Soft vegan peanut butter cookies have never been easier to make! As I’m about to reveal, you can actually make soft, delicious peanut butter cookies with just 4 ingredients (and in under 20 minutes). No mixer or long list of separated wet and dry ingredients involved here – no sir!
Why this Recipe Works:
- The addition of garbanzo bean flour gives these cookies an extra punch of fiber and protein. However, these cookies can certainly be made with regular all-purpose flour, as well!
- The maple syrup in this recipe gives these cookies a nice subtle sweetness without the use of processed sugar.
- Using only 4 simple ingredients, this recipe is so easy to make and the clean up is minimal.
Looking for other easy cookie recipes? You have to check out my Funfetti Chocolate Chunk Cookies, 5-Ingredient Guilt-Free Elvis Cookies, my Soft and Chewy Ginger Snaps!
How to Make 4-Ingredient Soft Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies:
1 – First, preheat your oven to 350°F/177°C. Then, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. No parchment? No prob! A non-stick baking sheet will work just fine on its own.
2 – Next, add the peanut butter, flour, maple syrup and just 1/4 tsp. of salt to a bowl and mix well. Since peanut butters vary in added salt, pinch off a tiny bit of dough and see how it tastes. Does it seem like it has enough salt? If not, add the remaining 1/4 tsp. and stir again. (I almost always add the second 1/4 tsp. of salt, by the way!)
3 – If the dough seems too wet to form balls, add extra flour one tablespoon at a time just until firm enough. 4 – Roll the cookie dough into 9-10 equal-sized balls and place on your parchment-lined or nonstick baking sheet.
5 – Once those balls are on the sheet, use a fork to make those famous peanut butter cookie criss-cross marks across the top.
6 – Bake your cookies in your preheated oven for 9 – 10 minutes or just until set. Immediately transfer them to a cooling rack once they’re done.
And that’s all there is to it! Soft and sweet peanut butter cookies in less than 20 minutes.
I hope you love these peanut butter cookies as much as we do!
Top Tips for Making 4-Ingredient Soft Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies:
- Only add 1/4 tsp. salt of dough to begin with, and then taste-test your dough. If it needs more salt, add an addition 1/4 tsp.
- If you use a nut butter other than peanut butter, you may need to add 3 – 5 extra tablespoons of flour to help thicken it up. Especially if that nut butter is on the runny side.
- All-purpose flour also works well in this recipe.
- When buying peanut butter, look for the type that only lists peanuts and maybe salt in the ingredients.
- You can find flat parchment sheets HERE
Did you try this recipe? Give it a star rating and let me know what you think in the comments below. Your feedback is very helpful!
4-Ingredient Soft Vegan and Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 c. creamy all natural peanut butter (192 g)
- 1/2 c. garbanzo bean flour (60 g) OR 1/2 c. all purpose flour (70 g), plus more as needed
- 1/2 c. pure maple syrup (119 ml)
- 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. salt
Instructions
- First, preheat your oven to 350°F/177°C. Then, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. No parchment? No prob! A non-stick baking sheet will work just fine on its own.
- Next, add the peanut butter, flour, maple syrup and just 1/4 tsp. of salt to a bowl and mix well. Pinch off a tiny bit of dough and see how it tastes. Does it seem like it has enough salt? If not, add the remaining 1/4 tsp. and stir again. (I almost always add the second 1/4 tsp. of salt, but it depends on how salty your peanut butter is.)
- If the dough seems too wet to form balls, add extra flour one tablespoon at a time just until firm enough.
- Roll the cookie dough into 9-10 equal-sized balls and place on a parchment-lined or nonstick baking sheet.
- Once those balls are on the sheet, use a fork to make those famous peanut butter cookie criss-cross marks across the top.
- Bake cookies in your preheated oven for 9 - 10 minutes or just until set. Immediately transfer them to a cooling rack once they're done.
Video
Notes
- Only add 1/4 tsp. salt of dough to begin with, and then test your dough. If it needs more salt, add an addition 1/4 tsp.
- If you use a nut butter other than peanut butter, you may need to add 3 - 5 extra tablespoons of garbanzo flour to help thicken it up. Especially if that nut butter is on the runny side.
- Regular all-purpose flour also works well in this recipe.
- When buying peanut butter, purchase a type that only includes peanuts and maybe salt in the ingredients.
- You can find flat parchment sheets HERE
Im just wondering, why use bean flour (never heard if it, from Norway) instead of normal flour? Health? Taste? Texture? I’m very curious!
Hi there! Bean flour is much richer in nutrients such as fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals, whereas regular all purpose flour has been processed and stripped of most of those nutrients. Whole grain flours are also great options and almond flour as well. Thanks for the question!
Hi Audrey,
I made these cookies last Saturday as a pre-Jeff Dunham tour treat and they are the best peanut butter cookies I have ever had! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
One question: is there any brand of all natural peanut butter that doesn’t taste grainy? I ended up using regular peanut butter in this recipe because I was afraid of buying another kind of natural peanut butter that tasted grainy.
Thank you,
Rebekah
Hi Rebekah! So glad you like the cookies! I’m a big fan of MaraNatha brand; they seem to do a nice job of making nut butters super smooth. Otherwise, Nutzo brand is a good one to try, as well. Please let me know what you think it you try either one! Hope this helps. 🙂
Morning, can I use honey instead of maple syrup?
Thank you ?
Hey Marina, I’ve honestly never tried it! Since maple syrup is vegan, that’s the route I go with this recipe. The texture and flavor are just perfect for these cookies!
