The most delicious Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies only 4 ingredients, made in 1 bowl, gluten-free and ready in 20 minutes! These are so easy to make, soft and chewy with a crispy exterior, thanks to a rolled coconut sugar coating. They are also gluten-free and oil-free.
*This post was originally published on 1-21-2013 and has been updated with better instructions and new photos.
4 INGREDIENT PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
I love peanut butter and I love these vegan peanut butter cookies, even more. It should be illegal how delicious and easy these cookies are. No, really…they can be yours in 20 minutes. If you love peanut butter as much as I do, then be sure to make these Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies as well, they are divine!
I used to be obsessed with the peanut butter cookies at Subway. Believe it or not, Subway happens to have some really good cookies. Well, these have replaced those….and you only need 4 ingredients! If you are allergic to peanut butter, make these Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies instead, which are a variation of these.
Basically these vegan peanut butter cookies are perfection. They are crispy, golden, sweet and absolutely delicious. The coconut sugar gives them that extra flavor and crunch. In other words, the perfect cookie texture. By making them with almond flour and maple syrup, it keeps them super moist and oil-free, as well as gluten-free. Most peanut butter cookies are made with eggs, however, these you can safely eat the raw dough, no eggs!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
All you need to make these cookies are:
- Superfine blanched almond flour: I like the Honeyville, King Arthur, Wellbee’s and Nuts.com brands best.
- Peanut butter: Use one with no added oils or sugar. Mine only has added salt.
- Maple syrup
- Coconut sugar: To roll the cookies in. This makes these vegan peanut butter cookies more unique than traditional peanut butter cookies. It adds a crunchy layer and a sweet taste. It is so good!
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
Step 1: Add the ingredients to a large bowl, except the coconut sugar.
Step 2: Mix until a thick, cohesive batter forms into a stiff ball.
Step 3: Use a cookie scoop to get even cookie sizes and roll into balls with your hands.
Step 4: Place each cookie into the coconut sugar and roll them around to coat them well.
Step 5: Place each ball onto the pan, spaced about 2 inches apart.
Step 6: Flatten each ball with a fork, going in both directions, in a criss-cross pattern.
Step 7: Bake 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
MORE VEGAN COOKIE RECIPES
- Almond Butter Blossoms
- Old-Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies
- Crispy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Snickerdoodles
- Best Vegan Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Grain-free Chocolate Coconut Cookies
- Grain-free Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies (made with cashew butter)
- Vegan Thin Mints
*This post contains affiliate links. See my full disclosure policy here.
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies (4 Ingredients!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (112g) superfine blanched almond flour
- 1/2 cup (128g) creamy natural peanut butter, with no added sugars or oils (mine contains a trace amount of salt, if yours doesn't, then add a 1/4 tsp salt)
- 1/4 cup (80g) pure maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons coconut sugar to roll the cookies in
NOTE
- When measuring almond flour, it is a good idea to use a scale for accurate measurements. Otherwise, scoop out an overflowing cup from the bag and gently pat it down, then level off with a knife or your finger.
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 375°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- To a large bowl, add the almond flour, peanut butter and syrup. Stir for a few minutes until the dough comes together into a very thick ball.
- Add the coconut sugar to a separate bowl or plate. Roll the batter into small balls, 10-12. I used my cookie scoop and got exactly 11.
- Roll each ball well in the coconut sugar until coated all around.
- Place each ball on the prepared pan about 2 inches apart. Press down each cookie gently with the back of a fork in a criss-cross pattern.. Don't completely flatten, they should be about a 1/2 inch thick, as in the picture.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the tops have slightly cracked. Do not over-bake or they can turn dry. I took mine out at 9 minutes. They should be slightly crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. Cool for 10 minutes, they will crisp up as they cool.
- Use a thin metal spatula and transfer each cookie to cool completely on a cooling rack. If you try to remove them while still warm or with your fingers, they will fall apart.
I love your recipes and came to your site needing a quick and easy cookie recipe. These were perfect and so delicious! I threw in some chocolate chips too. I used Bobs red mill almond flour as it was the only one I could find. They still turned out moist and amazing!!
I’m so happy to hear that Erin, thank you so much for the wonderful feedback!
Hi, I just found your website by accident and made the peanut butter cookies. I used date sugar, as that’s what I had. I also put 2 chocolate chips in each one. They are delicious! I’m excited to see that your recipes are oil-free! Thank you, Brandi.
