These one bowl peanut butter cookies are make with your favorite creamy nut butter and just a few simple, healthy ingredients! They’re soft and a little crisp, egg free, vegan, and perfect for simple desserts and snacks, and to make with kids! Use almond or cashew butter to keep them paleo or peanut butter if you prefer!
Can you really blame me for making another “peanut butter” recipe? Peanut butter is probably my ultimate comfort food, if I had to choose.
You probably realize that it’s also not actually paleo, since peanuts are a legume.
Luckily, it barely matters whether or not you’re fine eating actual peanut butter (I admit I am sometimes – I love it!).
You can make easy, one-bowl, LEGIT tasting peanut butter, or “peanut” butter cookies with any nut butter. I have more info on the best nut butters for this recipe below.
What You Need to Make Easy Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
Since we happen to be somewhere in the middle of the COVID-19 quarantine right now, it always helps to use simple ingredients!
If you’re already familiar with paleo and vegan baking, you’ll probably already have everything you need.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to prepare the peanut butter cookies:
- flaxseed meal (for the flax egg)
- water
- refined coconut oil
- creamy nut butter (No stir is best, almond, cashew, or peanut)
- maple sugar or coconut sugar
- pure vanilla extract
- blanched almond flour
- baking soda
- fine sea salt
How To Make Peanut Butter Cookies
These peanut butter cookies are perfect when you’re craving something sweet on a lazy day. They’re easy and pretty fool proof!
First, prepare the flax egg: mix the flax and water and set it aside to thicken for 10 minutes.
In a large bowl using a whisk or electric hand mixer, blend together the coconut oil and nut butter until smooth, then blend in the sugar and vanilla. Mix in the flax egg until very smooth.
Stir in the almond flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until a sticky dough forms. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to a day in advance.
While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 350° F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Scoop the dough by 1 1/2 Tbsps and roll into balls, rolling lightly in the sugar if using (this is optional). Place 2” apart on the baking sheets, then use a fork to press down gently twice in a criss cross pattern.
Bake one batch at a time in the center of the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove and allow the cookies to cool for 5-10 minutes on the baking sheet, then carefully transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Which Nut Butters are Best For This Recipe?
I tested this recipe using both creamy natural peanut butter and almond butter, and both worked out very well. Cashew, pecan, walnut, or hazelnut butter will work well too. Simply use what you have on hand!
Any smooth nut butter will work for this recipe, and “no-stir” nut butter is the best option. If you don’t have no stir, the cookies will still be delicious, so no worries!
If your nut butter happens to be extra drippy and not thick and creamy, that’s fine too. I recommend adding just a bit more almond flour to the dough if this is the case. I provide that measurement in the notes section of the recipe.
Can I Make the Dough Ahead of Time?
Yes! You can make the dough up to a day or two in advance and chill it in the refrigerator before rolling it and baking.
I haven’t tried freezing the dough so I’m not sure how that would work. If you do try this, I’d love to hear about how this worked out for you so be sure to leave a comment!
I hope you’re ready for an easy, classic and super delicious peanut butter cookie that’s chewy on the inside, a little crisp and full of nutty flavor. Grab your ingredients because it’s time to bake – let’s go!
One Bowl Peanut Butter Cookies {Paleo, Vegan}
One Bowl Peanut Butter Cookies {Paleo, Vegan}
Ingredients
- 1 flax egg 1 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tbsps water, allowed to sit for 10 minutes
- 1/4 cup refined coconut oil melted
- 1 cup creamy nut butter (almond, cashew, or peanut)**
- 3/4 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar, or a mix of the two.
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup blanched almond flour *
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar, or other granulated sweetener for rolling (optional)
Instructions
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Prepare the flax egg as described above, and set aside.
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In a large bowl using a whisk or electric hand mixer, blend together the coconut oil and nut butter until smooth, then blend in the sugar and vanilla. Mix in the flax egg until very smooth.
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Stir in the almond flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until a sticky dough forms. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to a day in advance.
-
While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 350° F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
-
Scoop the dough by 1 1/2 Tbsps and roll into balls, rolling lightly in the sugar if using (this is optional). Place 2” apart on the baking sheets, then use a fork to press down gently twice in a criss cross pattern.
