The Best Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe (2024)

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A flourless twist on a classic cookie? Yes, please! These flourless cookies are packed with incredible peanut butter flavor and are perfect for any gluten-free diet!

If you put peanut butter into just about anything and everything, you MUST TRY these peanut butter cups, these peanut butter bars, or this fantastic pinwheel candy.

The Best Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe (1)

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

Ok, ok, I know that you wonder how these cookies turn out without flour! But have no fear, they are AMAZING, and you will love them. They still have that soft cookie texture, and the taste has a deep flavor, thanks to all the peanut butter and brown sugar. Just because they don’t have flour doesn’t mean that they are healthy! But it does mean that they are just as delicious as these good old-fashioned peanut butter cookies that we all know and love.

These cookies only have six ingredients, and you can share them with anyone who is gluten-free! You won’t sacrifice taste with these cookies. In fact, they are so delicious that I guarantee you will have a hard time stopping at just one. I made these alongside some flourless chocolate brownies and my family ate everything off the table in seconds! Give them a try; it’s a recipe to love!

Ingredients in Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

Now that you know what isn’t in these cookies, it’s time to find out what is in them! You most likely have all of these ingredients at home so start whipping these up. You may even want to double the batch. They are that good!

  • Peanut butter: I like to use creamy peanut butter in these cookies but you can use chunky if that’s the kind you prefer!
  • Granulated sugar: Like I said, these cookies aren’t going to be healthy but they will be SOO GOOD.
  • Brown sugar: Pack that brown sugar when you are measuring!
  • Baking soda: This is the ingredient that will keep them soft and chewy, even without the flour.
  • Salt: The salt is used to enhance all of the flavors of the ingredients.
  • Egg: The egg, along with the peanut butter, will bind everything together.

Let’s Bake Some Cookies!

These flourless peanut butter cookies are going to knock your socks off! You may want to hide a couple to keep for yourself! Bake them up, and they will fly off of your counter so quickly.

  1. Preheat and line baking sheets: Preheat the oven to 350° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. Combine and mix ingredients: In a medium bowl use the hand mixer to beat together the peanut butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Once combined add in the baking soda, salt and egg. Mix until just completely combined.
  3. Scoop and indent the cookies: Scoop generous tablespoons of dough onto the baking trays, leaving 2 inches between each cookie. Use a fork to press an indentation into the tops of the cookies.
  4. Bake: Bake for 8-10 minutes. The cookie should just barely be turning golden brown at the very edge. They will look under baked but they will continue to bake as they cool. Any longer and they will over-bake and become crumbly.
  5. Let them cool ON the baking sheet: Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack or a plate.
The Best Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe (2)

Cookie Baking Tips

These cookies are so good, and you are going to want to make sure that they turn out just right. Here are a few tips that I have for you to make that happen!

  • Undercooked: The key to getting these cookies to turn out soft is to take them out while they are a bit undercooked. When you let them cool on the baking sheet (instead of transferring them to a cooling rack) then they finish cooking on the baking sheet and dont get overcooked in the oven. It’s the secret to a soft and delicious cookie!
  • Use the oven light: I know, I know, it’s tempting to open the oven door to see how these cookies are doing but don’t do it! When you open the oven door, you let a lot of heat out causeing the cookies to bake unevenly. Use the oven light instead!
  • Use regular peanut butter: If you use natural peanut butter in this recipe, then the cookies will spread and the texture will turn out differently. So you can use natural peanut butter but just know that they may turn out a bit differently than these!
The Best Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe (3)

Variations

If you love these cookies and want to make them more often then here are a few ideas on how you can switch them up!

  • Chocolate: You can add in mini chocolate chips to the batter or melt some and drizzle them on top. You can’t go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate together!
  • Butterscotch: Another fantastic duo is peanut butter and butterscotch.. Add in some chips to these cookies and you will never go back!
  • Nuts: Add in some of your favortite nuts like walnuts, pecans or almond to the dough. They will give these cookies a delicious crunch.
The Best Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe (4)

Can You Freeze Flourless Cookies?

Yes! Both the cookies and the dough freeze very well. Here is how you can freeze each of them to save for later!

  • Freezing cookies: Place them in an airtight container and label it with the date. The cookies will last 3-4 weeks in your freezer.
  • Freezing dough: Scoop out the dough into individual balls. Line them up on a baking sheet and freeze them for about 30 minutes. Then, take out the dough and put the balls into a ziplock bag that is labeled with the date. The frozen dough can last for up to 3 months. When you are ready to bake the dough, take them out and cook them as directed. Just add a couple of minutes to the cooking time. No need to thaw the dough!

More Flourless Recipes to Try

Whether you bake without flour for your diet or it’s just what you prefer, I have a few more recipes for you to try! These flourless recipes all have incredible texture and flavor and won’t make you feel like you are missing out on anything! Try them out, you will agree!

Desserts

Flourless Banana Cake

1 hr 15 mins

Desserts

Flourless Chocolate Cake

5 hrs 20 mins

Desserts

Flourless Chocolate Brownies

40 mins

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Flourless Peanut butter Cookies

5 from 3 votes

By: Alyssa Rivers

A flourless twist on a classic cookie? Yes, please! These cookies are packed with incredible peanut butter flavor and perfect for any gluten-free diet!

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 18 Cookies

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

  • In a medium bowl use the hand mixer to beat together the peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Once combined add in the baking soda, salt, and egg. Mix until just completely combined.

  • Scoop generous tablespoons of dough onto the baking trays, leaving 2 inches between each cookie. Use a fork to press an indentation into the tops of the cookies.

