Soft and Puffy Peanut Butter Coconut Oil Cookies – They’re made with coconut oil, which smells stronger than it tastes, and although you can ‘taste it’, it’s much milder and more subtle than coconut flakes. The peanut butter flavor really shines through.
I could not get the last cookies I made with coconut oil out of my mind. They were some of the best cookies I’ve ever had.
But they didn’t include peanut butter. So I changed that.
I have been in love with baking with coconut oil. I won’t go into my full diatribe again about how it doesn’t make your baked goods taste like tanning oil. It makes food taste tropical vacation-scented, but not like you’re eating a straight up bottle of Hawaiian Tropic. The smell of coconut oil is stronger than the actual flavor it imparts, which is present but not overwhelming.
The flavor of peanut butter definitely dominates these cookies, which is what I was hoping for. The previous coconut oil cookies have been very different; namely White Chocolate and Brown Sugar-Molasses. It was time to pair my beloved peanut butter with coconut oil. The result is a soft, puffy, and very lightweight peanut butter cookie with hints of coconut in the background.
Looking at them, you’d think they were heavy bricks because they’re made with peanut butter and coconut oil, neither of which are exactly lightweight. But a secret ingredient keeps them deceptively soft, light, and almost airy. If they were any airier they’d be cakey, but thank goodness they’re not. I only want cakes to taste cakey, never cookies or brownies.
Make the cookies by combining peanut butter, coconut oil, light brown sugar, an egg, vanilla, and cream until very light and fluffy, about five minutes. It’s important to use coconut oil that’s softened to the consistency of softened butter. The same consistency you’d use for creaming butter, sugars, and eggs in traditional cookies.
If your coconut oil is rock hard, microwave it in a small bowl for five or ten seconds, or just until it begins to soften. Conversely, if it’s runny or melted, place it in the freezer momentarily until it firms up. A tiny amount of runniness is fine; it’s an oil and that happens. But do not use melted or purely liquid coconut oil because you can’t effectively cream a liquid; it would be like trying to cream liquid butter. Doesn’t work.
I used light brown sugar, which is less robust than dark brown sugar, used here. Either will work but I didn’t want molasses-laden dark brown sugar to compete with the peanut butter, so chose light brown. I used 1 tablespoon of vanilla, because I love it and this dough is bold and can stand up to it, but if you prefer less, add to taste. I used Homemade Vanilla Extract, full of vanilla bean flecks and specks.
Please don’t write to tell me that brown sugar is white sugar with molasses added. I’ve been told that about 500 times. I am making a taste claim about dark brown sugar, not a health claim. You cannot get the flavor from white sugar that brown sugar lends.
I always use creamy peanut butter for baking, and always storebought, never Homemade Peanut Butter. Homemade is thinner and doesn’t have the same structural integrity as good old-fashioned Jif, Skippy or Peter Pan. Baking with natural peanut butter is a recipe for flat-as-pancake cookies that spread like crazy and I don’t recommend it.
Add the flour, corn starch, baking soda, salt, and mix to just incorporate. Cornstarch is the secret ingredient that keeps the cookies so soft and light. I used it in Soft Batch Dark Brown Sugar Coconut Oil Cookies and in my favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies. It does the job of both softening and tenderizing dough, and cookies made with it bake up extremely soft. If you’ve ever made Pudding Cookies and love how they always turn out super soft, it’s because one of the first ingredients in pudding mix is ‘modified food starches’, code for cornstarch.
The same is true of cake mix cookies, like Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies or Mounds Bar Chocolate Coconut Cake Mix Cookies. The cornstarch in both pudding and cake mix helps cookies stay soft, light, and fluffy.
In the past it’s always done a great job of making my cookies soft, but between the coconut oil and peanut butter, these cookies are the lightest, puffiest, and fluffiest of all.
For many cookies, I use a combination of bread and all-prose flour in cookies, but for these, I used all-purpose because cookies made with it are softer and I was going for Keebler Soft Batch-style softness. When adding the flour, start with 1 cup. If your dough seems quite wet, sloppy, or isn’t combining, add up to another one-quarter cup, for a total of 1 1/4 cups. The more flour added, the more prone these cookies will be to getting cakey. I don’t like cakey cookies and would rather my dough be a little on the loose side than dry, so that the cookies bake up chewy and not cakey.
Because brands of coconut oil vary, as well as moisture content in brown sugar, coupled with different climates and personal taste preferences, add the flour as needed. The dough shouldn’t be sticky or tacky, a little loose and oily is preferred to dry and crumbly. It should have a Play-Doh like consistency, and if pinched and squished, it’ll stick together and to itself, but not to your hands. Like Play-Doh, you can just push any tiny dough pebbles in the bottom of the mixing bowl onto the master dough ball and they will stick.
I used my medium 2-inch cookie scoop and made 18 mounds, about two heaping tablespoons of dough each. I didn’t flatten them, shape them, or touch them in any way. I let the tops stay ‘feathered’, which is the impression the wire-release mechanism on the cookie scoop makes.
