Soft, chewy, and melt in your mouth Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies that are easy to make in one bowl! They’re a perfect sweet treat you can bake in under 30 minutes or freeze for later.
Looking for more classic vegan cookies? Try my Vegan Sugar Cookies, Vegan Snickerdoodles, and Perfect Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies, too!
This is the only vegan peanut butter cookie recipe you’ll ever need! Thick, chewy, and with the perfect balance of salty and sweet flavors, each bite will have you running back for more.
Just like the classic recipe, these vegan peanut butter cookies are easy to make with baking staples, like peanut butter, flour, and sugar, in just one bowl. You can even make the cookie dough a few days ahead of time if you’re in a rush! They’re dipped in sugar for a little extra sweetness, then baked in less than 15 minutes.
Make a batch for a “just because” sweet treat or to share with family and friends!
Why these are the best vegan peanut butter cookies ever
- One of the best classic cookies! Who can say no to a peanut butter cookie? A little crispy on the outside and perfectly soft and chewy on the inside, every bite melts in your mouth.
- A no-nonsense, one-bowl dessert – There’s a reason why these easy vegan peanut butter cookies are the best beginner-friendly treat: the dough is a breeze to make in one bowl with simple baking staples and they take less than 15 minutes to bake.
- A 5-star sweet treat – This recipe has been racking up 5-star reviews since I first posted it on my blog! Here’s what readers are saying…
“My 9 year old made this recipe last night as her first cookie recipe baking on her own. They were absolutely fantastic. We were amazed.” – Amy
“These cookies were super easy to make and absolutely delicious! You seriously would never know that they were vegan.” – Christine
“I’m super picky about peanut butter cookies and these are absolutely perfect! Crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and super peanut buttery. I made a batch for Christmas and can’t wait to make them again!” – Emily
How to make vegan peanut butter cookies
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add 1/4 cup of granulated sugar to a small bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the vegan butter, peanut butter, and sugars together until light and fluffy. Stir in the milk and vanilla until well combined.
Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt to the bowl and gently mix until just combined. The dough should be thick but still sticky.
Optional: Fold 1/3 cup of vegan chocolate chips into the cookie dough at this point if you’re craving chocolate chip peanut butter cookies!
Roll about 1.5 tablespoons of cookie dough in your hands, dip it in the bowl of sugar to coat the outside, and place it on the baking sheet.
Gently press on the tops with a fork to make the criss-cross pattern. Repeat until you run out of cookie dough.
Note: If the fork sticks to the cookie dough, dip it in flour before pressing it on the cookies.
Bake the peanut butter cookies until they’re very lightly golden brown and look a bit firm around the edges. They may look a bit soft or underdone coming out of the oven, but they’ll continue to set as they cool.
Let the cookies cool on the baking tray before transferring them to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Do you like extra crunchy cookies? Simply bake them for 2 to 3 minutes longer.
Frequently asked questions
Most peanut butter cookie recipes aren’t inherently vegan since they’re made with butter and eggs. Luckily, peanut butter IS naturally vegan and it’s easy to make just as delectable vegan peanut butter cookies with plant-based ingredients!
This recipe works best with regular creamy peanut butter but you can use crunchy peanut butter if you like some crunch in your cookies. Natural peanut butter works, too, but give it a good stir before adding it to the mixing bowl.
Not if you don’t want to! Almond butter will also work, or you can use sunflower seed butter if you need a nut-free alternative. The flavor will be different but the cookies will still be tasty.
Chilling the cookie dough isn’t a necessary step for this recipe unless your kitchen is very warm or if the dough is too soft to roll into balls. In those cases, pop the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes to prevent the cookies from spreading in the oven.
Absolutely! You can make the cookie dough in a bowl as normal, cover the bowl, and keep it in the fridge for 1 to 2 days before baking.
To freeze the dough, roll it into cookie dough balls (without the sugar coating), place them on a lined baking sheet, and freeze until solid. Place them in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. They can be baked from frozen with an extra 1 to 2 minutes added to the baking time.
Store the baked and cooled cookies in an airtight container on the kitchen counter for up to 5 days or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
You can also freeze the peanut butter cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 2 months. Let them thaw in the fridge or on the counter before serving.
Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies (1 Bowl)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegan butter, softened
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar, optional for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add 1/4 cup sugar to a small bowl and set aside (for rolling the cookies in).
- In a large bowl, cream together the vegan butter, peanut butter and sugars. Stir in the almond milk and vanilla until well combined. You can use a hand mixer, stand mixer or just a large wooden spoon.
- Now add the flour to the bowl, and sprinkle the baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch and salt on top of the flour. Stir (or use the mixer) until just combined and a dough is formed. The dough will be thick, yet sticky.
- Roll balls of dough (about 1.5 tablespoons) and then roll in the sugar until coated. Place each one on the prepared baking sheet, then press the tops to create the classic criss-cross pattern.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until the cookies are very lightly golden brown; they will appear a bit underdone and soft but they continue to set as they cool.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. These cookies will stay good at room temperature for about a week.
Notes
- Makes about 20-24 cookies.
- Gluten free? Substitute a gluten free all purpose flour instead.
- May sub coconut oil, softened, for the vegan butter. I’ve tried both and they both work well. For oil free, sub applesauce.
- For crunchy peanut butter cookies, simply bake 2-3 minutes longer. I prefer them soft, but I know some people like crunchier cookies.
