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?
Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you'll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter!
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.
Love these cookies!! I just bought your latest cook book and I LOVE IT!! Thank you for the wonderful recipes!!
Ashleigh
I made these and they were amazing! I also added two tablespoons of PB2… It worked out because I was about 1/4 short on almond flour, so the consistency was right on. Super peanut buttery!!
I have tried many of your recipes- My husband and I are just about 95% vegan…My favorite treats are the peanut butter cups (freezer treat) and these cookies! So glad a friend told me about you- I make a new treat just about every week! I never knew about oat and almond flour– I normally use spelt flour in pancakes and other recipes- but WOW on the nutty flavored flours!! Love the light and fluffy texture as well!
You have amazing recipes!!! Thank you!
Came out perfect! Thank you for sharing this and your other recipes.
I just made these cookies and they are fabulous! I used a 1/4 cup of maple syrup instead of brown sugar and they turned out delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe Angela!
Being a teenager, I have a big sweet tooth! I have to say that these are probably the best cookies I have made; my family and friends also loved them! I like my cookies soft and chewy so I put these into a plastic container and they stay soft for a couple of days! And in my opinion these cookies almost taste like Mrs. Fields cookies! Definitely going to be making these cookies often. Great recipe!
I just made these for my family, and they are perfect! I love a nice crispy cookie. My coconut oil was melted so the cookies spread quite far, reminded me a little bit of a lace cookie.
I made these cookies today. They were absolutely amazing. My girls and I LOVED THESE!!!!!!
Additionally, we made the sweet potato/bean enchilladas and those were a hit as well.
I am definately buying your book! Thank you so very much for such a tasty day.
T
I have everything for this recipe except for the almond flour! If I don’t need to be one hundred percent gluten free, would wheat flour work as a substitute? I also have some gluten free all purpose flour. Would one work better over the other?
Thanks! :)
Wow, THANK YOU, Angela! Tried these at home and they are now a staple for my household. What a great recipe :)
-They came out too salty the first couple times, but that might be the brand of PB I was using?? So I nixed the salt all together and they were perfect. (Everyone else thought they were perfect before, too!)
These are fabulous!! I made some with grape jelly, some with strawberry jam, and some plain. As Neil Diamond would say in the seventh inning stretch at Fenway: So good! So good! So good!
I made these the other day, and before I could even post a comment they were gone. I gave four to my neighbor just so I could say I didn’t eat them all myself. Now I’m making another batch, but I don’t think I’ll share. This is my new ‘system’ on days I make almond milk; I dehydrate the pulp and blend it into flour, then put it right in the cookie dough bowl. I also made vegan buttah this morning, so I am good to go. Thanks for the great recipes and website!
So Deelish! I am such a traditional baker and these were very very good! Wow~
I’ve made these several times and keep meaning to comment on them. But they are by far the best cookies I have ever made!!! My 3 boys (ages 9-6) LOVE them and love helping me make them. Thank you so much for this vegan GF recipe!!!
I just made these cookies (I bought your cookbook just before Christmas). I used coconut oil (as suggested in the cookbook), sunflower seed butter, and substituted 1 cup of homemade granola for the almond flour (nut allergy). Cookies taste awesome! Best GF cookies I think I have made, and I’ve made a lot! This is my new go-to recipe. Thanks so much for all the delicious recipes. Happy New Year!!
LOVE these – big hit for the whole fam, which I’m grateful for! Wondering best way to store them – tin or airtight container? Thanks!!!
LOVE this! I made my own version and I reviewed this recipe here: http://hannahclaudia.blogspot.com/2015/02/crispy-almond-butter-cacao-nib-cookies.html
Thanks for the recipe!
I made a double batch today. They’re already half gone. I used cashew butter instead of peanut butter. A huge hit in my house.
I love these cookies, but when I make them they come out flat what am I doing wrong?
I’m not seeing the nutritional analysis on any of your recipes, including these cookies. Do they appear anywhere?