Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

These vegan peanut butter cookies are soft, chewy in the middle and crunchy on the outsides. They make a great on-the-go snack for when you’re in need of something sweet!

You know what I can just never seem to get enough of? Peanut butter.

I mean, it’s just so versatile, affordable and easy to work with.

I’ve made a few peanut butter recipes on my blog so far, but I wanted to add yet another one because I love baking with peanut butter so much!

See more vegan peanut butter dessert recipes:

• 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies
• Peanut butter fudge
• Peanut butter cups
• Want more? Check out my 68 best vegan desserts

I have to admit, I first uploaded this recipe when I was only just starting out as a (self-taught) vegan baker. Sadly, I got quite a few comments on Pinterest by people who’d tried the recipe and told me that it tasted quite bland.

So I decided that it was only right to make sure my updated recipe was nothing less than delicious! After many, MANY attempts, I’ve finally got one I’m happy with.

Of course, everyone has a different preference when it comes to vegan peanut butter cookies. Some like them super sweet, some like them with barely any sugar and some like a LOT of peanut butter in their cookies.

I like to think that my updated recipe is somewhere in the middle- sweet but not sickly, chewy but also a little bit crispy, and nutty-tasting without being too overpowering.

I hope you enjoy them! I’d love to hear your feedback on this new recipe if you try it.

Making Cookies Without Eggs or Dairy

Many people don’t realise just how EASY vegan baking can be. Especially for simpler recipes such as cookies.

If you plan on making your baked goods or desserts vegan-friendly, you’ll obviously want to say goodbye to dairy and eggs.

But don’t panic! There are SO many ways to make delicious vegan desserts without animal products. 

For this particular recipe, I used peanut butter instead of eggs. It sounds mad, but trust me, it works!

The eggs in cookie recipes are typically only there as a binding agent. Using peanut butter will help the dough to stick together in a similar way.

As for the subtle leavening that eggs give in a cookie recipe, this can be achieved with a small amount of baking soda.

Perfection!

And the dairy products?

Coconut oil is a common butter replacement but I personally find the results too inconsistent for baking.

I almost always use a plant-based “butter” spread instead of dairy butter when I bake. The texture/taste is exactly the same, making it the perfect replacement.

The same goes for milk. Most plant-based milks have a very subtle taste and cannot be detected in baked goods. You can use soy, almond, oat, hemp, rice… whatever tickles your fancy.

My personal preference is soy as I get the best results with it.

If you’re worried that using vegan butter or plant-based milk might make your desserts taste weird, you have nothing to worry about, promise!

None of my non-vegan family can ever tell the difference between the non-vegan desserts that they eat and the vegan-friendly desserts that I bake.

If you’re interested in learning more about vegan baking ingredient replacements, I’ve created a baking cheat sheet which you can get your hands on when you sign up to my monthly mailing list (I won’t spam you, promise).

How To Make Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

Ok, let’s get to it…

Step 1

The first step is to mix your wet ingredients together.

To a large bowl, add 120g (1/2 cup) of vegan butter, 190g (3/4 cup) of natural-style peanut butter, 100g (1/2 cup, packed) soft brown sugar, 100g (1/2 cup) caster/superfine sugar, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Mix everything together using a wooden spoon until it becomes a smooth paste.

I’d highly recommend using 100% natural peanut butter with no oil or other additives such as Meridian for best results.

Step 2

In a small bowl, mix together 230g (1+ 3/4 cups) of all-purpose flour, a small pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda.

Then add this into the large bowl with your wet mixture. Stir in briefly, then use your hands to form a firm cookie dough.

Step 3

Place the dough into the fridge for 20 minutes.

Note that the brand of vegan butter you use for this recipe will determine the texture of the dough.

It may seem a little crumbly after chilling in the fridge but as long as you can roll it into balls and flatten them without it falling apart, it will be fine. If it absolutely won’t stick together, you can add a splash of plant-based milk.

On the other hand, if it’s too wet, just add more flour until you get the desired consistency.

Step 4

Once the 20 minutes is up, remove the dough from the fridge and soften it in your hands slightly.

Divide it up into 12 equal-sized pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Place the balls onto a pre-lined or greased baking tray and use your (clean) fingers to flatten the balls out slightly.

Make sure to leave a little bit of space between the cookies on the tray as they will spread out during baking.

Step 5

Bake the cookies at 180C/ 350F for 15 minutes. Leave them to cool completely before removing them from the tray as they will be very tender and break apart when hot.

Don’t be fooled into thinking they are under-baked once the timer goes off. If you keep baking them, they’ll become too hard once cooled.

And that’s it! When your cookies are cooled completely, you can start enjoying them and share with your friends or family.

Cookie mix-in ideas

I know peanut butter cookies are perfectly delicious on their own, but sometimes it’s nice to have a bit of added texture thrown in there.

If you fancy spicing things up a little, try adding some of these mix-ins to your cookie dough before baking:

• Chocolate chips
• Chopped nuts
• Dried fruit such as raisins, apples or strawberries
• Chopped pretzels
• Spices such as cinnamon and ginger

How Long Will They Last?

If you enjoy them as much as I do, not very long!

But jokes aside, if you’re planning on making these in advance, you can store the cooled cookies in an airtight container for around 4 days. Just make sure to keep your cookie container in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.

If you keep them any longer than this, they will start to lose their peanut butter flavour and that soft, chewy texture.

I hope you love these cookies as much as I do! If you give them a try, please leave a rating or comment below to let me know what you think. And be sure to check out my other cookie recipes.

Happy baking!

xo

5 from 4 votes

Print

Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

Soft and chewy peanut butter cookies without eggs or dairy.

Course Dessert

Cuisine vegan

Keyword vegan peanut butter cookies

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Servings 12

Calories 275 kcal

Ingredients

• 120 g Vegan butter (½ cup)
• 190 g Natural style peanut butter* (¾ cup)
• 100 g Soft brown sugar (½ cup)
• 100 g Caster / superfine sugar (½ cup)
• 2 Teaspoons Vanilla extract
• 230 g All-purpose flour (1 + ¾ cups)
• Pinch Salt
• ½ Teaspoon Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C / 325°F for fan or convection ovens) and line or grease a medium-sized baking tray.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the vegan butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, caster sugar and vanilla.

3. Mix the flour, salt and baking soda together then add it to the wet mixture. Stir it in briefly then use your hands to form a firm dough.

4. Place the dough in the fridge for 20 minutes.

5. Warm the dough up in your hands once it's out of the fridge and divide it into 12 equal-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place them onto the baking tray.**Press lightly with your fingers to flatten them slightly. Make sure to leave a little space between the cookies as they will spread out while baking.

6. Bake for 15 minutes. Allow them to cool completely before removing them from the tray as they will be very fragile while hot. If they seem underbaked, resist the urge to keep baking after the timer goes off or they will become hard once cooled.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

• *For best results, use natural peanut butter that is made from 100% nuts.
• **The texture of the dough will heavily depend on which brand of vegan butter you use. It may seem a bit crumbly after chilling in the fridge but if you can roll it into balls and flatten them without it falling apart, it’ll work just fine. If it falls apart, add a splash of plant-based milk to help it stick. On the other hand, if it’s too wet after chilling, add a little more flour until you can roll the dough into balls without it sticking to your hands.
• Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
• Recipe adapted from Rajshri Food.

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

Amount Per Serving

Calories 275 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g18%

Sodium 99mg4%

Carbohydrates 32g11%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 18g20%

Protein 1g2%

* All values are an estimate only and will vary depending on the food brands used.