Gluten Free Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

These Gluten Free Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies are soft, chewy, and taste like the classic crisscross cookie you grew up with. No eggs, no dairy, no wheat, and no one at the table can tell.

The first time I handed one of these to my non-vegan friend, she got three bites in before she asked what was “off” about them, and the answer was nothing.

Gluten free vegan peanut butter cookies are soft, chewy peanut butter cookies made without eggs, dairy, or wheat, using a 1:1 gluten free flour blend and natural peanut butter. That’s the whole trick.

Most of the allergen-friendly versions I tested over the years came out dry, sandy, or so crumbly they fell apart on the way to my mouth. These don’t. They rise, they crack across the top, and they hold together like a cookie is supposed to.

I’ve made this batch more times than I can count, and one of my readers put it better than I could when she said they still “rise and crack like a regular cookie.” That’s the bar.

If you want more in this lane after these, my No Bake Peanut Butter Balls and Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares are the two I reach for next.

Why You’ll Love These Cookies

• Seven pantry ingredients. Nothing you have to hunt down at three stores.
• One bowl, no chill. Mix, crisscross, bake. You’re eating in about 30 minutes.
• They behave like a real cookie. Crisp edges, soft chewy center, that classic fork pattern that actually stays.
• No eggs, no dairy, no wheat. A 1:1 gluten free flour keeps the structure without any weird texture.
• Big peanut butter flavor. Natural peanut butter carries the whole cookie, so every bite tastes like peanut butter and not like a workaround.

Ingredients

You’ll need seven ingredients for these gluten free vegan peanut butter cookies. Exact amounts, nutrition, and the full method are in the recipe card at the bottom.

• Gluten free 1:1 flour blend — use a blend that already contains xanthan gum, which is what keeps the cookies from crumbling. Regular all-purpose flour works too if you don’t need them gluten free.
• White sugar — gives you that classic crackle on top. Coconut sugar, cane sugar, or brown sugar all work if you want a deeper, less-sweet flavor. Coconut sugar is a little less sweet, so you may want a touch more.
• Baking soda — the lift that keeps them from turning dense.
• Salt — a small pinch to sharpen the peanut butter and balance the sweet.
• Natural peanut butter — smooth is my go-to. Crunchy works and adds a nice bite. For a nut-free version, sunflower seed butter or almond butter both swap in.
• Almond milk — any mild non-dairy milk works. Soy, oat, and coconut milk are all fine, just keep the flavor neutral.
• Vanilla extract — rounds everything out.

How To Make Gluten Free Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

1. Preheat and prep. Heat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix the dry. In a medium bowl, stir together the gluten free flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
3. Warm the wet. In a separate small bowl, combine the slightly warmed peanut butter with the room-temperature almond milk. Room-temp milk matters here, cold milk seizes the peanut butter.
4. Bring it together. Add the wet mix into the dry, add the vanilla, and stir until a dough forms. It gets thick, so finish it with your hands if you need to.
5. Shape and crisscross. Roll into balls with a cookie scoop and space them on the sheet. Press each one twice with a fork to make the crisscross pattern.
6. Bake. Bake 12 to 14 minutes, until the bottoms are golden. They’ll look underbaked and very soft when they come out, and that’s exactly right.
7. Cool. Let them sit on the pan for 15 minutes before moving them to a rack. They firm up as they cool, so don’t judge them straight out of the oven.

Tips For The Best Peanut Butter Cookies

The one mistake that wrecks these is overbaking. They keep cooking on the hot pan after they leave the oven, so pull them while the centers still look soft. That’s the difference between chewy and dry.

A few more things I’ve learned making these on repeat:

• Stir your peanut butter well. Natural peanut butter separates, and the oil sitting on top will throw off your dough. Stir the whole jar before you measure.
• Room-temperature liquids. Cold almond milk hitting warm peanut butter makes the dough clump. Let both come to room temp first.
• If the dough feels too soft to shape, pop it in the fridge for 5 minutes. Warm kitchens make sticky dough.
• Want crispier edges? Bake one or two minutes longer. Want them soft and chewy? Pull them on the early side.
• For a less-sweet cookie, swap the white sugar for coconut sugar.

Storing And Freezing

Store these on the counter in an airtight container for up to 6 days, or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

They freeze two ways. Freeze the baked cookies, wrapped tight, for up to 3 months. Or freeze the raw dough balls on a tray, then move them to a container once solid and bake straight from frozen, adding a minute or two to the time. Either way, keep the air out so they don’t dry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these peanut butter cookies gluten free? Yes. They use a 1:1 gluten free flour blend instead of wheat flour, and peanut butter is naturally gluten free. If you have celiac or a strong sensitivity, use a flour and a peanut butter both labeled certified gluten free to avoid cross-contamination.

Why do my peanut butter cookies fall apart? Crumbly cookies almost always mean the dough was too dry, usually from too much flour or from moving the cookies before they cooled. Spoon and level your flour instead of scooping, use a blend with xanthan gum, and let the cookies rest the full 15 minutes on the pan before you touch them.

Why did my cookies spread too much? Runny or over-oily natural peanut butter is the usual reason. Stir your peanut butter well, and if the dough feels loose, chill it for 5 to 10 minutes before baking. A warm kitchen makes cookies spread, so a quick chill fixes it.

Can I add chocolate chips or other mix-ins? Yes. Dairy-free chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or dried fruit all fold right into the dough. Readers have added chocolate chips and a drizzle of date syrup and loved both.

More Peanut Butter And Gluten Free Recipes

• Smashed Peanut Butter and Chocolate Dates
• Heart Shaped Jam Thumbprint Cookies
• Gluten Free Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Chocolate Sea Salt Protein Balls With Peanut Butter
• Protein Chocolate Peanut Butter Mug Cake
• Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Oreo Balls

If you make these gluten free vegan peanut butter cookies, leave a star rating and a comment below, I read every one. And if you bake a batch, share it on Instagram or Pinterest and tag @basicswithbails so I can see them.