Can I Bake Your Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies With Less Sugar
I can definitely understand the need to reduce sugar in our foods, but this is one of the recipes where I wouldnt advise it at all!
Of course, the sugar isnt just for sweetness its integral to the structure of the cookies once baked and is sooo important.
The sugar caramelises to produce a nice, crispy exterior on the outside and without that theyre not gonna be nice, crisp out the outside, soft in the middle cookies at all are they?!
You can of course skip the optional granulated sugar which will help a little.
How To Make These Cookies Dairy Free
If youre looking for a dairy-free version of this cookie, all you need to do is make a simple swap. Instead of using butter, you can use the dairy-free vegan butter found in the butter section of the grocery store.
Just a heads up: while the cookies are still delicious, the texture is not as perfect as the gluten-free peanut butter cookies with dairy version.
How Long Can I Keep Your Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies For
Ive kept my cookies for around a week and they still taste as good as they day they were made. Obviously store them in an air-tight container too.
You can always reheat them for 20-30 seconds in the microwave at 900W for the fresh out of the oven feel too.
When they lose the crispiness on the outside, theyre probably starting to get past their best.
Also Check: Easy And Tasty Veg Recipes
Don’t Use Drippy Natural Peanut Butter
The first kind of natural peanut butter is the kind that is made of only peanuts and salt. Most of the oil separates out and sits on top of the jar.
The nut butter in this kind drips off the spoon at room temperature. You can’t use that here.
If you use the drippy kind of natural nut butter, your cookie dough will be very greasy. That will make the dough very crumbly and nothing will look or bake like the dough you see here.
Why This Recipe Works:
- Super Easy to Make: These soft and chewy cookies are literally foolproof and impossible to get wrong the sort of forgiving recipe that anyone can make and enjoy. You have to take my word for it when I say these cookies are downright simple
- Just 4 Ingredients Required: You only need four simple ingredients to make this peanut butter cookie recipe, and Im betting you already have them in your pantry.
- Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free and Flourless: Unlike traditional peanut butter cookies which normally use wheat flour, these cookies are totally gluten-free, dairy-free and do not require flour at all ! This means that even Celiacs and those with gluten allergies or lactose intolerances can enjoy them without any worries!
Recommended Reading: Ny Times Recipes This Week
Scoop Onto A Baking Sheet
Use a small cookie scoop or spoon to scoop the dough and roll it into a ball in between the palms of your hands. Gently pay the dough down to flatted out the top and bottom of the ball so it looks more like a hockey puck.
Place the cookie dough on the baking sheet and sprinkle more chocolate chips over top. You can also use a fork to create the traditional crisscross pattern on top of the cookies. Bake in the oven until golden brown.
Is Peanut Butter Gluten Free
Yes, in its purest form, peanut butter is made of peanuts and salt and is naturally gluten free. If you place peanuts in a high-speed blender, you’ll have peanut butter when you’re done.
The main ingredients in natural peanut butter, peanuts and salt, are gluten free. Most potential additives, like sugars and oil, are also naturally gluten free.
But commercially prepared peanut butter can be unsafe on a gluten free diet if its become contaminated at any point during the manufacturing process. So be sure to read product labelsand know your brands.
Some brands, like Jif, will label its peanut butter gluten free if it fits the U.S. definition of gluten free. But it may have been prepared on manufacturing equipment it shares with gluten-containing products.
Most types of Skippy peanut butter are gluten free, except for those that contain mix-ins.
The safest peanut butter brands only make gluten free varieties, like Peanut Butter & Co, but they tend to be very expensive.
Recommended Reading: Spinach Artichoke Cheese Dip Recipe
How Can I Tell When My Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies Are Done
They should look nice and golden, but not actually browned or browning at the edges.
Poking them doesnt help much because they wont be nice and crisp until theyve cooled a little. So just aim for how mine look in the photos and if you take them out early no bother!
Just pop them back in until youre happy with the colour. Oh and make sure you leave them to cool before sampling them!!
What Type Of Flour Should I Use For Gluten
Use an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum or guar gum. These ingredients help the cookies hold their shape while baking. The recipe was tested with Bobâs Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour.
All gluten-free flour blends behave differently. The texture of the cookies might vary depending on the gluten-free flour blend you use.
You May Like: Vanilla Whey Protein Powder Recipes
Can I Freeze The Cookie Dough
You can freeze cookie dough for up to 3 months. Scoop out the dough into balls just like before you are about to bake it, but place the cookie sheet in the freezer.
Once the cookies are frozen place the frozen cookie balls plastic freezer bag. Cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Because the baking dough is frozen, you will need to add 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
Why Youll Love This Recipe
- Is there a better combination than chocolate and peanut butter?
