Soft and chewy Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies are made in just one bowl with simple ingredients. Crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside, they’ll quickly become your new favorite cookie!

Is there anything better than classic Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies? The sweet and nutty flavors come from only a handful of tasty ingredients and don’t require any eggs or dairy. They’re really giving my Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies a run for their money!

You’ll love how this easy recipe is made in only one bowl. Cleanup is a breeze and the cookies are ready to eat in less than 20 minutes! Every bite has a delicious crunch while the inside is tender and chewy, just like my deliciously soft Peanut Butter Balls and Peanut Butter Fudge. 

Recipe features

• The best vegan cookie recipe, and quite similar to my favorite almond flour peanut butter cookies.
• Oil free, egg free, dairy free, and easy to make gluten free!
• A little crisp on the outside with plenty of chewiness and nutty flavors inside.

Ingredient notes:

• Creamy peanut butter – Use peanut butter without any added oil. The extra oil affects the overall taste and texture of the cookies, plus the all natural peanut butter just tastes better!

• Coconut sugar – Or use cane sugar instead.

• Almond milk – Any type of dairy free milk will do.

• All purpose flour – The beauty of peanut butter cookies is that they don’t need as much flour as regular cookies! Plus, they can be made with gluten free flour and taste just as good.

• Maple syrup – Use the real stuff for deep flavors and a touch of extra sweetness.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Make the cookie dough. Stir the peanut butter, coconut sugar, almond milk, maple syrup, and vanilla together in a bowl. Next, add in the flour, baking soda, and salt to form a thick dough.

Step 2: Roll the cookie balls. Scoop about 2 tablespoons worth of dough from the batch and use your hands to roll them into balls. Place them on the prepared cookie sheet.

Step 3: Criss-cross! Make a criss-cross pattern on each ball using a fork. Press each ball down gently to flatten them slightly.

Step 4: Bake and enjoy. Bake the cookies until the edges and bottoms begin to brown slightly. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

Expert tips and FAQs

• Substitute the maple syrup with more coconut sugar, agave syrup, or honey if you don’t need them to be vegan.
• Is your fork sticking to the cookie dough balls? Dip it in a little flour between each cookie or two while making the criss-cross pattern.
• The cookies may feel soft when they come out of the oven but they’ll continue to harden as they cool.
• The best kind of peanut butter to use is a fresh jar of all natural creamy peanut butter. It won’t contain any added oil or sugars, and will be much easier to work with compared to the peanut butter on the bottom of the jar.
• Fold vegan chocolate chips into the dough to make vegan peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.

Do I need to chill the cookie dough?

Nope! Chilling cookie dough in the fridge prevents the cookies from spreading in the oven, but you won’t need to worry about this step in this recipe. The only time I recommend refrigerating the cookie dough is if the weather is warm or your kitchen is hot.

Can I use gluten free flour?

Make vegan gluten free peanut butter cookies by replacing all purpose flour with gluten free all purpose flour.

Can I use chunky peanut butter?

A little added crunch from the nuts in chunky peanut butter is always welcome! Just make sure the peanut butter has no added oil.

Can I freeze peanut butter cookie dough?

You can freeze the unbaked cookie dough no problem! Roll the dough into balls and place them on a baking sheet in the freezer. Transfer the frozen solid balls to a container or ziploc bag to freeze for up to 2 months. They can be baked right from frozen but may need an extra 3 or 4 minutes in the oven.

Storage

• Countertop: Store the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
• Refrigerator: To keep them even longer, store the cookies in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
• Freezer: Baked peanut butter cookies will freeze nicely in a sealed bag or container for 2 months.

More vegan desserts

• Blueberry Muffins
• Vegan Cookie Dough
• No Bake Chocolate Pie

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