These vegan, gluten-free, coconut flour peanut butter cookies are chewy with crisp edges. They’re perfect if you’re craving a treat that’s both sweet and a little salty. These vegan coconut flour cookies are grain free, dairy free, egg free, and refined sugar free. They’re a nutritious dessert or snack that is sure to satisfy both kids and grownups.
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What to serve with these coconut flour peanut butter cookies
For an extra indulgent treat, make ice cream sandwiches using these cookies and this no-churn banana bread ice cream. It’s easy to make and is also refined sugar free and vegan.
Main ingredients and substitutions
These coconut flour peanut butter cookies call for only five ingredients, the first of which is natural, smooth (aka creamy) peanut butter. You can substitute crunchy peanut butter if you prefer. Just be sure to use a brand of peanut butter that doesn’t contain any added sugar. The only ingredient listed on the jar should be peanuts. Alternatively you can easily make your own peanut butter at home by blending up peanuts in a food processor.
I sweetened these vegan peanut butter cookies with maple syrup. I love the flavor combination of peanut butter and maple syrup, and I find that using a liquid sweetener gives these cookies a soft, chewy texture with just the right amount of crispiness around the edges. You can substitute other liquid sweeteners such as agave if you prefer.
Coconut flour is my preferred gluten-free and grain-free flour these days. It adds a subtle, coconut flavor and satisfying texture to these cookies. I don’t recommend substituting other types of flour in this recipe because coconut flour is much more absorbent than most other flours.
How to make them
These vegan, gluten-free peanut butter cookies are quick and easy to make. Start by allowing the peanut butter to come to room temperature, then mix the wet ingredients and salt together. Next you’ll add the coconut flour and mix once more.
The next step is to refrigerate that mixture for 30 minutes in order to achieve a cookie dough consistency.
After 30 minutes of chilling time, you’ll scoop out a tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball in your hands before placing it on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the rest of the dough (this recipe makes approximately 14 cookies).
Next you’ll use your fingers to flatten the balls down into round, cookie shapes before baking them for 10 minutes.
Once the cookies are finished baking, allow them to cool off for at least twenty minutes before removing from the pan and serving.
Storage and freezing
Store these vegan coconut flour cookies in an airtight container for up to five days or freeze them for up to six months.
Optional additions
To add an extra layer of flavor to these coconut flour peanut butter cookies, stir 1/2 cup each of dairy-free dark chocolate chips (or chopped dark chocolate) and/or chopped peanuts into the cookie dough.
More gluten-free cookie recipes to try
These coconut oil cookies are easy to make and delicious.
These buckwheat cookies are nutritious yet decadent.
These chickpea flour cookies are sweet, chocolaty, and satisfying.
These vegan pecan cookies have crispy edges and soft, chewy middles.
Coconut Flour Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe (Vegan & Gluten Free)
These coconut flour peanut butter cookies are easy to make and so delicious. They have the perfect balance of sweet and salty flavors. These vegan coconut flour cookies are perfect for a nutritious, make-ahead dessert or snack.
Add the peanut butter, maple syrup, pure vanilla extract, and salt to a large mixing bowl and mix well.
Add the coconut flour and mix well.
Refrigerate the cookie dough for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Scoop out 1 tablespoon of dough into your hands and roll it into a ball, then place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Repeat until all the cookie dough has been formed into balls.
Use your fingers to press the dough balls down and flatten them into circle shapes.
Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.
Let the cookies cool off for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
Store these coconut flour peanut butter cookies in an airtight container for up to five days or freeze them for up to six months.
Optional additions include 1/2 cup each of chopped peanuts and/or dairy-free dark chocolate chips.
Cakes and muffins, which need to be light and fluffy, will be very different than something more dense, like cookies. But when working with coconut flour, you always need to decrease the flour and increase the eggs and baking powder.
A good rule of thumb is 1/4 to 1/3 cup of coconut flour for 1 cup of regular flour. When flour absorbs water, the starches gelatinize, but when coconut flour absorbs liquid it becomes soggy, resulting in a heavier, denser baked good.
