The Best Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies — Soft, chewy and they’ll be your new fave PB cookies!! One bowl, no mixer, no butter, naturally gluten-free! Love it when something so easy tastes so amazing!!
No-Flour Peanut Butter Cookies
I have dozens of peanut butter cookie recipes on my blog. In my first cookbook there’s another dozen peanut butter cookies. But you can never have too many peanut butter cookies recipes and these flourless cookies are some of the best.
I couldn’t stop eating the cookies and they’re a spinoff of Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies but made even easier — and dare I say better?
One bowl, no mixer, and just four main ingredients: peanut butter, sugar, egg, vanilla. The previous recipe called for creaming the ingredients using a mixer but all you need is a spoon for these cookies.
What sets this recipe apart from many other peanut butter cookie recipes is that there’s no flour and no butter, making them naturally gluten-free and dairy-free. Since there’s no butter and no flour what you’re left with is a cookie that’s full of bold, robust peanut butter flavor.
These simple peanut butter cookies have a lovely chewiness around the edges and are perfectly soft and tender in the middle. Don’t be tempted to overbake them because they won’t taste nearly as good.
The other nice thing about the recipe is that it doesn’t make too many, just 11 or 12 cookies which for me is a good thing. The more I have around, the more I’m tempted to devour. I’ve always loved flourless peanut butter cookies and I fell in love with the concept, all over again.
What’s in Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies?
To make these peanut butter cookies with no flour , you’ll need:
- Egg
- Creamy peanut butter
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Baking soda
- Salt
Can I Use Natural Peanut Butter?
No, a “traditional” peanut butter like Jif or Skippy is best in this flourless peanut butter cookie recipe. Homemade or natural peanut butters don’t always work in baked goods.
Can I Use Crunchy Peanut Butter?
I personally prefer using creamy peanut butter in my baked goods, but I bet crunchy would work just fine here. If you try this out, leave me a comment letting me know what you thought!
How to Make Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
Never made flourless cookies before? They’re easy!
Here’s how these accidentally gluten-free peanut butter cookies are made:
- Whisk together all of the ingredients.
- Scoop the dough into balls, then chill the dough for 3 hours.
- Once chilled, place the dough balls on a parchment paper-lined baking tray and bake until the edges are set and tops are barely set, even if slightly underbaked and glossy in the center.
Seriously, that’s it!
Can These Cookies Be Frozen?
Yes, both the flourless cookie dough and the baked cookies freeze extremely well. If baking frozen cookie dough, add a minute or two to the total bake time.
Can I Add Mix-Ins to the Dough?
If you wanted to take these PB cookies to the next level, mix in some chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, or chopped nuts. You may add up to 1 cup of mix-ins.
Can I Make This Recipe Sugar-Free?
I’ve only made this recipe as written, so I can’t speak to what sugar substitutes you could use. However, a few readers have reported success using Splenda, but having never tested it myself I don’t know if it will yield the same results.
Can I Use Another Nut Butter?
Most likely, but just keep in mind that natural nut butters only sometimes work for me in baked goods. So use your best judgement and definitely chill the dough still!
Tips for Making the Best Peanut Butter Cookies
If you want to switch up the flavor of these gluten-free peanut butter cookies a little bit, use honey roasted peanut butter instead of regular. Trust me, it’s so good!
Note that you MUST chill the cookie dough before baking it. If you bake with warm dough, the cookies will spread and bake thinner and flatter.
Take the flourless peanut butter cookies out of the oven around the 8-minute mark, even if they still look glossy in the center. They’ll finish setting up as they cool on the baking sheet.
What Readers Are Saying
These no flour peanut butter cookies have been one of the top cookie recipes on my site for years! Here are a few 5-star reviews that readers have left on these flourless peanut butter cookies:
“These are by far the best peanut butter cookies.” — Kelly
“Oh my!! These are the BEST peanut butter cookies ever!! I will literally need a whole jar of peanut butter just for these cookies! They are so delicious and easy to make! Thanks for this recipe!” — Brenda M.
“This recipe is so good. It is better than traditional peanut butter cookies. I found it and my husband baked them at Thanksgiving for our grandson who is sensitive to gluten. The poor child only got one because the grownups loved them so much. We will definitely be making them again!” — Amy F.
