Easy to make in just 1 bowl, these Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies are soft, chewy, and melt in your mouth delicious! Ready in under 30 minutes and freezer-friendly.

stack of 4 cookies, a bite taken out of the top one

Calling all peanut butter lovers! These are the best vegan peanut butter cookies, ever! Each bite of the crunchy outside and soft inside will melt in your mouth and have you running back for more.

I love that these cookies are made in just 1 bowl. There’s barely any clean up! Plus, they’re ready in under 30 minutes, meaning you can have cookies in no time.

Make a batch of these and my chocolate chip cookies to welcome new neighbors, bring to the office, or to enjoy as a fun after school treat!

Ingredients Needed (with substitutions)

  • Vegan butter – Make your own or use a store bought version like Miyokos or Earth Balance. You could also sub in softened coconut oil or use applesauce for an oil free recipe. 
  • Creamy peanut butter – I like using creamy “non-natural” peanut butter in this recipe. Feel free to use crunchy peanut butter or natural if that’s what you have at home (the cookies will still be delicious!). My favorite brand is Trader Joe’s creamy peanut butter because the added palm oil is sustainable.
  • Granulated sugar – Feel free to use coconut sugar instead. The sugar will be used in the dough as well as a sugary cookie coating.
  • Brown sugar – Don’t have any at home? Mix 1/2 cup of granulated white sugar with 1/2 tablespoon of molasses together.
  • Almond milk – You can use any dairy-free milk you’d like.
  • Vanilla
  • All purpose flour – They work quite well using a gluten free all purpose flour as well, such as King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill.
  • Baking soda
  • Baking powder
  • Cornstarch – You can substitute this for arrowroot or tapioca starch if you desire.
  • Salt – Only if the peanut butter is unsalted.

Do I have to use peanut butter?

You don’t have to use peanut butter in this recipe if you have an allergy or another preferred nut butter. Almond butter will also work, or use sunbutter as a nut free alternative.

close up of vegan peanut butter cookies on a cookie sheet

How to make Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

  1. In a large bowl, cream together the vegan butter, peanut butter, and sugars using a handheld or standing mixer. You can even just use a spoon if needed. Mix in the almond milk and vanilla until they’re well combined.
  2. Next, to the bowl with the peanut butter mixture, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt.
  3. Mix until just combined and a dough is formed. The dough will be thick and very sticky.
  4. Use your hands to roll balls of dough (about 1.5 tablespoons worth). Give each one a gentle roll in a small bowl of sugar, then place the balls on the baking sheet.

collage of how to make cookies with peanut butter

Use a fork to press down on the dough balls and to make the classic criss-cross pattern. The cookies will flatten a little more in the oven. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until they look slightly golden brown. 

The cookies will appear underdone, and very soft in the middle, but they will continue to set and firm up as they cool. If you do over bake them a little, they will just be crispy instead of soft and chewy.

vegan peanut butter cookies on parchment paper, before baking with a criss cross in them.

Do I need to chill the dough before baking?

Most peanut butter cookie recipes involve chilling the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes so the cookies don’t spread out too much in the oven. This step isn’t necessary for this recipe, however, if your house is very warm, the dough could benefit from a few minutes in the fridge beforehand.

Tips for success

  • When making the criss-cross pattern on the dough balls, your fork could stick to the dough. Avoid this by dipping the fork in a little flour each time.
  • This recipe makes about 20 to 24 cookies but feel free to double or triple it if you’re feeding a crowd or want leftovers.
  • Do you like your cookies extra crunchy? Simply bake them for 2 to 3 minutes longer.
  • Chocolate and peanut butter go hand in hand, so feel free to add chocolate chips to the cookie dough or try dipping half of the baked cookies in melted chocolate (SO good!).
  • If that’s not enough chocolate for you, follow my recipe for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies instead.

How to store

No time to bake? Roll out each cookie ball from the dough, place them on a prepared baking sheet, and freeze. Once they’re solid, add the dough balls to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. Pop them in the oven when you’re ready and bake!

After they’re done baking, store the 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 baked cookies by storing them in a Ziploc bag or airtight container. They can be frozen for up to 2 months. Leave them to thaw in the fridge or at room temperature.

a cookie sheet with a lot of peanut butter cookies and red towel in background

Want more delectable cookie recipes?

square image of a stack of peanut butter criss cross topped cookies, red and white towel in background

Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies (1 Bowl)

Servings: 22 cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 22 minutes
Author: Nora Taylor
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Easy to make in just 1 bowl, these Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies are soft, chewy, and melt in your mouth delicious! Ready in under 30 minutes and freezer-friendly.
5 from 26 votes
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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
US Customary - Metric

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

  1. Makes about 20-24 cookies.
  2. Gluten free? Substitute a gluten free all purpose flour instead.
  3. May sub coconut oil, softened, for the vegan butter. I've tried both and they both work well. For oil free, sub applesauce.
  4. For crunchy peanut butter cookies, simply bake 2-3 minutes longer. I prefer them soft, but I know some people like crunchier cookies.
  5. 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.
  6. 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

Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 148kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 141mg, Potassium: 81mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 196IU, Calcium: 15mg, Iron: 1mg

*Last updated August 10th, 2020 with better writing and new photos. Was first published March 2019.

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