- You can use crunchy peanut butter if you’d like. This recipe works better using regular creamy peanut butter, not the natural stuff. I like Trader Joe’s creamy peanut butter because the palm oil added is sustainable.
- To store: Leftover cookies will keep for up to 5 days in a covered container at room temperature, and they can also be frozen.
Nutrition
*Last updated October 2024 with better writing. Was first published March 2019.
I was very excited about this recipe , I purchased Peanut Butter that I didn’t care for so I made those , reduced the butter minus 1Tbs , I only use 1/4 cup each sugar and baked mine way more , I like my cookies crispy not soft . First thank you for the recipe , there might be something off or wrong about the recipe personal preference too , it’s tasty but it’s like eating sand , that’s the feeling I get in my mouth , they are very fragile they break easily the texture is off . They are good but not pleasant to eat it’s very grainy . Here’s my husband’s comment , my husband loves loves the taste but it feels grainy , the half cup total of sugar was perfect !! I couldn’t imagine having an entire cup of sugar . Thank you ☺️
If you use applesauce instead of vegan butter, how much does that affect the taste?
It will greatly change the recipe to use applesauce instead of vegan butter. They will be very soft, not chewy so much. They may spread a lot as well.
Hi Nora, what is your vegan butter of choice, I am new to vegan baking, looking for suggestions. Thank you.
I like a lot of brands, like Earth Balance, Country Crock, Miyoko’s. I often get whatever is least expensive. Sticks are best for baking though.
These are delicious!! Any suggestions on getting mine to stay fluffy like yours and not go flat? Thanks!!
Measure everything accurately (especially the flour, spoon into dry measuring cup and level with a knife). Make sure your butter is not too melted and soft and that your baking powder/soda is not old or inactive.
just made them because I needed something sweet. I usually decrease the sugar when I bake but I didn’t with these. They came out very sweet- I did use unsweetened peanut butter. Next time I will reduce the sugar by half.
Otherwise, they were easy to make and delicious.
Perfect peanut butter cookies. They are a little crunchy outside but soft inside. I won a blue ribbon in our county fair with this recipe so I would definitely recommend this recipe!
I love these cookies I make every 2 weeks when I run out. I add a cup of oatmeal and less 1/4 cup of flour for the crunchy taste. They taste good. These or my substitute for sweets.🥰
Hi Della. I’m so glad you are loving the cookies! I love your idea and appreciate you sharing it! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Everyone loves these peanut butter cookies! If I want a peanut butter cookie that is a little less cakey and more buttery & chewy, can I just cut back on the flour?
I haven’t tried less flour, but that might work. I feel like these are not cake-like at all myself. If you cut back too much the cookies will be flat though, so watch for that. I’m so glad everyone loves these cookies!
Delicious recipe, easily doubled. I reduced both sugars to 3/4 cup, used natural peanut butter, 12 minutes baking time was perfect for texture. Letting them rest and cool for 5 minutes really helps them keep their shape. I haven’t made peanut butter cookies since I was a teenager, and they certainly were not vegan!, and these taste just like I remember. Looking forward to our kids coming home and enjoying them after school.
Hi Kim. I’m seeing the kids joy as I type – love it! I’m so glad the cookies turned out delicious for you, and taste like you remember! Nothing beats a delicious peanut butter cookie! Wishing you happy cooking!
My 9 year old made this recipe last night as her first cookie recipe baking on her own. They were absolutely fantastic. We were amazed. Her older sisters regularly bake using your recipes and love your website! Many thanks.
You are so welcome. How fun for your daughter! I’m glad her cookies turned out wonderful! Thanks for your stellar review! Happy cooking to all of you!
These hit the spot! I used natural peanut butter and they were perfect. I would probably just cut back the sugar a bit next time. I got exactly 22 cookies, too. I love it when the recipe yield is accurate!
My husband kept asking for peanut butter cookies. I have made them over the years, but they never made his eyes go WOW. These made his eyes go WOW and he says “these are the peanut butter cookies I always wanted”.
Thank you!
My eyes are going WOW! Thank YOU for sharing these encouraging words and fabulous review!
These are the best peanut butter cookies! And so easy to make. I’ve also made them with almond butter. I have to make double if I plan to bring these anywhere because my boys will eat half of the batch right out of the oven! But they are even better the next day.
Thanks for such a delicious recipe!
I made these tonight and they were VERY good! I doubled the size because I wanted a thicker and larger cookie, so I cooked them for 2 minutes longer and they still came out soft just like I wanted. After they cooled they kept their shape and texture very well. I will definitely be using this recipe again, thanks!
Thank for your wonderful review and feedback! I’m so glad you loved the cookies!
Hi Nora!!! I just got done baking these peanut butter cookies! They are the best pb cookies I have ever had! I ate two and my husband has eaten about 5 already!! I’m so happy I found you a few years ago. I know I can always make one of your recipes and they will always turn out delicious!!
Hi Shannon. Your feedback is so encouraging! Thanks for your using my recipes, and for sharing your wonderful review and feedback!
Can I use caster sugar in place of granulated? Or use more brown sugar?
Yes, caster sugar is fine and I think it’s nearly identical to what I call granulated sugar in the U.S. at least. Like a fine sugar, right?
I’ve made these several times and they are always well received. My doctor (I work in a medical office.) has mentioned these twice in the past two weeks. I don’t make them as big, or bake them as long, and I add extra vanilla, but otherwise keep pretty true to the recipe.
Can the dough be refrigerated for a few days before baking?
Yes, the dough should be fine if you make it 1 to 2 days in advance. Happy baking!