Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
Homemade vegan peanut butter cookies are easy to make and just as delicious as those you find in store! These cookies are moist, soft, nutty and perfectly sweet for an everyday pick-me-up.
Vegan peanut butter cookies never get old! They’re a classic. Their simplicity, sweetness, and saltiness make them irresistible and always a winner no matter the occasion.
With just a few staple ingredients, you could whip up a batch of these in no time and are a great way to involve the kids in the kitchen!
Be sure to also try my Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Jump To
Key Ingredient Notes
- Vegan butter or margarine – Use vegan butter in blocks or stick form, not spreadable ones sold in tubs.
- Light or dark brown sugar – the molasses flavor is perfect for providing additional moisture to make these cookies soft and chewy and give them a beautiful caramel color.
- Aquafaba (liquid from cooked or canned chickpeas) – this is the binding agent that we use to replace eggs. If you are using aquafaba from canned chickpeas, make sure it is unsalted to avoid over-salting the cookies!
- Creamy/smooth peanut butter – Classic, cheap no-stir peanut butter is what we need. Natural peanut butter will give a completely different result.
- Unbleached all-purpose flour – slightly higher in protein than bleached flour, giving the cookies more structure.
- Roasted salted peanuts – finely chopped salted peanuts will add texture and extra peanut-ty flavor to these cookies. Grind them up using a food processor to a finer texture. They are also optional.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F/180°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Cream the vegan butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large bowl until lighter in color. Scrape the bowl as needed.
- Mix in the aquafaba, peanut butter and vanilla until combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and chopped peanuts. Mix until most of the floury bits are moistened. Be sure to scrape the bowl as needed.
- Shape the dough into sixteen 1-inch balls (about 1½ tbsp each) and place on the baking tray, spaced about 1½ inches apart.
- Press lightly with the back of a fork to make a criss-cross indentation.
- Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes or until puffy and lighter in color. Cool for 5 minutes on the tray, then transfer to a cooling rack.
Key Tips To Follow
Cream the butter and sugar until airy: this will add another layer of lightness to these cookies.
Do not over-mix the dough: Over-mixing will eliminate all the air whipped into the vegan butter or incorporated into the dry ingredients after the sifting process. Only mix until combined, nothing more.
Dip them in chocolate: I am definitely not the only one who thinks the combination of chocolate and peanut butter is fantastic – why not incorporate the dynamic duo in this cookie?
Melt some of your favorite chocolate and dip a cooled peanut butter cookie. Place it back on the lined tray to set. You could also drizzle the chocolate.
Storage Suggestions
Always store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Keeping the cookies in the fridge will make them hard and dry them up early.
The cookie dough can also be frozen. Before baking and after portioning into individual cookies, place a tray full of scooped cookie dough in the freezer for 2-3 hours until fully frozen. Then, transfer to a freezer bag or container and store for up to 6 months.
To bake, thaw the cookie dough portions overnight or at room temperature, then continue the recipe as directed.
More Cookie Recipes with Peanut Butter
Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- 18-by-13 inch half sheet pan
- non-stick baking mat or Parchment Paper
- Silicone Spatula
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (55 g) vegan butter or margarine, stick or block form, not unsalted, softened but still cool.
- ¼ cup (50 g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated cane sugar
- 3 tablespoons aquafaba, (liquid from canned chickpeas)
- ¼ cup (60 g) creamy peanut butter, sweetened and salted (not the natural kind)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (125 g) unbleached all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup (40 g) roasted salted peanuts, finely chopped with a food processor
Instructions
- Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F/180°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Cream the vegan butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large bowl until lighter in colour. Scrape the bowl as needed.¼ cup (55 g) vegan butter or margarine ,¼ cup (50 g) packed light or dark brown sugar ,¼ cup (50 g) granulated cane sugar
- Mix in the aquafaba, peanut butter and vanilla until combined.3 tablespoons aquafaba ,¼ cup (60 g) creamy peanut butter ,½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and chopped peanuts. Mix until most of the floury bits are moistened. Be sure to scrape the bowl as needed.1 cup (125 g) unbleached all-purpose flour ,⅛ teaspoon baking soda ,⅛ teaspoon baking powder ,¼ cup (40 g) roasted salted peanuts
- Shape the dough into sixteen 1-inch balls (about 1½ tbsp each) and place on the baking tray, spaced about 1½ inches apart.
- Press lightly with the back of a fork to make a criss-cross indentation.
- Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes or until puffy and lighter in colour. Cool for 5 minutes on the tray then transfer to a cooling rack.
Notes
- Do not over-mix the dough. Over-mixing will eliminate all the air whipped into the butter or incorporated into the dry ingredients after the sifting process. Only mix until combined, nothing more.
- Always store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Keeping the cookies in the fridge will make them hard and dry them up early.
- These cookies can be frozen: before baking and after portioning into individual cookies, place a tray full of scooped cookie dough in the freezer for 2-3 hours until fully frozen. Then, transfer to a freezer bag or container and store for up to 6 months. Refresh your cookies by baking them at 350ºF/180ºC for 5-10 minutes and allowing them to cool completely before serving.
- To bake from frozen, thaw in the fridge or at room temperature, then continue the recipe as directed.