Place the dough mounds on a large plate, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 5 days before baking. The dough is too warm, limp, soft and is unsuitable for baking until it’s been chilled. If you bake with warm, soft, dough your cookies will spread. However, of all the coconut oil-based cookies I’ve made, these spread the least and stayed very puffy and flattening the dough mounds just slightly before chilling the dough is recommended. After chilling and the coconut oil solidifies, shaping the dough is much more challenging.
Bake the cookies at 350F for 8 to 9 minutes, and if you like really gooey, super soft cookies, or your dough wasn’t extremely cold, these could be 7-minute cookies. My dough was rock hard coming out of the refrigerator after two days chilling, and I allowed it to sit on baking sheets at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. I baked for 8 minutes, rotating trays midway through.
Pull them from the oven when the tops are just barely set. They’ll be glossy, pale, and appear underdone, but they firm up as they cool. Baking any longer than 9 minutes and you run the risk of the bottoms browning too much and as the days pass, they’ll be prone to drying out and turning cakey. Everyone’s ingredients, oven, climate, and personal preferences are different, but they taste best when they’re not overbaked.
The edges and bottoms are chewy with soft and lightweight interiors. It’s paradoxical that two heavy ingredients like coconut oil and peanut butter produced such puffy softies, but it’s true. When I handed these to the family and they tried them, I was met with looks of confusion. They were expecting really heavy cookies, and instead bit into these lightweights. Scott loves lighter cookies whereas I’m a dense slab girl, so he especially liked these.
There’s no white sugar and no butter used, so the intensity of the peanut butter flavor really shines. If you don’t like coconut, I’d still try them anyway. They’re definitely peanut butter cookies, with hints of coconut in the background. But if you’re dead-set against it, make these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies (GF), still my favorite peanut butter-based cookie.
Pairing my beloved peanut butter with coconut oil was one of those things I just had to try.
And I’m so glad I did.
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Soft and Puffy Peanut Butter Coconut Oil Cookies
There's no butter and no white sugar used in these soft, puffy, and very peanut buttery cookies. They're made with coconut oil, which smells stronger than it tastes, and although you can 'taste it', it's much milder and more subtle than coconut flakes. The peanut butter flavor really shines through. If you've never tried baking with coconut oil and replacing it one-for-one with butter in cookies, these cookies are a great place to start. A bit of cornstarch is the secret ingredient that helps the cookies bake up soft, light, slightly chewy, and very thick and puffy.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (use Jif, Skippy, Peter Pan or similar; not natural and not homemade peanut butter)
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, softened (softened to the consistency of soft butter; not rock hard and not runny or melted, see below)
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (yes tablespoon, not teaspoon), or to taste
- 1 cups all-purpose flour (see below)
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
Instructions
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine peanut butter, coconut oil, egg, sugar and beat on medium-high speed to cream until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Note - Coconut oil should be the consistency of soft butter like you'd use to cream with sugar and eggs in traditional cookies. If coconut oil is rock hard, microwave it in a small bowl for 5 to 10 seconds or just until it begins to soften. If coconut oil is runny or melted, place it in the freezer momentarily until it firms up. A tiny amount of runniness is fine; it's an oil and that happens. But do not use melted or purely liquid coconut oil because you can't effectively cream a liquid; it would be like trying to cream liquid butter.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the vanilla and beat to incorporate, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup flour, corn starch, baking soda, optional salt, and mix until just combined, about 1 minute. If your dough seems quite wet, sloppy, or isn’t combining, add up to another one-quarter cup flour, one tablespoon at a time, for a total of 1 1/4 cups. The dough shouldn’t be sticky or tacky, and a little loose and oily is preferred to dry and crumbly. It should have a Play-Doh like consistency, and if pinched and squished, it’ll stick together and to itself, but not to your hands. Over-flouring the dough will cause the cookies to be prone to cakiness and dryness.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, form mounds that are 2 heaping tablespoons in size; or divide dough into approximately 18 equal-sized pieces. Place dough mounds on a large plate, and slightly flatten each mound. Get the dough mounds in the exact shape you want to bake them in because after chilling, flattening or re-shaping the dough is difficult. Cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours; up to 5 days. Do not bake these cookies with dough that has not been properly chilled because they will spread.
- Preheat oven to 350°F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat, parchment, or spray with cooking spray. Place dough on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart; I bake a maximum of 8 per sheet. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes, or until tops have just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center. They firm up as they cool and I recommend the lower end of the baking range. The cookies in the photos were baked with dough that had been chilled for 2 days, left at room temp for 30 minutes to warm up slightly, then baked for 8 minutes, with trays rotated once at the 4-minute mark.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes before moving. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Alternatively, unbaked dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
- Adapted from Soft Batch Dark Brown Sugar Coconut Oil Cookies
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
18Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 188Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 157mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 11gProtein: 3g
Related Recipes:
Soft Batch Dark Brown Sugar Coconut Oil Cookies – After making these cookies that are richly flavored with dark brown sugar and hints of molasses, I fell in love with coconut oil once again and it inspired today’s recipe
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Could you use a flax seed “egg” in lieu of the egg?
I haven’t ever used a flax egg and not sure if it would work or not here.
I just wanted to let you know that this is definitely now my go-to peanut butter cookie recipe. They are SO good! I’m usually not patient enough to wait for refrigerating dough, but these are totally worth it. Although, I must admit, most times I put them in the freezer instead to speed things up, and they still come out perfect. Thank you for a great recipe!!
