Healthier Peanut Butter Cookies

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure and privacy policy.

Healthier Peanut Butter Cookies that are delicious, vegan and gluten-free!

Peanut butter cookies are one of the things I remember making with my mom.  I honestly don’t remember too many things from my childhood but I remember making these cookie and doing the little crisscrosses on the top with a fork.  These cookies are a healthier version of the classic peanut butter cookies.  They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They happen to be both vegan and gluten-free! I love to dip them in almond milk.  They are so delicious.  I hope you try them!

Let’s discuss some of the healthier ingredients we will use for these peanut butter cookies

How to make flax eggs

First you will make two flax eggs.  You need ground flax seeds and warm water.  When you combine the two and let them sit for a few minutes, they thicken and help bind the ingredients together.  I buy my flax seeds whole and grind them using a coffee grinder.  I grind small batches and store the ground flax seeds in the freezer to keep them fresh.  Most recipes that call for flax eggs use a ratio of 2.5 or 3 tablespoons of water to 1 tablespoon of ground flax.  We are using a ratio of 2.5 to 1.  Since we want 2 flax eggs, we combine 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds with 5 tablespoons of warm water. I like this brand.

After you make the flax eggs and let it sit for three to five minutes to thicken, you will add peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut sugar and vanilla extract.

The importance of stirrable peanut butter

You want to use natural peanut butter that is just peanuts and sea salt or just peanuts.  It must be a stirrable type and not a solid, thick kind of peanut butter. There will be some separation at the top of the jar.  It’s important to give it a good stir before measuring out is needed.  Do not make the mistake of using a thick peanut butter with added sugar.  It will make the cookies too sweet, you will not be able to stir it in, and it will affect the consistency of the cookies.

Coconut sugar, also called coconut palm sugar, is derived from the sap of a coconut palm.  It is an unrefined sugar that still contains minerals like iron, zinc, potassium and calcium and even contains antioxidants.  It is brown in color and lends a brown color to most baked goods.  While it is a healthier alternative to white refined sugar, it is still sugar; which means it is high in calories.  Consumed in excess, added sugars may contribute to weight issues, diabetes and other diseases. You can find coconut sugar in most grocery stores in the sugar section or in the natural foods area.

Vanilla extract is non-negotiable in baking!  It adds a warming vanilla flavor that you will find in almost every cookie recipe.

Gluten-free flour

After you have the wet ingredients mixed together, you will add in gluten-free flour, oat flour, baking soda, arrowroot starch and sea salt.  For gluten free flour, I use Bob’ Red Mill Gluten free 1 to 1 Baking Flour.  You can use it to replace wheat flour in any recipe that calls for regular flour. I have found this particular blend to have a great flavor, and when used in the right proportions, you can’t even tell you aren’t using regular wheat flour.  You can certainly replace this ingredient with flour or a better alternative would be spelt.  I did not test the recipe like this, but see no reason why it would not work out well.

How to make oat flour

Oat flour is made by simply grinding up oats.  You can buy it already ground or you can do it in a high speed blender.  I make my own in my Vitamix.  You simply add a cup of oat flour to the blender and let it run for about 30 seconds or until it is mostly finely ground.  Store the extra oat flour in the fridge in a sealed container.  If you do not consume gluten and need gluten-free oats, make sure you buy certified gluten free oats.

Arrowroot starch is also called arrowroot flour.  It is a starchy substance that’s extracted from the root of a tropical plant known as Maranta arundinacea.  Arrowroot starch can be used as a thickener, similar to cornstarch.  In baked goods, it is used as part of gluten free flour mixtures or in Paleo recipes (since it is grain free).  I find that it helps crisp up baked goods like cookies, so this is why it is included in this recipe.

How to make healthier peanut butter cookies

After you have your dough ready, you are ready to make little balls, roll them in sugar and make your crisscross on top before baking. I use a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop like this one. After you have the dough scooped, roll each into balls and the roll them in the sugar.

Place each one on your baking sheet, spaced out to give each one some room, and make a crisscross on the top using a fork and a bowl of warm water. Dip the fork in the water, shake excess from fork, then make a crisscross on top. Make sure you shake the excess water from the fork before you press each one. Each cookie should end up about 1/4 of of inch thick, similar to the below photo.

I hope you love these cookies! They are:

crispy on the outside and soft on the inside
just the right amount of sweet
perfect dunked in milk
delicious!

If you love peanut butter, look no further than these Double Peanut Butter Cup Cookies! These Chocolate Chip and Oat Cookie Bars get rave reviews! They are a great vegan and gluten-free treat to keep on hand or take to a get together.