These Soft Peanut Butter Cookies are super-simple 4-ingredient peanut butter cookies without the crumbly texture of the classics. They are made with only 4 ingredients and no eggs, no dairy, and no refined sugar.
While the whole recipe is just below, don’t miss all my tips further down, including ingredient swaps, my cooking tips, and step-by-step shots!
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Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup Peanut Butter - (note 1)
- ¼ cup Maple Syrup - (note 2)
- ¼ cup Almond Milk
- ⅔ cup Self-Rising Flour - (note 3)
Add-ons – optional but recommended for flavors
- ⅓ cup Dairy-Free Dark Chocolate Chips
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper, and lightly oil the paper with oil. Set aside.
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, stir peanut butter, maple syrup, milk, and vanilla extract if used. Stir with a rubber spatula until a creamy paste form.
- Stir in the self-rising flour, cinnamon, and salt if used. Stir until a smooth cookie dough forms
- If you want to add chocolate chips, fold in now and stir to evenly combine.
- Divide the dough into 9 equal portions, drop each dough ball on the baking sheet, and lightly press them with oiled palms to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands.
- Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes at 350°F (180°C) or until slightly golden on the top.
- Let them cool down on a cooling rack for 30 minutes to firm up.
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients and Substitutions
You only need 4 ingredients to make these delicious cookies.
- Peanut Butter – This is the main ingredient, providing flavor and structure to the cookies. Almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter are also suitable. Ensure it’s a natural variety without added sugar or oil.
- Maple Syrup – This sweetens the cookies and helps bind the ingredients. Agave syrup, rice syrup, or coconut nectar can also be used.
- Almond Milk – This adds moisture to the dough, creating a soft texture. You can use any dairy-free milk, like cashew milk, oat milk, or coconut milk.
- Self-Rising Flour – This provides the structure for the cookies and helps them rise. You can make your own by combining all-purpose flour with baking powder. For a gluten-free option, use my gluten-free converter, but don’t forget the baking powder.
How to Make Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
These cookies are super simple to make in just a few minutes. Here’s how in pictures.
Combine the liquid ingredients in a large mixing bowl and incorporate the flour.
Roll the dough between your hands (oil them a bit so it doesn’t stick).
Place the 9 cookies dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and flatten them.
Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes at 350°F (180°C).
Carine’s Baking Tips
Let me share a couple of tips to make delicious cookies every single time, even if it’s your first go!
- Add Chocolate Chips – Incorporating 1/2 cup of chocolate chips introduces sweetness and delicious chocolate pieces.
- Enhance Batter Flavor – Adding 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, or a pinch of salt (if your peanut butter is unsalted) boosts the flavor profile of the batter.
Can I use almond flour
No, it will never firm up. Try my almond flour peanut butter cookies to use your almond flour, they are crunchy, not soft but tasty!
I’m sure I misunderstood the gf converter. I doubled the recipe so used the converter which said to use 3/4 cup plus 4 tbsp gf flour, 1/3 cup teff flour, the baking soda, acid, and then it said 2 EXTRA tsp of baking powder. So I thought that meant I had to add 1.5ish tsp baking powder to make it self rising plus this extra 2 tsp the gf converter said. So my cookies taste like dry baking powder cookies with a hint of peanut butter . I couldn’t give low rating since the error must have been mine.
Yes, you did and I feel so terrible that this happened to you! When you use the gluten-free converter, you tell the tool if you are converting flour or self-rising flour. Then, the tool gives you the exact blend you need regarding that choice, you don’t have to add anything else. If you doubled this recipe, it means you select “self rising”, then select 1 1/3 cup. Here’s what the converter exactly says, and this is what you are gonna use, no need to add anything else except the remaining ingredients in the recipe that are not the flour or self-rising flour you are converting. Your Gluten-Free Flour Mixture
You need all of the below:
3/4 cup + 4 Tbsps of Gluten-Free Flour Blend (e.g., rice/tapioca/potato starch base)
1/3 cup of Mild, Nutty Flour (e.g., millet, teff, oat, or almond flour)
3/8 tsp of Baking Soda
1 3/8 tsps of Acid (Lemon Juice or Apple Cider Vinegar)
2 tsps of Extra Baking Powder (for self-rising conversion)
we cooked them without vegetal milk, just realised it getting out of the oven but I think they are ok as well, what is the moment to add the vegetal milk? By the way, we have done as Christmas cookies
The milk is added with the peanut butter. I hope they come out well.
We loved them!!! Very easy to make! Thank you!
My pleasure!
I think this soft peanutbutter cookies will turn out good wth Bob’s red mill 1to1 GF flour yes.
Let me know !