Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
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These outrageously delicious flourless peanut butter cookies come together with just 5 ingredients—and they’re naturally gluten- and dairy-free!
These rich, chewy peanut butter cookies from Ovenly, topped with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, are a marvel with just five ingredients—and they’re naturally gluten-free and dairy-free! With quick prep and no flour, they still bake up perfectly puffy and taste just like the inside of a Reese’s peanut butter cup. I honestly don’t know how the magic happens, but I promise you’ll be a fan!
If you’re one to dip your spoon straight in the peanut butter jar, and are looking for more flourless dessert options, you’ll love these peanut butter clouds, buckeyes, and peanut butter Rice Krispies treats!
“This peanut butter cookie recipe is so good – delicious and packed with peanut butter flavor! I would eat the whole tray if it were socially acceptable.”
What You’ll Need To Make Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
- Light Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create a chewy texture. When measuring brown sugar, always pack it tightly to eliminate air pockets.
- Large Eggs: Bind the ingredients together and provide structure.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the cookies’ flavor with sweet, aromatic notes.
- Creamy Peanut Butter: The primary ingredient, providing flavor and richness. For best results, use a smooth and creamy commercial peanut butter, like Skippy or Jif. (I do not recommend chunky or all-natural peanut butter.)
- Sea Salt Flakes: Tops off the cookies with a contrasting flavor and really enhances the overall taste.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
To begin, combine the light brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl.
Whisk until well combined.
Add the peanut butter.
Mix with a rubber spatula until well combined and the dough is very thick.
It will take about 3 minutes of stirring to get to the right consistency (it gets thicker as you continue to stir).
Using a #20 (3-tablespoon) cookie scoop, drop the dough into mounds onto the prepared baking sheets. (If you don’t have the right cookie scoop, form the dough into balls by hand; they should be the size of generous golf balls.)
If you often find yourself making cookies, you may want to invest in a few cookie dough scoops. Using a spoon will definitely work just fine, but the advantage to using a cookie scoop is that it makes each ball of dough exactly the same shape and size so that the cookies bake evenly.
Sprinkle the dough balls lightly with the sea salt. Slide the baking sheets into the freezer for 15 minutes, or into the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes.
Bake the cookies for 18 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden and cracked on top. Let cool on the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make-Ahead, Freezing & Storage Instructions
The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. Additionally, the cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Scoop the dough into balls, sprinkle with salt (and press lightly so it adheres), let set on a baking sheet in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) To freeze after baking: let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.
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Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
These outrageously delicious flourless peanut butter cookies come together with just 5 ingredients—and they’re naturally gluten- and dairy-free!
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups (packed) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¾ cups creamy peanut butter, preferably Skippy (see note)
- Coarse-grained sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line two 13x18-inch baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the light brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until combined. Add the peanut butter and mix with a rubber spatula until well combined and the dough is very thick. It will take about 3 minutes of stirring to get to the right consistency (it gets thicker as you continue to stir). (Note: Do not use an electric mixer for this process, as it can cause the peanut butter to separate.)
- Using a #20 (3-tablespoon) cookie scoop, drop the dough into mounds onto the prepared baking sheets. (If you don't have the right cookie scoop, form the dough into balls by hand; they should be the size of generous golf balls.)
- Sprinkle the dough balls lightly with the sea salt. Slide the baking sheets into the freezer for 15 minutes, or into the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes.
- Bake the first pan for 18 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden and cracked on top. Let cool on the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining cookies. The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.
- Note: For best results, use a smooth and creamy commercial peanut butter, like Skippy. (I do not recommend all-natural or chunky peanut butter.)
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Scoop the dough into balls, sprinkle with salt (and press lightly so it adheres), let set on a baking sheet in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) To freeze after baking: let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (17 servings)
- Serving size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 253
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Sugar: 25 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Sodium: 128 mg
- Cholesterol: 22 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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I love the flavor, but these didn’t turn out as expected. I baked them for a function tonight and am worried about serving them since the centers appear to be raw batter. I used the exact ingredients pictured and froze as instructed. I first used a #20 scoop, but only got around 12 cookies. Went back and re-portioned with a #24 to get the correct quantity. My cookies baked in exactly the same size and shape as the scooped dough with no spreading at all. The centers appear to be raw. Any idea what may have gone wrong? Should I try to gently flatten the dough mounds before baking? I wonder if I over mixed (by hand) the batter and it became too thick and dense.
