Vegan peanut butter cookies

Vegan peanut butter cookies

vegan peanut butter cookies plate

I cannot believe it’s been almost a month since I’ve last published a sweet recipe – that’s so unlike me and I’m rushing to correct that asap. I must admit that while there have been no desserts on the blog, my personal attempts at curbing my sweet tooth have not been very successful lately… It’s a bit of comfort I am clearly unwilling to give up in this era of constant home imprisonment and in a deluge of terrible pandemic-related news…

We are doing everything we can to keep frustration at bay by getting involved in projects of all sorts. Duncan is currently outside, in the freezing cold, getting to grips with his various power tools as he is working on a custom storage cupboard that will go in the space under our staircase. He is doing so well – he has just finished constructing the pull-out frame – and it’s not a beginner project by any stretch of the imagination. The cupboard will be split three ways. The middle section will feature two massive pull-out drawers for all our shoes, with a simpler cupboard for coats to the right and a small photography cupboard to the left.

This is Duncan’s first ever wood working project, which arose out of an actual need and our inability to find a contractor we liked who was not booked up for 6 months in advance and I’m so proud. He taught himself everything by watching so many woodworking videos on YouTube that it’s become a standing joke between us that he watches them in every spare moment, including loo breaks 😉 . Once he researched the hell out of it, he designed the cupboard in SketchUp working through many many iterations and mocking up shoe shelf sizes with pieces of cardboard to make sure the cupboard is perfect. He then ordered all of the wood necessary, hinges, push-pull mechanisms – he thought of everything and did not get fazed by many surprises along the way. All his dedication and hard work is paying off – I can already see that it’s going to be an awesome cupboard and I cannot wait to store stuff that has been cluttering our hall and living space thus far.

I’m working on a new website, which is going rather slowly, and designing a new bathroom as it has been on its last legs for a while. I’m spending lots of time looking at bathroom arrangements, taps, sinks, baths, tiles etc. and changing my mind every few days as I feel myself pulled towards a few different aesthetics. As a bathroom renovation project is rather costly, it is something you want to be pleased with and I’m feeling a bit of pressure to get it right. I promised myself to be a bit braver and steer away from safe light greys and whites, but we will see if that resolution sticks…

Other than that, we are trying to keep sane with the usual triad of yoga, running and meditation (me), speaking to family and friends, cat cuddles, podcasts and watching things that make us laugh. We are both, like everyone else I bet, dreaming of a long holiday but it feels like it is unlikely to happen for another 6 months at the very least, so other coping mechanisms need to step up. Like cookies. Well what can I say, baking and cookies are certainly one of mine and while I may periodically vow to kick it to the curb, I have not yet managed to do so yet. These peanut butter cookies have been tempting us both a lot lately. They are one bowl kind of easy, which is both a massive plus and minus at the same time 😉 . They marry peanut butter with a hint of salt and giant pools of melted dark chocolate. We are big fans and I hope that they will make you smile too.

vegan peanut butter cookies making

vegan peanut butter cookies batter

vegan peanut butter cookies before after

vegan peanut butter baked

vegan peanut butter cookies plant milk

makes
12
PREP
10 min
COOKING
12 min
makes
12
PREPARATION
10 min
COOKING
12 min
INGREDIENTS
  • 130 g / 2/3 cup sugar* or 150 ml / ½ cup + 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 50 g / ¼ cup room temperature fragrance-free coconut oil (replace with more PB for oil-free version)
  • 120 g / ½ cup peanut butter
  • 60 g / ¼ cup mashed up banana (½ medium banana)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 60 ml / ¼ cup tbsp soy milk (or other plant milk)
  • 100 g / 1 cup almond flour
  • 100 g / heaped ½ cup rice flour (white or brown)
  • 15 g / 2 tbsp cornflour / cornstarch
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt
  • ¼ tsp baking soda (GF certified if needed)
  • vegan chocolate, chopped coarsely
  • roasted peanuts
METHOD
  1. Place sugar and coconut oil in a bowl, using a fork work oil into the sugar. Alternatively, you could also use a food processor if you don’t mind more washing up. If not using coconut oil, replace it with the same volume of peanut butter.
  2. Once evenly distributed, add peanut butter and mashed up banana and work it into the mixture.
  3. Next, add in vanilla extract and soy milk unless you are making these with maple syrup, in which case skip the milk. Mix well.
  4. Using a spatula, fold in almond and rice flour, cornflour / cornstarch, salt and baking soda.
  5. Once you obtain a nice uniform batter, chill the batter in the fridge for a few hours – the longer the better but 1-2 hrs at least.
  6. Before you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 190° C / 375° F and line a large baking tray with a piece of greaseproof paper.
  7. Divide the batter into 12 equal size pieces, place them apart on the baking tray leaving a lot of space around each – you may need to bake them in two batches. Decorate the tops with chocolate chunks and roasted peanuts.
  8. Bake for 12 minutes depending what combination of ingredients you’ve used. I found that maple syrup and all peanut butter versions need a bit longer (14 minutes).
  9. Allow the cookies to cool off completely before eating. Store in an air-tight jar for a few days.

