So begins the time of the year when it’s totally acceptable to have a freezer bursting with cookies. There’s always something on hand for unexpected guests, not to mention evening nibbles while cozied up in front of the TV, which we’ve been kinda glued to lately (oops). My friends and family are about to be bombarded with cookies over the next few weeks. I just hope they don’t mind when I force them to fill out a recipe feedback form removing all pleasure from the cookie eating experience. There are always strings attached, you know.
These peanut butter chocolate cookies are made gluten-free by using almonds and gluten-free oats – both ground in my Vitamix to make a flour. You can either grind it yourself in a high-speed blender or you can buy pre-made almond and oat flour. I weighed and measured the amounts to take the guess work out of it for you. As is the case with many of my vegan cookie recipes, a flax egg (which is simply ground flax mixed with water) mimics the texture of a traditional hen’s egg.
Almond flour gives these cookies a crispy, chewy, and crumbly quality. If you’re looking for a softer texture, you might want to try swapping the almond flour for an all-purpose gluten-free flour (and perhaps a touch of almond milk if the batter is dry). After the cookies came out of the oven, I sprinkled them with flaked sea salt to bring out the peanut butter flavour and make everything pop! Flaked sea salt, where have you been all my life?
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Crispy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield
20 medium or 15 large cookies
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
These gluten-free and vegan chocolate chip cookies are crispy, chewy, and perfect for dunking into a glass of almond milk! Ready in a half hour, you'll turn to this recipe again and again due to its quick prep time and irresistible flavour.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ground flax
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1/4 cup (45 grams) non-dairy buttery spread*
- 1/4 cup (70 grams) natural smooth peanut butter or almond butter**
- 1/2 cup (80 grams) lightly packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (55 grams) organic cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats, blended into a flour (105 grams or 1 cup oat flour)
- 1 cup almonds, blended into a meal (145 grams or 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons almond meal)
- 1/3 cup mini non-dairy chocolate chips (or regular size chips)***
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, mix together the ground flax and water. Set aside for a few minutes so it can thicken.
- With an electric mixer or in a stand mixer, beat the buttery spread and peanut butter until combined.
- Add both sugars and beat for 1 minute more. Beat in the flax mixture and vanilla extract until combined.
- Now, beat in the dry ingredients (baking soda, baking powder, salt, oat flour, and almond meal) one by one.
- Stir in the chocolate chips, reserving about 1 tablespoon for pressing into the top of the dough balls.
- Shape 1-inch balls of dough (smaller than golf balls) and place on the baking sheet 2 inches apart. You can also use a retractable cookie scoop. If chocolate chips aren’t sticking to the dough, just press them in with your fingers. There is no need to flatten the balls as the cookies spread out while baking. Press reserved chips into the tops of the dough balls.
- Bake for about 11 to 13 minutes until spread out and lightly golden. The cookies will be very soft coming out of the oven, but they will crisp up as they cool. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack for another 10 minutes.
Tip:
- * I use soy-free Earth Balance.
- ** Be sure to stir the peanut butter well before using. Also, avoid using the dry nut butter that's often found at the bottom of the jar. It's simply too thick and dry for this recipe and will result in cookies that don't spread.
- *** For "pretty" cookies, reserve 1 tablespoon of chocolate chips for pressing into the tops of the dough balls before baking. I use Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
Eric’s two cents – “I’m not a big peanut butter fan, but if you put a plate of 12 of these cookies in front of me, I’d probably still eat them all.”
Wise words, husband, wise words.
Thank you thank you thank you!!! I’ll be making these this weekend and wait ’til after to tell the fam “There’s no ‘flour’ in there, ya know!” Thanks, Angela, for helping me stay excited with eating a plant-based diet….with the occasional cookie. :)
Thanks Valerie, I hope you and the fam enjoy them!
These look scrumptious! Do you think they would work without the peanut butter? (Should I substitute more EB?)
Hey Shannon, I would check out my GF choc chip cookie recipe – it uses all EB http://ohsheglows.com/2011/09/16/vegan-and-gluten-free-chocolate-chip-cookies/ the cookies are thinner so you can probably reduce the flax egg water by a tbsp if you want them a bit thicker. enjoy!
There is no combo better than peanut butter and chocolate. I love the mini chips too – it’s the perfect amount of chocolate in each bite!
Could I use almond butter instead? I just can’t get to grips with the taste of peanut butter!
I can’t see why not!
I’m allergic to peanuts and I’ve made these cookies twice with almond butter and they turn out amazing! BEST gf cookie I’ve had, plus I love how they don’t require any hard to digest flours. My vegan husband loves them too!
I am waiting for these bad boys to finish up baking. I used almond butter instead of peanut and they were delicious raw. Can’t wait to taste them baked!
Can I avoid chocolate chips as it isn’t available sugar free. I want to make these cookies using erythirol will it turn out crunchy like yours?
Oh yes please! These are dunkers for sure! (Almond milk, of course!) ;-)
I don’t understand how someone could not like peanut butter!
I think he does deep down inside but is unwilling to admit it. shhhh.
I just discovered flaked sea salt as well! What a game changer.
Isn’t it? Im in love! I think I had some a while back but it fell off my radar. Glad it’s back…so good to finish desserts.
I love sea salt on cookies! So delish…
The title of this recipe got better with every word! I am utterly astounded that your husband can claim to not be a fan of peanut butter, but the fact that he’ll eat these must be a testament to their greatness. Who can deny the power of chocolate and peanut butter!? I’ll absolutely be making these cookies, but I’ll have to hide them from my boyfriend, who has quite the love affair with peanut butter.
Yum, almond flour is my fave. Also, a cookie feedback form is a brilliant idea :)
Since you’ve been so kind to include metric measurements, I’ll definitely be making these in the days ahead. Me thinks they’ll go along v. nicely with hot mugs of tea! THANK YOU
I’m glad you enjoy the measurements, I will try to do this more often!
Looks so good! Do you make Eric fill out a recipe feedback form too? :)
These look absolutely delicious! I bet they would be great dunked in almond milk.
Since this is my first Christmas as a vegan (and I’ve had serious cravings for cookies) I’ve been rounding up great recipes to have under my belt to please even the non-vegans in my family. I will definitely be trying these, thanks Angela!
Yum these sound amazing
Look lovely ans delicious. Can’t wait to try and see if I can get some GF cookies made for my son that don’t flatten like a very thin pancake! :)
Well that’s a pretty darn good review from your husband! I need to start filling my freezer with goodies, but I have to choose things that freeze solidly because anything you can still bite into doesn’t make it very long LOL. For some reason, my willpower is really, really wimpy this time of year ;-)
Gah I want to make these!!! I have an almond allergy (or so my allergist says…I had a reaction from the skin prick test, blah) should I just use GF flour in place of the almond flour? I know that will change the taste and texture though…thoughts?
Could I use coconut oil instead of earth balance?
I’m hoping so too. I don’t ever use EB products due to the palm oil issue. Thx!!
Wow wow wow!! These actually look like REAL cookies!! Must make them!! :)
They look so yummy! Perfect for a cosy night in front of the TV :)