This recipe for soft-baked gluten-free peanut butter cookies utilizes easy GF baking tips to create crispy edge peanut butter cookies with glorious gooey, soft, chewy centers. The cookies are made with all-purpose gluten-free flour and creamy peanut butter to make an old school, classic treat in a jiffy! (Get it?!)

gluten free peanut butter cookie on stack of others.
If you want to fool anyone they are enjoying a big, soft, and chewy peanut butter cookie made with gluten-free flour, these cookies will pass any test!

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Best Old School-Style Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies

Traditional, old fashioned peanut butter cookies, like the ones you grew up with, are pretty much an essential add to my essential gluten-free cookie collection. What’s life without a chewy ,salty sweet center, wrapped around crisp edges? Dunk that into a glass of cold milk and look out.

This easy, homemade recipe teaches you how to make gluten-free peanut butter cookies with an identical classic, old school taste. They are quick and easy to prepare and require no speciality ingredients, except for the gluten-free flour.

I know timing and ease is essential when a cookie need happens, which is why these soft-batch homemade gluten-free chocolate chip cookies and cut-out gluten-free sugar cookies have the same stipulations!

To make a GF peanut butter cookie recipe using an GF flour blend, while avoiding a gritty, dry or crumbly texture, I have a few simple tips. Using melted butter, along with letting the dough rest a bit before scooping and baking, gives time butter and peanut butter to coat and soften the GF starches.

Also, baking at a slightly lower oven temp makes a really velvety, soft texture without a sticky chewiness that sometimes gluten-free cookies have.

Of course using a high-quality gluten-free flour goes a long way. I prefer Cup4Cup because it does not have a “weird” after taste and the added cornstarch makes the cookies nice and soft. (Can you tell I’m solidly on team “soft cookie?”)

Below I share more tips to make the best peanut butter cookies, along with ingredient swaps for dairy-free cookies, storage tips, and delicious mix-in ideas to make incredible homemade peanut butter cookies.

Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It’s the best cookies I’ve ever made & now my brother in law’s favorite.

—Laura

Ingredient Tid Bits

  • Peanut Butter – Use creamy peanut butter, such as Skippy or Jif brand, which are both certified GF. I don’t recommend using natural peanut butter, which will make the cookies dry and crumbly. I have not tested it with an alternative nut butter, such as almond butter.
  • Sugar – A combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar adds structure and chewiness
  • Butter – The butter is melted to coat the gluten-free starches, eliminating grittiness. For dairy-free gluten-free cookies, use vegan butter sticks.
  • All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour – I use and highly recommend Cup4Cup gluten-free flour for this recipe. However, readers have had success with other GF flour brands as well, like King Arthur Measure-for-Measure.

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

Easiest peanut butter cookie dough

In a large bowl beat together the peanut butter, light brown sugar, sugar, and slightly warm melted butter. Using warm butter breaks down the sugar slightly so it blends homogeneously. Add the egg, vanilla extract and you’re almost there!

the dough before adding the GF flour.

Mix in dry ingredients and chill slightly

Blend in the gluten-free flour, baking soda and salt until no flour pockets remain. The dough with be shiny and soft. Once you chill the dough for a bit it will stiffen enough to scoop in balls, plus get rid of any grittiness. GF baking bonus!

peanut butter cookie dough before scooping out.

Scoop and bake

Use a medium cookie scoop (equivalent to 2 tablespoons) to scoop dough balls quickly and evenly. For perfectly round cookies, roll the balls in your hands before distributing 9 per baking pan. If that doesn’t matter, more power to you because it all tastes delish!

Bake for 12-14 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown and the tops just set and start to crack. For chewy cookies be sure to not over bake.

a cookie scoop with dough in it on a baking sheet.

How To Prevent Grittiness in GF Cookies

Although gluten-free flour blends are easy to work with, there is a trade off. Especially when it comes to gluten-free cookies, they have a tendency to yield gritty or sandy results. Fortunately this unpleasant texture can be easily combated by following these simple gluten-free baking tips!

