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.
Recipe At A Glance:
My husband and son are die-hard peanut butter fanatics. They eat it with a spoonful by the jar. If I need peanut butter for a recipe, I must put a don’t eat sign on the lid. Even then, they often slip up and eat my peanut butter!
If you are a cookie lover like me, you will want to check out ALL of my Gluten Free Cookie Recipes :-).
Why Make These Cookies:
- Not only is my gluten free peanut butter cookie recipe easy to make with just a few simple ingredients.
- These cookies freeze well, so you can have delicious cookies on hand anytime.
- I include a dairy-free option and an egg-free option.
While you bake them, try these Gluten Free Chocolate Espresso Cookies and these Gluten Free Russian Tea Cookies as well!
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!”
Janine M., Blog comment
This is one of my favorite gluten-free flour blends for cookies, cakes, pie crust, biscuits, and muffins! (Do not use this flour blend for yeast recipes.)
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 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. A binder is essential because it holds the baked treat together. If you are gum-free, see the Substitutions section below for a gum-free option.
- Brown Sugar and Cane Sugar
- Baking Powder and Salt – Use aluminum-free baking powder.
- Unsalted Butter – To make these yummy cookie recipes dairy-free, see my Substitutes section below.
- Peanut Butter – I used creamy unsalted peanut butter. Check to be sure your peanut butter is gluten free.
- Eggs – Use size large.
- Peanuts – To add crunch, I added chopped peanuts to the cookies. You can use crunchy peanut butter to do the same thing, adding crunch.
- Vanilla Extract
Substitutions:
- To make this recipe dairy-free, use plant-based butter.
- To make this recipe gum-free, use my DIY Gluten Free Flour Blend. It uses psyllium husk instead of xanthan or guar gum.
How To Make Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies:
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.
I recommend using the spoon or leveling method to measure your gluten-free flour. In a perfect world, people weigh their flour, but most do not own a kitchen scale.
Put the measuring scoop into the flour and fill. Do not pack the flour. Use a knife to scrape along the top to remove the extra flour. Use a spoon to fill the measuring cup. Use a knife to level along the top to remove the excess flour.
Step 2: Add your wet ingredients to a microwave-safe dish. Melt the butter, but not too hot. Remove the container from the microwave and add the peanut butter. This will help soften the peanut butter, making it easier to mix in.
🔑 Sandi says: We refrigerate our peanut butter so it won’t mix in without softening! Add the eggs and vanilla next. The peanut butter will also cool the mixture down before adding the eggs.
NOTE: If your butter/peanut butter mixture is very hot, 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
Step 6: Bake at 350º F for 10 minutes. Remove and slide the parchment paper with the cookies onto a cooling rack.
Cookie Baking Tips:
- Try to measure correctly. If you add in too much gluten free flour or other ingredients, it can mess with 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 the shape of them. 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 up to 5 minutes on the baking sheet. The pan will still be hot and continue baking them otherwise.
I also have a helpful Gluten Free Cookie Troubleshooting Guide to read if you want extra guidance.
Recipe FAQ:
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 this 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 fresh for up to 4 days in an airtight container or up to 4 months in the freezer.
More Yummy Gluten Free Cookie Recipes:
- Gluten Free Butter Cookies
- Delicious Gluten Free Pecan Cookies
- Gluten Free Brookies
- Gluten Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie sheet
- Cookie scoop
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
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition 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.
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 🙂
These cookies were so delicious! I will definitely be making these again and sharing w my gf friends!
I am so glad you enjoyed them Gina. Thank you!
These are exactly what I’ve been craving lately! So easy to make and I have all the ingredients on hand! Thank you!
Awsome!! Enjoy 🙂