Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies are deliciously healthy cookies with no flour and no refined sugar that tastes out of this world! The dash of sea salt on top makes them irresistible!! They're soft, chewy, and addictive.
These cookies are so good. No one will know they're flourless!
We literally jumped for joy the first time we bit into these Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies! Who knew a clean, healthy cookie with no flour, no dairy, and no refined sugar could be so darn good!
No Joke!!
This recipe is so good and always gets rave reviews. You'll never miss the flour! This is definitely a Pantry Recipe because you likely have all the ingredients on hand.
If you're wondering if peanuts are GF, according to the National Peanut Board, It's important to know that peanuts, peanut butter, peanut flour, and peanut oil are considered naturally gluten-free foods.
We always try to feed our family Healthy Food Recipes, and this recipe fits perfectly with that plan!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
For these healthy peanut butter cookies, you'll need the following:
- Coconut flour - you can also use all almond flour if you need to.
- Baking soda - helps the cookies rise a little bit.
- Almond flour
- Peanut Butter - we like all-natural brands like Kirkland and Adam's that don't contain added sugar. You can use smooth or chunky peanut butter in the recipe.
- Vanilla - we recommend pure vanilla extract.
- Honey - raw honey is delicious in this recipe.
- Egg - if allergic to eggs, this recipe is fine, using beef gelatin as a substitute.
- Sea salt
Tip: Readers add chocolate chips to this recipe with good results.
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1 - Gather Ingredients
Start by gathering your ingredients and preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Next, line your cookie sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat mat.
Step 2 - Mix Dry Ingredients
Now, in a large bowl, combine your coconut flour, baking soda, and almond flour and mix well. Create a well in the dry ingredients.
Step 3 - Add Wet Ingredients
Add your peanut butter, honey, eggs, and vanilla to the dry ingredients and mix until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
Step 4 - Scoop
To get your batter on the cookie sheet, we find the best method to make the individual cookies with a cookie scoop (since it can be a little runny). We recommend 12 cookies to a sheet, 2 inches apart.
You can also make them smaller and get 18 cookies out of a batch.
Step 5 - Bake
Finally, sprinkle each cookie with a dash of salt and bake for 8-10 minutes. They should be golden brown and a little crisp around the edges.
Once out of the oven, cool on a wire rack.
Why Do Peanut Butter Cookies Have a Criss-Cross Pattern
Traditional peanut butter cookies have a criss-cross on the top because the cookies tend to puff up while baking.
You can easily do this to your cookies with a fork just as your gluten-free cookies come out of the oven. Press the fork down in one direction and then press it in the opposite direction making a criss-cross pattern.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Adam's Natural Peanut Butter is excellent in this recipe, but any peanut butter will do. Chunky or smooth. However, make sure it's gluten-free if you need it.
- If your peanut butter is new, it may be runnier, and therefore your cookie batter may be runnier. They should bake up fine, though.
- For less sweet cookies, reduce the honey to your liking.
- If you need to, you can use almond flour in this recipe.
- If you don't eat eggs, substituting beef gelatin for the egg works well. This is the beef gelatin we use.
- Save some for later! These cookies freeze well.
- We recommend making a double batch. You'll thank us later 🙂
- How we bake all our cookies is on our Silpat mat. It gives them the perfect crisp around the edges and moist and chewy middle. These peanut butter almond flour cookies turn out perfectly!
For beginner bakers, use these baking tips!
Can I use Another Type of Nut Butter?
Readers say this recipe is also good with almond butter. Sunflower seed butter would likely make the cookies too runny and bake up flat.
Can I use Another Type of Sugar?
You could substitute ¾ cup coconut sugar for the recipe. One reader experimented with Swere but said the cookies tasted delicious but came out flat.
Storage Options
These Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies are soft, moist, and soooo delish right out of the oven. However, they also keep for about a week in an airtight container - if they last that long. 🙂
These cookies also freeze well for munching on later! Just store in an airtight container and make sure to prevent freezer burn. They will taste great after being stored in your freezer for three months.
Can I make these cookies vegan?
To make these cookies vegan, substitute the honey for maple syrup or ½ cup white granulated sugar. They will be delicious!
Can I use crunchy peanut butter?