  • Baking temperature – Cookies usually bake at 350ºF, but I find using a lower temperature melds the flavors more, further assists in softening starches, and yields a chewier cookie.
  • Quality gluten-free flour – There are variety to choose from, so how do you know which is best? For gluten-free cookie recipes I highly recommend Cup4Cup GF flour which has the least gritty texture.
  • Chilling cookie dough – I continually experiment with this because if it’s possible to save a step, I’m all about it! However, the peanut butter cookie dough that rested for 30 minutes yielded a softer cookie with no hints of grittiness. The extra rest time gives a chance for the butter to fully coat and hydrate the starches.
two broke apart cookies with a glass of milk in the background.
Adding creamy peanut butter to cookies help eliminate any typical GF cookie bummers – like a dry, gritty, or crumbly texture. It’s magic!

Yummy Ways To Up Your Cookie Game!

Of course these cookies are the best just how they are, but you can also make peanut butter chocolate chip version. Alternatively, add your own unique flavors to the cookie dough. Sometimes I like to mix in chopped peanuts or roll cookie balls in the crushed nuts.

Besides chocolate baking chips, you can stir in 3/4 cup butterscotch, white chocolate chips, or a mixture. Just be sure to read labels for GF. Another option is to allow the cookies to cool completely after baking, then dip in melted chocolate or over the top.

For a classic old fashioned cookie experience, follow this easy recipe for gluten free peanut butter blossoms to bake them up with a Hershey kiss.

a line of peanut butter cookies on a blue background.
How will you enjoy yours? Classic peanut butter, loaded with chocolate chips, or with a little chopped peanut crunch?

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Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. It helps others when searching for recipes and I appreciate feedback from our community. You will always hear back from me! -Melissa

gluten free peanut butter cookie on stack of others.
5 stars (13 ratings)

Extra Soft Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

Melissa Erdelac of MamaGourmand headshot in patterned dress.Melissa Erdelac
Yield: 20
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
This recipe for soft-baked gluten-free peanut butter cookies utilizes easy GF baking tips to create crispy edge peanut butter cookies with glorious gooey, soft, chewy centers. The cookies are made with all-purpose gluten-free flour and creamy peanut butter to make an old school, classic treat in a jiffy! (Get it?!)
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Ingredients
 

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • Begin by lining baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. You may also use ungreased cookie sheets as well.
  • In a large bowl beat together the peanut butter, butter, light brown sugar, and sugar until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix again until smooth.
    1 cup creamy peanut butter, 8 tablespoons melted butter, 1 cup light brown sugar, ¾ cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Blend in the baking soda and salt on low speed. Add the gluten-free flour and mix again until no flour pockets remain. The dough with be shiny and soft.
    1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 ¾ cup gluten free all purpose flour
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 325ºF.
  • Use a medium cookie scoop (equivalent to 2 tablespoons) to scoop large dough balls. For perfectly round cookies, roll the balls evenly in your hands before distributing 9 per baking pan.
  • Bake for 12-14 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, or until the tops are just set and start to crack. Be sure to not overbake. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack.

Notes

 
Dairy-Free Modification
I have not tried making these dairy-free, but many readers have had success with substituting vegan butter sticks, such as Earth Balance, in other gluten-free cookie recipes.
Please note, my recommended gluten-free flour, Cup4Cup, does contain milk powder so use King Arthur Measure-for-Measure alternatively.
 
Storing and Freezing
Once the cookies have fully cooled, store in an airtight container up to 2 days. I don’t recommend longer than that because GF cookies lose moisture quickly.
They may frozen baked or unbaked. To freeze unbaked, portion out the dough on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer the unbaked cookies to an airtight freezer container and freeze up to 3 months.
When ready to bake, place the dough about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets and bake for 1-2 minutes longer.
To freeze baked cookies, make sure they have cooled completely and the chocolate chips have hardened. Wrap the cookies in stacks of 2-3 and then transfer to an airtight freezer container up to 3 months.
Calories: 230kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 28mg, Sodium: 214mg, Potassium: 95mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 164IU, Calcium: 26mg, Iron: 1mg
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