“This recipe is so good. It is better than traditional peanut butter cookies. I found it and my husband baked them at Thanksgiving for our grandson who is sensitive to gluten. The poor child only got one because the grownups loved them so much. We will definitely be making them again!” — Emmy S.
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The Best Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
Soft, chewy and they'll be your new fave PB cookies!! One bowl, no mixer, no butter, naturally gluten-free! Love it when something so easy tastes so amazing!!
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup creamy classic-style peanut butter or honey-roasted peanut butter*
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- To a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients and stir to combine using a spoon. It takes some elbow grease and it’s okay for the dough to be slightly granular because the sugar absorbs into the dough over time as the dough chills.
- Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop, form two-tablespoon mounds, place mounds on a large plate, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread and bake thinner and flatter.
- Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet), flatten slightly using a fork to make a criss-cross pattern if desired.
- Bake for 8 minutes, or until edges are set and tops are barely set, even if slightly underbaked and glossy in the center. Cookies firm up as they cool; don’t overbake.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don’t use a rack.
Notes
- *You want to use Jif, Skippy, or similar rather than natural or homemade peanut butter. Sometimes natural versions work fine but not always; classic peanut butter is more trustworthy. I use honey-roasted.
- Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 216Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 266mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 1gSugar: 17gProtein: 6g
More Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes:
My cookbook is all about peanut butter! Peanut Butter Comfort contains 100+ peanut butter recipes!
Soft Peanut Butter Pudding Cookies — These chocolate-dipped peanut butter cookies are SOFT AND CHEWY on the inside thanks to the addition of pudding mix in the cookie dough! Dipping them in dark chocolate makes for the PERFECT flavor combo!!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies – Super soft, chewy, and no flour, no butter, and no white sugar used!
Big Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Crinkle Cookies – Super chewy, packed with PB flavor and just made for breaking apart at the crinkly seams!
Easy 4-Ingredient Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies — Soft, chewy, and made with an ingredient you’d never guess! It works and they’re perfect!!
Reese’s Pieces Soft Peanut Butter Cookies – Peanut butter lovers’ will go nuts for these super soft cookies loaded with Reese’s Pieces and chocolate!
Inside-Of-A-Peanut-Butter-Cup Cookies — Soft cookies that taste like the inside of peanut butter cups thanks to a special ingredient!
Soft and Chewy Triple Peanut Butter Cookies — PB is used 3 different ways in these melt-in-your mouth cookies! Batch size of just 8 cookies when you don’t ‘need’ dozens laying around!
Triple Peanut Butter Cookie Pie — This fast & easy cookie pie has peanut butter worked in 3 different ways!
Lofthouse-Style Soft Peanut Butter Chip Sugar Cookies with Peanut Butter Frosting — Same soft texture as real Lofthouse cookies, but with peanut butter!
Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies — 3 favorite cookies combined into 1 so you don’t have to choose!! Easy, no-mixer recipe, and always a hit!
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Chip Cookies – Super soft, perfectly chewy, BROWNED BUTTER cookies that are LOADED with two kinds of chips!!
Peanut Butter Blossoms— These peanut butter blossoms feature soft and chewy peanut butter cookies topped with a Hershey’s chocolate kiss. A classic Christmas cookie recipe!
Originally published June 5, 2015 and republished July 8, 2022 with updated text.
Serving size 1? Hahaha! Only if the cookie is the size of a dinner plate! I don’t know about anyone else, but I’ve never eaten just 1 cookie.
These are by far the best peanut butter cookies.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad they’re the best ever for you!
Oh my!! These are the BEST peanut butter cookies ever!! I will literally need a whole jar of peanut butter just for these cookies! They are so delicious and easy to make! Thanks for this recipe!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad they’re the BEST peanut butter cookies ever for you!
This recipe is so good. It is better than traditional peanut butter cookies. I found it and my husband baked them at Thanksgiving for our grandson who is sensitive to gluten. The poor child only got one because the grownups loved them so much. We will definitely be making them again!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you like these better than traditional PB cookies and you will make them again!
Just made this recipe tonight, SO delicious and easy; one bowl, no mixer, and to make these even quicker (I’m impatient) rather than chilling the dough in the fridge for 3 hours I simply popped them in the freezer for about 20 minutes while I preheated the oven and they turned out perfectly!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad they turned out so delicious and that the freezer trick worked great for you!
