Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies

You're going to love these easy Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies! Made with only 7 ingredients and without eggs, they're crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside and are both vegan and gluten free.

Boy oh boy do I have a recipe for you! These almond flour peanut butter cookies are, in one word, irresistible. 

They're quite similar to my vegan peanut butter cookies, but instead of using all purpose flour, they're made with almond flour. Plus, they're made without eggs, making them gluten free and vegan. A win-win! 

If you're a peanut butter lover like I am, you'll also want to check out my dairy-free peanut butter fudge, along with my favorite peanut butter espresso smoothie. 

Why you'll love these cookies

• They're made with 7 ingredients and are ready in about 20 minutes total
• The perfect combination of salty and sweet, and an excellent texture: crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside.
• Made with almond flour and with no eggs, so they're gluten free and vegan 

Ingredients

• Peanut butter - Make sure to use creamy peanut butter with peanuts, or peanuts and salt, as the only ingredient! Some peanut butters have cane sugar and/or palm oil in them, and that will impact the overall taste and texture. 

• Almond milk - Or any kind of milk. 

• Maple syrup - Feel free to use honey instead if you prefer. 

• Almond flour - I always use almond flour, not almond meal, in my baked goods. Make sure you pack it full in the measuring cup! 

• Cane sugar - You can also use brown sugar or coconut sugar. 

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Mix the wet ingredients. Start by stirring the peanut butter, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla together in a large mixing bowl.

Step 2: Add the dry ingredients. Next, add the almond flour, cane sugar and baking soda to that same bowl, then use a rubber spatula or large spoon to stir everything together. The dough will be thick, so you may need to use your hands to stir. 

Step 3: Roll into balls. Grab 1.5-2 tablespoons of dough and roll it into a ball, placing it directly onto a lined or greased baking sheet. Repeat this process with all of the dough, making sure the balls are spaced 2 inches apart. 

Step 4: Bake the cookies. Use a fork to press fork marks into the cookies, flattening them out. Then, place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. 

Step 5: Let them cool. Transfer the cookies onto a cooling rack and let them cool for 10 minutes. This step is crucial because the cookies will firm up during the cooling process. 

Tips and tricks 

• I love buying almond flour from Costco -- you get a huge bag for just as much as the smaller bags at a normal grocery store.
• This recipe makes 18 cookies, so you'll either have to use two baking sheets or bake them in batches.
• Wet the fork to prevent it from sticking to the cookie dough.
• Don't over-bake the cookies! Otherwise, the texture will be off.
• Make sure to let the cookies cool for 10 minutes after they're done baking! They will be very soft out of the oven, but will turn crispy on the outside and moist on the inside as they cool.
• Want to take these up a notch? Try adding ⅓ cup chocolate chips to the batter. 
• Don't forget to sprinkle with a little sea salt after they're done baking! Almond flour peanut butter cookies are delicious as-is, but even better with a pinch of salt.

Substitutions/variations

Flour: The only other flour I recommend using is almond meal instead of almond flour. I didn't test these cookies any other way -- if you do, please leave a comment below to let other readers know. 

Sugar: For the table sugar, you can use cane sugar, brown sugar, coconut sugar, or even monkfruit. For the liquid sweetener, honey or agave will work too. 

Peanut butter: While this recipe is for peanut butter cookies, you can technically use any kind of nut butter you want. Just make sure the nut butter doesn't have any additives in it.

Almond flour vs. almond meal

While most of the time you can use almond flour and almond meal interchangeably, I almost always use almond flour because it's easier to find. Bob's Red Mill has a great article explaining the differences between almond flour and almond meal. 

Are cookies made with almond flour better for you? 

I'd say yes, though they still are cookies with sugar in them. However, traditional cookies made with all purpose flour don't have any health benefits, whereas almond flour--made with just almonds--is higher in protein and vitamin E, and lower in carbs. 

Are these cookies keto-friendly? 

No, but they can be! To make them keto, simply omit the maple syrup and instead of cane sugar, use your favorite keto-friendly sweetener, like Monkfruit. 

Storage

• Room temperature: To keep cookies fresh, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
• Freezer: Store leftovers in a plastic bag and in the freezer for up to 8 months.

More easy cookie recipes

• Chocolate Avocado Cookies
• Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies
• Flourless Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!