Wonderful Sandi! I’m so happy to hear you loved these and mmmmmm on the chocolate chips, great idea!!
How did you know I was craving peanut butter!?!?! THANKYOU, maybe tomorrow…can’t wait!!!
Wonderful! Hope you love them!
Ok, my friend, you know how I sub ingredients when I’m just desperate to make something you’ve taken PAINS to perfect? Well, generally, it doesn’t turn out well (of course, Carol!), but THIS time, yay! I only had Bob’s Red Mill finely grounded almond flour on hand, crunchy raw peanut butter, lightly salted, (and I even added 1/8 tsp more salt), then I DO have 100% maple syrup and palm sugar…I used a tsp cookie scoop (yielded 20 cookies), rolled them into the sugar, and baked on parchment. Oh. My. Gosh. They are HEAVEN! Next time I will have the correct ingredients…THANKYOU FOR THIS RECIPE!
So wonderful to hear Carol!! So glad they were a hit, thank you so much for your kind words!! 🙂
I went back through the comments and can’t believe I never commented on these!!! These are THE MOST AMAZING COOKIES, bar none! Super simple to make is just one of the reasons we love them. They crumble just the right amount as you bite into all that peanut buttery goodness, and then melt in your mouth. You can add mini Enjoy Life chips, or leave them out and family and friends will BEG for more. I’ve shared this recipe more than any other because they are JUST THAT GOOD. Shame on me for not reviewing them sooner!! It’s the first recipe I started with of yours, Brandi, and we’ve been loyal to your site ever since. Love, love, love these cookies! ♥♥♥
Colleen, can I tell you how much it means to me that you are always so thoughtful in taking the time to come back and leave reviews on my recipes?! Seriously, you are such a wonderful lady, thank you! So glad you loved these!
OMG I just made these tonight and love them Brandi!! I weighed out all the ingredients and they came out so perfect. I also added a dash of cinnamon and a little bit of maldon sea salt. Love them!
Yay! So glad to hear that Marinna, thank you so much for the wonderful feedback!
Definitely on my “short list”. These look great and so simple! Hmmmm, wonder who it would be to add chocolate chips? Can’t beat peanut butter and chocolate for yum. Have to try that second after making as written. 🙂
Hi Geoffrey! Yes, I think chocolate chips would be delicious in these!
First peanut butter cookie I’ve really liked (some have been dry and tasteless). What’s amazing is how simple they are to make (just a few ingredients and the ease of making them). Brandi, you’ve done it again!
Yay! Wonderful to hear this is the first you’ve liked! Thank you so much for letting me know Ellen and it’s good to hear from you 🙂
Peanut Butter Cookies are my husband’s favorite! I can’t wait to make these tomorrow. One thing I don’t understand is why it says, ‘1 Cookie’ at the tope of the recipe page. I take things literally, so had to check the recipe for details, lol.
So sorry Donna, it’s fixed! I had switched recipe printout plugins awhile back and it messed up all of my servings/yield section.
I have made these cookies a number of times now, and I’m still amazed at how simple, yet delicious they are! I usually skip the coconut sugar sugar, which makes them even easier! 😉 YUM!
Yay! Thank you so much for the awesome review!
My son is allergic to almonds. Do you have a substitute for almond flour? Thanks!!
Hi Heidi, you can try grinding up raw, unsalted sunflower kernels into a flour and try that instead. You may need slightly more since they won’t be as fine as the almond flour and will yield somewhat a sunbutter taste.
These are my favorites! I’ve been making them for a couple of years, they always get rave reviews!
Thank you for the recipe!
So very happy to hear that Ginger, thank you so much for the review!!
These are one of the best peanut butter cookies I’ve ever had. You can’t beat the simplicity of the ingredients and how incredible the texture and taste is. Thank you for another winning recipe. My search for vegan, oil free peanut butter cookies is over, this IS the perfect cookie!
Yay!! This makes me so happy to hear Susanne, thank you for the awesome review!!
These cookies were awesome!! Crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle!! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!!
So awesome to hear this, thank you for the review!
So you posted these on Facebook today and I mentioned that to hubby and he begged me to make them tonight! As you know these are his favorite all time cookie (not just from your recipes but from all the cookie recipes in the entire universe) So now he’s sitting happily on the couch with peanut butter breath and cookie crumbs on his shirt.