NOTES
*I recommend making these with half demerara sugar and half dark muscovado, but any sugar will do. If using maple syrup, however, skip plant milk entirely.

SHARE
NUTRITIONAL INFO
calories
255
13%
sugars
15 g
16%
fats
16 g
22%
saturates
6 g
28%
proteins
6 g
11%
carbs
26 g
10%
*per cookie
How would you rate this recipe?
This is a test string

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

5.0
12 reviews, 24 comments
REVIEWS & QUESTIONS
Heike:
These cookies are absolutely delish!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you Heike, I am really happy to hear that :) x Ania
Freaven:
Hi, can I use any type of flour ? Almond flour is too expensive and I doubt I'll find rice flour where I live. I precise I have no problem with gluten.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi,
    Firstly, I am sorry for taking so long to reply but my dad is very ill so I haven't been online much lately. You can use plain flour, but the amount of it may be a bit different as each type of flour has different absorbency. I would go by feel and make sure the dough is like plasticine, not too dry. Hope this helps! Ania
Lana:
Delicious with a perfect texture of the cookie. We loved them!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Great to hear that you enjoyed them, Lana. Thanks for taking the time to review, I really appreciate it. x Ania
Philip:
Recipe
    Ania
    Ania:
    I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean?
Bob Switzer:
I just made this recipe today and it's they are the best peanut butter cookies I've ever made. I've always enjoyed the combination flavor of peanuts and banana and the hint of banana in this recipe reminded me of that combination. Outstanding! This recipe is a keeper.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Aw, thanks so much for your kind words, Bob! I am delighted to hear that you enjoyed these so much - the best peanut butter cookies I’ve ever made is high praise indeed, thank you! x Ania
Alexandra:
I’m so glad that I discovered your recipes. Yet another wonderful achievement, easy to make and such a hit in this household.
Unusual to meet so many food intolerances and yet you do it every time, Thank you..
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you, Alexandra! I'm delighted to hear that! x Ania
Jivan Dios:
Simply delicious! What's not to LOVE? Thank you!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you, I'm delighted that you enjoyed them! x Ania
Niyati:
Thanks to you I have found my perfect go-to cookie recipe! Everyone in the house gobbled them up.
They are so easy to make and the texture of the cookie is spot on. Peanut butter flavor is an added bonus!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Aw, thanks so much, Niyati! I'm delighted to hear that these have been such a hit with your entire household. And thanks so much for taking the time to leave this lovely review, much appreciated. x Ania
Melanie:
An absolute hit in our house. They definitely will not last long as it’s so incredibly difficult to stop at one. Thank you once again for another fantastic recipe that’s so easy to follow and with such divine results.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you for your lovely feedback, Melanie! I'm delighted to hear that you found the recipe easy to make and loved the cookies. And thank you so much for taking the time to review - greatly appreciated. x Ania
Claire:
Delicious and so easy to make. Will have to make a double batch next time as they went so fast . 2 hungry boys at home who aren’t vegan but they loved them just as much!
Good for marathon training nutrition too
    Ania
    Ania:
    Yay! I'm so chuffed to hear that, Claire! Non-vegans enjoying my recipes is the greatest compliment of all! Oh yes, absolutely, my running obsessed husband says the same! ;) x Ania
Susan Dorling:
I made these with all-purpose flour, extra pb to sub for oil, no almond milk, maple syrup to sweeten and a load of chocolate chips blended into the dough. The cookies turned out fluffy, rich and absolutely scrumptious. This is a seriously fantastic peanut butter cookie recipe you must try!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks Susan, I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed them. They are not really meant to be fluffy (I think it's the flour swap that has contributed to this) so unless you liked that, I would dial down the amount of flour a little to about 1¼ - 1½ cups (155 g - 180 g). Hope this helps and I am glad you liked them. x Ania
