Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies (Gluten-Free)

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These Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies are easy to make with 4 ingredients in 15 minutes! These gluten-free peanut butter cookies are so good no one can tell they’re made without flour or butter!

overhead view of 6 flourless peanut butter cookies


I have been making this Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies recipe for over a decade now, and they are so simple and easy to make that you need to whip up a batch ASAP! 

I am usually more of a brownie or bar type of person, but these flourless peanut butter cookies are some of my favorites. They are gooey and peanut buttery and even can be dipped in chocolate.

They’re easy to make with only 5 ingredients in 15 minutes! Are you running to the kitchen yet?

flourless peanut butter cookie cut in half

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies: Ingredients & Substitutions 

These gluten-free peanut butter cookies are made with ingredients you probably have on hand! Let’s chat about possible substitutions. 

overhead view of the ingredients in this flourless peanut butter cookie recipe
  • Creamy peanut butter. choose your favorite peanut butter variety! Allergic to peanuts? Any nut or seed butter should work well in this recipe! I recommend using a peanut butter that is solid at room temperature. Some natural varieties do meet this requirement and can be used. If you use a peanut butter that’s liquid at room temperature (like this homemade peanut butter), you will have to chill the dough for 60 minutes before baking.
  • Sugar. Use granulated sugar or organic cane sugar for the best results. Note. I tired coconut sugar and it did not work. 
  • Chocolate. Drizzling chocolate on top of these cookies, or adding chocolate chips to the batter, is optional, but delicious! 
front view of a stack of 4 flourless peanut butter cookies with other cookies around the stack on the table

How to make Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

These gluten-free peanut butter cookies are made in one bowl and 15 minutes (from start to finish)! Let’s walk through the process together, and don’t forget to watch the video!

Combine Peanut Butter and Sugar

The first step in this flourless peanut butter cookie recipe is to combine the peanut butter and sugar. You can do this either by hand, with a hand-held mixer, or in a standing mixer. It’s completely up to you. 

You may need to warm the peanut butter. If your peanut butter is too hard to serve (if you store it in the fridge or use a more solid variety), gently warm it in the microwave until it’s soft enough to stir. Be careful not to overhead or you run the risk of cooking the egg when it’s added to the batter.

Add the egg, vanilla and sea salt

Next, add the rest of the ingredients and beat or stir until everything is combined. 

two photos showing how to make flourless peanut butter cookies

Measure and roll out dough

I recommend using a 1 TBS measuring spoon or cookie scoop to make these flourless peanut butter cookies. Measuring out the dough ensures that every cookie is the same size, which means they will all bake evenly.

two photos showing how to make gluten-free peanut butter cookies

Make a criss cross pattern on top

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the dough balls on top.  Use a fork to make a criss cross pattern on the top of each peanut butter cookie, gently pressing it down.

Bake

Note: Do NOT over bake! These flourless peanut butter cookies may not look completely done when you remove them from the oven. But they will cook more as they cool on the pan before being transferred to a wire rack.

So please don’t bake them longer than 10 minutes if you can help it (although be aware that all ovens are different and you need to know how warm/cool/normal yours bakes).

two photos showing how to make flourless peanut butter cookies

Cool 

Once the cookies are removed from the oven, let them cool on the baking pan for at least 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. 

overhead view of 4 flourless peanut butter cookies on a cooling rack

Dip in Chocolate

If desired, wait until the gluten-free peanut butter cookies are completely cool, then dip them in chocolate. To do this:

  1. Melt some chocolate chips or chopped chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler over medium heat. 
  2. Line a large baking sheet with wax paper. 
  3. Dip half of each cookie into the melted chocolate, then place on the wax paper. 
  4. Let harden at room temperature or in the freezer. 
  5. If desired, drizzle a little extra chocolate over the dipped side for a pretty texture. 
  6. Enjoy!
a hand dipping a flourless peanut butter cookie in a bowl of melted chocolate

Store/freeze

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. If you add chocolate on top, be sure to let it harden completely before stacking them in a container. 

front view of a stack of 5 gluten-free peanut butter cookies dipped in chocolate

Recipe FAQS

Can you make cookies with natural peanut butter?

I recommend using a peanut butter that is solid at room temperature to make these gluten-free peanut butter cookies. Some natural varieties do meet this requirement and can be used. If you use a peanut butter that’s liquid at room temperature (like this homemade peanut butter), you will have to chill the dough for 60 minutes before baking.

Why do peanut butter cookies have fork marks?

This flourless peanut butter cookie dough is denser than other cookie dough. Pressing the cookie dough down with a fork while making a criss cross pattern flattens the cookie dough and makes them bake more evenly. 

front view of 6 flourless peanut butter cookies

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Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies (Gluten-Free)

Laura
These Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies are easy to make with 4 ingredients in 15 minutes! These gluten-free peanut butter cookies are so good no one can tell they're made without flour or butter!
4.98 from 46 votes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 14 cookies
Calories 170.5
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  • Mix together peanut butter and sugar.
  • Add egg, vanilla and salt and stir until combined.
  • If desired, mix in chocolate chips.
  • Roll 1 TBS portions of dough into balls and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (or use a cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto the baking sheet)
  • Bake for 8-10 minutes or until bottoms are just barely browned.
  • Let the cookies sit on the pan for 10 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool.
  • Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Ingredient Substitutions

  • Creamy peanut butter. choose your favorite peanut butter variety! Allergic to peanuts? Any nut or seed butter should work well in this recipe! 
  • Sugar. Use granulated sugar or organic cane sugar for the best results. Note. I tired coconut sugar and it did not work. 
  • Chocolate. Drizzling chocolate on top of these cookies, or adding chocolate chips to the batter, is optional, but delicious! 

Can you make cookies with natural peanut butter?

I recommend using a peanut butter that is solid at room temperature. Some natural varieties do meet this requirement and can be used. If you use a peanut butter that’s liquid at room temperature (like this homemade peanut butter), you will have to chill the dough for 60 minutes before baking.

Store/freeze

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. If you add chocolate on top, be sure to let it harden completely before stacking them in a container. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 170.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 5.8g | Fat: 11.3g | Saturated Fat: 2.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5.3g | Cholesterol: 13.3mg | Sodium: 43.6mg | Potassium: 27.4mg | Fiber: 2.1g | Sugar: 11.6g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Recipe Rating




42 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Absolutely delicious and I love that the recipe calls for half the sugar of “normal” recipes. I added some cinnamon and 3/4 tsp baking soda. I added chocolate chips but next time I’ll dip them in chocolate.

  2. 5 stars
    Super quick, easy, and yummy! I used the Kirkland natural peanut butter from costco, which is very runny at room temp, and the dough surprisingly came together really well. Definitely going to make again!

  3. 4 stars
    There is a step missing in the list of instructions (I tend to skip the long essay portion of recipes, lol), “Make a criss-cross pattern with a fork, flattening the balls.” I followed the instruction steps literally and put the first batch in as balls and they stayed balls – did not flatten at all. The second batch, I did the criss cross pattern on top and those turned out great.

  4. 5 stars
    The cookies came out perfect – better than regular peanut butter cookies. Be sure to let them cool before taking them off the cookie sheet. They are a little fragile so try not to stack them. They are great dipped in chocolate!

  5. 5 stars
    I used 1/4 cup sugar instead of 1/2 and they were delicious – very peanutty! I also stuck a Trader Joe’s dark chocolate peanut butter cup in the middle of the little ball of dough instead of using dark chocolate chips (which would also be delicious, I’m sure). So yummy. I’m addicted.