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5.0 from 18 votes

Peanut Butter Cookies (Gluten-Free)

These Peanut Butter Cookies are as chewy, sweet, and peanut buttery as any flour cookie, except they are entirely gluten-free! That's right—a dairy-free and gluten-free peanut butter cookie. With a surprise ingredient!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings: 16 large cookies, 30 small
Calories: 161 kcal
Course: Dessert , Baked Goods
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 cup peanut butter creamy, see notes if using natural peanut butters
  • 1 cup granulated sugar white sugar works best in this recipe
  • 2 large eggs room temperature is best
Optional Ingredients
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-2 tablespoons cinnamon adds a fun seasonal flavor
  • 2 tablespoons sugar for sprinkling or rolling cookie dough before baking

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (375 degrees for high altitude) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.
  2. In a large bowl mix together peanut butter and sugar until combined, then add vanilla extract, eggs and if using, cinnamon. Mix until just combined. Using a wooden spoon or hand mixer.
  3. Scoop or roll dough into balls and place on a lined cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Use a small scoop for smaller cookies, medium scoop for normal sized cookies. If desired, roll cookie dough in sugar or cinnamon sugar mixture 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon). Note: If dough is super soft, refrigerate for an hour up to 24 hours.
  4. Dip fork in granulated or powdered sugar and press hash marks with tines of fork into top of cookie.
  5. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until edges are just turning light brown and centers are still soft. If desired, sprinkle with a little sugar, allow to cool on pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes

  • Natural Peanut Butter
  • I also made these using pre-stirred natural peanut butter which contains sugar. If the dough is too loose or oily, it just means you might have had more oil in your peanut butter. Add 1-2 tablespoons of flour (gluten-free or regular) to the batter and chill dough well (30-60 minutes in the freezer or overnight)
  • If using no sugar added, oil on top peanut butter, stir really well, you will probably need to chill the cookie dough before making the hashmarks on the top. And you may need to add 1-2 tablespoons of flour (gluten-free or regular) to the batter.
  • Variations & Substitutions
  • flaky sea salt
  • High Altitude | the only change I made was to bake these cookies in a 375 degree oven for about 12-14 minutes depending on size. 
  • Storage
  • Store cookies on counter in airtight container up to 5 days, in fridge up to 7 days. Freeze for long-term storage, up to 5 months if placed in airtight freezer baggie or container. 
  • Or freeze the dough by placing the cookie sheet of dough balls into the freezer, flash freezing for about an hour. Once frozen, remove the sheet and dump the dough into a freezer bag, squeeze out the air and store up to 3 months. 
  • cookie sheet
  • squeeze
  • Thaw overnight in the fridge, or remove from freeze and allow to sit on counter while preheating the oven.
  • Add 1 cup of chocolate chips to cookie dough.
  • Peanut Butter Blossoms | Roll the dough ball in sugar, flatten slightly and bake, then immediately press an unwrapped chocolate kiss into the tops after baking. 
  • Peanut Butter Free Cookies | Replace peanut butter with almond butter or even Sunbutter. 
  • Make gluten-free peanut butter cookie sandwiches filled with gluten-free ice cream or thick and fluffy frosting like my classic buttercream. 
  • Drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle with a pinch of fleur de sel (flaky sea salt) for a salted caramel peanut butter cookie.
  • Melt some chocolate to dip the soft cookies for another irresistible peanut butter-chocolate combo!
  • Use crunchy peanut butter instead of creamy.
  • Keto Peanut Butter Cookies | replace the sugar with a good cup for cup sugar replacement. I like Lakanto Monk Fruit or this Truvia Brown Sugar substitute. Bake as directed.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1cookie Calories 161kcal (8%) Carbohydrates 18g (6%) Protein 4g (8%) Fat 9g (14%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Monounsaturated Fat 4g Trans Fat 0.003g Cholesterol 23mg (8%) Sodium 78mg (3%) Potassium 102mg (3%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 16g (32%) Vitamin A 35IU (1%) Vitamin C 0.02mg (0%) Calcium 17mg (2%) Iron 0.4mg (2%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16large cookies, 30 small

Amount Per Serving

Calories 161

% Daily Value*

Serving 1cookie
Calories 161kcal 8%
Carbohydrates 18g 6%
Protein 4g 8%
Fat 9g 14%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 4g 20%
Trans Fat 0.003g 0%
Cholesterol 23mg 8%
Sodium 78mg 3%
Potassium 102mg 2%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 16g 32%
Vitamin A 35IU 1%
Vitamin C 0.02mg 0%
Calcium 17mg 2%
Iron 0.4mg 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.