- These gluten free peanut butter cookies are thick and chewy.
- They are bakery style!
- These cookies do not require any dough chilling.
- They are surprisingly quick and easy to make.
- This recipe is gluten free!
- Check out these Levain Chocolate Chip Cookies for more bakery cookies.
You May Like: Hot Apple Cider With Whiskey Recipe
Can I Make This Recipe Vegan
If you follow the steps above to make this recipe dairy free then all youve got left to contend with is one egg.
Heres a few ideas you can use as egg replacements, so each of these = 1 egg.
- 3 tablespoons of aquafaba water from a can of chickpeas. Keep the chickpeas for a future dinner!
- Egg replacement powder Id recommend using Orgran as its gluten free.
- 1 tablespoon of chia/flax seeds mixed with 2 tablespoons of water and left for 10 minutes in the fridge.
- 3 tablespoons of applesauce.
So use one of those egg replacement options and youve got gluten free AND vegan peanut butter cookies!
Pro Tips For The Best Results
- Chill time: Make sure to chill the cookies for at least 30 minutes before baking! This extra time is worth it because a cold dough wont spread as much in the oven. Its the trick for the chewiest gluten-free peanut butter cookies with crisp edges.
- Bake time: Bake one sheet pan at a time for about 12-14 minutes. Keep an eye on the cookies. They are done when they look puffy and the edges start to set but the center should still look a bit under-baked. As the cookies cool and set, the centers will firm up and turn out nice and chewy. If you bake them too long, they will lend up crunchy as they cool.
- Add-ins: Mix-ins are fun to add and will create a thicker, gluten free cookie that wont spread as much in the oven. For gluten free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies you can mix in semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips . Or mix things up and divide the dough half to create some classic peanut butter cookies and some with your add-ins of choice.
- Best type of peanut butter: For a classic peanut butter cookie texture, use a conventional, commercial peanut butter like Skippy or Jif. A drippy, natural peanut butter will taste great but the texture will be a bit different. You can also substitute crunchy peanut butter if you want a little bit of crunch in your cookie.
- Storing: Store these gluten-free peanut butter cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Theyre so easy to make and this recipe will give you the perfect PB cookies every time.
Also Check: Lion’s Mane Drink Recipe
Tip For Measuring Gluten
Gluten-free flour is different than traditional wheat flour. The best way to measure gluten-free flour is the spoon & level method.
I use a spoon to scoop the flour out of the bag and into the measuring cup. Then I use the back of a knife to level off the top of the measuring cup.
Please do not scoop the flour out of the bag with your measuring cup. If you do, you could end up with more flour than is called for in the recipe.
Make The Cookie Dough
Mix the dough. This is a one-bowl recipe. Mix the peanut butter with softened butter, sugar, and an egg. Once the mixture is smooth and creamy, add the remaining ingredients. Mix until a dough forms and youâre done.
Chill until firm. After mixing, cover the bowl and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. This allows the gluten-free flour to hydrate, giving you cookies with a tender crumb and nice rise. The dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to three days. The longer you chill it, the less the cookies spread.
Don’t Miss: Heart Healthy Diet Plan Recipes
The Key To Crackly And Crinkly Tops
Not using flour. Since these are flourless cookies, these cookies are able to spread and crackle more easily. Too much flour can prevent cookies from spreading at all, so we dont have to worry about that with these. Not using flour also means these cookies wont be dry and crumbly like some other recipes!
A lower oven temperature. A lower oven temperature and slightly longer baking time allows the cookies to spread and get crackly tops without drying out or becoming crunchy. Theyll stay super chewy but get thin and crackly- my favorite! Be sure to preheat your oven to 325, not 350!
Just the right amount of baking soda. Too much baking soda and youll end up with one singular blob of what is supposed to be cookies but definitely doesnt look like cookies , but too little and they wont spread at all. Just 1/2 teaspoon in this recipe is perfect for crackly tops!
Tips For Making The Best Gluten
- Use a cookie scoop. Cookie scoops make it easy to round cookies into a ball. And they ensure all your cookies are the same size. Why does this matter? When cookies are a uniform size, they bake evenly. So you wonât have underbaked and overbaked cookies on the same pan.
- Line your baking sheet with parchment paper. Using parchment paper makes cleanup a snap and prevents the cookies from sticking to the pan.
- Adjust the Baking Time. For chewy cookies, bake about eight minutes. For crisp cookies, bake about 10 minutes.
- Cool the cookies before moving them. Let the cookies cool on the pan for about three minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. This helps the cookies to set and prevents them from breaking when you move them.
Read Also: Banana Bread Recipe No Baking Soda
My Batter Was Still Wet After Chilling And When I Was Rolling The Balls
If you did mix your dough until it came together well, then its likely that you didnt chill your cookie dough long enough.
