Easy almond flour peanut butter cookies are gluten-free, vegan, and protein-rich. With a soft and chewy center, crispy exterior, and salty-sweet flavor, this healthy cookie recipe is destined to become a favorite; just 6 simple ingredients and ready in 20 minutes!
These almond flour peanut butter cookies were created for my fellow peanut butter-lovers. Just 6 simple ingredients are all you need to make rich and chewy cookies full of nutty flavor.
They are so easy to make, and because we don't use any refined ingredients (maple syrup is used as the sweetener), you can eat them guilt-free.
Using almond flour makes them tender and moist, so no dry and crumbly cookies here. They are salty-sweet and full of rich peanut butter flavor. For more almond flour cookie recipes, try gluten free thumbprint cookies.
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👩🏼🍳 Why These Cookies are the Best
- Rich and nutty salty-sweet peanut butter flavor
- Crispy and crunchy exterior with a soft and chewy interior
- Gluten free almond flour cookies made with simple ingredients
- Easy cookie recipe that's ready in 20 minutes with Make Ahead instructions provided
- Healthy cookies that are high in protein, low-carb, vegan, gluten-free, and with no refined ingredients
- Freezer-friendly
💬 What is Almond Flour?
Almond flour is made from finely-ground almonds that have been blanched and peeled. It is a different product than almond meal, which is made by grinding whole (unpeeled) almonds.
Almond flour has a nutty and slightly sweet flavor, is high in protein, and low-carb. Its higher fat percentage makes for moist and tender baked goods, so it is a great product for vegan recipes.
🥜 Ingredient Notes
- Natural (unsweetened) peanut butter - If your peanut butter contains salt, be sure to leave out the added salt. Similarly, if you use sweetened peanut butter, omit the maple syrup. (If you love peanut butter, try my old fashioned peanut butter balls, healthy banana peanut butter cookies, and 20-minute vegan peanut noodles!)
- Maple Syrup - I love the earthy sweet flavor that maple syrup provides (use it to make buttermilk maple biscuits), and it pairs beautifully with peanut butter.
- Almond flour - Using almond flour provides nutty flavor, slight sweetness, extra moisture, and it makes a soft and tender crumb for baked goods.
- Salt - If your peanut butter already contains salt, do not add more salt or you will have very salty cookies.
- Flaky sea salt (optional) - This is not a necessary ingredient, but I love the flaky crunch of course salt on my cookies.
📋 Variations and Substitutions
- If using sweetened peanut butter, omit the maple syrup.
- Make your own almond flour. Use up your blanched, slivered almonds!
- Nut butter. Substitute almond butter, cashew butter, or tahini paste for a slightly different flavor.
- Maple syrup. You can substitute brown sugar in place of maple syrup (or see my list of the best maple syrup substitutes).
- Incorporate mix-ins: Add ⅓ cup of peanut butter chips, M&M's, or chocolate chips for a fun twist!
🔪 How To Make These Cookies
*See recipe card below for printable instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, mix peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until well-combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk almond flour, baking soda, and salt (if using). Add to wet ingredients and combine thoroughly. Your dough will be very thick.
Using a large spoon or cookie scoop, roll cookie dough into balls using your hands and place on baking sheets.
Using a fork dipped in water, press down twice on each cookie, creating a criss-cross pattern. Sprinkle cookies with a pinch of flaky salt (if using).
Bake for 10 minutes. Let cookies rest on baking sheets for a minimum of 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
⏲ Expert Tips
- Use natural, unsweetened peanut butter. Some brands contain salt, so if you are using one that does, simply skip the additional salt in this recipe. I recommend tasting your cookie dough once everything is mixed, and add an extra pinch of salt if necessary.
- Your cookie dough will be quite thick. This is good!
- Let cookies rest after removing from the oven. This is very important as almond flour is quite delicate; we need to let the cookies firm up before transferring them to a cooling rack.
- Don't overbake. Bake for the allotted 10 minutes. You might be tempted to let them go longer, but doing so will lead to burnt cookies.
- Wet your fork with water before pressing. This helps to avoid your cookies from sticking to the fork.
- Make ahead: Mix cookie dough and store (covered) in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Follow baking instructions below.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature (or in refrigerator) for up to 5 days.
- How to freeze: Layer completely cooled cookies with parchment paper and place in a freezer bag. Cookies can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also freeze your cookie dough portions (after pressing with fork) and bake directly from the freezer. Add 3-4 minutes to your baking time.
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
Too much regular flour can lead to dry and crumbly peanut butter cookies, so this should not be a problem for this recipe using almond flour. You should end up with soft, moist, and chewy cookies with a crispy edge.
Because of the added moisture, substituting all-purpose flour with almond flour may make cookies spread more when baked. In this recipe, we balance the amount of moisture and use protein-rich peanut butter for thick and chewy cookies.
Because almond flour is quite delicate with a high moisture content, it's important to let your cookies rest for at least 10 minutes after baking before moving them.
Generally speaking, almond flour contains more moisture than all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. Therefore, be aware of the amount of moisture in your recipe, as this will cause it to spread more when baked. In addition, almond flour baked goods bake a bit faster, so cut back on the baking time by 20%.
🍪 Related Recipes
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Easy Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup natural (unsweetened) peanut butter
- 7 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt (if peanut butter already contains salt, do not add)
- flaky sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, mix peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until well-combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk almond flour, baking soda, and salt (if using). Add to wet ingredients and combine thoroughly. Your dough will be very thick.
- Using a large spoon or cookie scoop, roll cookie dough into balls using your hands and place on baking sheets.
- Using a fork dipped in water, press down twice on each cookie, creating a criss-cross pattern. Sprinkle cookies with a pinch of flaky salt (if using).
- Bake for 10 minutes. Let cookies rest on baking sheets for a minimum of 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Notes
- Use natural, unsweetened peanut butter. Some brands contain salt, so if you are using one that does, simply skip the additional salt in this recipe. I recommend tasting your cookie dough once everything is mixed, and add an extra pinch of salt if necessary.
- Your cookie dough will be quite thick. This is good!
- Let cookies rest after removing from the oven. This is very important as almond flour is quite delicate; we need to let the cookies firm up before transferring them to a cooling rack.
- Don't overbake. Bake for the allotted 10 minutes. You might be tempted to let them go longer, but doing so will lead to burnt cookies.
- Wet your fork with water before pressing. This helps to avoid your cookies from sticking to the fork.
- Make ahead: Mix cookie dough and store (covered) in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
- Storage: Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature (or in refrigerator) for up to 5 days.
- How to freeze: Layer completely cooled cookies with parchment paper and place in a freezer bag. Cookies can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also freeze your cookie dough portions (after pressing with fork) and bake directly from the freezer.
Kevin
I surprised my wife with a batch of these over the weekend and we both thought they were awesome!! Lots of peanut butter flavor and the texture is great. Thanks for the recipe!
Gastronotherapy
So happy to hear that they were a hit, Kevin!