Vegan peanut butter cookies with classic crosshatch pattern on parchment paper
Stack of vegan peanut butter cookies showing soft chewy texture
Close-up of vegan peanut butter cookies on a cooling rack
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Peanut Butter Cookies (Vegan)

Cookies

2 servings
Prep 10 min
Bake 20 min
Total 30 min

Ingredients:

Equipments:

Freezer Friendly
Gluten-Free
Grain-Free
Meal Prep Friendly
Soy-Free

Features:

Freezer Friendly

Gluten-Free

Grain-Free

Meal Prep Friendly

Soy-Free

Nutrition:

Servings 1 cookie  Calories 130  Carbohydrates 12 g  Fat 8 g  Fiber 1 g  Protein 4 g
Monounsaturated 4 g  Polyunsaturated 1 g  Saturated 1.5 g  Trans 0 g
Vitamin A 0 mcg  Vitamin C 0 mg  Vitamin D 0 mg
Calcium 12 mg  Iron 0.4 mg  Potassium 115 mg
Cholesterol 0 mg  Sodium 85 mg  Sugar 9 g  Folate 12 mcg

Make Now
Prep

Instructions:

  1. Make the flax egg: In a small bowl, stir together 1 tbsp (7 g) ground flaxseed and 3 tbsp (45 ml) water. Let sit 5 minutes until gel-like.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. Mix the dough: In a large bowl, combine 256 g (1 cup) peanut butter, 144 g (¾ cup) coconut sugar, the flax egg, 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract, 2 ml (½ tsp) baking soda, and salt to taste. Stir until a thick dough forms.
  4. Scoop & shape: Roll dough into 1.5-inch (4 cm) balls and place 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheet. Press a fork crosshatch pattern into each cookie to flatten slightly.
  5. Bake for 10–12 minutes until the edges are set (centers may look underdone — they firm up as they cool).
  6. Cool: Let cookies cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. They are fragile when hot!
Common Mistakes, Notes, Storage, Swaps & Tips

Add-ins: Fold in 43 g (¼ cup) dairy-free chocolate chips before shaping.
Common Mistakes: Do not overbake — cookies look underdone at 10–12 min but firm up as they cool. Baking past 12 min results in dry, crumbly cookies.
Nut-free: Swap peanut butter for sunflower seed butter.
Prep Ahead: Dough can be made 24 hours in advance and refrigerated; add 1–2 minutes to bake time if baking from cold.
Storage: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days, or freeze up to 2 months.
Sugar-free: Use a granulated monk fruit sweetener 1:1.

Why these Ingredients
  • Natural peanut butter — the base of the entire recipe, providing structure, fat, and protein. Natural peanut butter (just peanuts and salt) is essential — commercial brands with added oils or sugar will make the dough too greasy and affect texture.
  • Coconut sugar — adds sweetness and helps the cookies spread and brown slightly. Its molasses-like depth gives these cookies a richer flavor than white sugar. Brown sugar works the same way.
  • Flax egg (ground flaxseed + water) — replaces a regular egg by creating a gel that binds the dough together. Without it the cookies would crumble. The 5-minute rest is essential for the gel to fully form.
  • Vanilla extract — enhances and rounds out the peanut butter flavor, adding warmth and depth.
  • Baking soda — helps the cookies puff slightly and spread evenly during baking, giving them a lighter texture rather than being dense and flat.
  • Salt — balances the sweetness and amplifies the peanut butter flavor. Omit if your peanut butter is already salted.