We couldn’t decide between using chunky PB or smooth, so we made both, side by side. The family is evenly divided as to which is better, but we all agree this recipe is fabulous! The chunky ended up a little more chewy, slightly flatter, and slightly sweeter because the batter (which carried the chunks) had a higher egg and sugar to PB ratio. The smooth PB cookies were higher and richer somehow. We all like the somewhat salty character– it sets off the sweet PB flavor nicely. Not even one cookie from two batches saw the sunrise. BTW, we used Skippy. Since I hate washing PB-dirty cups, I did the math and worked out that 1 cup of PB = 256 grams. Easy peasy.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad you did a side by side taste test, and loved both versions!
What if I don’t have baking soda. Is it okay to make without it?
I would say wait until you have it so they work out.
EXACTLY the recipe I was hoping it would be, it gave me precisely the cookies I had in my cravings(which after many different recipes, remained frustratingly elusive)… The use of brown sugar (I use dark btw) and small bit of baking soda are the difference that make these cookies *IMMACULATE*! …. Follow the advice to avoid overbaking and you’ll be rewarded with REALLLLLLY PEANUT BUTTERY, moist, soft, sooooooo-close-to-but-not-quite”chewy”, tender, creamy, melt on your tongue cookies that will find you eating three every time you go out to the kitchen and nobody’s looking.. (Then chasing them with ice cold milk off the jug right in front of the open fridge, because..well.. nobody’s looking, remember?)
Thanks for the five star review and glad you are in love with these cookies and that they’re EXACTLY the recipe you were hoping it would be!
Thank you for this recipe it was great. I love trying new things and I bake for the family that’s what a Nana does. They loved this and thought I worked hard at getting it done. He he I won’t tell.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad everyone loved these!
Hi,
May I know how much is 1 cup of peanut butter? As in how many gram for this recipe?
Not sure since I measure in cups but there are online calculators that will tell you instantly.
Have you ever frozen these cookies after they’ve baked?
Yes; they freeze well, as most cookies do.
Any reason I couldn’t put them in the oven half frozen so they are a little thicker so I can add a Hershey’s Kiss on top fresh from the oven? Any suggestions?
I freeze cookie dough all the time and when I want to bake, I do put it in half-frozen because I normally don’t plan ahead well enough so I think you’d be fine.
I make different cookies for my husband every week, this is one of the best cookies I have ever made that were a perfect combination of crispy and soft and chewy. I pressed a Hershey’s kiss into the middle of each ball of dough before I refrigerated the cookies.
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad it came out great for you! And what a compliment that these are some of the best cookies you’ve ever made, and you bake cookies every week!
I absolutely LOVE these!! Only one thing….they were quite salty, so next time I will cut the amount of salt in half or even more than that…
Glad you loved them! All peanut butters vary in saltiness levels – actually very greatly I’ve found from brand to brand! So perhaps your brand was just saltier than mine. And salt varies in the saltiness of it from brand to brand and type to type (table, kosher, Maldon, etc.), as does personal preference for salt. So scale back as you see fit.
My son cannot have refined sugar. Any suggestions for substitutions, such as coconut palm sugar?
I haven’t tried with any other sugar so can’t speak for sure. Feel free to experiment and see what happens. Good luck!
I’ve used Splenda and it’s great…
I made these cookies earlier today. I let them chill for 3 hours. I used Jif and followed the recipe exactly (mixing in my mixer). I baked these for 8 minutes. They came out … perfectly and are so delicious. A nice crunch on the outside and a gooey explosion of flavor on the inside. My husband and father in law are even impressed. A great recipe to keep!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
So I used natural peanut butter because all other pb usually has soy in it and I bf a baby who is intolerant. I added around 1 teaspoon of cornstarch to these cookies and they turned out thick and gooey, so good!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you with the natural PB and cornstarch!
I have been Making these cookies for years …. They are a definite family favorite! Only I use about 2/3 cup sugar so they are not so sweet, and sometimes add chocolate chips :)
Do you have nutrition information for these cookies? They look great!