You can use crunchy peanut butter in this recipe. Just make sure it's solid at room temperature. They will bake up just as delicious.
Can I use liquid sweetener?
Although we haven't extensively tested it, liquid sweeteners, like liquid stevia, are okay in the recipe. However, it may make your cookies bake up flat.
Can I use another type of flour?
You can use rice flour, buckwheat, or oat flour in this recipe.
Why did my peanut butter cookies turn out hard?
The most likely reason your cookies turned out hard is that they are overbaked. These cookies should be slightly soft when they come out of the oven. Baking for 8-10 minutes is usually the right amount of time.
More Peanut Butter Recipes You May Like
No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Crock Pot Peanut Butter Oatmeal
Easy Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars
Amazing Peanut Butter Saltine Toffee
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If you try these Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies recipe or any other recipe on Suburban Simplicity, don't forget to rate the recipe and let us know how it went in the comments below; we love hearing from you! Better yet, use the hashtag #suburbansimplicity if you make the recipe.
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Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe
Equipment
- Baking pan
- mixing bowl
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon coconut flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup almond flour
- 1 cup salted peanut butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup honey
- 1 large egg
- Sea salt or Kosher salt to top cookies
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or Silpat mat.
- In a medium bowl, combine coconut flour, baking soda, and almond flour and mix well. Create a well in the dry ingredients.
- Add peanut butter, honey, vanilla, and egg to the dry ingredients and mix until all ingredients are incorporated.
- Take a cookie scoop, place batter on a cookie sheet, 12 cookies to a sheet, and 2 inches apart.
- Sprinkle each cookie with a dash of sea salt. Cook 8-10 minutes and then cool on wire racks.
Video
Notes
- The recipe makes 18 small or 12 large cookies.
- These cookies freeze well.
- Adam's Natural Peanut Butter is great in this recipe, but any peanut butter will do. Chunky or smooth.
- If your peanut butter is new, it may be runnier, and therefore your cookie batter may be runnier. They should bake up fine, though.
- For less sweet cookies, reduce the honey to your liking.
- If you don't eat eggs, substituting beef gelatin for the egg works well. This is the one I use.
- Save some for later! These cookies freeze well.
- I'd recommend making a double batch. You'll thank us later 🙂
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in April 2017. We updated it with enhanced instructions and new images on February 14, 2020.
This post contains affiliate links. Disclosure policy here.
More Cookie Recipes
Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
The Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies
Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
More Gluten-Free Options
Strawberry Chia Seed Jam without Refined Sugar
Quinoa Pizza Bites
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Jen says
I looooooooove these cookies!! So does my family the recipe is awesome! They come out soft and delicious
Erin Henry says
Awesome, Jen! We always get positive reviews for this recipe. Soft and delicious for sure!
Faith says
I was looking for a healthy peanut butter cookie to share with my toddlers that is also gestational diabetes friendly, and these fit the bill. They are super easy to make and delicious—- and no sugar high/crash afterward! Well done.
Erin Henry says
We're so glad you found this recipe and love it so much, Faith! Toddlers to adults enjoy it! Glad to hear it meets your dietary restrictions too!
Jen says
Some of the absolute best cookies I’ve ever made!! My son (hates all paleo recipes) loved these too!! I used all almond flour and the texture was 👌
Erin Henry says
Yeah! We're so glad your son loved them, Jen! Our kids love them too! We've used all almond flour and its turned out great too.
babeinthewools says
Wish there were MORE stars to give. These cookies are WONDERFUL! I'm old and have made many different 'flour' peanut butter cookies. These are the best by far.
Thank you for such a great treat.
Erin Henry says
Oh, thank you so much, Elaine! These really are the best 🙂 Thanks for giving them a try!
Chelsea says
These are sooo delicious and such a hit at my house!! Thanks for sharing!
Erin Henry says
Thanks for stopping by! This is a recipe that is made again and again at our house.
Trang says
I'm sending this to my friend who is allergic to gluten! She's always looking for good but easy recipes! Thank you!
Erin Henry says
Perfect, she won't be disappointed! It's an easy recipe to make too!
Jeanne M Fling says
These are the best gluten free cookies I've ever made. Thank you!
Erin Henry says
Oh, yay! We think so too, Jeanne! Thanks for visiting and the 5-star review!
