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.
These cookies are so yummy! I think I will use regular sugar to roll them in next time. They needed to be a tad bit sweeter for me. Do you think that would work?
Hi Tina! Sure, use any granulated sugar you like 🙂
Best cookies EVER! My husband loves them! I have made these 4 times already. I have found organic maple syrup and organic peanut butter in bulk at a great price at Costco so that I can always have these ingredients on hand! Kroger has the almond flour and coconut palm sugar at a good price, too.
Yay, so happy to hear that Gale! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback! Thank you for the info too, so glad these were a hit!
Hi!
Can I use coconut flour intead of almond ?
Hi Alex! Unfortunately, coconut flour will not yield the same results at all. The almond flour is the main ingredient and is what makes these cookies moist, another flour won’t work unfortunately.
OMG – these are sensational! Unbelievably simple – you are a genius! Made them tonight and they are a hit. Thanks so much!
Thank you so much Carol for the awesome feedback, I’m so happy to hear you loved them!
Made these this a.m. to add to my Christmas cookie trays. So easy and tasty! I made them with a smaller scoop just to get a few more cookies. I got 19 with the small scoop. Thanks again for a great recipe!!!
I’m so happy to hear that Kathleen, thank you so much for the wonderful feedback!
I just made these. I didn’t have any coconut sugar, or any other kind of sugar so i didn’t roll them in anything. I added about 1/2- 1 teas. of vanilla extract. They are delicious! ! Thank you!
I’m so glad you loved these so much Sherry, thank you so much for making them! I really appreciate the feedback!
My 14 year old son helped me make these. He really liked them. They were super easy and I had a hard time keeping my fingers out of the bowl and glad no one saw me liking the bowl. The texture is head on and they are so crispy without any oil. Great, fast recipe.
I’m so happy to hear these cookies were perfect and such a hit for your son a s well, thank you so much for the feedback Estee!
I made these cookies today. Very Good and so simple to make. Thank you so much for all you do, it is very much appreciated.
There are several of your recipes that I have made, all good.
Cindi
I’m so happy to hear that Cindi! Thank you so much for the awesome, sweet feedback, I love hearing it!
Another recipe added to my list. Thank you. Tried 8 recipes and my family loved them all!
Wonderful Ayisat!! So glad to hear that so much!
These cookies were TRULY fantastic! My entire family loved them! I do have to say, they didn’t last very long… Whoops.
Haha, that is a good problem to have!
These look fantastic but I’m allergic to almonds. Any other fours I could use? Coconut flour? I’m not educated in the properties of various flour types. Thanks!
Hi Laurel! No, coconut flour wouldn’t work at all for these actually. Coconut flour absorbs TONS of liquid and makes things very dry and crumbly. Your best option would be to use raw sunflower kernels ground up into “flour” with your food processor. Since blanched almond flour is more fluffy, then you will probably need to use maybe a couple extra tablespoons or so of the ground up sunflower kernels to have enough. You want the dough to be sticky, but dry enough to roll into balls with your hands. It may make them more delicate after baking too, so just make sure to use parchment paper and let the cookies COMPLETELY cool before handling and don’t pull them off the pan with your hands…use a thin metal spatula and transfer them to a cooling rack. Please let me know how they turn out!
Would Almond butter work?
Yes, absolutely, I would recommend using roasted creamy almond butter, definitely not chunky. Also, my peanut butter has salt in it, so if your almond butter doesn’t have salt, then add a couple pinches of salt to the flour before mixing, for flavor. You can also add chocolate chips if you like before adding the wet. I do that when I make an almond butter version, since almond butter has less flavor than peanut butter. Let me know how they turn out! 🙂
Hi Jessica! I’m not sure, others have all had success making them. Maybe a couple of things… Did you use commercial blanched almond flour? Did you use crunchy peanut butter or a brand that has added oils? Did you bake them too long? If you overtake them, they can become to crispy and brittle. Did you try removing them off the tray too soon while still warm? Any of those could contribute or help me to troubleshoot what may have happened. I’ve made them multiple times and never had that happen. Please let me know, so I can try to help 🙂
Im so glad you enjoyed them! Thank you so much for the feedback…everybody has loved them. I find maple syrup to be much more liquidy than honey, so the honey may have made them drier. Also, make sure not to cook them too long, they can dry out quickly…mine are always crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. 🙂 Thank you again, I really appreciate it!