No but if you see item #4 here it may help https://www.averiecooks.com/faq
Thanks for the delicious and easy recipe! I subbed in Xylitol to make these sugar-free, which of course changed the texture and required that I double the baking time, but they are still super yummy and gooey. I’m on a low carb diet and these are just the perfect treat!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you even with xylitol! Wow, that is impressive! Good for you for experimenting and figuring out how to increase baking time, etc. so that you can stick with your low carb diet!
wow these look so yummy! Can’t wait to try them out! :)
HOORAY for extra pb delishness!
They sure do look like the best!! They look chewy and fudgy which is the best way for cookies to be!
They are sooooo good that I eat the whole batch myself in 2 days :) No shame.
These look great! I like it. Thank you.
These look great! I am going to experiment, though, and try it w/ natural. I just don’t want all the hydrogenated oils in my cookies :) I’ll post what the results are!
Like I said in the recipe and if you read the comments on the post I linked that these are a spinoff of, *sometimes* natural works. Other times it’s a complete runny flop. You just never know and I would have to recommend something and then have a person writing in screaming at me that they wasted their time and ingredients, etc…so I always cover myself!
Flourless makes them healthy right?? That’s what I’ll tell myself, so I can eat more of them :)!
Totally!! This batch only makes 11-12 cookies and I eat the whole thing in 2 days :)
These look amazing!! Perfect texture and all. I wish I could sink my teeth into one now! You make the best peanut butter stuff.
Thank you! I’d like to think it’s because of all the practice I had in writing my first cookbook :)
This has to be the perfect peanut butter cookie recipe!! One bowl, no mixer, and doesn’t make an enormous amount (so I don’t eat them all haha!) Can’t wait to give them a try, pinned :)
Thanks for pinning and I hear you re the enormous amount situation :)
That middle!!!! Making just so I can experience that chewy peanut buttery deliciousness!
Oh my gosh you sound like me except with mac and cheese recipes! I have like 5 other ideas I want to put on there still but I’m afraid I’m being ridiculous!
LOL I have to say PB cookie variations are my THING! ha!
We love your peanut butter cookbook! Never too much pb!
Flour-less peanut butter recipes rock. They come in handy for gluten-free snacks. I have a similar recipe which is tasty, but this looks good to me because of the gooey-ness of the cookies.
Peanut butter is my favorite! After I read your post, I scrolled down looking at all the related recipes, and after a few minutes I realized how long the list was! No one’s at a loss of peanut butter cookies on this site!
You got that right :)
The texture of these cookies looks perfect!!
And thanks for pinning it! :)
Oh my gosh I LOVE flourless PB cookies! They’re seriously like magic with that ultra-chewy texture, yet being completely butter and flour-less!
P.S. you are the total peanut butter cookie QUEEN! Can’t even get over how many different varieties of pb cookies you have! I want them all. ;)
Yeah and this is just on my site (not my 100+ recipe PB-only cookbook!) and this isn’t even all the PB cookies I have on my site; just a smattering of some faves that came to mind :)
Averie I can see my brother inhaling these cooking in a matter of minutes!! Pinning!
Thanks for pinning!
Wow, these so yummy!
I actually have all the ingredients right now, so these need to be made today :D
Another incredible looking cookie! I think the hardest part of this recipe is waiting for the dough to chill–and not eating it before it gets to the oven. I haven’t baked in a while and could pull these off without a special trip to the store.
I hadn’t baked in awhile either (like more than 2-3 days…LOL b/c of all the savory dishes I was making) and I just had a craving for these and…voila!
You’re the one who taught me to shape the cookies and put them on cookie sheets before chilling, Averie! It’s so much easier that way. And as a proud owner of your book and someone who can’t stop eating PB cookies (with a gluten-free husband to boot), I’m excited at this riff on the flourless version! Brown sugar must make it SO much better.
Glad that little tip helped you and yes agreed, soooo much easier!
O my God, these look great and they are FODMAP friendly too. And how come I only find out now you have cookbook all about peanut butter? Checking it out straight away!
I don’t think a lot of people know so every time I make something with lots of PB, I always mention my book for newer readers or anyone who didn’t know!
Wow, these sound so easy, but look so yummy! My favorite kind of recipe ;) My younger sister is obsessed with peanut butter. She died when I showed her this haha.. (She’s forcing me to make them for her now :’) ) Do you think I can fold some peanuts into the dough too?
Probably would be fine.