Peanut Butter Cookies
These classic peanut butter cookies are chewy, the perfect balance of sweet and salty, and loaded with peanut butter flavour. Just like the ones you ate growing up, but vegan!
Although they’re vegan, everything else about these peanut butter cookies is exactly like the classic, from the chewy texture to the crosshatch pattern on top from pressing the tines of a fork into the dough before baking. They’re a fun, nostalgic treat that tastes just as good as you remember—and they’re easy as can be!
Why You’ll Love This Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe
- That perfect chewy texture. The best thing about a peanut butter cookie is that chewy texture and this recipe delivers!
- Sweet and salty combination. These cookies nail that balance with just enough sugar to satisfy your sweet tooth and a bit of saltiness from the peanut butter.
- So easy to make. If you can make other basic cookie recipes like sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies, you can make these simple vegan peanut butter cookies too!
Notes on Ingredients
Here’s a quick look at what you’ll need to make these cookies. Scroll down to the recipe card to find a printable ingredients list.
- Vegan butter – Use homemade vegan butter or store-bought.
- Natural smooth peanut butter – Look for peanut butter that is unsweetened.
- Brown sugar – You can use either dark or light brown.
- Granulated sugar
- Plant-based milk – Any kind you like or keep on hand in the fridge.
- Vanilla extract
- Dry ingredients – All-purpose flour, baking soda and baking powder.
- Sea salt – If your peanut butter has added salt, leave this out.
How to Make Peanut Butter Cookies
Making vegan peanut butter cookies couldn’t be easier! Here’s a quick step-by-step overview. Don’t forget to scroll down to the recipe card for printable instructions.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Beat the vegan butter, peanut butter, and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy.
- Add the wet ingredients. Mix the vegan milk and vanilla into the creamed butter and sugar.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking soda and powder, and salt in another bowl.
- Finish the cookie dough. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients.
- Form the cookies. Roll 1 1/2 tablespoon portions of dough into balls and set them on a parchment lined baking sheet 2 inches apart. Flatten the tops with a fork, forming a criss-cross pattern.
- Bake. Bake in a 350ºF oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to become golden brown.
- Cool and serve. Let the peanut butter cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Tips and Variations
- Stir the peanut butter well. Before measuring out the peanut butter, stir it well to incorporate the oil with the solids. This ensures the right balance for your cookies.
- Use crunchy peanut butter. If you prefer a bit of added texture, try using crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth.
- Adjust the sweet-to-salty ratio. Like a sweeter cookie? Sprinkle granulated sugar on the tops before baking. Want more salty flavor? Add flaky sea salt to the tops.
- Make them gluten-free. Substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour blend.
- Let them cool completely. Resist the urge to eat a warm cookie straight from the oven! These cookies need to cool first or they’ll be crumbly.
How to Store
- Room temperature: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: The cookie dough can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Simply scoop and shape the dough into balls, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, freeze until solid, then transfer the dough balls to a freezer-safe bag or container. When ready to bake, remove from the freezer and bake as directed, adding an extra minute or two to the baking time. You can also freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature.
Enjoy friends! If you make this peanut butter cookie recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegan butter, softened 115 g / 4 oz
- 1 cup natural smooth peanut butter, (unsweetened) 240 g / 4.2 oz
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed 90 g
- ½ cup granulated sugar, 100 g
- 3 tablespoon plant-based milk, 45 ml
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 190 g
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt, omit if peanut butter is salted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream together the softened vegan butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the plant-based milk and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and mix until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Scoop about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough per cookie and roll into balls. Place the dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Flatten each ball with a fork, pressing down to create a crisscross pattern.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are just starting to turn golden. The cookies will still be very soft after baking but will firm up as they cool.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. They will be very soft and crumbly before cooling.
Notes
- Room temperature: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: The cookie dough can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Simply scoop and shape the dough into balls, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, freeze until solid, then transfer the dough balls to a freezer-safe bag or container. When ready to bake, remove from the freezer and bake as directed, adding an extra minute or two to the baking time. You can also freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature.
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