Haha, oh you have made my day and week making both cookie recipes and these wonderful feedbacks Diana, that’s such a HUGE compliment, tell hubby thank you!! I’m sharing your Chai cookies remake soon too because they looked just gorgeous!!
These cookies were divine and so easy to make. I swapped almond butter for peanut butter due to personal preferences and they came out perfect.
Thank you so much Roza for the wonderful review! So happy the almond butter worked out!
These are so good! I haven’t eaten cookies in a long time and am hesitant to make recipes that call for a cup of sugar. These are fast, easy, and so delicious.
I’m so happy you loved these Nicole, yay! I agree too, I’ve seen those peanut butter cookie versions and always think it sounds excessive too and funny enough, I like these so much better than the traditional sugar/peanut butter and egg version!
Thx forever for vegan baked goods that are worth eating and not full of harmful ingredients!
♥️
Much love,
Erin
We’ve made these cookies multiple times and they turn out A-MAZ-ING every time! Quick, easy, soft on the inside, crispy on the outside and incredibly peanuty! Makes the perfect number of cookies too, about 12. Just the right sized batch. Thanks for another winner!
I’m so happy to hear how much you love these Cathrine, I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review!
These are very good! I use monkfruit sugar & the monkfruit golden (brown sugar) from Costco thet carry both! These work very well
So glad you love them!
These cookies are the BOMB!!! Easy peasy! Crisp, yet chewy! Sooo peanut buttery!!! 😄 I shared this recipe with an omni coworker who absolutely loves these too! My only problem with these is that I want to make them ALL. THE. TIME!
Thank you so much Cathrine!! So happy you loved them, thank you for the awesome review!
I just made these using hemp seed butter. I didn’t press them out with a fork so they look like delicate little bonbons; they’re so cute! They’re mostly green but have browned on the top. The flavor is divine! Hemp seed butter kind of tastes like an earthier, blander almond butter, so really these taste like maple syrup, and I’m not complaining. The sugar coating is essential – it imparts a slight crunch into an otherwise soft and chewy cookie. Also, I used Bob’s Red Mill superfine blanched almond flour. Maybe the fineness of the flour has an effect on the results, because I think they’re perfect, though I did use closer to 130 grams of it. I had read your note on it so just kept adding it until the dough was closer to the consistency of conventional cookie dough.
Honestly I made these with hemp seed butter because I bought hemp seed butter out of curiosity, having never tried it before, and I don’t love it, lol. These cookies were an elegant solution for how to use up the butter.
Thanks for the recipe! I look forward to making it with peanut butter, almond butter, hazelnut butter… 🙂
Looking at the reviews I can’t wait to try them. I would like to substitute almond flour with oat flour coz it’s damn expensive here and that’s what I can make from scratch.
Hi Emkay, almond flour is not a flour that can just be subbed here, as it is what gives enough moisture to these particular cookies. Since I don’t use oil or butter in my recipes, each ingredient is important. Oat flour is very drying and the cookies will be very dry with it. If you don’t want to use almond flour, make my other peanut butter cookies instead here: https://thevegan8.com/vegan-peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-cookies/
Hi there. I don’t have maple syrup and it’s expensive here in Australia. Can i use honey instead? Thank you.
Hi, no I wouldn’t use honey, it’s mucg much thicker and sweeter and would completely change the texture and flavor. Agave would be a better sub to try.
Love these. So easy. I used crunchy peanut butter. I had some chocolate frosting from another recipe I put on top. Just like little Reece’s bars.
That is amazing to hear Chris, so glad you loved these and that sounds SO delicious!!
These look just what we need! Quick and easy and look super delicious:)
Wonderful, enjoy Mary!! xx
Can I omit the sugar at the end? Trying to cut back on sugar
Hi Donna! Sure! They will lose that extra crunch factor and the sweetness will be much more mild, as the cookies themselves are mildly sweet, so keep that in mind, but technically they still totally work!
These look so good.I can’t wait to make them. Thank you.
Wonderful Julia, let me know after you try them!
I just made these tonight after seeing them on Instagram yesterday. I’m glad you post some older recipes that folks like me who are new to your blog might not have seen. Holy moly these really really really hit my happy button! :-). They were super duper fast & easy to make, with ingredients I always have. Mine looked just like yours and tasted just amazing. Just like. “normal” peanut butter cookie should. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! 🙂
Aww yay so glad to hear this Kimberly, thank you for the amazing feedback!!
I made it! Super easy and just what I was looking for. Next time I need to make some almond milk to really bring it home!
