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!
My husband makes these all of the time!!!! We love them and think they taste great!!!! Thank you!!!!😊🥜🥜🥜
Oh yay! This makes me so happy to hear. I’m glad you loved these cookies. Thanks for making them and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
Tastes horrible. Not at all sweet enough. Better off making the real thing and eating less.
Oh no! So sorry to hear that these cookies didn’t turn out for you, Zach. I do have these 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies, which are more real deal cookies if you wanted to. give those a try.
Fantastic! Easy and delicious, especially with a handful of chocolate chips added
YUM! Love that you added some chocolate chips, Patty, sounds delish. Thank you for taking the time to share your review & star rating, I really appreciate it!
the dough was sticking to the fork and hard to flatten??
Hi Mickie – Was your dough really sticky when mixing? You could pop in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes before pressing down. Hope that helps and you enjoy these cookies!
Made the single batch just as your recipe and they turned out wonderful. Then next batch added a handful of dark chocolate chips, just as yummy 😋
Delish! I am so glad you gave this recipe a try and it turned out amazing for you, Jewel! Thank you for sharing your review + start rating, I really appreciate it!
Made this recipe in oven. Doubled the recipe and got exactly 9 2oz cookies baking in the oven now. my taste testers aren’t home yet. but batter seemed tasty enough.
I hope these were a hit, Lisa!
Can these be made using gluten free flour instead of almond flour?
Hi Lori – I highly recommend using almond flour for this recipe for the best result, but I have tested it with oat flour and the cookies will still turn out, but they are a bit more dry tasting because oat flour has less fat than almond flour. But, i don’t recommend using GF flour for this recipe.
Could you use Coconut flour instead?
Hi Shellie, Coconut flour can’t be subbed 1:1 with other ingredients as it soaks up way more liquid, so I wouldn’t recommend using coconut flour for this recipe.
This was so, SO delicious. And easy. Was able to easily stir up by hand in one bowl. Was out of vanilla so didn’t get to add that and didn’t really miss it. Just a great, simple, yummy recipe! Whole family loved them.
YUM! I am so glad you all loved these cookies and they turned out amazing for you, Claire. Thank you so much for sharing your review & star rating, it means so much to me!
great recipe, thank you! made for dad that wanted healthy cookies. i used honey, a little less than half a cup. added a dash of vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. turned out beautiful!
YAY! These sound great, Jane. I am so glad you both enjoyed these cookies. Thank you for sharing your review & star rating, it means so much to me!
These were great! I ended up making a few minor changes to get the right texture (mostly because my peanut butter was extremely thick and dry) which I won’t detail here since it’s not the recipe but I will say this is extremely forgiving. Since there’s no egg, you can taste the dough before baking to make sure it’s to your taste which I really like and as long as your dough is the right texture, you should be good
Excellent! Glad these cookies turned out great for you, Cici. Thanks for your review + star rating, I truly appreciate it!
We used your exact recipe (with the maple syrup & course sea salt). We baked them for 10 minutes exactly & then left them on the pan to cool. We loved them – even my teenagers & my in-laws, both who love their sugar but are trying to stop. I warned them that these are a healthier version of pb cookie but they genuinely loved them. On the first pan I swished the cookies down too much & the dough stuck to my fork so I didn’t squish the second pan down as much & I didn’t make the design. I preferred the second pan because the cookies were just a little thicker. Thank you for sharing!
Amazing! I am so happy these were a hit for the whole family, Anita. Thanks so much for coming back and sharing your review & star rating, it truly means so much to me!