Soft Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies

Soft Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies taste so much like chewy, old fashioned peanut butter cookies you won’t believe they are naturally gluten-free!

best almond flour peanut butter cookies 

If you loved chewy, soft peanut butter cookies as a kid, you are going to fall in love all over again with this almond flour cookie recipe! The combination of brown sugar with peanut butter keeps them ultra soft, even after they have cooled.

Gluten-free peanut butter almond flour cookies are easy to make in one bowl with a handful of baking essentials. You can be noshing on warm, chewy cookies in little as 15 minutes!

Of course if you can’t get enough peanut butter, be sure to try gluten-free peanut butter cookies or flourless peanut butter cookie sandwiches!

Ingredient notes 

The only speciality ingredient required for this recipe is almond flour. Luckily, with the popularity of keto diet and low carb counts, it is easy to find at local grocery stores.

If you love recipes made with almond flour, like almond flour banana muffins, brownies, or zucchini almond flour bread, you can make your own almond flour. Alternatively, buy larger, more economical amounts from Costco or on sites like Amazon or Vitacost.

To offset the density of almond flour, both baking soda and baking powder are used to help with loft and leavening. I used creamy peanut butter to mimic old school peanut butter taste, but almond butter may also be used.

• Butter – For dairy-free cookies, use dairy-free butter sticks, like Earth Balance
• Peanut Butter – Use creamy, crunchy, natural peanut butter, or your preferred nut butter
• Sugar – See notes below about substituting keto-friendly, low carb sweeteners
• Brown Sugar – Adds moisture and softness to cookie
• Almond Flour– Use blanched almond flour, not almond meal for this recipe

How to Make Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies

(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)

1. First, mix together softened butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until well combined.
2. Next, add an egg and vanilla extract. Beat again.
3. Pour in almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.
4. Last, divide dough into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased baking sheets. To do this quickly and easily I love using a small cookie scoop. Press the cookies down slightly with a glass bottom dipped in sugar.
5. Bake for 10 minutes, or until just set. Allow them to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.

Should the Cookie Dough Be Refrigerated?

I tested the recipe both ways. It did not have an affect on how much the cookies spread or texture, so it does not have to be refrigerated.

However, the dough could be a little easier to handle when refrigerated. I used a cookie scoop to portion out the dough so it was easy regardless.

If you don’t have a cookie scoop, I recommend refrigerating the dough for 1 hour or freezing it for 30 minutes to chill the dough before rolling into balls.

If perfectly round cookies is of no importance to you, use two teaspoons to scoop and scrape dough onto the baking sheet. No need to chill!

Are THESE cookies Gluten-Free? 

Yes, easy peanut butter almond flour cookies are naturally gluten-free since none of the ingredients contain gluten. As an added bonus, they are also grain-free and dairy-free, similar to Italian Almond Cookies!

Baking with almond flour, as opposed to gluten-free flour, usually has a higher percentage of success, as long as the recipe is well researched and written. Store bought gluten-free flours contain a huge variance of flour combinations, so they don’t all perform equally.

Almond flour, on the other hand, is simply ground almonds so the results are more predictable.

If you love flourless cookie recipes, also try Oat Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies, made from ground oats, Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies, or check out more of the best flourless cookie recipes!

Additions and modifications

Almond flour peanut butter cookie dough morphs into so many different cookie possibilities! Use this basic recipe and try out these different versions!.

• Almond Flour Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies – Mix in 1 cup chocolate chips or chocolate chunks to the dough at the end.
• Peanut Butter M&M cookies – Add 1 cup M&Ms to the cookie dough to the dough at the end.
• Almond Flour Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies – Reduce almond flour to 3/4 cup and add 3/4 cup quick cooking oats when mixing in dry ingredients.
• Peanut Butter Raisin Cookies – Mix in 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 cup nutmeg with dry ingredients. Add 1 cup raisins to the dough at the end.
• Hershey Kiss Peanut Butter Cookies – As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, gently press in a hershey kiss in the center.

Chocolate dipped Cookies

If you live by my motto that everything tastes better with chocolate, so naturally almond flour peanut butter cookies dipped in melted chocolate are the best thing ever!