So whack it back in the fridge and be patient! The temperature of the dough is quite important so that its easy to roll and also doesnt spread too quickly when baking into flat pancakes.
Dish By Dish Tips/tricks:
- Optional Add-Ins: Think of this cookie as a base cookie recipe to which you can add to make your own creation depending on your personal preferences! Some fun ingredients you could add to these cookies include chopped peanuts, chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, or even cacao nibs.
- Smaller Cookies: If you prefer smaller cookies, simply use a heaping teaspoon for each cookie instead. You will get 24 smaller cookies with each batch.
- Let Cookies Cool Fully: Its important to let the gluten-free peanut butter cookies fully cool or they will break when you try to remove them from the sheet.
You May Like: Sweet Vanilla Iced Coffee Recipe
How To Store And Freeze Gluten
Gluten-free peanut butter cookies stay fresh for several days. Cover the cookies and store them on the counter for four to five days.
If you want to freeze them, follow these steps.
Do I Need To Use A Cookie Stamp
These cookies dont contain butter and peanut butter is dense. It simply means they will not spread in the oven much. That is why I flatten them and press them down using a cookie stamp. It guarantees that cookies will be evenly baked. You can use a fork to make marks. But after stamping and topping them with chocolate and nuts, they look so impressive. Nobody will believe these cookies are homemade.
Recommended Reading: Healthy Recipes For Blood Pressure
Want More Cookie Recipes Like This One
Check out my cookbook, Gluten-Free Cookies All Year Round, for more than 60 gluten-free & allergy friendly cookie recipes for every occasion.
Preheat oven to 350°f. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
Cream the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together.
Add the egg and mix until combined.
Mix in the vanilla extract, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum.
Add the gluten-free flour and mix until you have a smooth dough.
Scoop the cookie dough using a 1 ½ tablespoon balls and place in a small bowl of sugar. Roll to coat into the sugar, and then place 3-4 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Gently press each cookie dough ball down using a fork to create the classic cross-hatch pattern.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. The cookies will spread and lose their doughy shine on top and be golden on the bottom, but will still be soft. They will set as they cool. Allow to cool on the baking sheet until set before moving to a cooling rack.
Nutrition Information
Amount Per Serving
All nutrition info is a guestimate and will vary depending on the ingredients you use.
Can I Make This Recipe Without Xanthan Gum
Youll see xanthan gum in a lot of my recipes as its an essential ingredient in gluten free baking. Without gluten to bind the biscuit together, you can be left with a much looser texture which can be crumbly and easily fall apart.
Plus, theres no xanthan gum in gluten free plain flour, like there is in self-raising. So adding xanthan gum tends to be more vital in a recipe that uses plain gf flour.
But what if you didnt have any, or simply wanted to remove xanthan gum from the recipe entirely? As I always say, I definitely wouldnt recommend removing xanthan gum from my recipes if you can avoid doing so!!
If you struggle to tolerate xanthan gum however, this particular recipe wouldnt end in complete disaster if you didnt include it. The eggs and peanut butter are great ingredients which will help bind the cookies together, so you can probably get away with it this time.
Some people have asked if they can use psyllium husk powder instead of xanthan gum and you could definitely give it a try in this recipe though I dont recommend using it for cakes.
Also Check: Best Freeze Dried Food Recipes
How Are Gf Peanut Butter Cookies Different From Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
This is a recipe for gluten free peanut butter cookies made with gluten free flour. Flourless peanut butter cookies are made without anything ground into a flour.
Flourless peanut butter cookies are naturally gluten free, since conventional flour is the main gluten-containing ingredient in most cookie recipes. In this recipe, you can use any of my recommended all purpose gluten free flour blends.
Flourless peanut butter cookies also have a different texture than these classic cookies. They’re crisp on the outside, but chewy in the center.
These gf peanut butter cookies are crispy and crunchy all the way through. If you under bake them a bit, these cookies can also be softer in the center.
But the outside of these cookies made with flour will always be crispier than a flourless cookie.
Can I Make Your Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies In A Food Processor Or Standing Mixer
Of course you can and to be honest a standing mixer would probably make your life much easier easier! I use an electric hand whisk to make this as Im just used to using it.
Ive never actually tried to make this in a food processor either, but just make sure that the mixture is really well combined and that you scrape the sides down occasionally too. The same goes for a standing mixer.
You can of course, bake this without any assistance from any appliance just a good ol fashioned wooden spoon will do. Just make sure you give it a lot of welly, otherwise your mixture wont be consistent and might not bake properly.
Don’t Miss: Hidden Valley Ranch Chicken Crock Pot Recipe