These gluten free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are made with almond flour and do not need to be chilled before baking. You'll have delicious, flourless cookies in minutes!
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These are the BEST gluten free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies for several reasons. First, they're LOADED with chocolate! I mean, if you're gonna do it, do it.
Second, they use almond flour—no complicated and expensive gluten free flour mixtures—which keeps things easy-peasy and more economical.
Third, you don't need a stand mixer to make them. A hand-held mixer will do, and you can even cream the butter and sugar by hand with a wooden spoon (if you want.)
Recipe adapted from NYT Cooking.
Jump to:
- Why this is the best gluten free chocolate chip cookies recipe
- Ingredients for gluten free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies
- Almond flour + peanut butter = the best cookies!
- How to make them: Step by step instructions
- Tips for perfect gluten free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies
- FAQ
- More gluten free cookie recipes
- Recipe
Why this is the best gluten free chocolate chip cookies recipe
- Uses natural (unsweetened) peanut butter so YOU control the sweetness.
- Can be made in ONE bowl!
- No need to chill the dough. You'll be eating delicious peanut butter cookies in about 30 minutes!
- Made with almond flour which is easy to find in the grocery store and is less expensive than gluten free flour blends.
Ingredients for gluten free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies
- Almond flour: Just good old almond flour. Nothing complicated. I get mine at Trader Joe's.
- Creamy natural peanut butter: Choose one that only has two ingredients: roasted peanuts and salt.
- Butter, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar: We'll cream all of these together to form the base of our cookie dough. The dark brown sugar adds depth of flavor and goes really well with the peanut butter.
- Bittersweet chocolate chips: I love DARK chocolate in these cookies. I used Ghirardelli brand 60% cacao. They are larger chips that are wider and flatter and this shape provides a more satisfying amount of chocolate when you bite into them. Guittard extra dark chips are also very tasty.
- Baking powder
- One egg
- Vanilla extract
- Kosher salt: Even though the peanut butter has salt, you need this extra bit for the perfect finish.
Almond flour + peanut butter = the best cookies!
Why are we using almond flour? Well, you know how sometimes peanut butter cookies can taste burnt on the bottom? That's because the peanut oil in the peanut butter gets REALLY hot and burns the flour. But since we are using a nut-based gluten free flour, it can take the heat! Resulting in great tasting, perfectly baked cookies every time.
How to make them: Step by step instructions
Makes about 3 dozen cookies. Before you start, be sure that all ingredients are at room temperature!
Step 1: Preheat and prep
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 2: Whisk dry ingredients together
Whisk together the almond flour, salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl and set aside.
Step 3: Cream together butter and sugars
In a separate mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until fluffy.
Step 4: Add the wet ingredients
Add the peanut butter to the butter mixture and mix together. (See tip below about draining oil off the top first.) Stir in the vanilla and the egg and mix thoroughly.
Step 5: Add the remaining dry ingredients
Add the almond flour mixture and fold until it's completely incorporated and no bits of flour remain.
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Step 6: Scooping and baking the cookies
Use a small cookie scoop and drop cookie dough onto the parchment, about 1 ½ inches apart.
Bake for 12-14 minutes until cookies are just getting golden at the edges. Scoop the next batch of cookies while the first is baking and so on.
Allow the cookies to cool completely on the sheet pan.
Tips for perfect gluten free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies
- I recommend that you use a brand new jar of natural peanut butter, and drain about 2 tablespoons of oil off the top before you mix it together. (If it hasn't separated a lot, just drain what you can.) This will ensure that the peanut butter is thicker which helps the cookies hold together better. If you don't do this, the cookies will still work, they will just have a more crumbly texture.
- Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature before you start baking.
- If you don't have a hand mixer, you can cream the butter and sugars together with a wooden spoon. It's a bit of a workout, but it can be done! Just make sure the butter is soft.
FAQ
No, you do not need to chill this dough. You can scoop them onto the cookie sheet and put them right into the oven.
Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to a week.
Yes, these freeze well. Store them in a zip top bag for up to 2 months.
No, you can't. For this recipe you'll need to use natural peanut butter, which only has two ingredients: peanuts and salt. Pre-sweetened peanut butter has sugar and other stabilizers and oils that will affect the outcome of the cookies.
More gluten free cookie recipes
There are endless possibilities for chocolate chip cookies that are also gluten free. Try these variations.
- Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies are here for you if you're not in a peanut butter mood.
- Gluten Free Chocolate Cookies are made with buckwheat flour, have maximum chocolate flavor, and a shortbread-like texture.
- Flourless Chocolate Cookies with Chocolate Chips and Hazelnuts are also dairy free!
Recipe
Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup almond flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 cup natural creamy salted peanut butter at room temperature, see note
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups bittersweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the almond flour, salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl and set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until fluffy.
- Add the peanut butter to the butter mixture and mix together. (See tip below about draining oil off the top first.) Stir in the vanilla and the egg and mix thoroughly.
- Add the almond flour mixture and fold until it's completely incorporated and no bits of flour remain, then fold in the chocolate chips.
- Use a small cookie scoop and drop cookie dough onto the parchment, about 1 ½ inches apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes until cookies are just getting golden at the edges. Scoop the next batch of cookies while the first is baking and so on. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the sheet pan.
Notes
- All ingredients MUST be at room temperature before you start baking.
- I recommend that you use a brand new jar of natural peanut butter, and drain about 2 tablespoons of oil off the top before you mix it together. This will ensure that the peanut butter is thicker which helps the cookies hold together better. If you don't do this, the cookies will still work, they will just have a more crumbly texture.
- If you don't have a hand mixer, you can cream the butter and sugars together with a wooden spoon. It's a bit of a workout, but it can be done! Just make sure the butter is soft.
- Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
- Store in an airtight container for up to one week.
- Be sure to read the post above for ingredient tips.
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