Melt 1 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil in a microwave safe bowl for 45 seconds to 1 minute, stirring occasionally. The oil thins the chocolate so it’s more spreadable. Adjust the amount as needed.

Once the chocolate is melted and smooth, dip one half of the cooled cookie in chocolate or spread on with a small knife. Place dipped cookies on wax paper to set before stacking or transferring.

Benefits of Using Almond Flour in Cookies

There has been a surge of almond flour recipes with the popular low carb, keto lifestyle, but baking with almond flour has so many other benefits as well!

• Higher fat percentage means added moisture. Baked goods will stay tasty and fresh longer.
• It adds tenderness because of the high fat. This is beneficial for recipes like cookies, muffins, and pancakes.
• Almond flour flavor is slightly sweeter and nuttier, which enhances the taste of baked goods without being overwhelming.
• It’s low carb with only 6 net carbs per 1/4 cup (All-purpose flour contains 24 grams of carbs for the same amount.)
• High in protein (6 grams) and fiber (3 grams) based on 1/4 cup serving

Substituting Almond Flour in Cookies

If you are sold on almond flour, you may want to start substituting it in all your recipes. Unfortunately it’s not as easy as that.

Almond flour weighs less than traditional flour, so a one-to-one conversion isn’t always possible. It also contains more moisture, which changes the chemistry of baked goods.

It takes a little trial and error substituting almond flour for all-purpose flour, but here are some general tricks to try.

• Increase the amount of almond flour by 25%, so for every 1 cup flour, use 1 1/4 cup almond flour.
• Add extra leavening to offset the density of almond flour. 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, baking soda, or combination of both will help.
• Use less liquid in the recipe since almond flour adds more moisture. Using an egg yolk instead of the whole add egg or cutting back on moisture containing ingredients, such as milk, bananas, applesauce, or sour cream.

For another foolproof almond flour cookie recipe, check out Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Are these Peanut Butter Cookies with Almond Flour Low Carb?

Yes and no. One cookie contains 9 grams of carbs. This is significantly lower than traditional peanut butter cookies, which contain around 20 carbs.

To make low carb peanut butter cookies you would have to replace the sugar with monk fruit or use a sugar free substitute, such as erythritol.

I haven’t tested a keto, low carb peanut butter cookies recipe, but here are helpful baking tips for using sugar-free sweeteners.

Since the sweetener will contain less bulk than the sugar / brown sugar blend, you will have to replace it with something else. Try adding a couple additional tablespoons of almond flour.

storing and freezing tips

Since almond flour has higher moisture and fat these soft and chewy peanut butter cookies store for a longer period of time than other cookies.

After the cookies have cooled completely, stack and store in an airtight container up to 3 days. If storing longer than that, wrapping a couple cookies together in plastic wrap before placing in an airtight container will extend longevity up to a week.

Almond flour cookies can also be frozen a couple different ways.

Freezing unbaked cookies: Portion out cookie dough into balls and place on a wax paper lined baking sheet. Freeze baking sheet. Once dough becomes solid, transfer balls to an airtight freezer container. Freeze up to 3 months.

Place frozen cookie balls on ungreased baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake as directed for 12 minutes.

Freezing baked cookies: Bake and cool cookies completely. Stack in groups of 2 or 3 and wrap in plastic wrap. Transfer stacks to an airtight freezer container. Freeze up to 3 months and thaw on counter when ready to eat.

Click here to see the
step-by-step web story instructions for this recipe!

More Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes!

• Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies tastes so much like the real thing, no one will know the difference!
• Coconut Macaroons are mixed with cherries, drizzled with chocolate, and have a fudgy chocolate center.
• Soft Gingersnap Cookies are an update on a classic with the perfect amount of spices and rich, dark chocolate chips mixed in.
• Easy Nutella Cookies are made with only three ingredients and for a flourless, naturally gluten free chocolate cookie.

SAVE THis recipe for ALMOND FLOUR PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES TO YOUR PINTEREST BOARD!

Let’s be friends on Pinterest! I’m always sharing great recipes!