Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies ~ these amazing gluten free cookies are made without any flour, or any butter, and they hold their own against any chocolate chip cookie out there! Healthy cookies ~ who knew?
here’s a super easy recipe to start off the week in yummy style. I made these cookies as a follow up to my popular FLOURLESS ALMOND BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES, the ones I fell in love with exactly 5 weeks ago. Today I made the same cookie, with peanut butter. I’m equally wild about these.
There’s never been a cookie that’s easier to put together. Just whisk the egg, sugar and baking soda with the peanut butter, and fold in the chips. You will always have the ingredients on hand, they bake up soft and rich with pb and chocolate, and they freeze perfectly. What more could you ask of one little cookie?
Be aware — after you mix up the batter you’re going to freak out because it looks just like a bowl of peanut butter with some chips thrown in. But keep the faith — scoop it out, flatten each ball slightly, and bake them up. You’re going to get some delicious cookies, and I know I said it before but I’ll say it again…I don’t think I’ll ever bother making regular chocolate chip cookies anymore, I don’t see the point. These have the all the good qualities and none of the hassle.
If you’re looking for crunchy cookies, these aren’t for you. But if the idea of soft, pillowy cookies with lots of peanut flavor and plenty of chocolate presence appeals to you, I know you’ll be pleased. And for those of you who eat gluten free, I think these are a nice option without all the complicated gluten free products.
Because these are so simple, it’s the details that are going to be the key to success, so I list a series of tips at the end of the post. Those tips hold for other baking projects as well…is your oven calibrated to the right temperature? Do you always measure your ingredients in the correct type of measuring cups? Do you pay attention to the size of your eggs? It’s all important stuff when it comes to baking.
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup peanut butter (I used Jiff)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips (or use milk chocolate)
Instructions
- Set the oven to 350F
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk the egg, brown sugar and baking soda together in a bowl. Make sure to break up any lumps in the sugar so that the mixture is smooth. Stir in the peanut butter and mix until well combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop onto the baking sheet with a 1 1/2 inch baking scoop (or use a tablespoon), and space the cookies 2 inches apart.
- Flatten the cookies slightly, and bake for about 10 minutes until puffed and just beginning to turn golden around the edge. Don't over bake, they will still be soft, but will firm up as they cool.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a rack.
Notes
These cookies are especially good while still warm, and they freeze well. Recipe adapted from Chew Out Loud
Tips for success:
1. Make sure you use a large egg. Since most recipes call for large eggs as the default size, that’s the size I always buy, so there’s never a question.
2. Measure the peanut butter in a dry ingredients measuring cup, not a liquid cup. (Liquid measuring cups are the ones made out of clear plastic or glass, with measuring lines on the side.) Make sure you get a full cup of peanut butter, I know it’s messy.
3. Don’t forget the baking soda.
4. Do make sure you pack your brown sugar into the measuring cup.
5. Don’t get greedy and use more than 1 cup of chocolate chips or the cookies will not hold together.
6. Do not make these cookies too large, or they will not hold together. Use the 1 1/2 inch cookie scoop, or a tablespoon and they should be about the size of a walnut. If you make them smaller, be sure to bake them for less time.
7. Be sure to flatten the scoops of dough slightly for even baking. Dampen the back of a spoon or knife before you flatten to prevent sticking.
8. Food stylist’s trick: After you flatten the cookies, stick a few extra chocolate chips in cookies that don’t have any chips showing on top — you’ll get that perfect chocolate chip cookie look after they’re baked.
9. Make sure your oven is at 350F when you put the cookies in. I keep a small, inexpensive oven thermometer in my oven at all times so I can be sure.
10. Let the cookies cool briefly on the cookie sheet so they can firm up. They will be fragile when warm, so handle them carefully.
That’s it, you should be good to go!
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81 Comments
Jeanice Martin
September 2, 2017 at 5:21 pmJust made these today and they are absolutely DELICIOUS!!!
Sue
September 2, 2017 at 6:16 pmI’m so excited that you loved these Jeanice ~ I’m just working on a new video for this recipe ~ it will be up soon! Now you need to try all my other nut butter cookies :)
Ari
July 15, 2017 at 5:06 amMade these for the first time 2.5 weeks ago. Have made them THREE TIMES since then. They are that good [and that easy]. Thank you so so much for this recipe – my new staple!
