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This cookie recipe is only for serious peanut butter lovers! These flourless Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookies are like classic peanut blossoms – only better because they are extra peanut buttery and topped with a peanut butter cup, not to mention naturally gluten free. Bake a batch for an after-school treat or to add to your Christmas cookie platters.
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: American
- Primary Cooking Method: Oven
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free
- Skill Level: Easy
I am a total peanut butter fanatic, which is why I am obsessed with this peanut butter cookie recipe. These flourless peanut butter cookies put a new twist on the classic peanut butter blossom cookie recipe. You know, the one with the little chocolate Hershey’s Kiss on top? Those are good, but these are better!
The cookies themselves are extra peanut buttery and naturally gluten free. Then they are topped with peanut butter cups for a double dose of peanut butter with your chocolate. These will definitely be a favorite at Christmas and all year round. Here’s why:
- Naturally gluten free. Since these are flourless cookies, it’s the easiest and most afforable way to make gluten free cookies without buying special flour. Just always be sure to check your labels for ingredients.
- Simple to make. There is only a handful of ingredients and the dough comes together quickly. You don’t even have to sift any dry ingredients or chill the dough. Just mix, scoop, and bake.
- Extra peanut buttery. While I love classic gluten free peanut butter cookies (you know, the kind with the criss-cross on top), the pure peanut butter flavor comes through even more when you skip the flour. And it’s enhanced by the combo of white and brown sugar. Then amp up the PB factor by adding a peanut butter cup instead of a Hershey Kiss.
Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions
While some people make three-ingredient flourless peanut butter cookies, I like to add a few extra ingredients. It may be a slightly longer list, but they are baking basics, and they give the cookies a better texture and flavor. Here’s a quick list, but be sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full amounts.
- Granulated sugar.
- Brown sugar. You can use light or dark, but I like the deep, rich molasses flavor of the dark variety.
- Baking soda.
- Creamy peanut butter. You can use any kind, even natural peanut butter. For a little extra crunch, substitute chunky.
- Egg. Feel free to test one of these egg substitutes for baking if you need an egg-free option.
- Vanilla extract.
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. You’ll need the mini ones, unwrapped. Hershey states on their website that all Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are gluten free except the holiday-shaped ones. But since this recipe calls for the Miniature Reese’s, you are good to go. You can also use Justin’s Peanut Butter Cups.
Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 350°F and let’s get started. The details are in the recipe card, but let’s go over the basics.
- Mix dry ingredients. Using a fork, mix together the sugar, brown sugar, and baking soda in a bowl
- Blend in peanut butter. Then with a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat in the peanut butter until it’s all nice and creamy.
- Finish the cookie dough. Add the egg and vanilla and mix thoroughly to form a slightly crumbly dough. It will come together when you scoop and roll balls.
- Form balls of dough. Using about a tablespoon of dough, make a ball and place it on the cookie sheet. You’ll then want to flatten it with the palm of your hand to about 1/2 inch thick. This will ensure they spread enough to give you a nice flat top to place your peanut butter cup.
- Bake the cookies. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until set. Let cool for a minute or two before placing a Reese’s on top. Then cool completely.
- Line the pans. It is helpful to line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. These cookies are quite tender. While they do hold up well, you will have some crumbled cookies if they stick.
- Time it right. Just let the cookies cool for a few minutes before topping them with the peanut butter cups. You don’t want the cookies too hot to melt the chocolate completely, but you want it warm enough so that the Reese’s “glues” itself to the cookie.
- Do double duty. You can definitely double this recipe, which is so helpful around the holidays to be able to make all the cookies you need. In fact, you can double or triple the recipe and split the dough to make a few types of gluten free peanut butter cookies. See below for some ideas.
Proper Storage
You’ll always want to store cookies in an airtight container or a plastic storage bag. They will keep at room temperature for up to a week.
Freezing Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookies
Yes, these flourless Reese’s peanut butter cookies freeze quite well, which is perfect if you want to start your Christmas baking in advance. I always recommend placing the cookies in a plastic freezer bag and squeezing out any excess air. Then place the bag in a cookie tin or other container that can protect the cookies from getting crushed in the freezer. Enjoy them within 1-2 months for the best flavor.
As I mentioned earlier, you can start with this basic flourless peanut butter cookies recipe or even classic gluten free peanut butter cookies made with flour, then change it up countless ways. You can even split the dough to make two kinds of cookies from one batch. Here are some ideas:
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- About 30 mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, unwrapped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a fork, mix together the sugar, brown sugar, and baking soda in a bowl.
- With a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat in the peanut butter until cream.
- Add the egg and vanilla and mix thoroughly.
- Form balls using about 1 tablespoon of dough, place on the cookie sheet and flatten to about 1/2 inch thick with your palm.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until slightly golden and set.
- Let cool on the sheet for about a minute, then place a peanut butter cup on top of each cookie, tapping slightly so that the chocolate “glues” it to the cookie.
- Cool for another five minutes or so on the cookie sheet before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Did you make this?
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Do you think this dough would work for the type of cookie where you use a mini muffin tin, then press a mini on cup into the braced cookie?
I haven’t tried that but I think it would work.
Can you use honey in place of one of the sugars? thank-you
Hi Wendy,
I’ve never tried it with this recipe, but you could give it a shot. Here’s a well written article that explains what you would need to do to make it work. Good luck and please let me know how it turns out! https://www.thekitchn.com/4-rules-for-successfully-swapping-honey-for-sugar-in-any-baked-goods-230156
Ooooooo! Thanks for posting ! Love me some peanut butter, too! Have you tried it over vanilla ice cream ? So yummy !!
I bet that is amazing, though I love anything peanut butter and anything ice cream.
What a great combo. We love peanut butter and chocolate. We have family members with celiac and this will be a great option for them. I never know what to serve when they come. My hubby always wants me to make three times the food we need when having people over too. Do you think they are scamming us for more goodies? Haha!
We would love to have you join us at our weekly Super Saturday Link Party. It goes live tonight at 7 MST at http://www.madefrompinterest.net. It would be our honor to have you share your great work with us!
Yes, I think the easiest way to bake gluten free is to leave the flour out altogether 🙂 My hubby is equal opportunity when it comes to making too much food – sweets and savory/healthy stuff, just lots of it!