  • Bake for 8-10 minutes. The cookie should just barely be turning golden brown at the very edge. They will look under baked but they will continue to bake as they cool. Any longer and they will over-bake and become crumbly.

  • Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack or a plate.

Nutrition

Calories: 133kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 4gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 104mgPotassium: 105mgFiber: 1gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 15IUCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg

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

Additional Info

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Alyssa Rivers and the food blogger behind The Recipe Critic. The blog launched in 2012 as a place to share my passion for cooking. I love trying new things and testing them out with my family. Each recipe is tried and true, family-tested and approved.

Read More About Me

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The Best Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies falling apart? ›

The wrong type of peanut butter may cause them to fall apart. Or using old eggs may create crumbly cookies. How long do peanut butter cookies last?

What is the secret to moist cookies? ›

Cornstarch helps product soft and thick cookies. Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie. An extra egg yolk increases chewiness. Rolling the cookie dough balls to be tall and lumpy instead of wide and smooth gives the cookies a bakery-style textured thickness.

What is flourless cookie made of? ›

In the case of these amazing flourless fudge cookies, you'll only need egg whites, confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, your favorite chopped chocolate, plus some miniature chocolate chips that you could do without. There's also a bit of salt and vanilla, but you could even skip those, too.

Why can't you use natural peanut butter in cookies? ›

Using natural peanut butter requires a serious stir, Cook's Illustrated notes. Those oils and fats need to be completely reintegrated into the other solids before it can be used. Otherwise, parts of the peanut butter will be drier than others and it could affect the final texture of your cookies.

What happens if you don't flatten peanut butter cookies? ›

If you don't flatten the cookies first, then the fork does double duty – it performs both functions. One very subtle result of creating the pattern is that the little tips of dough bake up crisper than the rest of the cookie, giving you both a bit of additional texture and deeper taste where the dough is more baked.

How do you make peanut butter cookie dough less crumbly? ›

To avoid this, try using as little flour as possible while preparing to roll your dough. Dry – “Dry” or “Crumbly” dough is a product of over-mixing or using too much of any ingredient during the mixing process. This can be reversed by adding one to two tablespoons of liquid (water, milk or softened butter) to your mix.

Should I use baking soda or baking powder in cookies? ›

Baking soda is typically used for chewy cookies, while baking powder is generally used for light and airy cookies. Since baking powder is comprised of a number of ingredients (baking soda, cream of tartar, cornstarch, etc.), using it instead of pure baking soda will affect the taste of your cookies.

How can I make my cookies fluffier instead of flat? ›

Baking powder or flour in excess will cause cookies to rise more, making them more fluffy and cakey. Increased sugar will make them caramelize more and increased fat will make the dough heavier and richer, all increasing retention of water in the dough- these all add up to chewier cookies.

What is the best flour for cookies? ›

All-Purpose Flour: The Versatile Choice

All-purpose flour is the most commonly used flour in cookie recipes due to its moderate protein content (usually around 10-12%).

Can I use plain flour instead of all purpose for cookies? ›

The main advantage of plain flour is its versatility and general use. It's called “all-purpose flour” because it's a versatile ingredient that's suitable for numerous types of baked goods. Some of the goods include bread, biscuits, cookies, muffins, and many others.

What does less flour do to a cookie? ›

As a bonus, I did a little research to find out just what role each ingredient plays in chocolate chip cookies, so you can adjust your recipe however you feel like experimenting. Flour adds fluff and texture to the cookies. Adding too little flour can cause cookies to be flat, greasy, and crispy.

What happens if you use SR flour in cookies? ›

While it won't work as a substitute in all baked goods, you can use self-rising flour to make cookies, as long as you understand the necessary adjustments. Unlike all-purpose flour, self-rising flour contains more than just the wheat. It also has salt and baking powder, which makes it similar to baking mixes.

What is the best brand of peanut butter for peanut butter cookies? ›

The BEST peanut butter for today's cookies is a processed creamy peanut butter, preferably Jif or Skippy. Natural-style peanut butter is my choice for eating, but it just doesn't produce the same type of cookie as its processed counterpart.

Why do you put fork marks in peanut butter cookies? ›

Basic reason..the dough is more dense than most cookie doughs, and the pressing with the fork tines helps the dough bake evenly. Secondarily, its pattern makes it easier to tell them apart from other cookies with similar appearance.

Why do my peanut butter cookies taste weird? ›

Ones with lots of additives do not have as distinct a peanutty taste. So, use a natural peanut butter. Two, your expectations for a peanut taste are too high. The cookies have lots of other ingredients including a significant amount of flavor that decrease the flavor of the peanut butter.

Why are the peanut butter cookies crumbling? ›

Why are my cookies dry and crumbly? This is most likely a classic case of using too much flour. It's crucial to properly measure the flour in this recipe, as even 1 extra tablespoon of flour can completely change the structure of the cookies. You also might have over baked them!

Why are my cookies falling apart so easily? ›

If you overmix the dough, the cookies will be dry and crumbly. The best way to fix this is to add more liquid to the dough. This can be done by adding milk, water, or even melted butter. You may also need to add more flour to the dough if it is too wet.

Why are my peanut butter cookies breaking? ›

According to baking site Creme de la Crumb, if you find your cookies to be crumbly, it is because you've used too much flour. The site notes that it's an easy mistake to make, especially for us rookies who might think moist-looking cookie dough is a problem.

Why are my homemade cookies falling apart? ›

Too much flour: If you add too much flour to your cookie dough, it will be dry and crumbly. Make sure to measure your flour correctly using a kitchen scale or by spooning it into your measuring cup and then leveling it off. Not enough fat: Fat helps to bind the ingredients together and make cookies chewy.

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