Satisfy your sweet cravings with these delectable peanut butter cookies.
Vegan, gluten-free, and bursting with nutty goodness, they promise a delightful and easy treat with just four simple ingredients.
Delightfully sweet, chewy, and tender, these quick and easy are oil and refined sugar-free. Bursting with rich peanut butter flavor, they come together in just 15 minutes and are perfect for any time of the day.
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Recipe Highlights
- Dietary – vegan, whole food, oil-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free
- Quick & easy to make
- Ready to enjoy in 15 mins
- Just 4 simple ingredients
- Naturally sweetened with fruit
- Budget-friendly
- Rich nutty flavor
- Perfect for any time of the day
- Small batch recipe – easily doubled or tripled
Ingredient Notes
Here are the four simple ingredients you will need:
- almond flour – I used blanched almond flour, you can use store-bought almond flour or make your own by finely blending blanched almonds.
- peanut butter – you’ll need plain natural peanut butter without any additives like salt or sugar. You can substitute it with almond butter, cashew butter, tahini or sunflower butter.
- regular dates – I used regular pitted dates. They are a natural sweetener and bind everything together.
- vanilla – you can use pure vanilla extract or vanilla powder
For the full ingredients list, measurements, and instructions, please find the recipe card below.
How to Make Easy and Quick Peanut Butter Cookies
The full printable recipe is at the bottom of this post.
Prepare to bake! Before you start, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 1: Process all ingredients – Put all ingredients for the peanut butter cookies in a food processor. Process until all the ingredients are finely chopped and begin to stick together.
Step 2: Shape the cookies – Shape the cookie mixture into a dough with your hands. Divide it into six equal parts and roll them into a ball. Place on the baking sheet. Then use a fork to press down on each cookie twice, creating a crisscross pattern.
Step 3: Bake – Place the cookies in the oven and bake for about 10 mins.
Remove them from the oven and let them cool on the pan for at least 10 minutes before eating!
Feel free to dip these treats in melted chocolate for an optional but delightful touch! It adds a cute and tasty twist to the recipe. Just wait until the cookies are completely cooled before dipping them.
Useful Tips
- Cool before handling – The cookies will be soft and delicate when freshly baked. Allow them to cool for a minimum of 10 minutes before handling. Once fully cooled, they will firm up nicely.
- Don’t over-bake – To prevent the cookies from becoming dry and hard, avoid over-baking. They may appear underdone and soft when removed from the oven, but they will firm up as they cool.
- Wet the fork – Since the batter can be somewhat sticky, moistening the fork before pressing the cookies will make the process easier.
- Use a digital scale – I highly recommend using one to ensure accuracy and achieve optimal results with the recipe!
How to Store
Let the cookies cool completely before storing them.
Room temperature – the cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container on the counter for 3-4 days.
Fridge – you can also store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Make ahead – You can prepare the cookie dough and store it in the fridge for a day or two. Then, bake the cookies in a few minutes.
More Cookie Recipes to Try
If you try these Easy and Quick Peanut Butter Cookies, please let me know! Leave a comment and ★★★★★ recipe rating below. I would love to see your remakes and hear what you think.
Easy and Quick Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup (40 g) almond flour
- ¼ cup (60 g) peanut butter
- ½ cup (70 g) regular pitted dates
- ⅛ tsp vanilla
- ½ tbsp water
- pinch of salt, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Put all ingredients for the peanut butter cookies in a food processor. Process until all the ingredients are finely chopped and begin to stick together.
- Shape the cookie mixture into a dough with your hands. Divide it into six equal parts and roll them into a ball. Place on the baking sheet. Then use a fork to press down on each cookie twice, creating a crisscross pattern.
- Bake for about 10 mins. Let cool for a while and enjoy!
Notes
- The recipe makes a small batch of 6 cookies. If you want a bigger batch, just adjust the amount of the ingredients.
Nutrition
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Could I substitue raisins or sultanas instead of dates?
I’ve made these 3x, yummy and filling cookies! I need to use my large food processor and spread the peanut butter well. It didn’t work with my small food processor. (peanut butter tends to clump into a ball in the processor– I’ve had this issue with other WFPB recipes too).
Anyway, these are quick and easy to make!
Hi Judy,
thank you so much for sharing your experience! I’m thrilled to hear that you’ve made these cookies multiple times and you like them. I appreciate the tip about using a large food processor. That’s really helpful advice for others who might face the same issue.
I made these tonight, they were terrific! I love it when I can pull something off so deliciously satisfying with things I have on hand in a matter of minutes. They really hit the spot! Thanks!
Hi Janice,
I’m so happy that you enjoyed making and eating the cookies! It’s always a win when a recipe comes together quickly and with ingredients you already have. Thanks for giving it a try and for sharing your experience!
I made these yesterday and they were very easy to make and extra delicious!
Thank you for the healthy recipe.
Hi there,
you’re very welcome! I’m thrilled to hear that you found the recipe easy to follow and they turned out delicious. It’s always a joy to know that a healthy recipe hits the mark.
Do they spread out while cooking , mine still look like flat balls ?
I didn’t have almond flour so i substituted with coconut flour , could that be why ?
10 minutes isn’t long in the oven , will they brown ?
Where do they sit in the oven while cooking , top or middle?
Hey there,
thanks for trying out the recipe! The cookies are meant to maintain their shape and not spread out much during baking. Substituting almond flour with coconut flour can definitely affect the texture and structure of the cookies. Coconut flour is more absorbent and tends to result in a denser, less spread-out texture.
Regarding browning, since coconut flour can brown quicker than almond flour, you might want to keep an eye on them towards the end of baking to prevent over-browning. If you make them with almond flour as the recipe says the cookies will be soft and delicate when freshly baked. Allow them to cool for a minimum of 10 minutes before handling. Once fully cooled, they will firm up nicely.
As for oven placement, placing them in the middle rack usually works best for even baking. I hope these tips help, and let me know if you have any more questions!
Do the dates need to be soaked first ?
Hi Dianne,
no need to soak the dates beforehand. I chop them up to make it easier for the food processor to blend everything smoothly. Enjoy the recipe!