that perfect balance of salty-sweet, with those classic fork marks that tell you something delicious just came out of the oven.
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❤️ Sandi’s Recipe Summary
My husband and son are die-hard peanut butter fanatics. They eat it with a spoon from the jar. It has gotten a little out of hand, and if I need peanut butter for a recipe, I now have to put a “don’t eat sign on the lid. Even then, they often slip up and eat my peanut butter!
Luckily, I now know to buy more and hide a jar in the back of the pantry for baking. They appreciate these cookies and hate when I run out. It’s hard to blame the guys; this cookie recipe is light years above the others due to its perfect, chewy texture, and it’s incredibly easy to make.
I highly recommend putting a stash in your freezer to pack in a school lunch or for snacking. If you’re new to gluten-free baking, my Gluten-Free Cookie Guide offers tips and easy gluten-free cookie recipes to help you gain confidence in the kitchen.
Gluten-Free Chocolate Espresso Cookies and these Gluten-Free Russian Tea Cookies! Or check out all of my gluten-free cookie recipes.
Allergen Information:
These homemade peanut butter cookies are:
- gluten-free
- soy-free
- oat-free
- Make them dairy-free by using dairy-free butter.
- Make this recipe gum-free by using my DIY Gluten Free Flour Blend. It uses psyllium husk instead of xanthan or guar gum.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below. Here’s what you need to make these soft and chewy gluten-free peanut butter cookies. Each ingredient plays an important role in texture, flavor, or structure:
- Gluten Free Flour Blend – I tested this recipe using Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend and King Arthur’s Measure for Measure. If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 3/4 teaspoon. A binder is essential because it holds the baked treat together. Gum-Free Option: If you prefer baking without gums, use my DIY Gluten-Free Flour Blend, linked above. Reader Tested Flour Blends: Good and Gather (Target), Better Batter, and Cup4Cup.
- Brown Sugar – Brown sugar adds moisture and a deep, caramel-like flavor that enhances the richness of the peanut butter. It also helps keep the cookies soft after baking. Use light or dark brown sugar, depending on how strong you want the molasses flavor.
- Baking Powder – Use aluminum-free baking powder. This leavening agent helps the cookies puff up slightly while baking, keeping them from being too dense. Make sure to use aluminum-free baking powder for the cleanest flavor.
- Salt – Using salt helpsbalance the sweetness and brings out the peanut butter flavor. If your peanut butter is salted, consider reducing the added salt slightly.
- Butter – Butter adds richness and a classic cookie flavor. I recommend using unsalted butter so you can control the salt level. For a dairy-free version, use a plant-based butter that performs well in baking (like Miyoko’s or Earth Balance sticks).
- Peanut Butter – IThe star of the recipe! Use creamy, unsalted peanut butter for the best texture and flavor.
⚠️ Avoid natural peanut butter that separates in the jar, it has a different fat-to-protein ratio and can cause the dough to be greasy. - Eggs – Eggs provide structure and moisture, helping bind everything together. Use large eggs at room temperature for the best results. One reader wrote that Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer works if you are egg-free.
- Optional Peanuts – To add crunch, I added chopped peanuts to the cookies. You can use crunchy peanut butter to achieve the same effect, adding a crunchy texture.
Cookie Baking Tips:
- Try to measure correctly. If you add too much gluten-free flour or other ingredients, it can affect the cookies as they bake. If they don’t have the proper ratios of ingredients, you may end up with a disaster.
- Chill the dough when possible. I know you are probably ready to eat your cookies, but taking a few minutes to chill the batter makes them less likely to spread.
- Use a cooled
cookie sheet when baking. Don’t take a hotcookie sheet and put the batter on it, or I promise the cookies won’t turn out. They start baking immediately, and it messes with their shape. Use a couple of sheets and rotate them out when making large batches of cookies. - Don’t let the cookies sit on the pan too long. After they have baked, only let them sit for up to 5 minutes on the baking sheet. The pan will still be hot, and they will continue baking otherwise.
I also have a helpful Gluten Free Cookie Troubleshooting Guide to read if you need extra guidance.
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How to Make Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies (Step-By-Step)
Note From The Kitchen: If this is your first time making gluten-free cookies, don’t worry. This cookie dough is very forgiving. If it feels sticky or too soft, a little extra flour will fix it. And if you’re unsure, chill the dough for 15–30 minutes; this makes shaping easier and helps them hold their shape when baking.
Step 1: Start by whisking your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. If your gluten-free flour blend doesn’t already include xanthan or guar gum, remember to add ¾ teaspoon; this helps hold the cookies together.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, melt the butter just until melted (not too hot), then stir in the peanut butter. If your peanut butter is refrigerated like mine, this step will help soften it so everything mixes easily. Stir in peanut butter until smooth. Let it cool slightly, then whisk in eggs and vanilla. (If very hot, temper eggs first.)
🔑 Sandi says: To temper eggs, whisk the eggs in a separate bowl, then slowly add a little of the warm mixture while stirring constantly. This prevents them from scrambling when combined.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until you get a soft, scoopable dough. If using chopped peanuts or other mix-ins (like chocolate chips), fold them in now.