Thanks for LMK that this is your go-to peanut butter cookie recipe! I haven’t made these in awhile and you’re reminding me that I should! I love the coconut oil in them!
Just made this cookies today and mine came out pretty good. They are a tiny crumbly but not to the point they fall apart when I pick them up. However while I was cooking them I noticed they didn’t really spread from the ball shape I made them into. I had to go in with a spatula and flatten them. They also taste a bit dry, but the middle is a little doughy. Tastes great, just wondering if I could cook it any better? Perhaps less flour? I used about a cup of flour!
If they were a bit crumbly, using a bit less flour next time, and/or slightly more oil will combat that. All ingredients, climates, etc. vary and with baking it’s not always an ‘exact science’ and you need to a experiment a bit given all the variables. Sounds like overall a very easy fix!
How should I make this gf? I really want a soft pb cookie that’s gf
I would try with a GF flour replacer that’s a 1:1 replacement for regular AP flour. Haven’t tried so can’t speak to the results.
Or just make these, they’re naturally GF! https://www.averiecooks.com/the-best-flourless-peanut-butter-cookies/
As I beat in the vanilla the batter totally separated into an oily mess. The coconut oil was soft not runny when I started and even after mixing in the flour it’s a lake of oil. I’ve refrigerated it but will that salvage it? Maybe this is a cookie that can’t be made on a warm day? Of course I did a double batch and it looks like it’s trash worthy
Coconut oil, as well as peanut butter brands and depending on how oily they are, as well as temperature and all the nuances of baking can make it tricky to exactly tell what will happen when, or why things happened as they did since I wasn’t there with you. Hopefully the fridge helped it and also sometimes some recipes don’t do well as double batches; this may be one of them. I haven’t tried it so can’t say for sure either way. Thanks for giving it a try.
Unfortunately refrigerating didn’t help. I could not get the oil reincorporated. I baked the cookies anyways but they weren’t edible. I’ll try another coconut oil recipe in the future but for now I’ll stick with butter cookies since I know they will turn out.
It could have been the double batch. Honestly not all recipes double well, and this sounds like it was one of them. And/or the coconut oil used; just a lot of variables. Thanks for trying the recipe.
Is the corn starch a necessity? Can I use anything in its place? That’s the one ingredient I don’t have at home with twin toddlers who are finally sleeping! :(
It’s not an essential in terms of if the cookies will rise, bake properly, etc. But it helps provide the extra softness that I love in them.
I baked the peanut butter coconut oil cookies today and they came out perfect! My son is in peanut butter cookie heaven. Thanks for this grand recipe!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
Very nice recipe!! Glad I found it. Because I was short on two tablespoon peanut butter I supplemented for the first thing I saw in my fridge: 2 tbsp condensed milk. Yummie they were good. Extremely soft and puffy. I refrigerated for 1.5 hour and didn’t let them come back to room temp. Thanks!!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
Loving the recipe! Right now dough is being refrigerated, I’m wondering If I need to warm the cookies for 30 mins on room temp before baking? keeping in mind the chilling time is only going to be around 2 hours! I hope you get a chance to reply soon. Thank you so much!
Bake them from the fridge to the oven. Or on the counter only as long as it takes the oven to preheat. If you left them sit at room temp for 30 mins before baking, that nearly defeats the purpose of chilling the dough! Hope you enjoy them!
I dont like peanut butter cookies. Most of my buddies dont like peanut butter cookies. I dont think ive eaten a bakers dozen in my 65 years. Suntan lotion, no butter,
And an hour to decide if its worth ingredients to make a stinky cookie! I love peanut butter coconut oil cookies. All my friends love PB/ COCONUT OIL COOKIES. I bake many confections for my farmers
Retirement bakery business. Thank you for this cookie i love to make. I learned valuble life lessons as well.
You ROCK AVERIE…..BILL SCHREADER
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it’s become a staple – even for someone who has never liked PB cookies in all their 65 years! I love that your friends like them and that you’re baking for your retirement bakery business AND that this cookie has taught you a few life lessons…wow, such an awesome comment to ready and thanks for sharing this story! Have a great weekend and if you ever make any of my other recipes, please let me know! Take care!
I substituted 1/2 cup honey for the brown sugar (which is usually just white sugar with molasses added see:ingredients #savingourkids, julie is right) and all natural powdered peanut butter(PB2 with water) and added some ground ginger and cinnamon for a shmorgusborg of delishous healthy goodness.
soo…. calling shenanigans on that claim Averie.
Thanks for the recipe, these cookies are amazing!!!
Oh ya these are excellent! Followed your recipe but then added white chips and caramel bits, definitely a keeper. Thank you!
Love the add-ins you went with! Glad they’re a keeper for you!
Mine came out really crumbly :( they wouldn’t hold together, even after adding another egg. Could it have been the peanut butter? It was Costcos Orgainc creamy peanut butter, I thought it would work because it isn’t super runny.
I don’t use ‘organic’ PB…I use old school Jif or generic storebrand stuff. Honestly, that old-fashioned PB really does work the best for baking in my experience. If yours were dry, add a dollop more PB, a little less flour, or a little extra drizzle of oil to get the dough moist and to come together and you’ll be all set next time.
