Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies – Easy to make and easier to eat, thick, soft and chewy homemade peanut butter cookies made in 1 bowl with peanut butter, flour, sugar, vanilla and almond milk are the best!
Every recipe collection needs a great peanut butter recipe. And that, my friends, is what I have for you today!
These vegan cookies are joining the likes of these delicious classic 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, this vegan peanut butter cookie recipe is super easy, using simple ingredients and is crazy delicious. Not to mention they make the best air freshener!
This cozy homemade recipe is so easy that you’ll probably memorize it and make it again and again. Dairy and egg free, it’s my all time favorite peanut butter cookies!
Table of Contents
How To Make Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
These vegan peanut butter cookies contain no complicated ingredients and are super easy to make with just a few simple steps.
What you’ll need:
- Peanut butter – crunchy or creamy (almond butter is great too)
- Sugar – coconut or organic pure cane
- Flour – light spelt, all-purpose, gluten free flour blend or chickpea flour
- Almond milk – water is ok too
- Baking soda – baking powder works as well
- Vanilla – can be optional
- Mineral salt – only use if peanut butter is unsalted
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with silicone mat, parchment paper or leave ungreased.
- In a large bowl, add the peanut butter and sugar and mix until creamy. Stir in the almond milk and vanilla.
- Next, add the flour and mix to combine. The dough will start to stiffen and be tough to stir, use your hands to finish mixing it together.
- Using a trigger scooper, scoop out the dough and roll into balls, about 1 ¼ inch.
- Place the balls of dough about 2 ½ 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, on the center rack, for 10 – 13 minutes (13 minutes will yield a crispier cookie that’s tender inside).
- Let cool a few minutes, transfer cookies to wire rack and repeat with 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 keeps the dough from spreading too much, this recipe doesn’t require you to chill the dough, making for one less step and cookies in minutes. BUT, if the temperatures are warm in your kitchen, above 80 degrees, you may consider rolling the balls and letting them chill for 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
- For a less sweet cookie, reduce the sugar to ¾ cup which is just as delicious.
- If you don’t have baking soda on hand, baking powder works great too. I tested many batches and they were just fine.
- To warm the milk, set it in a warm spot by the oven while it’s heating.
- When flattening, dip the fork in sugar between pressing the cookie to keep them from sticking.
- Recipe can easily be cut in half or doubled.
- If you’re allergic to nuts, try using sunbutter instead.
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 Peanut Butter 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, store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
How To Freeze Peanut Butter Cookies
- To freeze peanut butter cookies, let the cookies cool completely and store them in a freezer safe container with parchment paper between the layer of cookies. 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 place in the freezer 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 peanut butter 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.
PrintVEGAN PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
Easy to make and easier to eat, vegan peanut butter cookies made in 1 bowl with peanut butter, flour, sugar, vanilla and almond milk are the best!
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: Makes 20 - 24 1x
- Category: Dessert, Cookie
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
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), light spelt, unbleached all-purpose, 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 silicone mat, parchment paper or leave ungreased.
Make the dough: In a large bowl, add the peanut butter and sugar and mix until creamy. Stir in the almond milk and vanilla. Next, add the flour, baking soda, and salt, mix to combine. The dough will be tough to stir, using your hands to mix it together will be easier.
Roll and flatten: Using a 1.5 tablespoon scooper, scoop out the dough and roll into balls, about 1 ¼ inch. Place the balls of dough about 2 ½ 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 a few minutes, transfer cookies to wire rack and repeat with remaining dough.
Makes 20 – 24 cookies.
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, store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
To freeze: Let cookies cool completely, store in freezer safe container for up to 2 months.
Notes
*Reduce the sugar to ¾ cup for a less sweet cookie. It’s just as delicious!
**If you don’t have baking soda on hand, baking powder works great too. I tested many batches and they were just fine.
When flattening, dip the fork in sugar between pressing the cookie to keep them from sticking.
If allergic to nuts, use sunbutter instead.
Recipe can easily be cut in half or doubled.
Gram conversions may vary depending on the exact ingredient used, ie all purpose vs spelt have different measurements. Although this recipe is pretty forgiving, use this Ingredient Weight Chart from King Arthur 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. For more of my favorite cooking tools, shop my kitchen essentials.
Nutritional values are estimates only. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
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sherly says
hello. i would love to bake these cookies for christmas. do anyone have the ingredient measurements in grams? thank you in advance!
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
Hi Sherly, I’ve updated the recipe card with grams for the peanut butter, sugar and flour. In the notes section, you can find more info about converting to grams. Hope this helps and enjoy the cookies!
Rodi says
Hey I tried making this recipe twice but the dough comes out really crumbly and hard to shape. Is it supposed to be that way or is there a way to make the dough not crumbly?
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
Sorry you’re having issues. This recipe is pretty forgiving with errors, but you may try adding another 1 – 2 tablespoons of milk to see if that helps. Also, be sure to spoon and level the flour, instead of scooping it out of the bag with a measuring cup. Spoon and level means to use a spoon to add flour to the measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Scooping tends to compact the flour in the bottom as you scoop. Hopefully these tips will help.
