Peanut butter cookies are an easy favorite here in our house. Sweet, salty, soft, and chewy with a little added crunch from a dusting of sugar on top. They are super easy to make, require just a few ingredients that are pantry staples, and (possibly the most surprising part of all) they are both gluten-free and dairy-free! I am the first to admit that I am not experienced in the world of gluten-free or dairy-free baking. In fact, this is probably the only recipe I regularly use that is either of those things, and it kind of happened by accident.
These cookies didn’t come to be gluten or dairy-free due to any dietary restrictions, they just turned out delicious that way, and here we are. I first started baking these cookies years ago when I worked as a Pastry Chef at a little cafe. One day a family came in with a daughter around 12 or 13 years old. The family was very kind, and we got to talking. Through the course of our conversation, I learned that the daughter had Celiac Disease, as well as a severe dairy allergy and that going out to eat was pretty tough for her, especially when it came to desserts. I remember feeling sad for her, and how difficult it must be when there is little to nothing on the menu for her. Then I realized that I had made a batch of these peanut butter cookies earlier! I let them finish their lunch and then stopped by their table to drop off a few surprise cookies (and make sure she didn’t also have a nut allergy). I was hoping she would be happy, (and she was), but what I wasn’t expecting were the tears. This sweet girl is sitting there at a table in the middle of a restaurant, crying into a peanut butter cookie because, finally, she has a treat she can enjoy.
I may be making too much of it, or maybe I am growing more sentimental the older I get, but I will never forget that moment. I love food moments that bring people together and make them feel seen and appreciated. That is what food, especially desserts, are all about. So let’s make some moments!
The first thing you are going to do is measure out all of the ingredients into one large bowl. [A quick note about peanut butter: I recommend using Jif or Skippy for this recipe. I know, I know. Natural peanut butter is healthier, but the consistency isn’t usually the best for these cookies. You are more than welcome to try using all-natural peanut butter for this, but the cookie dough might turn out too goopy. So – proceed with caution.] Once you have everything in the bowl, you just mix it all together until it is combined.
Preheat your oven to 350-degrees, line a few baking pans with some parchment paper, and start scooping some cookies. I have a cookie scoop that I really love, but you can also just use a spoon. Scoop out balls of cookie dough that are about 3 tablespoons each, (yes – these are generously sized cookies.) Place the dough balls on your prepared baking sheet, making sure to leave a lot of room between them. Give each cookie a little press down with the palm of your hand, and sprinkle with sugar. I like to use sparkling sugar because it adds a nice crunch to the top of the cookies.
Bake your cookies for 12 minutes total, rotating the pans halfway through to make sure they bake evenly. The cookies might look a little underdone when you take them out of the oven, but that is totally fine. You don’t want to overbake these cookies as they will become dry and sad. Nobody wants that. Allow the cookies to cool some before you try to move them from the pan – they are pretty delicate when they are still warm.
Recipe
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Peanut Butter Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 15 Large Cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 3 cups Peanut Butter
- 1 1/2 cups Sugar
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
- 3 Eggs
- 3 tsp. Vanilla
- 3 tsp. Baking Soda
- 3/4 tsp. Salt
- Optional: Sparkling Sugar for tops of cookies
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350-degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Beat together all the ingredients until well combined.
- Scoop on to prepared baking sheets, being sure to leave ample room for spreading.
- Gently press each cookie down a little to slightly flatten them out. Dust with sparkling sugar.
- Bake cookies at 350-degrees for 6 minutes. Rotate the pans, and bake for an additional 6 minutes.
- Allow to cool some before removing them from the pans.
Keywords: Peanut Butter, Cookies, Dessert, Gluten-free, Dairy-free