1 Bowl Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies – Easy to make and easier to eat, thick, soft, and chewy homemade cookies made in 1 bowl with peanut butter, flour, sugar, vanilla, and almond milk are truly the best!
Every recipe collection needs a great peanut butter recipe. And that, my friends, is what I have for you today!
These easy cookies are joining the likes of these delicious classic Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies, Vegan Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies, flourless Salted Pecan Sandies with chocolate chips, 4-ingredient Almond Butter Cookies, and classic Vegan Snickerdoodles!
And like the others, these vegan peanut butter cookies are made with simple pantry staples and are crazy delicious. Not to mention, they make the best air freshener while baking!
It’s such an easy recipe, you’ll probably memorize it and make it again and again. Dairy and egg-free, they are my all-time favorite peanut butter cookies!
How To Make Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
These delicious peanut butter cookies contain no complicated ingredients and are super easy to make with just a few simple steps.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what I used (plus ingredients swaps you can use):
- Peanut butter: Creamy or crunchy for texture (almond butter or sunflower seed butter works great as a substitute)
- Sugar: Coconut or brown cane for deeper flavor or organic cane for lighter color (or a mix of both)
- Flour: Light spelt, all-purpose, almond, gluten-free blend, or chickpea, all bake up beautifully
- Almond milk: Unsweetened for moisture and binding (any plant milk or even water works fine)
- Baking soda: For lift and spread (baking powder is a good 1:1 swap if needed)
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla for classic cookie aroma (optional, but highly recommended)
- Mineral salt: A small pinch to balance sweetness (only needed if your peanut butter is unsalted; start with ¼ tsp and adjust)
Quick Notes
- Use room-temperature ingredients (especially peanut butter and milk) for smooth mixing.
- If dough feels too dry, add milk 1 tsp at a time; if sticky, add flour 1 tbsp at a time.
- Cookies will look slightly underdone when done, but firm up beautifully as they cool.
***Prefer the recipe card? You’ll find the exact measurements and instructions just below.
Step-by-Step
Preheat the oven: Heat to 350°F (175°C). Line 2 cookie sheets with a silicone mat or parchment paper, or leave ungreased.
Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, add the peanut butter and sugar and mix until creamy. Stir in the almond milk and vanilla.
Add dry ingredients: Stir in the flour and baking soda, and mix to combine. The dough will start to stiffen and become tough to stir; use your hands to finish mixing it.
Shape: Using a trigger scooper, scoop out the dough and roll into balls, about 1 1/4 inches. Place the dough balls about 2 1/2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Using the back of a fork, flatten in a crisscross pattern. Optionally, sprinkle with sugar or coarse salt.
Bake: Place on the center rack, for 10 – 13 minutes (13 minutes will yield a crispier cookie that’s tender inside).
Cool & enjoy: Let cookies rest for 2-5 minutes, transfer to a wire rack, and repeat with the remaining dough. Makes about 20 – 24 cookies.
Do I Need To Chill The Cookie Dough?
No! Unlike most peanut butter recipes that call for chilling the dough before baking, which helps keep it from spreading too much, this recipe doesn’t require chilling, making for one less step and cookies in minutes. BUT if the temperature in your kitchen is above 80 degrees, you may consider rolling the balls and letting them chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before baking. My kitchen was a cool 74 with the air on.
Tips For Your Best Peanut Butter Cookies!
- Less sweet? Reduce sugar to ¾ cup — they’re still perfectly delicious with that classic peanut butter flavor.
- No baking soda? Baking powder works great as a substitute (1:1 swap) — I tested multiple batches, and the cookies came out tender and flavorful every time.
- Warm the milk quickly: Set it near the preheating oven for a few minutes; room-temperature liquids mix more smoothly with coconut oil or butter.
- Fork trick: Dip the fork in sugar before pressing each cookie — it prevents sticking and adds a subtle sparkle to the tops.
- Scale the recipe: Cut in half for a small batch or double it easily — perfect for sharing or freezing dough balls.
- Nut-free swap: Use sunflower seed butter (sunbutter) in place of peanut butter — same creamy texture and great results.
Recommended Equipment: I love using this Silpat or parchment paper to line my baking sheets. And this tablespoon trigger cookie scoop (affiliate links) helps keep the cookies uniform when scooping.
How To Store Cookies
Keep your peanut butter cookies fresh in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days. They do well loosely covered for a couple of days, too. To keep longer, refrigerate them for up to 2 weeks.
How To Freeze Cookies & Dough
- To freeze peanut butter cookies, let them cool completely, then store them in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between the layers. Cookies will keep for up to 2 months. Let thaw in the fridge or on the counter.
- To freeze peanut butter cookie dough, roll the dough into balls as directed, place the balls on a cookie sheet, and freeze until solid. Place frozen dough balls in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, no thawing needed, simply place the frozen dough on a lined baking sheet and bake for 2 – 4 minutes longer than recipe time.