That is amazing to hear, thanks so much for making these Chase!
I used a small cookie scoop and made 21 cookies. Great recipe! When first mixing the batter I was worried that it was going to be sticky and difficult to use a cookie scoop. But the dough got thicker with mixing and lost its stickiness.
Awesome! Yes, exactly, that’s the nature of peanut butter and why I say to mix it until it gets thick into a ball basically. Glad you enjoyed them!
These are wonderful and so easy to make. I make my own peanut butter and used organic cane sugar to roll the dough in so they were a little different but definitely a recipe to repeat again and again. Thanks for a great recipe.
Yay, so glad you loved these Marilyn!
Love this recipe…and so does my grandson! This is now my third time making in two weeks. Thanks again Brandi for an easy and tasty treat! ,😋
So happy to hear that Mary, it’s been one of my most popular cookie recipes for years on the blog now. So glad y’all enjoyed them!
My husband and I just made these and he said “Oh my gosh, these are the beer vegan cookies we’ve ever made!” They are so tasty!
Best*
That is so awesome to hear Jenna, thank you!
How long does these keep for? Can I freeze them?
They stay moist for a week, I’ve never tried freezing them, but imagine they’d be fine.
Can I sub all purpose flour in the recipe?
No, the almond flour is crucial to the recipe for texture and moisture. Ap flour would make them very dry.
Three words: Peanut Butter Heaven! <3
Are almond flour and almond meal the same thing?
No, blanched almond flour is skinless almonds that have been blanched, dried and ground into a fine flour. That produces moist, fluffy results. Almond meal is just whole almonds ground up into a flour. They don’t perform the same in baking.
Brandi! These are absolutely delicious! I have been craving a peanut butter cookie lately and not only are these delicious, they are super easy to make. BTW, I made a quadruple batch and froze half. They freeze/thaw very well. Thank you, once again for your creativity and hard work!
This recipe is genius! So easy and I think the best peanut butter cookie I can remember having. I over cooked them, so they had kind of a shortbread texture, but that didn’t stop me from eating 5 of them after only giving them a few minutes to cool. I’m really going to have to watch myself next time! Thanks again, Brandi
So awesome to hear Kat, thank you!!
Can’t wait to try these but I wanted to get a cookie scoop first. Could you tell me what size/brand you use?
Love all your recipes so far. Thanks
Hi Kathy! So sorry for the delay. I have a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop by Kitchenaid that I’ve had for a few years and I love it! I do not recall where I got it, but I think Bed Bath & Beyond.
This recipe is genius!!! So delicious, healthy and quickly prepared.
Thanks!
Just made those yummies, I’m not crazy about just peanut butter so I mixed almond butter and cashew butter then rolled them in a mix of coconut sugar and date sugar plus added dairy free chocolate chips on top. They came out so moist inside and crispy outside just like you said. Thanks again for a easy and quick preparation for a super delicious treat.
Awesome to hear Diane!
These cookies are so easy and quick to make and taste delicious. I wish I had made two batches. I will make them
again and again. Thank you very much….
LiLo
Lovely to hear, thank you Lilo!
This recipe looks so good.
Is it possible to swap the coconut sugar for a different alternative granular sugar?
Yes, you can use any sugar you like!
These are yummy. I added a dash of vanilla and used almond butter. Careful, you can eat these really FAST!
Thanks.
Haha, that is what I did for my almond butter version here, check out the recipe! https://thevegan8.com/almond-butter-chocolate-chip-cookies-vegan-gluten-free/
I make these ALL the time! So good and easy to make. I actually ran out of almond flour this last time. I had about half of what was called for and I’d already added it to the peanut butter so I had to sub in some oat flour. I was scared I ruined them but they still came out delicious!
Brandi, these are better than conventional peanut butter cookies, which can be so heavy. Perfect flavor and consistency. Thank you for sharing.
Yay, so glad to hear this, thank you Jackelin!
Of making these with almond butter how much almond butter should I use since you stated that an even swap doesn’t work as well. Also why do you roll the balls in coconut sugar? Do they still turn out good workout rolling them in coconut sugar?
Hi! See the 2nd paragraph in the post, I linked to the almond butter version there. I used coconut sugar because it gives a wonderful texture to the outside of the cookies compared to every other peanut butter cookie recipe. It really adds that extra oomph in flavor and texture. There is not a lot of sweetener in the cookie base, so I think it tastes really good with the sugar coating.