-
Bake one batch at a time in the center of the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes on the baking sheet, then carefully transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Recipe Notes
** No stir nut butter works best, but you can also use any creamy nut butter as long as you sir it well first.
***Note that peanut butter is not technically paleo, but a grain free option for this recipe. For paleo, use smooth almond or cashew butter.
Nutrition
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Want More Paleo + Vegan Cookie Recipes? Try One of These!
Cranberry Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies
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You can never go wrong with a peanut butter cookie! These look delish, love the ingredients
These were so easy to make! Very simple to follow the recipe!! And those little criss-crosses actually working on a (near) paleo peanut butter cookie makes me wanna happy dance!! i was so excited to get this recipe in my inbox this morning, and i’m so happy with the baking result! thank you so much for a peanut butter cookie i can be proud of!
How well do you think sunbutter (sunflower seed butter) would work?
It should work well!
Hi Michele
I just made these and they I didn’t have enough nut butter so I used peanut butter with the nut butter. Curious on how to store them. They turned out even with 2 different spreads in them.
I stored mine at room temperature and they lasted several days.
Was so excited to try your new recipe today! This time I used almond butter, substituted eggs and doubled the recipe. I’m not quite sure what happened, but the dough is very dry and crumbly. Unless I pack the dough using my hands they won’t stay together. Any ideas on how to salvage them?
I haven’t tried these with eggs so I’m not sure if that could be it. It also might be the consistency of the almond butter, if it was on the drier side. Hard to tell.
Mine was crumbly as well and I used a flax egg. Do you by chance live in the south? I live in the Houston area and had a similar problem once with another oil based cookie.
Or missed out on the latest episode of your favorite TV show because of work at the office? Well, do not be disheartened.
There is a perfect solution to your problem and it is called for my face.
The whole family loved these
Is there an alternative to the almond flour I could use instead? We have an almond allergy in our family.
Made this recipe this morning two times, once with peanut butter and once with almond butter. I added chocolate chips to both and used one egg in each batch in lieu of the flax egg. They turned out perfectly. Thanks so much!
I’ve made these multiple times using Nuttzo brand Keto nut butter and they are amazing! I buy the crunchy version of the nut butter at costco because I can get a huge jar at a reasonable price. I then blend it in my food processor to make it creamy. I store the cookies in the fridge so they are crunchy . . . when they are softer, they tend to fall apart. Has anyone tried freezing them?
Great and really captures what you want in a peanut butter cookie. Mine came out so very dry, though! Even without using all the flour mixture I find they need some coffee or something to be properly enjoyed. Might suggest raising the coconut oil or decreasing the flour to one heaping cup if your nut butter is thick like mine.
Can a regular egg be substituted for the flax egg? If so, how many?
Can you use 1 egg instead of the flax egg?
The perfect combo of sweet and salty that you look for in a peanut butter cookie. I used an egg instead of flax. Combined maple sugar with maple syrup, ghee instead of coconut oil. The dough seemed sticky since I used a drippy almond butter and maple syrup so I added more almond flour. 2 cups total. Turned out very moist and tender.
Super yummy! I’ve made it as written and with sunbutter and sunflower seed flour. Both were excellent! Very easy recipe with impressive results!
Oh my goodness, these were incredible! I pressed a healthier PB cup on top of each after they had cooled a bit. Absolute heaven!
Very tasty and our mixed diet type ( Vegan, Carnivore, Pescatarian) household all agree. Followed with exact ingredients, using coconut sugar. Saved to use again.
Might suggest raising the coconut oil or decreasing the flour to one heaping cup if your nut butter is thick like mine.
This recipe was super easy to make! It also tastes just like the regular version. I always use unrefined coconut oil and they still tasted yummy! I used 1/2 cup almond butter and 1/4 cup peanut butter. They were best warm out of the oven but kept well on the counter.
i rarely, if ever, eat peanut butter but i didn’t have enough almond on hand … so i slipped away to the corner store and picked some up. its been years since i’ve had a pb cookie, and i don’t think my partner has ever had one so i was happy these broke his cherry and were a guilty-pleasure for me. suuuper satisfying. (we decided to make hot chocolate to dip them in as well, as another reviewer mentioned…which took it to another level – altho not out of necessity!) these were the perfect texture between moist and a tad crumbly.