Can you use something else besides garbanzo bean flour?
Wow I’ve made these twice this week. SO GOOD! Easy, too! Thanks so much xo
So glad you like them, Tamy!
Thanks so much for making me a PB cookie addict! I’m making them now…again (because the last batch was eaten si quickly) 😊 This truly is a quick n easy, DELICIOUS cookie.
So happy you love them, Lynn!! We’re BIG fans of these cookies in our home, as well.
Hi! these are bomb, I ran out of maple syrup. How can I replace it? (vegan), I don’t have Molasses either. Can I replace it with sugar?
Btw thank you for this recipe, simple yet so yummy, I love both chickpea and peanuts
So glad you like these! One of our faves as well. To replace maple syrup, you’d actually need another liquid sugar, such as agave. However, if your peanut butter is on the thin/runny side, you might be able to get away with sugar. Please let me know how it turns out!
Hi! I’m the one who asked if I could replace the maple syrup with sugar. I did and it turned out good! I replaced it with 1 cup of sugar and added three tablespoons of almond milk, they turned out great and my dad that had them for the first time liked it. The only difference is that they were a little bit more chewy, but still good.
Thank u!
These are absolutely deelish! I did sprinkle a touch of cinnamon and put a big Chocolate chip in the middle of each. Thanks for the recipe.
Fantastic! Thanks so much for the kind words and for taking the time to comment. I add pumpkin pie spice to mine every now and then, but I think I’ll take your lead on the chocolate chip. Love it!
Easy and v yummy. The first time I made them, I used a mixer and I think I over mixed the batter, it was sticky and difficult to work with. The second time I hand mixed and it was faster and easier, and they turned out better. Thanks for the great recipe!
Thanks for taking the time to write! So glad you like these cookies – we LOVE them, too! And – Great note on the mixer, thanks for sharing. 🙂
These are delicious! And healthy! Thank you for the recipe 🙂
So happy you like them!! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
I made these with almond butter and they are divine. My Cookie Monster husband couldn’t be happier. Garbanzo bean flour has been such a wonderful and versatile addition to my kitchen. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you so much for this, Lisha! I’ve made them with a mixed nut/seed butter (Nutzo brand), as well, and they were a success. And I so happy you’re loving the garbanzo flour! It’s truly one of my favorite flours and I use it as much as I can. Thanks, again for taking the time to write!
Wow this was quick and easy.
These are absolutely amazing! You can eat the dough. I add Chocolate chips! Fabulous!
thanks for this recipe. there were amazing!
Thank you – so glad you liked these PB cookies!
I just put mine in the oven-so excited to try them (loving the batter already ;)! I am wondering if you have an idea on the nutritional content (calories, etc)? Thank you for this and all of your amazing recipes!!
Thank you for sharing the recipe…I made them today and they were absolutely wonderful.
Thank you, Felicia! So happy you loved them!
Deeeelicious!!! I added chocolate chips because chocolate +peanut butter =yum! And the dough is crazy good. I heard you on the Exam Room podcast and just had to check out your website. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much for this! I’m so happy you liked the cookies. And YES – great call on the chocolate. We do that, too! All the best to you.
I am going to try these but I have to find a substitute for the maple syrup. I am a diabetic, but it will be fun trying. I “found” ur website while watching Jeff’s video talking about ur Christmas recipe book. Ur boys are so stinkin’ cute, can u imagine if they grow up to be ventriloquists? U won’t know who’s talking to u, LOL.
So true! I think that would be great, though. 🙂
My partner made these for us and I finished the tops with some fork tine marks and added some sprinkled coconut sugar and ceylon cinnamon on top of a few— all of them were delicious. I’ve never had a better peanut butter cookie in my life! Thank you!
So happy you liked them! YES – cinnamon goes wonderfully with these cookies. Try chocolate chips next time, too. 🙂 Thanks so much for taking the time to comment!
I make these over and over. You can safely add rolled oats if you want a chewier cookie. Sometimes I do a bit less syrup and add chocolate chips. Thank you!
So happy you like them, Noelle! I’m definitely going to add oats next time. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
I’m on the Acid Watchers Diet, which eliminates a lot of more processed and lower pH items. These cookies fall perfectly within the scope of that plan, with NO substitutions needed! I’ve also been gluten and dairy free for a long time. Naturally I was excited to try these! When I first tasted the dough I was a bit hesitant–the chickpea flour had a bit of of an unpleasant aftertaste to me. I forged ahead and starting rolling out cookie balls. I ended up making them about half the size the recipe called for. I baked them the same length of time, maybe a minute longer even. The result is the BEST cookie I’ve had in years. Lightly crispy around the edges and with just enough softness in the middle to give you the most tender bite. Just as good as any gluten-containing, dairy-rich, cane sugar-containing cookie!! Maybe even better. Seriously. Try this cookie, you will not be disappointed. My only question now is… should I have another??
Jennifer! Thank you so much for this – I’m very happy to hear you love these cookies! The funny thing about garbanzo bean flour – when used in cookies, it tends to taste a little funny in the cookie dough itself. Somehow that “funniness” disappears during baking and the baked cookies usually end up pretty great.Thanks again for the comment! All the best to you.
Has anyone tried cashew flour?
I have not, but I’m told almond flour works in the recipe, so imagine cashew flour would work as well!
Can i use all garbanzo bean flour. I’m not fond of white flour.
Yes, both will work! I use garbanzo flour most of the time, actually.
Love this recipe!
So happy to hear it, Paige!