Sally Ann says
I was looking around Pinterest for a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie recipe that was gluten free and used honey for the sweetener. When I found yours I saw how easy it was and decided to try it. The cookies just came out of the oven and of course I'm not waiting for them to cool. Oh my goodness they are so yummy! I added chocolate chips. Thank you so much for this recipe. It will be my favorite from now on.
Erin Henry says
We're so glad you like the cookies, Sally Ann! The addition of chocolate chips is amazing! Can't wait to try it!
Becca says
Is there a good substitute for the coconut flour?
Erin Henry says
Hi Becca,
You can try almond flour as a substitute.
TutorMom says
I've tried several gluten free, nut butter cookie recipes, and this one is my favorite. I do alter it a little by replacing half the peanut butter with almond butter and half the honey with maple syrup. Delicious!
Erin Henry says
We've so glad you enjoy it!! Thanks for the 5 star rating! You're the best.
Emily says
These are fantastic! Thank you for posting this recipe! My entire family loves them!
Erin Henry says
This is a family fav! Glad you liked them , Emily!
Fred says
These were excellent! I used Swerve instead of honey (which could be why they were a little crumbly) but they tasted great!
Erin says
So glad your substation turned out great, Fred! Enjoy the recipe!
Leslie says
I literally cannot stop making these and eating these amazing cookies! I tried making them with almond butter last night and they are incredible, too! Thank you for sharing this goodness!
Leslie
Erin says
yes!! love them with almond butter too! So glad you found the recipe, Leslie!
Marian says
So delicious! As usual, I tend to adapt recipes to what I'm craving or have on hand. This time, I used a beef gelatin "egg" and added some chocolate chips to one tray. What a wonderful gluten free treat! I wish they were just a bit crispier, but boy they taste good!
Erin says
Without butter and brown sugar, Marian, it's hard for these delicious cookies to get really "crisp", but they are delish! Thanks for trying out the recipe!
Holly says
These cookies are so satisfying! Thank you for the recipe, the family loved them.
Erin says
Yay! I'm so glad, holly. We love them!
Anna Townsend says
Is there a substitute for the coconut flour, my daughter is allergic?
Erin says
Hi Anna, Although I've never tried it, I would think you could substitute almond flour. Let me know how it goes!
Diane says
My new favorite cookie. Delicious!!! ????
Erin says
You and tons of raving fans!! Thanks, Diane!
Margie says
I just made the peanut butter cookies. I absolutely loved them!, Thank you so much! I really had my doubts about them before I made them, but I as very pleasantly surprised at how great they were!
Erin says
I always get rave review with this recipe. I'm sooo glad you enjoyed it! I think it's time for me to make another batch!
Chloe D. says
These cookies were delicious! Thanks for the great recipe!
Erin says
I'm so glad you liked them, Chloe!! There seriously one of my favorites!
Nancy says
These are delicious. I make a batch for my son every week. Thank you so much!!
Erin says
I love hearing that Nancy!!. I'm so glad he likes them and that you're so nice to make a batch for him every week!
Kate says
Hi Erin,
I made a double batch of this because we had company coming and everybody loved these cookies! Thank you for the recipe!
-Kate
Erin says
I love to hear this, Kate! I'm so glad you liked them as well as everyone else. That's what I find, people just gobble them up! Thanks for sharing!
Marion Brown says
Can I substitute almond butter?
Erin says
I've always wanted to try that, Marion. I would think it would be okay, but definitely let me know! Erin
Jeff stroud says
Hi, I made made these after viewing other recipes. They are delicate and tasty. My question is how can you made a dozen cookies from a 1/4 cup of Almond flour? I used a whole cup of Almond flour meal to create a dozen.
Erin says
Thanks for trying the recipe, Jeff. Depending on the size of your cookies your yield will vary. I make fairly small cookies, so I have more of them 🙂
Beth Shanahan says
I love these cookies with chocolate chips added!
Erin says
What a good idea, Beth! That sounds amazing! Love chocolate 🙂
Ginny says
WOW! I've recently reintroduced peanuts into my diet and my boyfriend was craving peanut butter cookies. So I went searching for recipes. Way too many recipes are just a 1 to 1 ratio of sugar and peanut butter! Yikes! No thanks!
