These flourless chocolate peanut butter cookies are soft, fudgy and intensely peanut buttery, made from just a handful of pantry staples. They’re naturally gluten free and dairy free as they contain no flour or butter. Anyone who loves peanut butter is going to be completely obsessed with these!
These might just be the most underrated recipe on my whole website!
They’re made from six pantry staples, they’re gluten free and dairy free, and they are soft, rich and that stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth kind of peanut buttery. I am completely obsessed with these and anyone who is a true peanut butter lover will agree.
This is one of those recipes that doesn’t quite make sense on paper but you just have to trust the process. They don’t contain any flour which is what makes them naturally gluten free. It’s the combination of the egg and the peanut butter together that makes the cookie dough and creates these delicious bite-sized cookies.
If you’re looking for an egg free alternative, my regular peanut butter cookies are for you.
Key Ingredients
This chocolate peanut butter cookie recipe uses just 6 simple ingredients, all things you probably already have.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Peanut butter – the key to this recipe is the peanut butter. I recommend using a smooth, natural peanut butter and stir it really well first so there’s no oil sitting on top.
- Brown sugar – adds a sweet, caramel flavor as well as helping keep the cookies moist rather than becoming dry and crumbly.
- Egg – binds everything together, since there’s no flour.
- Vanilla extract – for flavour.
- Bicarbonate of soda – also known as baking soda, gives these cookies a little lift so they aren’t too dense.
- Cocoa powder – for that rich, dark chocolate flavour. I’ve used Cadbury Bournville cocoa powder my entire life because it’s made from the same beans Cadbury uses to make their chocolate so you know it’s going to taste good. For those in the US, this is a Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
You’ll Also Love: Vegan Peanut Butter Bars
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: In a large bowl, lightly whisk the egg, then add the brown sugar and mix until combined.
Step 2: Add the peanut butter and vanilla and whisk until it comes together. You’ll probably find it easier to switch to a spatula here.
Step 3: Using the spatula, mix through the bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder until the mixture comes together as a dough.
Step 4: Scoop tablespoon balls of dough onto the tray. You don’t need to leave much space between them as these won’t spread much.
Step 5: Press each one down with a fork to make a criss-cross pattern. If the fork is sticking to the dough, just press it lightly in a little cocoa powder first.
Step 6: Bake for 10 minutes. The cookies will still be soft when they come out, but they’ll firm up as they cool.
👉 Don’t skip pressing the balls of dough down with a fork. Not only does it create a nice pattern on top, but these cookies barely spread in the oven, so how flat they are when they go in will be what they end up like.
Storage Instructions
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. They also freeze well for up to 3 months.
Just thaw at room temperature before enjoying with a cup of tea or coffee.
Recipe FAQs
No, this recipe relies on the egg to bind them with no flour. For an eggless option, you can try my vegan peanut butter cookies instead and swap some of the flour for cocoa powder.
You can, and you’ll get a bit of extra texture from the peanut pieces. While I prefer to bake with smooth peanut butter as it produces more even results, you can use what you have and prefer.
Yes1 A handful of dairy free chocolate chips mixed through the dough, or pressed on top before baking, is great if you want them extra chocolatey.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More dairy free chocolate cookie recipes:
Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Vegan Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Flourless Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 110 grams (½ cup) brown sugar
- 250 grams (1 cup) smooth peanut butter mixed very well
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
- 25 grams (¼ cup) cocoa powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- In a large bowl, lightly whisk the 1 large egg and the 110 grams brown sugar to mix until combined.
- Add the 250 grams smooth peanut butter and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and continue to whisk until everything comes together. You may find it easier to switch to a spatula during this step.
- Using the spatula, mix through the 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda/baking soda and 25 grams cocoa powder until the mixture comes together as a dough.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon balls of the mixture and place onto the baking tray. Press down each ball with a fork to make a criss-cross pattern.
- Bake for 10 minutes. The cookies will still be soft when removed from the oven but will continue to firm up as they cool.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
This recipe was originally published in May 2018 and has been updated in 2026 with new photos and more helpful information. The recipe remains the same.
Michele Lawing says
They sound and look so yummy! I can’t wait to make them.
Thanks for sharing!
Sally says
Thanks Michele!