This is my first fail with your recipes. I love your books and this is always the first site I check when looking for a new recipe.
Hi Kelley, that’s really a head-scratcher! Two questions — you mentioned that you used the ingredients as pictured. Did you use the brand of peanut butter that I used? If so, it sounds like you may have a problem with the temperature in your oven. I’d suggest checking it for accuracy. Here are some ways to go about it. I’m sorry you had such a problem with these!
This may or may not be the solution, but in my experience the more you mix cookies the flatter they turn out. Perhaps try mixing them a bit more? Seems kinda silly but I’ve noticed this relationship time and again.
This is my one and only peanut butter cookie recipe! I hadn’t made peanut butter cookies in decades until I saw this recipe. I love this so much I will never try another one. I love that it only requires one bowl and was super easy to make. I got brave and made it with chunky peanut butter. It took it to a whole new level. If you love nuts, then you’ve got to try it chunky. They didn’t look the same, but the taste was amazing. It just depends if you want creamy or chunky. Thanks for the Awesome recipe. I’ll be making both ways for Super Bowl party this weekend❤️
Awesome PB cookies, just tried one and I’m amazed that I actually made these – thanks again Jenn!
I normally hate when someone changes a recipe but here goes. Mine didn’t come together exactly as explained, so I did everything the recipe called for but I added 2T of peanut powder to the mix. I also used a number 50 scoop because that’s what I have and reduced time to 16 minutes, then for icing on the cake so to speak, I melted chocolate and drizzles on top of finished cooled product! I must say these are awesome! I used skippy peanut butter.
Hi Jenn, HELP!! I do a lot of baking but I’ve never had a failure as bad as this one. I made one batch, put them on the baking sheet and in the freezer for 15 min. They spread out quite a bit but still delicious & they looked like cookies, so I next decided to make a double batch & put them in the freezer before I shaped them, they spread so much that it looked like one giant cookie & way too thin, I had to throw them out, I can’t figure out what I did wrong. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks
Florence
Hi Florence, Sorry you had a problem with these the second time around! What kind of peanut butter did you use? Did you make any adjustments to the recipe?
I followed the recipe exactly, I used Kraft peanut butter
Thank you
Was it by any chance all-natural or chunky? Those varieties will cause a problem.
No , it was smooth, I’m in Canada, we don’t have Jiffy pb so I bought Jif, I’ll let you know how they turn out, Thanks for your help
Florence
Hi Jenn,
I tried the cookies using Jif pb. They turned out great! I kept them in the freezer for 45 min & added 1/2 C pb chips just for fun, delicious! Thank you for your help.
Florence
So glad they worked out — thanks for the follow up! 🙂
No sugar-laden hydrogenated-oil peanut butter for this guy. @onceuponachef I used Kirkland brand organic peanut butter (2 ingredients peanuts and salt). I used dark brown sugar. I made smaller balls. Recipe yielded 27 cookies. Slightly thumb printed balls. I put the balls on parchment paper cookie sheet and stuck them in the freezer for 3 hours. Transferred them from the freezer to another room temperature cookie sheet and in to the oven. 350 for 17 minutes. Perfection. I never knew peanut butter cookies could taste so good.
I agree CookieMonster! I used organic from Whole Foods (just peanuts and salt) and made 24 normal sized cookies. I did not freeze them, just scooped w a teaspoon, rolled into a ball, and baked. They are great!
I made these cookies and they are way too sweet. Mine looked nothing like the photo and I followed the recipe exactly. Won’t be making them again.
Hi – I’ve made these a few times and they are so delicious! However, they always fall flat . Using a 3T scoop doesn’t yield even 16 cookies. I’ve hand stirred for 3 minutes but never get the play dough consistency, chilled for 15 min in freezer. Using Peter Pan peanut butter . What am I doing wrong ? Thank you !
Hi Teresa, Sorry you’re having a problem with these — it sounds like you are doing everything right! Next time, I’d put them in the freezer for a few extra minutes. Also, you may want to try making them with Skippy peanut butter to eliminate that one variable.
Thank you, Jenn ! Still the best PB cookie recipe !! I’ll try the skippy next time 😊
BEST. COOKIES. EVER.
That is all.
Hi Jen,
I’m looking for a peanut butter cookie to use to make ice cream sandwiches with. Do you think this one would work well, or would you have any other ideas?
Thanks in advance,
I do think these would work for ice cream sandwiches. Hope you enjoy!