If you try this easy cookie recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
Print Recipe
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1 Bowl Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: Makes 20 – 24 1x
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan
Description
Soft and chewy, these easy vegan peanut butter cookies are made in one bowl with simple ingredients — no eggs, no dairy, no chilling required. Ready in under 30 minutes, nut-free & gluten-free adaptable, and perfect for snacks, dessert, or meal prep. Healthy and easy recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 cup natural peanut butter (270g), creamy or crunchy (or almond butter)
- 1 cup coconut sugar or pure cane sugar* (192g)
- 6 tablespoons almond milk, room temp
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup flour (120g), spelt, unbleached all-purpose, almond flour, or 1-1 gluten-free blend
- 1 teaspoon baking soda**
- generous pinch of mineral salt (only use if nut butter is unsalted)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with a silicone mat, parchment paper, or leave it ungreased.
Make the dough: In a large bowl, mix the peanut butter and sugar until creamy. Stir in the almond milk and vanilla. Next, add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix to combine. The dough will be tough to stir; mixing it by hand will be easier.
Roll and flatten: Using a 1.5 tablespoon scooper, scoop out the dough and roll into balls, about 1 1/4 inches. Place the dough balls about 2 1/2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Using the back of a fork, flatten in a crisscross pattern. Optionally, sprinkle with sugar or coarse salt.
Bake: Place in the oven and bake for 10-13 minutes (13 minutes will yield a crispier cookie that’s tender inside). Let cool for a few minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack and repeat with the remaining dough.
Makes 20 – 24 cookies.
Notes
Store: Cookies can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for 5 days. They do well loosely covered on the counter for 2 – 3 days as well. To keep longer, refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
To freeze: Let cookies cool completely, then store in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
*Reduce the sugar to 3/4 cup for a less sweet cookie. It’s just as delicious!
**If you don’t have baking soda on hand, baking powder works just as well. I tested many batches, and they were just fine.
Use room-temperature ingredients (especially peanut butter and milk) for smooth mixing.
If dough feels too dry, add milk 1 tsp at a time; if sticky, add flour 1 tbsp at a time.
Cookies will look slightly underdone when done — they firm up beautifully as they cool.
When flattening, dip the fork in sugar between presses to keep the cookies from sticking.
Nut-free: Use sunbutter instead.
Gram conversions may vary depending on the exact ingredient used: all-purpose and spelt have different measurements. Although this recipe is pretty forgiving, use this King Arthur Ingredient Weight Chart to ensure you have the correct measurement for your exact ingredient (or do a quick Google search if your ingredient isn’t listed).
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT: I love this Silpat or parchment paper to line my baking sheets. And using a tablespoon trigger cookie scoop (affiliate links) helps keep the cookies uniform when scooping.
Nutritional values are estimates only. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Category: Cookie, Dessert
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
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These are now my go to cookies, since I can’t eat gluten, dairy, eggs or almonds.Everyone loves these. I am told they taste like I used regular flour and milk.Thanks for posting this recipe. Normally, I use coconut milk since I have issues with almond milk, but this time I used banana milk. All the cookies were gone within a half hour, when I brought them to a gathering
Sub coconut sugar with brown sugar. It’s like a perfectly soft ginger cookies went moonlighting as peanut butter cookie. Unreal. I think a key importance to this recipe is the natural peanut butter for the oils. 10/10 both times we baked.
These were so delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe. It was my first time baking vegan cookies. I used 1 to 1 gluten free flour, and appreciated how easy the dough was to make the cookies.
My favorite peanut butter cookie recipe. It’s foolproof! Easy dough for kids to help. I use a mini cookie cutter and make tiny cookies, which we call Scooby Snacks. So addicting!
i made these using water as i didnt have any milk and they were amazing. thankyou
Yes, water works too in a pinch or if you want even less processed ingredients. So glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for sharing, Fiji!
Thank you, I was wondering if water could be used instead 😊
I’ll be making these today.
Yes, water will work just as well in place of milk. Enjoy!
Great recipe! I made these last night. I substituted the half cup of plant milk for vegan butter. I substituted the regular sugar for brown sugar.They taste exactly like what I remember these tasting like in the 1970s 80s when someone’s mom would always make them for a bake sale. Bringing half the batch to my non-vegan mom today, I’m sure she’ll love them.
Sounds wonderful! Thank you for sharing your adjustments. That will be super helpful to others. Thanks so much for sharing, Kimberly! Enjoy often :)
Delicious. Our family enjoyed them very much.
So glad everyone enjoyed the cookies. Thanks for sharing, Lance!
Has anyone tried this as a base for slutty vegan brownies? I can find lots of recipes for non vegan versions but I worry the cookie may over bake. Thoughts?
Amazing recipe! These did not make it an hour in our house!! Everyone couldn’t stop eating them.
I made these for a friend who has a broken leg and asked for peanut butter cookies. The only changes I made were that I used soy milk since that’s what I have in the house and used half regular whole wheat flour and half regular white flour. My friend LOVED them. She was delighted that I made them for her. Thanks!
What a great friend you are! So glad she loved them. Thanks for sharing, Sandy!