Step 4: Mix your ingredients to make a soft peanut butter cookie dough. Each gluten-free flour blend behaves a little differently. If the dough feels too sticky to scoop, chill it for 15–30 minutes. If it’s too stiff or dry, add 1–2 teaspoons of milk or water.
Step 5: Use a cookie scoop to drop even balls of cookie dough onto a parchment paper-lined
Step 6: Bake at 350ºF for 10 minutes, or until the edges are set and lightly golden. Let them cool on the baking sheet for no more than 5 minutes; any longer, and they may overbake from residual heat.
Transfer to a cooling rack and enjoy!
Storage and Freezing Tips:
- These cookies will keep fresh for up to 4 days in an airtight container or up to 4 months in the freezer.
- Freezing Instructions: Place 6-8 cookies in rows in a zipper freezer bag. Freeze, then add a piece of wax paper over them. Add another row and repeat until all of the cookies are frozen. The wax paper will help prevent them from sticking to each other.
Frequently Asked Questions:
You can make this recipe vegan by using dairy-free butter and substituting an egg replacer, such as Bob’s Red Mill GF Egg Replacer, for the eggs.
You can use SunButter instead of peanut butter to make this nut-free.
If your cookies spread, it is possible that you need to add more flour. Every gluten-free flour blend varies, and you may have used a starchy blend that needed more flour. You can also try chilling the dough to prevent spreading.
If your cookies were dry, it is most likely that you used a gluten-free flour blend that was grain-heavy. Next time, either add more liquid or reduce the amount of flour by 1-3 tablespoons.
Yes! This cookie dough can be frozen, thawed, and baked later. To make it easy, freeze the cookie in dough balls. Flash freeze them on a tray so they don’t stick together. Bake straight from frozen—just add 1–2 extra minutes.
More Yummy Gluten Free Cookie Recipes:
Love This Recipe?
💬 Did you make this gluten-free peanut butter cookie recipe? Drop a comment below, and let me know how it turned out! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others see this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. Set the oven rack in the middle of the oven.
- In a large bowl, add 1 3/4 cups gluten free flour blend, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/3 cup cane sugar and whisk to blend.
- In a microwave-safe dish, melt 13 tablespoons unsalted butter. Add 1 1/4 cup peanut butter to the hot butter, and the butter will soften the peanut butter. Add the 2 large eggs and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract.
- *If your melted butter mixture is too hot, you will need to temper the eggs so they don't cook in the hot butter. To do this, whisk your eggs in a dish. Add 1 tablespoon of the hot mixture and whisk constantly. Repeat 2-3 times. Pour the remaining wet ingredients into the mixture and mix.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add the mix-ins such as 1/4 cup chopped peanuts, and mix well. If the dough is soft, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for 15-20 minutes.
- Use a cookie scoop to drop peanut butter cookie dough balls onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
- Take a fork and press each cookie dough ball down with the fork. I do this in a plus shape in two directions as shown in the photos.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven to a cooling rack. Do not let the cookies sit on the hot pan too long or they will dry out.
Nutrition
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF and Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend. Other blends should work. My rule of thumb is that if your batter or dough is too runny, add more flour; if it is too thick, add more liquid.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 3/4 teaspoon.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter with vegan butter.
- To make this recipe nut-free, use SunButter spread instead of peanut butter.
- Do not use natural peanut butter in this recipe. It is too oily and the cookies will not turn out well.
- These cookies will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
- Chocolate chips
- Pecans
- White chocolate chips
- Heath Bar Crunch Bits
- Chocolate chunks
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!
I made these today and they were so easy and delish! Going to try adding chocolate chips next time!
Thank you so much, Rebecca. The photos you posted on Facebook looked so good!
Absolutely amazing!!!! I’ve tried numerous peanut butter cookies recipes with celiac and this is my go to. I’ve probably made this recipe a dozen times, I just about have it memorized. Perfect every time!!!!
I am so glad you love these cookies. Thank you so much for coming back to let me know!
I made these using Jiff Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter. I had several people taste test them and everyone loved them! My favorite comment was “these are the best peanut butter cookies I have EVER eaten…. Not the best GF peanut butter cookie – but the best peanut butter cookie – period!”
Wow, that is an incredible compliment, thank you so much. You made my day!
These cookies are excellent! I used KAF 1to1 flour, Fleishmans margarine, and added crunched salted peanuts. Perfect. (and you’d never know they are GF/DF).
I love that Fleishman’s margarine worked well in this recipe!! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know!
These cookies are great!! You would not know they are gluten free. The first
batch I wanted a little softer and the second batch I wanted crispy and baked that batch 13 min. I think that was a little too long. Both were really good! I did use crunchy peanut butter. At first, I thought the dough was greasy but after baking it comes out almost like a shortbread. Delicious!!
I am so glad you all loved them, Karen!! Thank you for coming back to let me know!
Thank you so much for including dairy free options with your recipes! The combination of gluten and dairy free can be very challenging.
You are very welcome Tracy!
I love a good peanut butter cookie and the fact that this is gluten free makes this recipe that much better!
I am so glad, thank you Sommer 🙂