Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies
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These healthy peanut butter cookies are soft, chewy and made with just 4 simple ingredients. Naturally sweetened and easy to make in one bowl, they’re the perfect better-for-you treat.
If you have ever wanted a peanut butter cookie that comes together with basically no effort and still tastes completely satisfying, this is it. Four ingredients, one bowl, no eggs, no butter, no traditional flour. I know that sounds too good to be true but I promise it works and these cookies deliver every single time!
If you are a peanut butter cookie lover you are also going to want to try my peanut butter oatmeal cookies for another easy one bowl version that is just as simple and delicious.
Table of Contents
Why I Love These Peanut Butter Cookies
- Only 4 ingredients: Peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla and almond flour. That is genuinely it. No butter, no eggs, no complicated steps.
- One bowl, easy cleanup: Everything comes together in a single bowl which means less mess and more time to enjoy the cookies.
- Perfectly soft and chewy: The almond flour gives these cookies a texture that is hard to beat. And if you are a fan of baking with almond flour, my almond flour chocolate chip cookies are another must try.
- Naturally sweetened: Just maple syrup for sweetness which means these cookies are not overly sugary. They taste indulgent without the sugar crash.
“Saw the recipe and wanted to try them out. Worst idea ever. Already on the third batch this week and I’m running out of peanut butter! Very good and if you love peanut butter you will LOVE these.”
Ingredients Needed
- creamy natural peanut butter – the star of the show and what gives these cookies their rich nutty flavor. Look for a brand with just peanuts and salt as the only ingredients. Make sure it is drippy and well stirred before measuring as a thick or dry peanut butter will affect the texture of the dough.
- maple syrup – the natural sweetener that holds the dough together and adds just the right amount of sweetness.
- vanilla extract – adds warmth and rounds out the overall flavor of the cookie.
- almond flour – gives these cookies their soft, slightly chewy texture and keeps them naturally gluten-free. Make sure you are using finely ground blanched almond flour and not almond meal. I love Bob’s Red Mill super fine almond flour for the best results.
Find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below.
Substitutions
- Almond flour: I highly recommend using almond flour for this recipe for the best results. I have tested it with oat flour and the cookies will still turn out, but they are a bit drier because oat flour has less fat than almond flour.
- Peanut butter: I’m assuming you can swap with any nut or seed butter, but I’ve only tested the recipe with natural peanut butter and almond butter, which is also delicious!
- Maple syrup: You can totally use another liquid sweetener like coconut nectar or honey. I’ve tested these with honey and they were yummy, but I personally like the flavor of maple syrup better.
How to Make Peanut Butter Cookies
Because we’re not using eggs, butter or traditional flour, these cookies can be made in one bowl. Woo-hoo for less dishes! Here’s how to make them:
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Step 2: Add the peanut butter, maple syrup and vanilla to a mixing bowl and stir until combined. Add the almond flour and stir until fully incorporated.
- Step 3: Use a medium cookie scoop to portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Flatten each ball with a fork in a crisscross pattern and sprinkle with flaked sea salt if using.
- Step 4: Bake for 12 minutes or until the cookies begin to brown around the edges. Let cool on a wire rack before serving.
Brittany’s Tips
- Use drippy natural peanut butter: This is the most important tip for this recipe. A thick or dry peanut butter will make the dough too stiff and hard to work with. Give your jar a good stir before measuring and make sure it is at room temperature. If your dough still feels too sticky just add an extra tablespoon of almond flour at a time until it comes together.
- Do not skip the cooling time: These cookies are soft and fragile straight out of the oven. Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack. They firm up as they cool and the texture is so much better once they have had time to set.
How to Store
Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Refrigerator: These cookies keep really well in the fridge for up to 7 days. The texture firms up a bit when cold which I actually love.
Freezer: Peanut butter cookies freeze beautifully. Place cooled cookies in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or enjoy straight from the freezer for a cold treat.
Frequently Asked Questions
This usually comes down to the brand of natural peanut butter you are using. Some are much runnier than others. If your dough feels too wet or sticky simply add an extra tablespoon of almond flour at a time until it comes together.