Hi Brandi, I was looking for this recipe and I am glad I found it. It was in my inbox then it disappeared 🙁 I searched your site and finally found them, yeaaaah 🙂 So excited to make these cookies as I love simple and delicious recipes. I wonder if these would work equally well using almond butter? Thanks again!
Oh good! Yes, almond butter should work but it is oilier than peanut butter, so you may have to slightly increase the amount of almond flour so the batter can be formed into balls. Peanut butter is very dry, so that’s why it works so well. Try it out and let me know if you do the almond butter! Thank you! 🙂
Thank you so much Brandi. I will try them with peanut butter first. Bought a big bag to make my own homemade PB 🙂 I agree almond butter is oily so I won’t try it the first time around. I will post it when I make it. Thanks again 🙂
Hello Brandi,
I made these cookies today and they turned out amazing! Now I switched up a few things but this will be my go-to for when cravings hit. I just posted it on my page with a link back to your wonderful original recipe. A million thanks 🙂
Sincerely,
Eva
Thank you so much Eva!! I just checked it out! I’m so greatful to you for trying my recipe and linking back to me. More importantly, I’m glad you loved it. I’m a little addicted to them because they are so easy and hit the spot. Thanks again 🙂
Thank YOU Brandi! These are my new addiction! I love any recipe that is quick, easy and more importantly tasty and healthy. What more can you ask for from 4 simple ingredients right? Thank you for saving me from PMS hell and the junk that I would have reached for in my daughter’s “junk” drawer lol
On one recipe you had added the nutritional info, with calories. Wishing it were done on all of them, I’m trying to lose weight and just trying some vegan recipes, as I have a cousin who has controlled his cancer for three years (or more?) by eating vegan. Therefore, I’m trying to introduce more recipes to my family. Love your site so far, lots to explore! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much for visiting Donna! I just added the nutrition for these cookies. Sorry about that. I try to add the nutrition on all my recipes going forwrd, it can get a bit time consuming and delay me posting the recipe, so I post with the intention of coming back to add the nutrition stats. Then I get so busy with the next recipe, it slips my mind. 🙂 I will try to have the nutrition added more quickly. Thank you so much for following my blog! 🙂
Oh, and that’s wonderful news about your cousin…going vegan has been life changing for my husband and I as well!
WOW! These cookies DO sound amazing–so smart to roll them in coconut sugar! Where have these cookies been all my life??
Oh you gotta make them, only 20 minutes, it’s so easy! I’ve seen so many people pinning it and some are just eating the dough, lol!!
I really really love this recipe. This is the third time I’m visiting this post and I’m getting my oven ready 🙂
Thank you soooo much Danny! They have been my post popular recipe thus far! Did you end up making them? 🙂
will be making them soon and i’ll let you know how it goes 🙂
Hi Brandi, I wanted to bake these for Chinese New Year but having a hard time finding almond flour over here. Do you think there is any other flour I can replace with?
Hey Danny! I wouldn’t sub another flour because the almond flour gives lots of moisture and crisp and chew. You can easily make your own almond flour. All you have to do is grind up some almonds in a food processor, that’s it! Only difference is the kind in the stores doesn’t have the skins on them and is a bit softer than if you grind your own. But it will still work, grinding your own will probably just make them slightly chewier. He is another one of my cookie recipes where I grind my own almond flour, with the pics, for this specific recipe. It only tajes like 2 minutes. You can see here. Just make sure to measure the 1 cup of almond flour after you grind, not before! 🙂
http://thehealthyflavor.com/2012/08/01/double-chocolate-espresso-almond-cookies-vegan/
Hi Brandi, thank you so much for your reply. I do see almond powder over here but I thought that wasn’t almond flour. Silly me. I do have almonds at home with skin on. I’ll try blending on my own. It’s Chinese New Year tomorrow, most stores are closed now. But I’ll get those almond flour soon and try your double chocolate espresso version too! Thanks again! 🙂 Tomorrow starts the year of the snake in the Chinese zodiac. Happy New Year! 🙂
Oh good I’m so glad you found some! If you don’t buy it, it should work grinding your own as well! I can’t wait to hear after you try them! Happy new year to you too! 🙂