Peanut butter, chocolate, and cookies -- three things I'll never ever tire of. All three of these things in one place though + some coffee (or a glass of chocolate almond milk ) = yes please!
These gluten-free vegan chocolate peanut butter cookies are soft and chewy on the inside, lightly crispy on the outside, and full of flavor. The recipe is also oil-free and refined sugar-free.
I made these as a quick treat when my dad phoned to say he'll be stopping by the other Sunday afternoon. It's not often that he's able to come by for a visit since we live some hours apart, and it's not often that I get to bake for him... So with the little time I had available I decided that a batch of cookies was in order.
Cookies (especially peanut butter cookies!) always make sense in a pinch -- they're quick to throw together, only need about ten minutes to bake, and are amazing when fresh out of the oven. Plus you can't beat that deliciously cozy cookies in the oven aroma.
I adapted this recipe from my quick and easy regular peanut butter cookies recipe, by adding some raw cacao powder and cinnamon to the mix because I wanted to go for a chocolate version this time around. I know Dad likes chocolate, and was thinking of going even further by dipping these into some melted chocolate, but I ran out of time -- so chocolate on the side was the next best option :)
If however you're feeling extra chocolatey, I think dipping these in some vegan dark chocolate + sprinkling some sea salt on would be a delicious variation.
I didn't intend on making these for the blog initially. Just threw a quick chocolatey variation on regular peanut butter cookies I make. But they turned out so scrumptious I thought you might want to give the chocolate version a try too :)
They will 100% make a great breakfast cookie... that is if you have enough leftovers for the next morning. We didn't. ;)
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
These gluten-free vegan chocolate peanut butter cookies are soft and chewy on the inside, lightly crispy on the outside, and full of flavor. Oil-free and refined sugar-free.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp white rice flour
- 3 tbsp smooth natural peanut butter
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp cacao powder
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp salt
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment and set aside.
2. Process all cookie ingredients in a food processor until the mixture begins to form a mass. Press a little bit of the mixture together with your fingers to see if it sticks and is the right texture to be formed into a ball.*
3. Scoop out about a 1½ – 2 tablespoon of the dough and roll into a little ball with your hands. Flatten slightly between your palms. Place on the prepared cookie sheet. Repeat the process with the remaining dough until you get 8 dough balls. Space them out a few inches apart on the tray. Use a fork to press down each cookie ball to flatten it, first going one way, then the other to form a criss-cross pattern.
4. Bake in a pre-heated oven for approx 10 mins until the cookies become nice and golden. Remove from oven and cool the cookies on the tray on a wire rack (they’ll firm up a touch as they cool). Enjoy!
Notes
*The texture of the dough can be different depending on the peanut butter used. For example sometimes you might get a batch that’s more “oily” other times one that’s more dry + brands vary, etc. The dough should be soft and pliable. Not too sticky (it shouldn't smear on your hands if you try to roll it), and not too dry (such that it cracks or falls apart as you try to roll it into a ball). If the mixture feels too sticky at this point, add a bit more flour (1 teaspoon at a time) and process again to incorporate; if too dry, add a bit more maple syrup.
Keywords: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Oil-Free)
Becky says
Ooh this looks amazing! I might try these today!
Audrey says
Awesome, enjoy them, Becky! :)
Nava says
Hi Audrey! I have 2 questions: Can I always replace regular or Dutch cocoa powder with cacao powder? And, can I always/usually replace white rice flour with brown rice flour (for your cookie recipes)?
Audrey says
Hi Nava, they're slightly different and sometimes act differently in a recipe so the answer is: you can often (in most cases) use them interchangeably, but not always.
Raw cacao powder is typically acidic in its nature, whereas Dutch-processed cocoa is neutral. They act slightly differently in the baking process where there's leavening involved (i.e. for cakes, sweet breads, etc.). If there's no leavening involved (i.e. there's no baking soda or baking powder in the recipe) you can usually use either or (unless there's a recipe note stating otherwise). If there is leavening involved, use whichever version the recipe calls for because it can make a difference to the final product (things can rise too quickly and cause bulges and cracks, or sink in the middle, or taste bitter / soapy / metallic, etc.)
In a recipe like these cookies, it's fine to use either or since you're not expecting any "chemical" reaction from the ingredients (there's no leavening involved).
White rice vs brown rice flour: yes, you can always use either or if that's your preference. I use white rice flour more often because I find it a little less gritty in gluten-free baking (and I also generally prefer it), but they're totally fine to interchange in all the recipes (unless there's a specific note about not doing so).
Susan says
Would love to try this recipe, but I don't have a food processor. Can I process it by hand?
Audrey says
Hi Susan. I think you can try -- and if you do, I'd love to hear how they turn out since I haven't tried it yet myself.
I believe the result might be a little bit different though. The spinning of the processor introduces a little bit of heat as it quickly blends the ingredients together which causes the maple syrup and peanut butter to solidify and firm up a bit.
If it were me and I had no processor though, I'd still totally give it a go though by hand and see what happens :)