Sharan says
Delicious! I used spelt flour and half coconut sugar and half pure cane. Love this recipe so much and they are vegan and healthier! Yum!
★★★★
Deanna S. says
This recipe is awesome! I used gluten free measure for measure flour and regular milk. I added the vanilla and the cookies were delicious. I made the first batch with creamy and crunchy peanut butter (I had less than a cup of creamy, so added crunchy to make up the difference) and added chocolate chips for the second batch. Both batches were super yummy!
★★★★★
Valerie Bowden says
These are AMAZING! I followed the recipe exactly, and they were delicious. A little crispy on the outside but soft in the middle. I also really appreciated how easy they were to make and that they didn’t require oil or vegan butter. Big thanks! Will make again!
★★★★★
Stephanie says
Love these!!! Glad to know that I can use pure cane sugar instead of coconut as I’m allergic. These were a hit with the man! I opted out of sugar on top and they were fantastic.
★★★★★
Anita says
These turned out great! They’re so yummy! Thank you!
★★★★★
Teani says
How’d you make them when they have no measurements?
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
There is a complete, printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with measurements and instructions. The ‘Ingredients’ section in the upper post is just an overview, including ideas for substitutions and variations. I see how that can be confusing and will make a note. Enjoy the cookies!
Stacey says
These were delicious, even the hubby loved them <3 Thanks for the amazing vegan peanut butter cookie recipe!! I missed these cookies so much from my (non-vegan) childhood and am so glad to have found an amazing vegan version!
★★★★★
Amelia says
I thought because this was a “1 bowl” recipe, it would also be small batch. Much to my surprise (and delight!), I ended up with almost 3 dozen, perfectly sized cookies. This recipe is so easy and delicious, I will definitely be making it again!
★★★★★
Rebecca says
Yes these are so yummy! However I do agree, mine had a weird metallic after taste and I will probably reduce the baking soda next time as well. :)
Yvonne says
Hello,
thanks, for the Recipe.
I tried them and they were delicious.
Greetings from Germany,
Yvonne
★★★★★
Trey McGowan says
While I’m not vegan myself, I was completely without eggs, but wanted cookies. I am here to say that this recipe tastes just as good as any ‘non-vegan’ recipe I’ve ever had! It’s a fantastic easy recipe, and the cookies are absolutely delicious. I may make a couple batches to share with vegetarian friends of mine!
The one issue that I had with this recipe is that if you leave the vanilla out (as it lists it as optional and I didn’t have any), you may have to add a little more liquid, whether water or more almond milk. Those extra two tablespoons of liquid go a surprisingly long way toward making sure your dough isn’t overly ‘crumbly’ for rolling! My first batch was a tad hard to bake because of this, but that smidge more liquid the next time around fixed the problem.
I may try it with coconut milk and see if it works as well; I’m a sucker for a coconut milk *anything*.
★★★★★
Lorraine says
These are so easy and a hit with everyone, so much so I have been making additional batches! As my niece is gluten intolerant I used Bob’s Red Mill all purpose gluten free flour with no problems. I’m trying with almond butter next. Also I did press a few vegan mini chocolate chips on top of one batch and that was just divine! Great recipe!
★★★★★
Lili says
I halfed the recipe and it was perfect. Literally the easiest recipe ever and it tasted so so good, although this second time I’m making it I plan to use the reduced sugar version because I like the cookie on top of a little ice cream. Very yummy :)
★★★★★
Melissa says
We used sunbutter and they are green in the middle lol. Still taste good
Dimple says
Hi, I wanted to make these cookies, but i was trying to understand the “butter” part. It says to add salt if the butter is unsalted, but i don’t see the amount of butter to add. Please advise. THank you.
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
Great question! The butter I’m referring to is nut butter. I’ve updated the recipe card to make it more clear. Thanks for asking and enjoy the cookies!!
Dimple says
Thank you so much!!
★★★★★
Hannah says
I am not a good baker at all, but these cookies were very easy to make and turned out perfect the 2 times I’ve made them. I never use vanilla since I don’t have it in my house and its always delicious anyway!
★★★★★
Sangini says
Delicious! Just made these today and they came out perfect :) They are a little too sweet for me so will reduce sugar to 3/4 cup next time. Sadly I didn’t read all the way to the bottom otherwise would have reduced it for this batch too!
However they are yummy! Thank you for the easy 1 bowl recipe!
★★★★
Melanie says
Thank you so much for this simple and delicious cookie recipe. I used creamy sun butter ( my daughter is allergic to nuts so thank you for noting that sun butter could be used) and soy milk and it was the perfect “peanut butter” cookie 💕
★★★★★
Maria says
Delicious! I have made this recipe twice already :)
★★★★★
Molly says
I’ve not got cup measurements – google says flour is 120g but sugar is 200g per cup – does that sound right for this recipe?
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
Yes, that sounds right. Enjoy!