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These Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. And, of course, they feature that traditional crosshatch pattern. Get your glass of milk ready!
Table of Contents
- Soft and chewy. These cookies have that soft, chewy, melt-in-your-mouth texture that every good peanut butter cookie should have.
- Just a handful of ingredients. These gluten free peanut butter cookies are made with gluten-free flour and a few pantry staples.
- Quick and easy. It takes just a few minutes to prep these cookies and they take less than 10 minutes in the oven too! Just keep in mind that the dough needs to chill for an hour.
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: American
- Primary Cooking Method: Oven
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free, Dairy-free
- Skill Level: Easy
Looking for more easy cookies? Try my flourless peanut butter cookies, gluten free chocolate chip cookies, gluten free oatmeal raisin cookies, and gluten free sugar cookies.
What You’ll Need
Below I’ve rounded up the ingredients you’ll need to make these yummy gluten-free peanut butter cookies. Don’t forget to refer to the recipe card with the full ingredient amounts:
- Gluten-Free Flour: Use your preferred gluten-free flour blend. I’m partial to Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Blend. Other good options are Cup-4-Cup or King Arthur Flour Measure for Measure.
- Baking Soda, Baking Powder, and Salt: Essential leavening ingredients for a light, chewy cookie, with a bit of salt added to enhance the flavors.
- Butter: I like to bake with unsalted butter (or leave out the added salt). Make sure to take your butter out of the fridge to let it come to room temperature.
- Peanut Butter: Use the creamy, shelf-stable kind, like Jif or Skippy. I don’t recommend using natural peanut butter as the oil tends to separate.
- Brown Sugar: I use light brown sugar in these cookies, but regular brown sugar will also work. Brown sugar makes the insides of these gluten-free cookies nice and chewy.
- Egg: To bind the ingredients and add richness to the cookie dough.
- Vanilla: For the best flavor, use pure vanilla extract.
These gluten-free peanut butter cookies are super simple to make. Scroll down to the recipe card below for measurements.
- Make the Cookie Dough: First, whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter with peanut butter and brown sugar. Next, beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix until just combined.
- Chill: Cover the cookie dough and then pop it into the fridge for an hour.
- Portion the Dough: When the dough is chilled, portion it into balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Press the top of each ball with a fork to give each peanut butter cookie the signature criss-cross pattern.
- Bake. Bake the cookies at 375ºF for 7-9 minutes, then let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack.
Here are some additional tips for perfect gluten-free peanut butter cookies:
- Don’t overmix the dough. This is the number one reason why peanut butter cookies come out dense and tough. Make sure to only mix the ingredients until the dough is just combined.
- Chill the cookie dough. Creamy peanut butter makes the cookie dough particularly soft, so chilling is a must! Give the dough at least an hour in the fridge, otherwise, the cookies will spread all over the baking sheet while they’re in the oven.
- Don’t skip the criss-cross pattern. Using a fork to press the hash mark into the tops of the cookie dough allows dense peanut butter cookies to bake evenly, with crispy outsides and a chewy interior. It also looks pretty!
- If your fork is sticking when making the criss-cross pattern, dip it in flour first.
These are some of the items I can’t live without when I am baking cookies:
- BAKING SHEETS: If you want lightweight sheet pans that don’t warp and are easy to clean, these from Nordicware are truly the best.
- PARCHMENT PAPER: Never watch your cookies crumble when you line your pans.
- COOKIE SCOOP: The best way to end up with nice, round, even cookies is to use a scoop.
- SMALL SPATULA: Easily lift those cookies off the pan without banging the one next to it by using this little gadget.
Variation Ideas
These gluten free peanut butter cookies are a treat on their own, but you can easily adapt them to make them even more delicious! Here are some easy variation ideas:
- Add a chocolate kiss. Make peanut butter kiss cookies by pressing a chocolate kiss into the middle just after the cookies are baked. Or, use mini Reese’s Cups as I do in my Flourless Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies.
- Turn them into thumbprint cookies. Make peanut butter thumbprint cookies and use the back of a spoon to make a dip in each baked cookie while they’re still warm. Fill the centers with caramel for Dulce de Leche Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies, melted chocolate, or jam for a PB and J gluten-free peanut butter cookie!
- Make sandwich cookies. You can also use them to make cookie sandwiches, whether you go with chocolate frosting or a scoop of Reese’s ice cream.
Yes. Your gluten-free peanut butter cookie dough can be prepared and then store airtight for up to 5 days before baking. Simply portion it out and bake it straight from the fridge!
Peanut butter cookie dough can also be frozen for up to one month. Thaw the dough in the fridge overnight before baking.
Proper Storage
Whether you bake them right away or save the dough for later, here’s how to store your baked cookies.
- Room temperature. Store baked gluten-free peanut butter cookies airtight for up to 3-4 days.
- Freeze. Baked peanut butter cookies can be stored in a freezer-safe container or resealable freezer bag and kept frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost the cookies at room temperature before serving.
Soft and chewy Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies are so easy to make and full of rich peanut butter flavor! Perfect for dunking into a tall glass of milk.
Servings: 36 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend (recommended: Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Blend, though Cup-4-Cup, or King Arthur Flour Measure for Measure are also good options)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar , firmly packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, sift or whisk together the gluten free flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar and beat with a hand mixer or paddle attachment of a stand mixer at high speed until light and creamy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and add the flour mixture, beating until just combined, scraping the bottom of the mixing bowl, as needed to fully incorporate the flour.
- Cover and refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 1 hour/
- Form balls using 1 Tablespoon of dough and place them onto the lined sheet. Flatten each ball with a fork, turning it to make a crisscross pattern. Bake at 375°F for 7 to 9 minutes until golden brown. Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.
Disclaimers: Please discuss your individual dietary needs (i.e. gluten free) with a physician. Even when not specified, be sure to verify all ingredients are gluten free, if needed, by reading labels on all packaging and/or confirming with the manufacturer this varies by brand and can change at any time. Nutrition information shown is an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.
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