Hi Averie. I have just mixed the dough for these cookies. My coconut oil was just nicely scoopable to measure. As, I was beating the oil, pb, egg and brown sugar for 5 min., it went from creamy to separated looking. I added the other ingred. and started scooping into balls. But, they are totally smooth and quite oily looking. I have mixed them back together with a fork and put the bowl of dough in the refrigerator. I’m hoping the oil needs to firm up a bit so I can have those nice feathered cookies like last weeks molasses ones I made. The dough taste great so I know these cookies will be too. I think I will be trying all your cookies before I’m done. Thank God for Pinterest! Happy baking to you.
Doesn’t processed peanut butter have a high sugar content? I am confused. They look so good.
This is exactly what I was thinking! JIF, Peter Pan, and Skippy creamy peanut butter all have about 1 gram of added sugar in each tablespoon. So there are probably about 12 grams of sugar in this recipe disguised in the peanut butter.
These are my new favorite! I make them at least twice a month, thank you so much for the recipe.
So happy to hear you make them often & they’re your new favorite! That’s great :)
Can I use honey or agave syrup in substitution for brown sugar?
No use cannot sub with liquid sweeteners for a powdery/solid one. The dough will be far too runny.
My cookies didn’t have the pretty texture as in your photos – they were smooth – would the extra 1/4 cup I flour helped with this?
I used a cookie scoop and let it ‘flick’ the dough off and didn’t handle it from that point. If you touch it and smooth it out, well, it will be smoother. And no, don’t add flour; that would just make them crumbly!
These look delicious but you can’t advertise no white sugar when the recipe still calls for brown sugar! The come from the same source….no sugar generally means the recipe is sweetened with applesauce, honey, etc.
Apple sauce and honey absolutely contain sugar…
They don’t contain cane sugar, which brown sugar does. It’s just white sugar with molasses mixed in.
These look awesome and I need to see if I can make them over with low carb ingredients! I agree about the natural PBs though, I use Skippy because it bakes way better!
Something about the storebought PB’s for baking, the results are just so smooth and wonderful :)
I like your style girlfriend! “Don’t tell me that brown sugar is just white sugar with molasses added..”
These look amazing! Does anyone think you could substitute almond butter for peanut butter? My daughter has a severe allergy and I don’t like her to miss out all all the treats.
Maybe Sunbutter? It’s very smooth like Jiff/Skippy/Peter Pan but is peanut free! I’ve only seen it in health food/organic food stores. It’s made with sunflower seeds and is pretty darn tasty!
http://www.sunbutter.com/
These look wonderful! Have you tried them with gluten free flour and if so, what have you used? Do to Celiacs I have to use gluten free products and was just wondering if this would change them a lot.
Thanks-
I would just use your fave GF baking blend & hope for the best. You don’t know til you try!
Wow, these look amazing. Great texture and gorgeous photos. Great job! I’ll definitely try this recipe soon.
Mine don’t have the consistency of an actual cookie…
How would you replace the egg in this recipe.
I don’t know b/c I haven’t tried. You could try vegan egg replacers, a chia or flax egg, or any way you typically bake egg-free if that something you’re already familiar with.
I made these last week and everyone loved them so much I am firming up my coconut oil right now! I used Jif natural peanut butter and had no problems… I also used half coconut flour and half regular just to boost the health a little! It def added coconut flavor to the peanut butter cookie but surprisingly, it works! I also added a packet of ground flax seed when my batter was a little bit loose at the end instead of adding more flour.
So thankful for the recipe! It’s certainly addicting!
Thanks for trying the recipe and sounds like you made lots of little tweaks that all came together for you. I don’t ever call for coconut flour in cookies b/c almost no one uses is (people are just barely coming around to using coconut oil) but coconut flour is great stuff. Like a sponge though :) Your cookies sound delish!
Just took these out of the oven! The texture is incredible – I love that they are so lightweight and just melt in your mouth. Great recipe!
Thanks for trying them and I agree – the texture is lightweight and they just melt in your mouth! Perfect way to say it! Glad you’re enjoying :)
can you use natural almond butter in place of peanut butter?
I suspect that will not work. First, I never advocate using natural/homemade nut butters in baked recipes since they are prone to spreading. And secondly, AB is thinner than PB to begin with. So I don’t think you’d have much luck.
These were so good! Thanks for the recipe. I wish I would have read this closer because I was bummed I had to wait for them to cool in the fridge before I could bake them. They were great! Will be making them again sometime.
With ANY cookie dough, not just this one, you will ALWAYS get better results if you chill and/or let it age for at least a day (or 4-5 days). If you’re in a rush, you can always bake at your own risk with unchilled dough – it’s just that with coconut oil, I fear the cookies will spread into thin puddles without chilled dough, but I could be wrong!
Glad you enjoyed them & thanks for LMK you tried the recipe!
Do you think these could be made with honey or maple syrup instead of the brown sugar? My mom is actually having to do some allergy testing and is avoiding sugar, but the rest of this recipe would be perfect!