Chilling helps the flours and xanthan gum absorb liquid, which makes the dough sturdier and easier to handle. Without a proper rest, your cookies are likely to crumble. Think of mix-ins as the Spanx of the cookie world. They are a sly way to ensure that your cookies look like cookies, not misshapen gluten-free blobs.
To substitute coconut flour for blanched almond flour while accounting for coconut flour's higher absorbency rate, use a quarter cup of coconut flour for every one cup of almond flour. This works best in recipes that don't rely on large amounts of almond flour to begin with.
A quick rule of thumb is to swap about 1/4 to 1/3 cup coconut flour for 1 cup of regular flour. Due to its high absorbency, you'll also want to increase the number of eggs. To help you try this unique ingredient, we've rounded up eight of our best coconut flour recipes.
Baked goods made of coconut flour tend to fall apart. You will have to bind them well. Products that help bind are: eggs, liquid sweeteners and flax seeds. If you choose to use eggs as a binding agent, a good rule of thumb to follow is 1 egg to every ounce of coconut flour used.
While you don't have to keep it refrigerated, it is recommended. Its shelf life can be anywhere between 12 to 18 months post-production. Good coconut flour gives off a pleasantly sweet and somewhat nutty aroma (so lovely!). You'll know it's gone bad if it smells sour, musty, or rubbery.
You have to do a little playing around with a recipe if you want to substitute coconut flour for regular all-purpose wheat flour. The rule of thumb is to substitute only 20 percent of coconut for wheat flour. Flour made from coconut becomes dense and soaks up a lot of moisture when it bakes.
If you look at coconut flour it contains 68.7 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams. Of that 38.5 grams is dietary fiber, sugar accounts for another 8.7 grams leaving about 17.6 grams of starchy carbs. Comparing this to regular conventional all purpose flour 100 grams contains 76.3 grams of total carbs.
2 teaspoons of baking powder per cup of gluten-free flour is necessary to ensure proper leavening. Baking soda and buttermilk can be used to leaven instead of baking powder, but 1-1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar should be added for each 1/2 teaspoon baking soda used.
Add more fat or liquid: It might just be that you need a bit more moisture in your recipe, especially if you're converting a regular “gluten-ful” recipe to gluten-free. Try adding anywhere from ¼ to ½ cup of liquid or fat to the recipe and see if that helps.
Gluten-free flours often contain fine starches, so they absorb more liquid than conventional flour. To address this, gluten-free recipes usually call for more liquid and produce looser batters. They may also call for a larger quantity of leavening, like baking powder, to help add volume and lighten the texture.
Almond flour has a mild, nutty flavor that complements a wide range of recipes, from baked goods to savory dishes. It also has a finer texture compared to coconut flour, making it ideal for recipes that require a smooth consistency. Coconut flour has a slightly sweet and nutty flavor, with a hint of coconut aroma.
Coconut has a more generic, slightly sweet flavor, while almond flour (unsurprisingly) has a distinct almond taste. These characteristic flavors can sometimes be great — they can be delicious in cookies, pancakes, mug cakes, and keto bread recipes. However, sometimes the recipe tastes better when we mask the flavor.
Coconut flour develops no gluten and so provides essentially no structure to support the rising of the dough due to fermentation by the yeast. You can get a little rise that is will be more consistent than a yeast rise by adding baking powder, but coconut flour bread will still be rather more like a cake.
To give baked goods more rise and structure when using coconut flour, try adding whey protein powder or psyllium husk powder; vinegar and baking soda can also help add more rise.
Many baked goods can become very gummy quickly! Because coconut flour is gluten-free, it doesn't have an excellent cake-like structure when baked like white flour does; an egg is not only a suitable binder but also gives a sound protein structure in baked goods made with coconut flour.
Self-rising flour is a type of flour that includes leavening agents, which ensures perfectly risen baked goods. You don't need to use additional leavening agents (such as baking powder or baking soda) when you use self-rising flour.
Introduction: My name is Greg O'Connell, I am a delightful, colorful, talented, kind, lively, modern, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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