These flourless peanut butter chocolate chip cookies combine five simple ingredients (including a whole jar of peanut butter!) in one bowl. After chilling the cookie dough for 15 minutes, the cookies emerge from the oven moist, tender and perfectly chewy. This cookie recipe is gluten-free, and easily vegan.
this recipe was first published in June 2017 and was updated May 2023. the recipe is unchanged.
Table of Contents
Easy to Make and SO Good
If you’re like me and love Homemade Cookie Recipes like these Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies, then you’re going to love this super simple flourless cookie recipe.
While on a gluten free trial years ago, I discovered how delicious enjoying recipes without flour can be. Although I’m eating gluten again, I still make and create gluten free recipes because they’re delicious and, the Vanilla And Bean community has spoken!
While this is a gluten free cookie recipe, you need not be following a gluten free diet to enjoy them. If you are gluten free, make sure you give this recipe and my popular Gluten Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies a go (shameless plug)!
This No Flour Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Is:
- Simple to Make
- Moist and Chewy
- Melt-in-your-Mouth
- Easily Gluten Free and Dairy Free
Ingredients You’ll Need
These gluten free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are what I consider a pantry recipe. You may already have all the ingredients on hand to make em! With just five basic ingredients + salt, you make these cookies in a flash. Here’s what you’ll need to whip em’ up (see recipe card for details):
- Light Brown Sugar – a key ingredient in creating a moist, tender and chewy cookie. It also imparts a richer, slightly molasses flavor.
- Eggs – you’ll need two, one whole egg and one egg yolk. Adding the extra yolk tenderizes the cookies and adds to their chewy texture.
- Vanilla Extract – adds a lovely fragrance and mellow vanilla flavor to these gluten free peanut butter cookies.
- Peanut Butter – the best part! Use natural unsalted for best results. I’ve made these cookies with creamy and chunky peanut butter and they’re both fabulous (see images below). Look for gluten free peanut butter if needed. You’ll need a whole jar!
- Chocolate Chips – you can use just about any chocolate chip. I use Guittard 63% extra dark baking chips. The darker the percentage, the less sugar. Since these cookies are already sweet, including dark chocolate chips helps balance the sweet. For dairy free cookies, look for dairy free chocolate chips.
Quick Guide: How to Make Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Get out your large mixing bowl, cookie scoop, whisk and spoon! Be sure to start with room temperature ingredients to help them incorporate easily. Here’s how to create these tender, moist and chewy cookies (see recipe card for details):
- First, whisk the brown sugar and eggs.
- Second, whisk in the peanut butter, vanilla and salt.
- Third, whisk in the peanut butter.
- Next, fold in the chocolate chips.
- Last, scoop and bake!
See how simple?
Love peanut butter and chocolate? Give these Healthy Peanut Butter Bars a go! .
A Few FAQs
You May be Wondering How to Make Gluten Free Cookies Moist
It comes down to ingredients and ratios. Fat (eggs + peanut butter) and brown sugar are especially helpful in making cookies moist. Fat assists in moisture retention and also creates a tender cookie. It’s the molasses in Brown sugar which makes it more hygroscopic than white sugar (holds on to moisture). Brown sugar helps create a moist and chewy texture.
Can I Freeze these No-Flour Cookies?
The good news is, YES! Before or after baking. They’re delicious either way!
Can I Make these Cookies Vegan?
Yes! Use nondairy chocolate chips and omit the eggs. The cookies will have a lighter, more meringue-like texture and slightly gritty.
Expert Tips
- Freezer Friendly: These cookies freeze with ease. Simply scoop the cookies, place them on a pan and freeze. Once frozen place them in a freezer proof container for longer storage. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then bake as directed. You can also freeze after baking!
- Easy Portioning: Scoop with a small #50 cookie scoop to make portioning a snap! Or portion in about 1 tablespoons per cookie.
- Oven Temperature: I recommend an oven thermometer for accurate oven temperature monitoring and for best baking outcome.
- Weigh Your Ingredients: For best outcome, use a digital kitchen scale. Use the scoop and sweep method for volume measurements if a scale is unavailable.
More Cookie Recipes to Love
No Flour Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups (300 grams) Packed Light Brown Sugar or Coconut Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- 1 3/4 cup (453 grams) Natural Unsalted Peanut Butter one 16 oz jar, creamy or crunchy, room temperature, if salted use only 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup (160 grams) Bittersweet Chocolate Chips preferably 60% or higher cacao
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit (176 Celsius). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven.
- In a medium mixing bowl add the sugar and eggs. Whisk together until the mixture is smooth and the ingredients are incorporated. Add the vanilla and salt, stir.
- If the peanut butter is difficult to stir because it's thick, gently warm it in its jar in a pan of warm water or give it about 30 seconds in a microwave. This will soften the peanut butter and make it easier to incorporate. Add the peanut butter to the egg mixture and whisk, eventually switching to a silicone spatula, until the ingredients are incorporated. The batter will be thick. Add the chocolate chips and fold in until the chips are evenly distributed.
- Scoop with a small #50 cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon each) and transfer the cookie dough the prepared sheet pan. Leave about 2 inches (5 centimeters) between each cookie (if freezing the cookies, see *note below). Refrigerate the cookie dough balls for about 15 minutes before baking to keep them perfectly mounded. You can skip chilling but the cookies will spread/slump slightly.
- Bake cookies until golden at the edges but still slightly underdone in the center, about 11-13 minutes. Rest the cookies on the cookie sheet about 2 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Cool completely, then store in a covered container, at room temperature for about 4 days. You can also freeze baked cookies (see notes). If you place a slice of bread in with the cookies, this will help them stay moist and fresh!
Notes
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Disclosure: I received a complementary copy of Love Real Food. All opinions in this post are my own.
Melissa
These look wonderful!
Can swerve or monkfruit be used in place of the brown sugar or coconut sugar? My daughter is following a keto plan.
Thanks
Traci
Hi Melissa! I’ve not substituted the ingredients you’ve listed here for this recipe, so it’s hard to say if they’d work or not.
Laura Wehrley
This is one of my favorite paleo desserts! The last time I made them, I accidentally added 1 tsp of baking soda (got 2 recipes confused) and I think they made the cookies more dense/moist. Will try that again next time. Thanks so much for this easy and delicious treat!
Traci
Hi Laura! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note. So happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipe! I love the baking soda tip!
Aysegul Sanford
Having made this cookie recipe in my own kitchen, I know how AMAZING it is. Kathyrn’s cookbook is a gem. It is so nice to see all these amazing recipes photographed differently from all of my favorite bloggers.
;)
Kate
Traci, thank you so much for this post! I know how much work goes into a blog post and I really appreciate your time, kind words and gorgeous photos. These cookies are my favorite! Hope you have the most lovely summer.
Lana Alexander Schara
Oh. My. Goodness! I just have to ask, is it becoming for a mature southern woman to drool so
early in the morning? I was pretty much okay until I saw the last shot of the irresistible bite exposing all that deliciousness. I just happen to have a brand new jar of Peanut Butter in the pantry with this recipe’s name written all over it. Pinned.
Traci
Drool away, I say! I mean, why not? Be sure to freeze 1/2 the recipe else, you’ll inhale them ALL!! I’m. Telling. YOU!! Thank you for your pin too ;) xo