Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

Take a look around my blog and you’ll find a few gluten free recipes. My Almond Flour Chocolate Cake, Almond Flour Brownies, Salted Tahini Swirl Brownies, Peach Buckwheat Bars and Chocolate Rose Water Tart, are my favorites. These wonderfully thick and chewy gluten free pb cookies are another delicious addition to my growing collection of easy gluten free recipes. 

• They are quick and easy. All you need to do is bring the butter and eggs to room temperature. Then simply mix everything up in one bowl, scoop and bake! 
• You love cozy classic cookies. These easy gluten free peanut butter cookies taste just as cozy and delicious as the classic cookie recipe. They’re full of rich peanut butter flavor with a background of cinnamon. Gluten free or not, these grain free peanut butter cookies are wonderfully cozy, thick and chewy.

Dry ingredients: Gather gluten free flour, baking soda, ground and salt. Ground cinnamon is optional, but provides a nice cozy background flavor. 

Wet Ingredients: Gather natural peanut butter, unsalted butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract.

Here are my recommended substitutions to make these wonderfully chewy chocolate pecan cookies:

• Gluten free flour: This recipe was developed using a 1-1 gluten free flour. Make sure to check your flour. If there isn’t any xanthan gum added, make sure to add ½ teaspoon xanthan gum or cornstarch.  Make this recipe with regular flour by using 1 ¾ cup (210 g) of all purpose flour.
• Baking Soda: A double acting baking powder is the best substitute for baking soda. The final texture of the cookie will be different, but it will still be a delicious chocolate chip cookie! For this recipe, use 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) baking powder in place of the baking soda. 
• Unsalted Butter: You can use the same amount of salted butter as written in the recipe, but omit the added salt. For a dairy free gluten free peanut butter cookie, use a plant based or vegan butter. 
• Peanut Butter: Make sure to use a natural peanut butter. This is peanut butter made with only peanuts (and maybe a little salt). The dough will be a little greasy before baking, but will bake up really beautifully. If you want use creamy peanut butter. Cashew butter makes a beautiful substitute for peanut butter. Sunflower butter is a great nut free substitute for peanut butter. 
• Light Brown and Granulated Sugars: A blend of both sugars is what creates that classic peanut butter cookie taste.  This recipe hasn’t been tested using alternative sugars. However, I love using maple sugar as a refined sugar free option in my other cookie recipes. Maple sugar bakes very similarly to light brown sugar. 
• Eggs: This recipe hasn’t been tested without eggs. If you make this recipe without eggs or using an egg substitute, let me know!

• Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies: Add 1- 1 ½ cups semi sweet or mini chocolate chips into the peanut butter cookie dough. 
• Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies: Mix 1 cup peanut butter, ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar, ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar, 1 egg, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon together until well combined. Chill the dough for 1 hour or until the flourless peanut butter cookie dough easily holds a ball shape. Place the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet, make the cross hatch pattern and bake at 350 F (177 C) for 8-10 minutes. 
• Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies: Prepare the gluten-free peanut butter cookies according to the recipe directions. Melt 4 oz. chocolate with 1 teaspoon coconut oil or butter. Dip half the cookie into the melted chocolate, sprinkle with flaky salt, set and enjoy!

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk the gluten-free flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together until well combined. 
2. In another large bowl, beat the peanut butter, butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar until well combined. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract until well combined. 
3. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until combined. If adding chocolate chips, mix in the chocolate chips now.

4. Scoop about 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of gluten free peanut butter cookie dough onto a lined baking sheet . Place 5-6 balls of peanut butter cookie dough on the baking sheet about 3 inches apart. Use the tongs of a fork to press a cross hatch pattern on top of the cookie.
5. Bake the gluten-free peanut butter cookies for 10-14 minutes. The edges will be set and lightly golden brown. Remove the cookies from the oven onto a cooling rack or stove top. After 3 minutes, transfer the cookies off the hot baking sheet and onto the cooling rack to cool to room temperature and enjoy!

Freeze the cookie dough: Place the cookie dough balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet, place the baking sheet into the freezer and freeze until the cookie dough is frozen. Remove the baking sheet from the freezer and place the frozen cookie balls into a ziplock bag. These chocolate chip pecan cookies can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. 

Thaw the cookie dough: Transfer your desired amount of frozen cookie dough balls onto a lined plate or baking sheet. Allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge. Bring the cookie dough balls to room temperature before baking. 

Store baked cookies: These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. For the best cookie eating experience, heat the cookies in the microwave for 20 seconds for that “fresh from the oven taste.”

• Bring cold ingredients to room temperature: This allows the cookies to mix together more evenly which requires less mixing, resulting in a soft, chewy and delicious cookie. 
• Measure the flour properly: I highly recommend using a food scale for many reasons (like less dishes to clean), but the main reason is to get perfectly measured dry ingredients every time. 
• Use a cookie scoop: This make the cookies uniform in size and shape. 
• Slightly under-bake the cookies: For cookies that are soft and chewy for days, the secret is to bake them until the edges are set.
• For the best tasting cookies the next day: The easiest way to give your cookies that “fresh from the oven” taste the next day is to microwave them for about 15-20 seconds and enjoy immediately.