1. honey and maple syrup are still sugar!! It’s just in another form but it’s still sugar; your body still treats them as sugar! The only way to make these sugar-free would be to truly use an artificial sweetener or stevia, which I am not a fan of for cookies. Agave, honey, maple syrup, it’s all glucose. Sugar is sugar is sugar.
2. you will NOT have the same result swapping out a dry sugar like brown sugar for a wet one like honey or maple. The recipe will not work.
I figured that with the wet vs. dry. Just wondered if you’ve had that question before or tested it (adding more flour, etc). My mom’s actually just allergic to cane sugar – kind of the worst allergy in the world! So she can have honey/maple syrup/agave.
What a horrible allergy to have – wow! Well maybe you could replace the brown sugar for maple sugar. I haven’t done it, but it may work and the flavor would be excellent. Or I know there’s coconut sugar – something I have never worked with but I would try to use another dry sweetener; or some of the stevia-based baking blends that you can replace 1:1 as sugar. If you try anything, LMK!
I adapted this recipe into Chewy Peanut Butter-Nutella Swirl Cookies and they were TO DIE!! Thanks so much for this recipe! I’ve made several of your cookies, & they are always spot on!!
http://www.thebrasshalo.com/chewy-peanut-butter-nutella-swirl-cookies/
Thanks for LMK you tried & adpated this recipe as well as others. I just checked them out and commented on your site – they’re gorgeous! Like, I wouldn’t be able to resist them! Thanks for taking such beautiful photos and really bringing them to life and doing them justice! Gorgeous!
I feel like a soft, puffy cookie is everything I want out of life at this moment haha:)) can’t wait to try these!!!! Also I am SOOO excited about your cookbook!! Is there a better topic than peanut butter?!
Thanks for the excitement! And while I do like these cookies, my fave soft PB cookies on my blog are these https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/01/peanut-butter-chocolate-chunk-cookies.html and these are also very good https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/03/soft-and-puffy-peanut-butter-coconut-oil-cookies.html and my other faves are in my cookbook!
I was wondering what is the carb count on these cookies?
I don’t count but feel free to plug the #’s into an online calculator site.
Where can I buy coconut oil? Cookies all sound wonderful but I’ve never heard of coconut oil.
Many regular grocery stores sell it now in the baking aisle, near the other oils. Trader Joe’s sells it as does Whole Foods or go online and google it.
They all look so good. Can you help me with a recipe for a all purpose gluten free flour replacement. I can not use wheat or rice flours. I have a very hard time finding a mix that doesn’t use the rice flour. Do you know want other alternative flour I can put together to make an all purpose baking mix .? Please HELP
I can’t give you specifics since only you know what will work and what won’t work. I suggest going on the Bob’s Red Mill website http://www.bobsredmill.com or the Hodgson Mills http://www.hodgsonmill.com/ and poking around and finding a flour that works for you.
Thanks for inspiring me to use coconut oil in baking! I’ve always wanted to try, but haven’t gotten around to it. I’m planning on trying out this recipe this afternoon, however I’ll use organic evaporated cane juice (Florida crystals brand) instead of brown sugar. Brown sugar, both light and dark are processed the same way as granulated white sugar. The molasses that is extracted during the refinement process is then added back into white sugar to give it color, making it MORE processed. You would think the opposite! Also, I’m a fan of a flatter cookie, so I might up the baking soda a bit to increase the amount the cookies spread. I’ll let you know how they turn out!
“I’m a fan of a flatter cookie, so I might up the baking soda a bit to increase the amount the cookies spread” <-- in my experience, adding more baking powder and/or baking soda will only increase the amount of domed structure, height and lift a cookie has. If I wanted a flatter cookie, I'd use less but do whatever you think works.
Wow, I loved the idea of soft coconut oil peanut butter cookies, now I have to try this one. thanks for the recipe.
These bars look tasty, I wish I had a pan full of these right now! I think I have all the ingredients so these are on my short list.
Are you kidding me with this?! I just made these and they are UH-mazing! Coconut oil and peanut butter…two things I love! Thanks Averie!
YAY!! I am so glad to hear you made these already and that you loved them! If you’re a coconut fan and a PB fan, it’s hard to go wrong on these. So now that you’ve made the molasses/dark brown sugar ones and these, could you pick a favorite? For me, I lean towards those; but it’s highly mood dependent. I go back and forth….haha!
I am obsessed with coconut oil and was just thinking I need to give it a try in pb cookies! These looks so puffy and perfect! Seriously! LOVE!
You’re going to LOVE the results, Kristy!
Averie, these cookies are soooooo pretty! I love the gorgeous rounded tops, and they look so soft and gooey on the inside! I also really love coconut oil–in baking, in stir fry, in pretty much anything! I’ve loved all the coconut oil cookies recently!
You would love these then if you already love coconut oil!
oooo…another good reminder to get my coconut oil and use in the kitchen…gosh the sound of these with peanut butter sounds soo good….like really good…i wish it wasn’t my bedtime or i would whip these up right now…or maybe i should since they need to chill…can’t wait to try :-)
it’s your bedtime at 6:22pm? You must be in another timezone than me…lol! My bedtime is like 8+ hrs away. So much work to do before then! And yes, start the cookies now, the dough comes together in like 5 mins. Form into balls. Chill…for as many day(s) as you want! That’s what I would do but get your sleep if you need to!
