Classic Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies (with a gluten-free option)

Who doesn’t love a good peanut butter cookie? These classic vegan peanut butter cookies are as easy to make as they are to eat! To make these gluten free, simply swap in a GF flour blend or sorghum flour in for the wheat flour. Bob’s Red Mill® is one good source for both.

A choice of whole grain flours

These cookies are good with einkorn flour or light spelt flour, though they’re great with just about any kind of flour you have on hand (with the notable exception of whole wheat bread flour, which would be too heavy).

Make them gluten-free: I recently discovered sorghum flour, and though I’m not GF, I enjoy baking with it. It’s perfect for these cookies, which don’t use baking soda or baking powder, and so, don’t rely on a flour that rises. You can also use certified GF oat flour or a GF flour blend, like Bob’s Red Mill.

Peanut butter tip: Make sure your peanut butter isn’t too dense so it’s easy to blend with the other ingredients.

Explore more …

• Sweet and savory peanut butter recipes
• Vegan gluten-free dairy-free desserts and sweets
• No-Bake Date-Nut Cookies
• Vegan Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Blondies

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Yield: 16 to 18

Classic Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies (with a gluten-free option)

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Who doesn’t love a good peanut butter cookie? These classic vegan peanut butter cookies are as easy to make as they are to eat!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup peanut butter at room temperature (smooth or crunchy)
• 
1 cup flour (see options in Notes)
• 1/2 cup natural granulated sugar
• 
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• Pinch of cinnamon

• 1/3 cup currants, vegan chocolate mini-chips, or crushed peanuts, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Work together with a pastry blender or the tines of a large fork until well combined. You can also use clean hands, which is really easier! (The dough can vary according to the type of flour used and consistency of the peanut butter. It should be a soft dough, but not sticky, so adjust with a little more flour or peanut butter as needed.)
3. Scoop the dough up with a 1/8 cup (2-tablespoon) measure. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
4. Flatten the dough lightly with your palm, then press down lightly with a regular-sized fork in two directions to make that cool criss-cross pattern that peanut butter cookies are known for.
5. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the bottom of the cookies are golden brown.
6. Allow to cool for a bit to firm up, then transfer to a plate or rack to cool completely. Store cookies covered, at room temperature.

Notes

Flour options: Unbleached white, light spelt, einkorn, or whole wheat pastry flour. For gluten-free: gluten-free flour blend or sorghum flour.

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Photos: Galiyah Assan / Bigstock