Ok, let’s just TALK about how many tries these vegan peanut butter cookies took me. I’ve been looking for a recipe that is just straight up peanut butter cookies, no almond butter, no other stuff, and something that I can throw together in a SNAP when I get that hardcore cookie craving. I found the perfect cookie in these, with a perfectly crispy, chewy outside and a super soft, peanut butter-y inside that feeds that inner peanut butter lover in me.
Developing a perfect vegan peanut butter cookie has been on my list for SO long. I could never find one that was easy to make and ticked all the boxes for being a perfectly chewy/soft cookie. I went through probably four rounds of testing with these, with the first batch being super crumbly (shout out to my mom and dad for gladly eating those), and the others were either too hard, too soft, or just not quite right. I did the hold test to get to these perfect vegan peanut butter cookies just right, holding up the cookie after it’s cool to make sure it’s not too soft (would start crumbling right away) or too hard (overbaked and over mixed). TBH, I still ate the ones that were too hard—dip those babies in chocolate and you are gooooood to GO!
These peanut butter cookies are probably some of the easiest I’ve made to date. Get yourself two bowls, one for dry ingredients and one for wet, whisk both, and then stir everything together. When you’re scooping the dough out for these it’s going to seem reallllly soft and liquidy, but trust me, it’s perfect the way it is. The secret to these cookies is how soft the batter is. It’s just soft enough that they are tender inside, but have that really perfectly crackly exterior that every really great cookie should have (ex. see picture above, YES please). I also would not recommend overbaking these AT ALL. They are going to seem too soft to be good, but the key to truly great cookies is making sure they are baked the perfect amount before you take them out of the oven, then take them out and let them cool until they are perfectly crispy. To me, the sweet spot for eating a cookie is about 10-15 minutes after they come out of the oven, so they are still a little warm, but just crispy enough on the outside. COOKIE DREAMS.
Tips for making vegan peanut butter cookies
Can these cookies be made gluten-free?
I tried making one batch of these with a gluten-free flour blend and they didn’t quite work out for me. If you want to make them gluten-free (and are better than me at GF baking), I think a combination of almond flour and coconut flour would be perfect. I would also recommend increasing the cornstarch by another teaspoon to make sure the dough holds together.
My cookies are dry, what happened?
Overbaking! Your cookies might not have looked done, but they are! Next time, make sure you take them out about 1-2 minutes before you think they are done.
My cookies are too soft!
Let them cool for a bit longer or stick them back in the oven and bake for another minute or so. Or, just dip them in chocolate and call it good to go!
Previously on Heart of a Baker
One Year Ago: Chocolate Granola Pancakes
Two Years Ago: Vegan Blueberry Crisp Bars
Three Years Ago: Whole Wheat Vegan Crepes with Apricots + Ginger
Four Years Ago: Mini Banana Espresso Tarts with Maple Walnut Crust {No Bake, Vegan, + Gluten Free}
Five Years Ago: Vegan Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie Topped with Peanut Butter Walnut Frosting
PrintThe BEST Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 20 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
The BEST vegan peanut butter cookies that are perfectly soft, easy, and full of SO much peanut butter goodness!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup + 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325ºF. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, milk, vanilla, and peanut butter. Whisk until smooth and combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the peanut butter mixer and stir until no flour streaks remain and the dough starts to come together.
- Scoop dough out by the tablespoon onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are starting to be golden brown but they are still soft to the touch.
- Remove from oven and cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Don’t overbake these! I know they will look underbaked when you take them out, but if you over bake them they will become crumbly and dry.
- If you prefer crunchy peanut butter, that will work here too.
- I tried these with a gluten-free flour blend and they turned out way too crumbly. I wouldn’t recommend making them gluten-free unless you want crumbly cookies!
Keywords: vegan cookies, vegan peanut butter cookies, peanut butter cookies
Trina and Tina says
Will definitely be giving this a try! Thanks!
Heart of a Baker says
Hope you love them Trina!
Emily says
For a gluten-free alternative, peanut flour works very well for me.
Heart of a Baker says
Oh that’s a GREAT idea! Thanks Emily!
Sean Mahan says
You had me at “peanut butter,” but vegan as well! What a healthy treat!
Heart of a Baker says
Best of both worlds!
Michelle says
I made them! Your recipe is the best!!! Thank you for your efforts 🙂
Heart of a Baker says
So happy to hear that Michelle!
Stephanie says
First, I will say that these cookies are delicious! However, mine turned out nothing like the photos. They were super puffy and did not spread at all. I ended up flattening them with a fork after baking, and that helped. Not sure what could have caused the difference, but it wasn’t a huge deal. They ended up tasting great and had a traditional criss-cross peanut butter cookie appearance. Thank you for the recipe!
Heart of a Baker says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Felicia says
Why do you put olive oil in peanut butter cookies? For taste? Health reasons? I have never used olive oil in baking. I think coconut or something mild tasting would taste better for baking, but if you really think that olive oil really is a better choice for these cookies for some reason can you let me know? Thanks!