If you are a peanut butter fanatic...I mean eat peanut butter right out of the jar type of fanatic, you are going to LOVE my new homemade gluten free peanut butter cookies recipe. These cookies seem to melt in your mouth and they are full of peanut butter flavor.
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My husband and son are die-hard peanut butter fanatics. They eat it by the spoonful and jarful. If I know I am going to need peanut butter for a recipe, I literally have to put a don't eat sign on the lid.
Neither of my guys is fond of crunchy peanut butter, so to get the crunch in this easy gluten free peanut butter cookie recipe, I add chopped peanuts to the cookie dough. My recipe makes soft peanut butter cookies so the peanuts are a fun way to add texture.
If you are a cookie lover like me, you will want to check out ALL of my Gluten Free Cookie Recipes :-).
Why you need to make these gluten free peanut butter cookies:
Not only is my gluten free peanut butter cookie recipe easy to make, but these cookies freeze really well so you can have delicious cookies on-hand any time. This cookie dough takes 5 minutes to make, and then just 10 minutes baking.
While you are baking, try these Gluten Free Chocolate Espresso Cookies and these Gluten Free Russian Tea Cookies as well!
Ingredient notes:
- 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 Gluten Free Blend. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
- Xanthan gum - If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon. One of these ingredients is important because they hold the baked treat together.
- Butter - To make these yummy cookies recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter.
- Peanut butter - I used creamy unsalted peanut butter.
- Peanuts - To add crunch I added chopped peanuts to the cookies. You can use crunchy peanut butter to do the same thing adding crunch.
Fun mix-ins:
- Chopped nuts
- Chocolate chips
- Reeses Peanut Butter Chips
- Heath Bits
Recipe step by step directions:
Making these peanut butter cookie recipe is simple. Gather up your ingredients!
Step 1: In a large bowl, add your dry ingredients and whisk to blend. Don't forget to add Xanthan Gum if your gluten free blend doesn't contain it.
Step 2: Add your wet ingredients to a microwave-safe dish. Melt the butter, but not too hot. Remove it from the microwave and add the peanut butter. This will help soften the peanut butter so that it is easier to mix in.
We refrigerate our peanut butter so it wouldn't mix in without softening! Add the eggs and vanilla next. The peanut butter will also cool the mixture down before adding the eggs.
If your butter/peanut butter mixture is really hot, you will need to temper your eggs so they don't cook in the hot liquid. To temper the eggs, mix your eggs in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the hot mixture, whisking constantly. Repeat this twice then pour the mixture into your butter mixture.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, Add in the chopped peanuts or any other mix-in you want. (A lot of people like to add chocolate chips too!)
Step 4: Mix your ingredients to make a soft peanut butter cookie dough.
Step 5: Use a cookie scoop to drop even balls of cookie dough onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Use a fork to press down the cookie balls as shown in the photo. Two presses of the fork are enough, one in each direction to make tic tac toe looking indents.
Step 6: Bake at 350º F for 10 minutes. Remove and slide the parchment paper onto a cooling rack.
Tips and Recipe FAQ:
You can easily make this recipe dairy-free by using vegan butter.
You can make this recipe vegan by using dairy-free butter and using an egg replacer like Bob's Red Mill GF Egg Replacer in place of the eggs.
You can use SunButter instead of peanut butter to make these nut free.
I always make double batches and freeze the cookies. Allow your cookies to cool completely. 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.
These cookies will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
More yummy gluten free cookies:
- Gluten Free Butter Cookies
- Delicious Gluten Free Pecan Cookies
- Gluten Free Brookies
- Gluten Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave me a rating and a comment. I LOVE hearing from you!! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest to see even more delicious recipes!
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 13 tablespoons butter
- 1 ¼ cup peanut butter
- 2 eggs large
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup chopped peanuts optional see note
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients and whisk to blend.
- In a microwave-safe dish, melt the butter. Add the peanut butter and the hot butter will soften the peanut butter. Add the eggs and vanilla. *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 into the rest of the wet ingredients and mix.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add the mix-ins, and mix well.
- 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.
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF and Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours. If the brand you use is high starch, you may need to use less flour.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter.
- To make this recipe nut-free, use SunButter spread instead of peanut butter.
- I recommend using no salt added peanut butter.
- These cookies will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
- Chocolate chips
- Pecans
- White chocolate chips
- Heath Bar Crunch Bits
- Chocolate chunks
Nutrition
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Tracy Low
Thank you so much for including dairy free options with your recipes! The combination of gluten and dairy free can be very challenging.
Sandi Gaertner
You are very welcome Tracy!
sommer
I love a good peanut butter cookie and the fact that this is gluten free makes this recipe that much better!
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad, thank you Sommer 🙂
Gina
These cookies were so delicious! I will definitely be making these again and sharing w my gf friends!
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you enjoyed them Gina. Thank you!
Jenn
These are exactly what I've been craving lately! So easy to make and I have all the ingredients on hand! Thank you!
Sandi Gaertner
Awsome!! Enjoy 🙂