Flourless 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

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These 4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies are made with simple ingredients and they’re also gluten-free. They’re quick and easy to make and are the perfect afternoon snack for the peanut butter lovers.

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A plate of 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies is on a table with a white hand holding one up above it.

Key Ingredients

This easy peanut butter recipe comes together with a handful of simple ingredients. Adding almond flour makes these gluten-free, but it also provides structure and a slightly fluffy, tender crumb without the need for traditional all-purpose wheat flour.

All the ingredients to make peanut butter cookies have been laid out across a table in small bowls.

Smooth peanut butter – a natural peanut butter without any additives is the best choice.
Blanched almond meal – adds a delicate, moist crumb and makes this cookie completely gluten free.
Maple syrup – adds a rich, subtle flavor with notes of caramel and toffee.
Vanilla essence – helps to bring out, and bring together, the flavours in this recipe.

Substitutions And Variations

Crunchy peanut butter can replace the smooth if preferred. The only thing to note here is I found that it gave the cookies a very sticky mouth feel. Almond butter is another good substitute for something a little different. I think the almond version is equally delicious.

Sprinkling a little coconut sugar or light brown sugar over the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven creates a sweet little crunch on top of the cookies when they’re ready to eat.

Want other delicious ways to enjoy these cookies? No eggs in the batter mean you can eat the dough raw! They make great little snacks as raw cookie balls and are best stored in the fridge this way.

Use any nut meal you have on hand to replace the almond in need. Hazelnut is an especially good swap.

Dark chocolate chips and sea salt are two optional ingredients that make these cookies extra special treats. While not necessary, they can help to round out the flavour profile and sprinkling a bit of salt over the top of each cookie helps balance the very rich peanut butter flavor.

A bite has been taken from a 4 ingredient peanut butter cookie sitting on a sunflower plate.

How To Make These Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

This easy cookie recipe requires no special equipment. A large mixing bowl is all you need or a hand mixer if preferred. The dough comes together quickly, and in just a few simple steps, you’ll have a batch of warm, delicious cookies ready to enjoy.

A white hand is using a silver spoon to mix a 4 ingredient peanut butter cookie batter in a large bowl.

A white hand is using a silver spoon to stir dark choc chips into a cookie batter.

A white hand is rolling 4 ingredient peanut butter cookie dough into balls on a baking sheet.

A white hand is using a silver fork to press down on cookie dough balls and flatten them out with a criss-cross pattern.

Preheat oven to 180ºC (350ºF) and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper/baking paper
Place the almond meal, peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Mix with a spoon or hand mixer to form a dough.
Roll the mixture into balls, place them on the prepared baking sheet then flatten out with the back of a fork in a criss-cross pattern.
Bake cookies for 12 minutes or until golden brown, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

If adding in choc chips place them into the bowl with all the other ingredients as you form the batter. They’re not at all necessary but I do find they’re a great match for the peanut butter, as is that tiny sprinkle of sea salt over the top. That said, the cookies are just as delicious as they are.

A white hand is holding a peanut butter cookie that has been snapped in half and stack together.

Tips For Success With This Recipe

Baking time may vary slightly, and your batch may need an extra minute or two depending. Be guided as much by time as the colour of the cookies.

If you have an especially creamy peanut butter adding a touch more almond flour may be necessary to help if form into cookie dough balls.

Use a cookie scoop or small ice cream scoop to make perfectly uniform cookies.

Storing

Store cookies in an airtight container or a cookie jar with a tight-fitting lid. for 3-4 days. Putting a piece of paper towel over the top of the cookies before closing the lid can help keep them fresh for longer. It helps absorb any moisture created.

4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies FAQs

Why are my 4 ingredient peanut butter cookies dry?

This may be the result of two things. Adding too much almond meal or using a peanut butter that doesn’t have much oil in it. If your peanut butter is very dry, you could experiment with adding a little macadamia oil.

Why are my cookies soft the next day and beyond?

Cookies go soft from absorbing moisture, which is often the result of not keeping them in an airtight container or having a few cookies in a hug container. To help prevent this, cover the cookies with a piece of paper towel before putting the lid on the container.

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