Can you really make peanut butter cookies without butter? It sounds unbelievable, but it’s 100% real!
These peanut butter cookies are outrageously soft, chewy, and loaded with peanut buttery goodness.
Apart from butter, these cookies contain zero flour as well. It shouldn’t be possible, but somehow, it is.
They may be low-carb, but they’re definitely high in flavor! Let’s get baking!
Peanut Butter Cookies Without Butter
If you’re a dessert person, living a healthy lifestyle can be a challenge.
There are rarely any dessert recipes that are both delicious and nutritious.
Thankfully, this recipe exists. These cookies are ridiculous tasty but also secretly healthy.
They’re vegan and low-carb, which means they’re for everyone to enjoy!
Ingredients
- Peanut Butter – crunchy or creamy, as long as it’s all-natural.
- Sugars – a mix of brown and white makes soft and chewy cookies.
- Eggs – for binding the ingredients together.
- Baking Powder – it gives the cookies their lift.
- Salt – it adds a salty contrast to the sweet cookies. You can omit this if your peanut butter is salted.
- Vanilla Extract – flavor enhancer.
How Do You Make Cookies From Scratch Without Butter?
The first step to baking is always to preheat your oven. Ideally, your oven should be ready once your batter is done.
You’ll want the chemical reactions among the ingredients to take place in the oven, not in the bowl.
For this recipe, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grease your cookie sheets with oil or butter to prevent the cookies from sticking.
If you have a silicone mat, aluminum foil, or parchment paper, even better.
In a bowl, beat together the peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth.
Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the baking powder, salt, and vanilla.
The dough should be firm by the time you’re done mixing.
Using a cookie scoop, form the dough into 1-inch balls. You can roll them in granulated sugar for added crunch, but this is optional.
Place the balls on the prepared sheets, leaving room in between for spreading, about 2 inches.
To make that trademark criss-cross design, press a fork into the balls horizontally then vertically.
Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes. The tops should be set, but the centers should still be soft.
Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them onto a wire rack to cool.
Tips for the Best Cookies
- Do not over-mix the batter, otherwise, your cookies will be tough and dry. Stop mixing as soon as flour streaks disappear.
- Creamy or crunchy peanut butter both work. Whatever you pick, though, go for all-natural peanut butter. The natural oil in the peanut butter gives the cookies that moist texture. Check the nutritional label – natural peanut butter only contains peanuts, and sometimes salt.
- If you’re allergic or can’t have eggs, use a flaxseed substitute instead. Mix 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed with 5 tablespoons of water. After 10 minutes, the mixture will have turned into a jelly-like substance, similar to egg whites.
- Coat the dough balls in granulated sugar for extra sweetness and crunch.
- The texture of the cookies depends on their baking time. The less time you bake, the softer the cookies. The longer you bake, the crunchier they get. Don’t bake them beyond 10 minutes, though. Keep in mind that they’ll continue to cook while cooling.
- Use a trigger cookie scoop when shaping the dough to make uniform cookies.
- Dip the fork in water or granulated sugar to prevent it from sticking to the cookie dough balls.
- If you bake cookies a lot, consider getting a silicone mat. It creates a more even baking surface than parchment paper, giving you evenly baked cookies.
- Recipe variations:
- Add chocolate chip cookies and/or chopped nuts.
- Use other nut butters, such as almond and cashew.
- Use less sugar.
- Storage instructions:
- Keep the cookies in an air-tight container and store them at the counter for up to 5 days or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- For a longer shelf-life, pop the cookies in the freezer. Place completely cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container. Place a layer of parchment paper in between layers to avoid sticking. Frozen cookies will keep well for up to 2 months.
- Thaw cookies in the fridge or the counter before serving.
- To freeze the uncooked dough, shape it into balls as instructed. Freeze them for an hour, or until frozen solid. Frozen dough balls will keep well for up to 2 months.
- No thawing required, just bake for 2 to 4 minutes longer than directed.
Does the Dough Need To Be Chilled?
Absolutely not! With this recipe, there’s no need to wait. Hurray!
Most peanut butter cookie recipes yield a thin dough that you’ll need to chill to avoid overspreading.
With this recipe, though, the firm is already pretty firm, so you can shape it into balls and bake right away!
Here’s a caveat, though: if it’s too hot in your kitchen and you notice the dough balls have become too soft, then consider chilling them for 30 minutes before baking.
More Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes
JIF Peanut Butter Cookies
Bisquick Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies
Peanut Butter Cookies Without Butter
36
servings30
minutes10
minutes132
kcalIngredients
2 cups peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the cookie sheets with oil or butter, or line with a silicone mat, parchment paper, or aluminum foil.
- Stir the peanut butter and granulated and brown sugars in a bowl until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in baking powder, salt, and vanilla. Expect a firm dough.
- Using a cookie scoop, form the dough into 1-inch balls. Place them on the prepared cookie sheets, 2 inches apart. Make a criss-cross indentation by pressing a fork into the balls horizontally then vertically.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cookies cool on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack.