Oh my those look crazy good! I am on a huge pb kick lately. I love how these look like they barely spread and are perfectly underbaked in the middle. I tried using bread flour in cookies for the first time the other day and loved the results. Now I’ll have to try cornstarch.
These particular cookies held their shape especially well, spreading almost none. Less flour than I usually use, and same amt of baking soda, and they still stayed virtually 100% spread-free! If you like bread flour, wait til you work in a little cornstarch. It’s like uber chewy meets super soft, all in one!
These look AMAZING and it makes so much sense that the coconut oil should be soft-not hard or liquid!!
I’ve tried years ago with melted coconut oil and never quite get the right consistency. I know it can work, I just haven’t mastered it :) Same with melted butter though – I always get better results with cookies when I cream butter rather than use it melted.
These cookies look like happy mounds of freshly-scooped cookie dough! (Not heavy-looking at all!) And you’re forcing me to finally get on the ball when it comes to coconut oil, thanks. :D
You’re going to LOVE LOVE love it!
You are such an inspiration Averie! Love your pics and all the recipes. :)
Thanks – you’re so sweet :)
I really need to try baking with coconut oil…. I bought a jar some time ago but it’s just been sitting in my pantry! And these cookie recipes look so good!
I was like you; for years have not really baked with it much and it just lingered or I’d use a tiny bit here and there for roasting things or as a moisturizer. Til recently. I’m full force now with baking with it!
I can’t wait to make these cookies. They sound amazing. I’m a little afraid to make them, as I’m sure I’ll eat them all!
Is impressed by the always delicious cookie recipes.
I love cookies.
I was successful diet.
I want to eat your cookies, however.
Coconut oil is the best. In cooking, baking and as a moisturizer. These look perfect!
You convinced me that I need these cookies in my life. The center looks so soft and inviting. Yum!
Excellent Article! I Love cooking with coconut oil. It gives natural flavor, softness and taste to the items. Baking Cookies with coconut oil is always amazing. Coconut oil is always good for health & has many health benefits.
I love baking with coconut oil. The outcome is always so soft and delicious.
I eat coconut oil so often that I barely notice it anymore! But I know these cookies would be amazing either way…
Still needing to get coconut oil for those molasses cookies… But i just wanted to let you know that I love your detailed descriptions. They really sell me!
Thanks – it’s time consuming but in the end, worth it b/c it helps people!
I loveeeee coconut oil, especially in cookies! I’ve never made a PB cookie with it though, which needs to be remedied ASAP. These sound phenom!
I’m still thinking about your PB! I just finished a big jar of white choc PB and have a PB post going out Thurs…til then, yours is on my brain :)
That’s so funny – when I made the other cookies with coconut oil, I almost used some of the PB flour I have, just out of curiosity, but I wasn’t sure if the pb flavor would go well with the coconut oil. Now I know, and now I have to try it! I have been using coconut oil almost exclusively since you convinced me. The cookies I posted today use it! And I just made more yesterday that did too.
And yes. I have been adding modififed food starch to cookies for the last year or so. They are so much fluffier without being cakey at all.
ohhh sounds good to me!
i hate gooey cc cookies but LOVE gooey pb cookies. weird I know.
I am so curious about baking with coconut oil. I have never tried it and now I must! These cookies look great Averie.
I just made a batch of peanut butter granola the other night and used coconut oil in the recipe, which meant I melted the PB + coconut oil together in the process. I licked the spoon of the leftover melted mixture and immediately thought, “I need to make coconut oil cookies with peanut butter!” It seems like an odd combination but I’m glad you’re on board already. :) These cookies do look very puffy, I would think the cornstarch works some magic in that!
And Tropical Traditions makes a coconut oil-peanut butter. Seems a bit silly to pay for, when you can recreate your own so easily but yeah, I got tuned into the combo years ago but never baked with it. Silly me!
These cookies sound fabulous. Do you know the “number” on your cookie scoop? It should be imprinted on the little sweeper arm thingy inside the scoop.
I bought the scoop at Williams-Sonoma and it’s European (Italian) and they don’t go by our numbering system and there is no number inside (just checked for you). This is the scoop http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0023W6TBM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0023W6TBM&linkCode=as2&tag=lovvegyogruna-20 I love it. Best scoop I’ve ever used!
Oh my goodness! I am going to make these right now. Haha! I love the use of coconut oil. I think I might try coconut butter in mine. It’s amazing how baked goods don’t end up with a coconut-y flavor even if you use a lot of coconut oil/butter. I love it! Do you mind if I post a version on my blog? I love your site. Thanks so much for the fun recipes!
I’m not sure how coconut butter vs. oil will work and how the dough will change b/c Ive never baked with it. If you want to link back to my post, feel free! Enjoy your cookies :)
Okay so I tried this recipe with a few adaptations of my own. They turned out great!
http://foodfunlife.blogspot.com/2013/03/wholesome-chewy-peanut-butter-cookies.html
Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks for LMK you tried them! They look wonderful!