This however is a very excellent recipe! I modified it a bit by adding 2 tablespoons of butter, 1 whole teaspoon vanilla, 1 tablespoon extra coconut flour, and I only used maybe 1/3 cup of raw honey. I will def make these again! Thanks for posting this!
Erin says
I'm so glad you and your boyfriend like these, Ginny! We just love them...so does everyone who tried them! Thanks for stopping by!
Debi says
These were absolutely yummy! My friend who is also gluten intolerant fell in love at first bite!
Erin says
That's what happened to me too, Debi! I just love these cookies. I'm so glad your friend enjoyed them too!
Alexandra says
These are absolutely delicious! Ive taken on a "paleo" lifestyle recently and these are just what I needed! I prefer these over refined peanut butter cookies 🙂
Erin says
Thanks, Alexandra! We absolutely love these and everyone who tastes them agrees! I prefer these over refined sugar cookies too! Enjoy the recipe 🙂
Asha says
This is awesome. Pictures look so yummy and delicious. I definitely plan to try this.
Erin says
Great, Asha! I think you'll love them. It's an easy recipe with great flavor 🙂
Cookie Lover says
I need to know ASAP if JIF peanut butter is considered salty. Also, if I don’t have coconut flour what can I use?!
Erin says
You can definitely use JIF in this recipe. As for saltiness, it's a matter of taste. I would say it's a little salty. If you don't have coconut flour, you could use almond or quinoa flour.
Dana Oren says
My girls and I just made your peanut butter cookies! They are Delicious!! Unfortunately I’m sensitive to eggs so THESE will be for the girls. I saw that you mentioned replacing the egg with Beef gelatin. What is the recipe? Is it a gelatin egg?
Thx so much!
Erin says
Hi Dana, I'm glad the girls are enjoying the cookies! Everyone around my house does! As for replacing the eggs with beef gelatin, I use this brand http://amzn.to/2DKxeLE and use one scoop of gelatin and 3 tablespoons of water to create 1 egg. The way to get the gelatin to work right is mix it with one tablespoon water, stir it around and then add 2 tablespoons hot water to dissolve. Let it sit for a minute or two to gel and then add it to your recipe. Hope this helps!
Eman says
Thank you! This is the best gluten free cookie recipe I have made. I used sunflower seed butter (roasted, salted, no sugar) and it came out great. Thank you again.
Erin says
Yay! I'm so glad Eman! We love this recipe as do everyone who's made them...so I'm glad your substitution worked out nicely. Thanks for the 5 star rating 🙂
Eileen says
Hi Erin, these cookies are definitely delicious, I use the crunchy peanut butter because I like to crunch into the nuts. However I am not sure how you are arriving at 4 for the carbohydrate count per cookie as suggested in the nutritional label. Your recipe at one point says 12 cookies and another Point says it makes 18 cookies, either way I calculate it, I am coming up to at least 10 carbs per cookie. Can you help me understand how you came up with 4 carbs per cookie? A half cup of honey alone is 136 carbs. I care about this because I am a diabetic and I would love to be able to eat these delicious cookies on a regular basis which I would be able to do if they were actually 4 carbohydrates each. Either way they are awesome! Thanks for the recipe.
Erin says
Hi Ellen, so glad you like these cookies! Thanks for your question. Nutritional information is approximate for my recipes as it is calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator. I fiddled with the the settings and it now says 11 carbs, but that's approximate. Depending on how large you make your cookies, that will determine your yield. I like to make them fairly small and get 18 that way. Enjoy the recipe!
Lesley says
These are amazing! My mixture was a little runny but went with it and they turned out fine.
Only issue for me is the price as they took nearly a whole jar of peanut butter and it's quite a lot of honey but i might try cutting down the honey next time.
Really good whether you are trying to cut out grains and dairy like me or not.
Cindy says
Hey Erin, I'm going to make these today and wanted to confirm the amount of baking soda please. Is it 1/2 tsp or 1-1/2 tsp? Thanks so much!
Erin says
I was on vacation, Cindy, so just seeing this now. Hopefully you figured out it's 1/2 teaspoon, not 1 1/2. Let me know how they turn out. Just a note to let you know without the flour, these cookies are pretty moist. Sooooo delicious, though!