Lesley:
Any idea what I can use instead of almond flour as I have an intolerance to almonds? Many thanks
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Lesley,
    You just use more rice flour, for example? Ania
Richard Tunner:
Your recipes are always good, but this one was amazing! I used almond butter (ran out of PB) and added vegan chocolate chips. Thank you!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks Richard, that's so nice to hear! Ania
Sarah Mehrtens:
Hi Sapphire,
You can always try using a sugar substitute . Maybe Monk Fruit or a Stevia based substitute. I tend to use a brand called Natvia, in particular a brown sugar style product that up to now has been fantastic for baking with a caramel taste without that stevia aftertaste. I have just made a batch of these cookies using it and am waiting a bit to cook em. The batter tastes great though.😊😋
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks for your feedback, Sarah! I'm sure Sapphire will find it helpful! It would be great if you could let me know what they are liked once baked. x Ania
Claire:
Hi! These look amazing, but is it possible to make them with wheat flour as opposed to gluten free? Thank you!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Claire,
    I have not tried as my intention was to create gluten-free cookies from the start, but based on my experience I am pretty sure that it will work well. Ideally, keep almond flour and replace rice flour with 80 g / well heaped ½ cup of all purpose flour. Otherwise replace both 'flours' with 180 g / 1½ cup all purpose flour, keep the cornstarch as is. Hope this helps! Ania
Vicky:
These were the perfect thing to bake on a cosy Sunday afternoon! Really pleased with how they came out - the saltiness is just right. I took the maple syrup route and they needed a few more minutes in the oven as suggested. Thanks Ania, lockdown is a whole lot tastier thanks to your blog!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Aw, thanks so much for your kind words, Vicky! Believe it or not, running this blog has been helping me cope with lockdown too, including positive interactions with my readers! Super pleased to hear that you enjoyed these cookies! I have another maple syrup batch in my fridge and wondering I should bake it instead of freezing for later - dangerous territory ...;) x Ania
Sapphire Carver:
These look delicious, can't wait to make them! My sister and I are sugar-free, though, and I've been altering a lot of your recipes (exchanging sugar for applesauce) but haven't been brave enough to try cookies yet. Do you think that if I exchanged the sugar for applesauce and then cut down the amount of milk, these cookies would work? Thanks for the recipe!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Sapphire,
    It's a difficult question and the answer is yes and no - let me explain. Sure you can do that but the texture will be very different as sugar isn't just responsible for sweetness and moisture (which applesauce can certainly provide), but also the structure of baked goods. So your cookies will not have much crispiness at all, they will be quite soft and I imagine very unsweet, but then it really depends on what your tastebuds are used to and what benchmark you are judging the outcome against. I have made cookies with banana before, but even then I added a small amount of maple syrup as otherwise they came out too wet. I've also had some success with dates (unfortunately I have not published that recipe), but again, they did taste healthy rather than indulgent. Finally, if you decide to do that I would skip plant milk entirely and I also think that mashed banana would be a better swap here than applesauce unless you are not keen on the taste. Hope this helps! Ania
Melanie Reed:
Yummy. Cannot wait to make these. Do you think it would work so substitute the rice flour with oat flour, or extra almond flour, as I have everything but the rice flour. Thanks so much for your fabulous recipes.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Melanie,
    I have not tried with oat flour, but fairly confident it will work fine - it may alter the texture a little but they will still be nice to eat. Ania
DON'T MISS A SINGLE RECIPE
Join our mailing list and we we will let you know when we publish a new recipe. You'll receive our DELIGHTFUL DESSERTS E-BOOK as a thank you for supporting us.