What type of peanut butter is best for these peanut butter cookies?

Natural creamy peanut butter is your best option for this recipe. I prefer smooth and drippy so it mixes together easily with the sugars and coconut oil. If your peanut butter is unsalted, you may wish to add another pinch of salt to the cookie dough. I don't recommend using shelf stable peanut butter in this recipe.

Can another nut or seed butter be used to replace the peanut butter?

Yes, I've made these cookies with natural almond butter. It changes the taste but it creates the same texture. Just make sure it is smooth and drippy. I have not tested these cookies with any other natural nut or seed butters, but you should be able to substitute to achieve the same cookie texture.

What can be used as a replacement for coconut flour?

The coconut flour is required in this peanut butter cookie recipe to thicken the dough and help balance the moisture from other ingredients. I don't recommend replacing it or leaving it out.

Can these peanut butter cookies be made vegan?

While this recipe is dairy-free, it hasn’t been tested with an egg replacement, so I can’t say for certain if a vegan version will work.

Does the cookie dough need to be chilled first?

No chilling required! While I normally store one batch in the fridge while the other bakes, you don’t need to chill this cookie dough before baking.

Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies

Description

Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies are soft, chewy and gluten-free with natural peanut butter and chocolate chips. No chilling time required!

Ingredients

2 cups almond flour, spooned and leveled
1/4 cup coconut flour, spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup natural peanut butter, room temperature
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup cane sugar
2 tablespoons virgin cold pressed coconut oil (softened, not melted)
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup dairy-free mini chocolate chips (plus more for topping)

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Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the peanut butter, coconut oil and sugars.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla.
Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. (The dough will be thick).
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out the cookie dough and roll into balls.
Arrange the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Flatten the cookies to about 1/2-inch thick. (I like to use the bottom of a glass or a fork to make a criss-cross pattern).
Top with additional chocolate chips (optional).
Bake for 10-11 minutes, or until the cookies are puffed up and look set on top. (There will be cracks on top and that’s okay).
Remove from oven and let cool on pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

The total cooking time includes time to bake 2 batches.
Make sure you use the spoon and level method to measure your flours.
The coconut oil should be soft, but not melted. You want it to cream together with the sugars and peanut butter easily.
Ensure the cold ingredients such as eggs, peanut butter and almond flour (if stored in the fridge) are brought to room temperature. If they’re still cold, they may cause the coconut oil to harden.
As you roll the dough into balls, you may need to rinse your hands a few times as the dough is thick and sticky.
These cookies only spread a little bit, so you will need to flatten them to about 1/2-inch thick before baking.
To flatten the cookies, you can use a fork to make a criss-cross pattern or just use the bottom of a glass or measuring cup. Since the dough is sticky, you may need to wet the fork or spray the bottom of the glass with non-stick cooking spray.
I normally use lighter colored sheet pans when baking cookies as I find darker pans brown the bottoms of cookies a bit too quickly.
The cookies will be soft when they come out of the oven, but that’s okay. They firm up as they cool. If you over bake them, they will turn out hard and dry.
Be sure to check out the other sections above the recipe card for more detailed advice and suggestions for making this recipe.