Absolutely and I highly recommend it! Fold in a few tablespoons of your favorite chocolate chips after the dough comes together for a peanut butter chocolate chip version that is truly hard to resist.
I would not recommend it. Almond flour has more fat and less starch than regular flour which is what gives these cookies their soft texture. Oat flour can work as a substitute but the cookies will be slightly drier.
More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy natural peanut butter
- ½ cup maple syrup, or honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup almond flour
- flaked sea salt for topping, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add peanut butter, maple syrup and vanilla into a mixing bowl. Once combined, add in almond flour and stir until incorporated.1 cup creamy natural peanut butter, ½ cup maple syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup almond flour
- Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop dough onto prepared baking sheet. Alternatively, you can scoop dough with a spoon and roll it into a ball.
- Flatten each dough ball with a fork, making a crisscross pattern and sprinkle a little flaked sea salt on top of each cookie, if using.flaked sea salt for topping
- Bake in a preheated oven for about 12 minutes or until cookies begin to brown. Remove from oven, allow cookies to cool on a wire rack and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Almond flour: Finely ground blanched almond flour is strongly recommended. Oat flour can work as a substitute but the cookies will be slightly drier.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to 7 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This Recipe? Rate & Comment Below!
if you’re thinking of making these, do it!!! as the recipe says, watch them as they bake because your oven might cook them at a different rate and possibly burn them. mine cooked perfectly in 12 mins. i used oat flour instead and yes they’re a bit dry but still delish:))))
Yay! I am so glad that these cookies turned out perfectly for you and that you are loving them. Thank you for sharing your review & star rating, I appreciate it.
Made these quick on a Sunday afternoon for a treat after a bike ride and run. Perfection! Thanks for the quick and simple recipe!
Used regular flour and chunky peanut butter.
Of course, I am so happy these cookies were a hit! Thank you so much for coming back and leaving your review + star rating, I really appreciate it.
Made these tonight and although my dough was rather sticky, they turned out perfectly after 16 mins in middle of top oven! Taste fantastic! Found this on pinterest, thanks for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Clare! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
I followed your instructions exactly and my beautiful and delicious cookies are perfect! They do have a bit of shortbread crunch as one of your other reviewers stated – we love them!
YAY! I am so happy that this recipe turned out for you and that you are loving them, Karina. Thank you for coming back and leaving your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!
These taste like peanut butter shortbread cookies-fantastic!
Yay! So glad you’re loving these cookies, Tara. Thanks so much for leaving a review, I appreciate it so very much!
These were really great! I added a BUNCH of salt to the top and it made them 10 times more tasty! 12 minute baking time worked perfectly in my oven.
Yum! I love adding salt to cookies! So glad you enjoyed these, Becky. Thanks for sharing your review.
I made these exactly as instructed, and set the timer for 10 minutes. They were thoroughly burnt-and I know my oven is accurate. Sorry, but these are going in the trash!
Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that, Marian. I haven’t had an issue with them burning before but I’ll test them again to make sure. Thanks for sharing your experience and sorry they didn’t work out.
So I put the cookies on a silicone baking mat on a pan, and the bottoms burned after 8 minutes 😞 Is it the mat that caused it?
Oh no! I’m not sure, Kelly. I haven’t had that issue before but I did use parchment paper as opposed to a silicone mat. Did you change anything else about the recipe?
I have been very conscious lately about what ingredients I feed to my family, especially my toddler. She kept asking for cookies so I looked up a clean recipe. I found these and it’s safe to say it’s a family favorite now! So easy, very clean ingredients, and quick! Thank you for this recipe!
Yay! I am so happy to hear this, Kelsie! I’m glad your family is loving these cookies and that you feel good about them, it’s the best kind of review! 🙂
Cookies were a hit! Used agave syrup, did not have any honey nor maple syrup. Could not leave a higher rating, cursor was not allowing anything higher than 3 stars. I only left in oven 10 mins max because bottoms were starting to burn. (did use parchment paper).
Yay! Glad these were a hit, Rosalyn!
We love cookies.
Yay! I’m so glad you love these cookies, Lisa!