Hey rollerblading sister! I just had to leave a comment on those peanut butter and chocolate cookies. I am so making them next week, as they are just too tempting and I keep seeing them everywhere. I also want to let you know that I have so much going on that I’m going a bit crazy right now, (Zoe’s birthday and in-laws in town) but I relaxed a bit after reading your blog and you have really made me feel much better. I think we get so caught up with maintaining our own blogs that we can’t always take the time to read through our other favorite blogs. I really love reading all of your posts because you are such a great instructor when it comes to baking, and with each one of your recipes you really explain each step in great detail as to why do you something a certain etc. I can tell that you really enjoy the science behind cooking as well as writing. Thanks for the afternoon distraction girl! Have a great night :) xoxo, Jackie
Hope life calms down for you! And I can relate to everything you just wrote – oh, trust me. With my blog, books, other projects, I find myself skimming blogs that I want to read. And then I say..the rest can wait, and I’ll read my friends posts, word for word :)
I love the combination of peanut butter and coconut, and I don’t use coconut oil nearly enough when I bake. These look perfect!
These look amazing! I love coconut oil! :)
I would love for you to join my Link Up!
http://www.pluckys-secondthought.com/pluckys-link-up-and-blogiversary-celebration-giveaway/
How do you eat all these delicious cookies Averie? SO flipping good!
My family is here to help and we give things away. I’m sure you know what it’s like having wayyyyy too much in the house though!
I am SO excited to try this recipe. I use coconut oil in my carrot cake but have been weary of using it in cookies. Mainly I don’t exactly love the smell of coconut or the taste for that matter but the peanut butter would totally take over. Sometimes my mind smelling or knowing what some sort of food is ruins it for me even though I actually like it! Boo! These cookies look so soft and delicious. I really like really want to give these a go! Beautiful
Oh I definitely eat with my eyes and nose first. I for example cannot stand the smell of garlic. Anything that’s been cooked with it, or near it, I cannot eat. I am mildly allergic to it but even though there are times when garlic isn’t ‘too garlicky’ and is just a nice flavor enhancer, all I smell is that SMELL and I can’t even be around the food. Coconut oil is way better than garlic any day :)
I loved the ‘feathered’ look before and again these cookies look amazing. And now they have peanut butter in them. Awesome!
Peanut butter cookies are my absolute favorite! I love that you used coconut oil when making these :).
These look delicious Averie, I like the idea of cooking with coconut oil, definitely something I’m going to try!
Sweet heavens, I need these cookies in my life immediately!
These look super fabulous! Love the coconut oil in these :)
Hi! Fellow SD blogger here – found your blog through The Seaside Baker and am so happy I did. This recipe looks delicious. I love using coconut oil for cooking but haven’t tried it in my baking… yet. My husband loves peanut butter cookies and these look like the perfect slight twist on the classic. Looking forward to reading more!
Averie – I am always looking for the best cookie recipes. I am almost drooling over here looking at this post. I’ve always wondered about using the jar of coconut oil in cookies and now I’m going to go for it. Love your blog!
Jodi
You’re going to love baking with coconut oil if you’re already used to using it. The results are just so lovely! And your strawberry pancakes…they are perfect! I want them!
Wow! I can’t believe these incredibly decadent looking cookies are vegan! I really have to invest in one of those cookie scoops because I absolutely love the puffed effect you got with these cookies. Fabulous photos. Can’t wait to try.
Well they’re not vegan b/c there is 1 egg used; however it’s a recipe that swapping it out for a flax egg would likely be very easy and do-able. I love your site (found it last night!) and pinned/repinned tons of your stuff. Your photography is also just amazing! :)
Oh lol I was so excited about the coconut oil where butter would normally be used that I completely overlooked the egg. Thank you so much, what a huge compliment! :)
P.S. Every time you post a peanut butter recipe it gets me more pumped for your book! :)
Awww, thank, Marie! And yes, PB cookies and coconut oil – can be realllllly dense. But these turned out light and fluffy!
These looks so great, Averie! Peanut butter cookies can definitely be heavy sometimes, but I love the title description: soft and puffy! Sounds sooo good.
Averie, these cookies look phenomenal! I’m a huge fan of thick cookies…there’s no other way for me. This is the second recipe today that’s called for cornstarch in cookies, which means it’s a sign that I have to try it! I’ve never baked with coconut oil, but it sounds great!
It’s just a nice little trick to keep them soft and light!
These look so crazy good! Yumm! There is nothing better than peanut butter cookies in my book.
After seeing your recent coconut oil cookies, I just knew a peanut butter version would be next! And I like how you touch on the fact that they don’t have an overpowering coconut taste. I have a lot of readers inquire about the taste of coconut oil in granola bars and the like and the answer is always just that – the fragrance is present, but hardly the taste. And baking cookies with natural style or homemade peanut butter hardly ever works for me if I’m looking for a thick cookie. I adore eating it ON foods, but in cookies – it’s a different story. These are just beautiful cookies Averie – love the “fanned” look of them which is turning into your signature style with these and the dark brown sugar batch! And the cornstarch addition – well, I obviously love that. It just has a way of making the cookies so perfectly tall, soft, and a “melting in your mouth” consistency. ;)
You know me so well knowing a PB version was next! The fanned look – yes, I stopped trying to ‘erase’ what my cookie scoop does and just roll with the look! And spelling out the coconut oil effects/taste – yes, if I don’t, I get tons of emails about…well what if I don’t like… So, I try to be as clear as possible upfront :) Homemade PB and baking – trust me when writing my book, I must have said 5 times in 5 diff chapters, DON’T do it!
