Peanut Butter Cookies Without Butter

Can you really make peanut butter cookies without butter? It sounds unbelievable, but it’s 100% real! 

These peanut butter cookies are outrageously soft, chewy, and loaded with peanut buttery goodness. 

Apart from butter, these cookies contain zero flour as well. It shouldn’t be possible, but somehow, it is.

They may be low on ingredients, but they’re definitely high in flavor! Let’s get baking!

Peanut Butter Cookies Without Butter 

If you’re a dessert person, living a healthy, gluten-free lifestyle can be a challenge.

There are rarely any dessert recipes that are both delicious and nutritious. 

Thankfully, this recipe exists. These cookies are ridiculous tasty but also not too bad for you.

They’re dairy-free and gluten-free, which means they’re perfect for most people to enjoy! 

Ingredients

• Peanut Butter – crunchy or creamy, as long as it’s all-natural.

• Sugars –  a mix of brown and white makes soft and chewy cookies.

• Eggs – for binding the ingredients together.

• Baking Powder – it gives the cookies their lift.

• Salt – it adds a salty contrast to the sweet cookies. You can omit this if your peanut butter is salted.

• Vanilla Extract – if using imitation vanilla extract, check the label to ensure it’s gluten-free.

How Do You Make Cookies From Scratch Without Butter?

There are really only 4 steps to making these delicious cookies.

1. PREPARE. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease cookie sheets with oil or butter.

2. MAKE THE BATTER. Combine the peanut butter and both sugars in a bowl. Mix until smooth, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Finally, stir in the baking powder, salt, and vanilla.

3. SCOOP. Scoop 1-inch balls and place them 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets. Make indentations on them with a fork.

4. BAKE. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Then, let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheets and finish cooling on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Tips for the Best Cookies 

A few tips:

• Don’t over-mix the batter. Otherwise, your cookies will be tough and dry.

• Use natural peanut butter. Creamy or crunchy will work. Whatever you pick, though, go for all-natural peanut butter. Its natural oil gives the cookies that moist texture.

• No eggs? Use a flaxseed substitute instead. Mix 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed with 5 tablespoons of water. After 10 minutes, the mixture will have turned into a jelly-like substance, similar to egg whites.

• Make them extra sweet. Coat the dough balls in granulated sugar for extra sweetness and crunch.

• Be mindful of the baking time. The texture of the cookies depends on their baking time. The less time you bake, the softer the cookies. The longer you bake, the crunchier they get. Don’t bake them beyond 10 minutes, though. Keep in mind that they’ll continue to cook while cooling.

• Use a trigger cookie scoop. It makes it easier to shape the dough and make uniform cookies. 

• Dip your fork. When making the indentations on the dough, dip the fork in water or granulated sugar. This will prevent it from sticking to the dough.

• Try variations. You can add chocolate chips and/or chopped nuts or use other nut butters, such as almond butter. You can also cut down on the sugar if you’re counting carbs.

How to Store

Properly storing freshly baked cookies is key to making them last.

To Store: Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

To Freeze: Transfer cooled cookies to a freezer-safe container, using parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking. Freeze them for up to 2 months. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a couple of hours before serving.

To Make Ahead: Prepare the dough as directed and shape it into balls as instructed. Then, freeze them on a baking sheet for about an hour until they’re frozen through. Freeze them in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months. You can bake them straight from the freezer. Simply add 2 to 4 minutes to their baking time.

Does the Dough Need To Be Chilled?

Absolutely not! With this recipe, there’s no need to wait. Hurray! 

Most peanut butter cookie recipes yield a thin dough that you’ll need to chill to avoid overspreading.

With this recipe, though, the firm is already pretty firm, so you can shape it into balls and bake right away! 

Here’s a caveat, though: if it’s too hot in your kitchen and you notice the dough balls have become too soft, consider chilling them for 30 minutes.

More Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes

JIF Peanut Butter Cookies
Bisquick Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies