Peanut butter cookies are a classic in the cookie world. If you do enough digging around on the internet you’ll come to find a wide array of recipes, ranging from the delicious classics packed with sugar and flour to 3-ingredient peanut butter cookie recipes. And then of course there are those silly health bloggers trying to take a classic and make it healthy. Pssshhhhh. Oh wait 😉
bite of peanut butter cookie
Peanut Butter Cookies Crafted to Be Both Simple AND Healthy
I wanted to craft a recipe for you that had that perfect peanut butter cookie taste, yet wasn’t too sweet and also had a delightful texture. They are firm, soft on the inside, and ever so slightly crumbly on the edges. All of this was achieved with just 6 simple, gluten-free ingredients and would you believe that there is only 1/4 cup of coconut sugar for the entire batch?! We’ve got a good thing going on here!
This recipe is gluten-free because I chose to use a bit of oat flour rather than wheat or white flour. Friendly reminder regarding oat flour… oats are naturally gluten free, but are often processed in a facility that also processes gluten-containing flours. For that reason, if you have celiac, make sure you are purchasing oats/oat flour that is specifically marked as “gluten-free” and for the rest of us, regular oats work perfectly well and only contain trace amounts of gluten.
QUICK TIP: Don’t purchase oat flour if you have a blender or food processor! Simply dump your oats into either machine and grind them up into flour. So simple! If you don’t have either of these machines you can definitely purchase oat flour at the store, you’ll just pay a tad more.
reaching for a peanut butter cookie bite of peanut butter cookie
FAQs About Peanut Butter Cookies
Are peanut butter cookies healthy?
This totally depends on the recipe that you make! Some recipes are loaded with sugar and white flour which makes a less healthy cookie, but there is still a place for those goodies in a balanced diet 🙂 Or you can opt for a healthy peanut butter cookie recipe like the one below!
Are peanut butter cookies gluten free?
Not all peanut butter cookies are gluten free, but this recipe is! If the recipe contains wheat or white flour it is not gluten free. Some recipes contain no flour and the one below contains a bit of oat flour to keep it gluten free!
Why do peanut butter cookies have criss cross fork marks?
There is an interesting history as to why peanut butter cookies have criss cross fork marks! This way of making peanut butter cookies first appeared in the Schenectady Gazette on July 1, 1932 and then grew in popularity when Pillsbury published a cookbook in 1933 that referenced this technique. Beyond the interesting history of this technique, putting fork marks on the top of your peanut butter cookies does help them to cook evenly, given the dense nature of the dough.
Can you freeze peanut butter cookies?
Yes you can freeze these cookies! Make sure to separate each individual cookie with a small piece of parchment paper so they don’t freeze into one large hunk of a cookie. You can freeze, thaw and enjoy them for up to 3 months!
How long do peanut butter cookies last for?
If you are leaving them out on the counter, in an airtight container, consume them within a few days of making them. I like to store mine in the refrigerator so I can enjoy them for up to a week or two and freezing is your best long-term storage option!
Why Sweeten With Coconut Sugar
Coconut sugar is my favorite refined sugar substitute to mimic the flavor of brown sugar. With all of the debate on the internet about which sugar substitute is the best, I always like to remind people that these are still sweeteners 😉 But there are some additional health benefits from various sugar substitutes.
Coconut sugar specifically exhibits the following perks when compared to standard table sugar:
- Slightly lower glycemic index – this is a measure of how quickly a food raises your blood sugar levels
- Small amounts of minerals, antioxidants and fiber
- Slightly lower in fructose
Though sweetener is still sweetener, this recipe only calls for 1/4 cup of coconut sugar for an entire batch of cookies… what a win! And in case you are wondering how coconut sugar is even made (because I was super curious myself)… it is made from the sap of flower buds from the coconut palm tree. The sap is boiled to evaporate most of its water content, then the final product is coconut sugar!
Ingredients You’ll Need For These Peanut Butter Cookies
- Salted creamy peanut butter – make sure to select a peanut butter that only has 2 ingredients: peanuts and salt. Avoid added sugars and oils by purchasing a product like this!
- Egg
- Vanilla extract – this vanilla extract from Rodelle is my absolute favorite vanilla extract! Made with quality ingredients, this is a staple in my baking pantry.
- Coconut sugar – as mentioned above, coconut sugar is the perfect substitute for standard brown sugar!
- Oat flour – I often make this in my blender simply using rolled oats, but you can purchase it pre-ground as well.
- Baking soda
peanut butter cookie ingredients peanut butter cookie dough
These peanut butter cookies are packed with peanut butter taste and have a perfectly soft and chewy texture! Made with 6 clean, gluten-free ingredients and no refined sugar, you'll love how these cookies taste and how healthy they are.
- 1 cup salted creamy peanut butter
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup oat flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and thoroughly mix.
Roll dough into golf-ball sized balls and place on a lined cookie sheet.
Using a fork, place criss-crossed marks on top of of each ball.
Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown on the bottom.
Let cool to firm up the cookies before enjoying!
Recipe Video
PER COOKIE
124 cals ~ 8g fat ~ 8g carb ~ 5g protein ~ 2g fiber ~ 4g sugar
Want More Peanut Butter Recipes?
If you are like me and simply can’t get enough peanut butter in your life, check out this recipe for PB&J Banana Bread. It’s like all your favorite childhood memories wrapped up in a loaf of bread! And did I mention that it’s gluten free and incredibly easy to make?!
And while you’re on your peanut butter and jelly kick, you might as well make some PB&J Energy Balls as well 😉