I find it quite fascinating that cookies with coconut oil don’t loose their shape during baking. They stay looking like you just scooped them out yet they are baked through! Love the PB version! Must try!
Girl, I love you to the moon and back, but you gotta knock it off with these coconut oil cookie recipes! So, quick story: I made your coconut oil white chip cookies and added those roasted coconut chips from Trader Joe’s in the batter. HOLY COCONUT. They were seriously THE. BEST. cookies I have EVER eaten. Period. But sadly, I ate them all before you could even say “photoshoot” so there’s no evidence of them ever existing except along my waistline, haha. Combining that sweet, nutty coconut flavor with peanut butter is simply GENIUS. I hate/love you right now :)
I have almost bought those coconut chips from TJs like 4 times. But I refrain b/c they just look TOO good. Like, gone in a day good. Can you please copy/paste this onto the post comments ” They were seriously THE. BEST. cookies I have EVER eaten. Period.” http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2013/01/coconut-oil-white-chocolate-cookies.html
That is some serious high praise and thank you!!!!!!!!! I want all those doubters out there to know that coconut oil is the bomb! :)
Cornstarch is a new ingredient for me to use in baking. In my family everyone uses potato starch for baking, cooking, and everything else. Coconut oil is also a new ingredient for me, but since I discovered it a few years back, I just love it and use it in both, baking and cooking.
The cornstarch is probably not all that diff in terms of results than potato starch (But I havent side by side tested) but is far more readily available and so that’s the one I use and love the results!
I have a question for you. I love that the cookies contain no butter or white sugar, but I was wondering if I would be able to replace the brown sugar with agave. Typically, I lessen sugar amounts by 1/3 anyways, so I wouldn’t need too much. However, I haven’t actually replaced with agave in my baking because I figured that the consistency would change too much. What do you think?
You really cannot replace a dry ingredient with a wet one (brown sugar with agave) and end up with the same results, especially in cookies. In a pan of bars, much more forgiving. In cookies, it would make the dough far too wet and loose. You could then go back in and possibly play with flour/baking soda ratios; but the aeration of the dough that comes from creaming the coconut oil/sugar/egg would be lost and so have a feeling it’s a bad idea!
Wannnttnntnttntnntnt!
Those cookies almost look like perfect scoops of ice cream! Mmmm…
Didn’t think you could top your original coconut oil cookies, but you just did. I’ve been craving peanut butter even more recently…which basically means I’ve been eating it at every meal. NEED to try these cookies!
I still LOVE LOVE the molasses ones. Dare I say, probably even more than the PB ones, if that’s even possible. However, depending on mood, time of day, etc…both have their place. Really can’t go wrong with any of them! The white choc ones were crazy good too!
Mmmm these cookies look absolutely fantastic!!! Peanut butter cookies are always fantastic but I’ve never tried a cookie made with coconut oil? I’ll have to give it a try!
I don’t know that I’ve ever used cornstarch in baking – maybe a pie filling, but not cookies. These look absolutely perfect!
It gives a softness and lightness to cookies that’s fun to play around with!
I’ve never baked with coconut oil, but I do have a container of it waiting to be used in my pantry. Sometimes I just open it up to smell it :) You make a fantastic looking cookie with only a few ingredients. Good job- less is more!
Thanks for the compliments and I agree, if at all possible, less is more in baking!
Good idea to add peanut butter! This really makes these the best.cookies.ever.
Believe it or not, I will admit this, that the molasses/brown sugar ones are still my favorites. These are amazing & I can’t believe I’m saying it, but the molasses ones are soooo good. However, I love molasses just as much as I love PB…I dunno…it’s a hard call. They’re both the best ever!
I have used coconut oil for years, but mainly for regular cooking and raw desserts. I hadn’t baked cookies with it until making the soft batch dk brown sugar cookies (can’t rave enough about those, btw)! So I am totally sold on using it in cookies–and it does get creamy and fluffy in the mixer just like butter. I would love it in PB cookies too (hello good fats). So many potential variations…and you are coming up with some good ones! I also loved that nice domed shape and the texture on top..I need to pick up one of those cookie scoops.
I love that scoop. I’ve used TONS over the years and this one Ive had for about 8-10 mos. For the first few, I wasn’t sold. But now I love it.
And the cookies – you’ll have to LMK which you like better. I am tempted to say I still like the molasses better…but..I dunno..very, very hard call! And would depend on mood, time of day, etc!
Can I move in with you?? It seems like there’s always cookies lying around in your house! Your family must love it?! I’ve also started using coconut oil more and more for baking recently. I’ve used it for cooking for the last 2 years or so but find that it adds a nice flavor to baked goods. Plus, it’s healthy ;-)
I wish I could sell/ship out some of what I make! Between writing cookbooks and a blog, we have wayyyy more than we need. So I make lots of donations to everyone I can think of :) Glad you’re a fan of coconut oil, too!