Sue
July 15, 2017 at 6:45 amNow you’ll have to try my other nut butter cookies, Ari, I’ve got quite a few!
Cyndi
May 20, 2017 at 2:18 pmThese are delicious!! Do you happen to know the nutritional value per cookie? I may need to multiple that by many cookies. :)
Sue
May 20, 2017 at 3:05 pmI’m so sorry I don’t, Cyndi, but it should be pretty easy to do because the ingredient list is so simple. There are places you can go online where you can plug in the ingredients to get the nutritional values.
Jessica
October 28, 2016 at 11:11 amI tried this recipe for the first time today and they came out beautifully. I made them for a client who is gluten free and dairy free so I substituted the chocolate chips with enjoy life chocolate mega chunks. (Free of milk peanuts soy and gluten) and they were perfect. Thanks for sharing ?
Sue
October 28, 2016 at 2:40 pmYou’re so welcome, thanks for coming back to let us know Jessica <3
Jayne
September 17, 2016 at 2:37 pmThese cookies are incredible. I could have eaten the whole batch. I used skippy super chunky peanut butter and well…there are no words describe how good they are. Thank you! I’m going to try natural peanut butter and Splenda brown sugar to lo carb it even more. But this recipe rocks so much I’m making more tonight.
Sue
September 17, 2016 at 4:15 pmYay, I love to hear that!
Jennah
September 17, 2016 at 12:08 pmI just came across this recipe and all I have to say is, YUM! I actually subbed out the regular brown sugar for Splenda brown sugar because I can’t have regular sugar. They turned out perfect!
Thank you!
Sue
September 17, 2016 at 12:48 pmThat’s great to know about the sugar substitute Jennah, thanks.
My2Loves
September 4, 2016 at 3:35 pmI’m late too, but just made these today! I used dark brown sugar, a little less than a cup of peanut butter, (I did get greedy and add more chips ?), and popped the mix in the freezer for about an hour before baking. Kept them in the oven for an extra 5 minutes as well. They came out beautifully, but they did not hold together when trying to just hold the cookie, too many chips maybe?…anyway, they taste great! Will make again. By the way, I used the Kroger brand Simple Truth Organic semi sweet chocolate chips, which are slightly bigger chips than say Toll House.
Sue
September 4, 2016 at 5:19 pmIt’s possible that the bigger chips would make a difference in how the cookies hold together…especially if you tend to be ‘liberal’ (guilty here!) with your chips ;)
Cayla
June 28, 2016 at 1:17 pmI know this recipe is old now and I’m super late to the party, but my goodness these are AMAZING. I’ve made these for my family a solid four batches in less than two weeks. They can’t get enough! (Even though I probably ate 3/4 of them) Thanks for this — glad I found it! :)
Sue
June 28, 2016 at 2:01 pmYou’re never late to the party here Cayla :) I am so glad you like these because I honestly think they’re amazing too, I really don’t ever need to make regular chocolate chip cookies again. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment <3
Nicole
January 31, 2016 at 7:44 amThese are so good! I loved them. When I was mixing the ingredients I was sure they were going to turn out right but I was wrong. The only thing I Changed was using dairy free mini chocolate chips instead. I want to add oats next time.
Sue
January 31, 2016 at 8:02 amThanks Nicole, and I had the same reaction the first time I made them, I was sure I’d done it wrong!
Glaris
February 13, 2016 at 10:07 amSue, can I use peanut butter with grape jelly?
Sue
February 13, 2016 at 12:28 pmI don’t think that would work Glaris, sorry!
Kathie
December 13, 2015 at 5:39 amI was a little skeptical when I read this recipe and saw the dough. Not anymore. These cookies are great.
Sue
December 13, 2015 at 7:39 amI know exactly what you mean, Kathie, I was skeptical at first too!
Renee
October 24, 2015 at 1:09 pmJust tried these cookies (they are still warm). Hubby loves them. How could he not, his two favourites, pb and chocolate. I noticed the recipe on the pb jar is similar but without the baking soda. Why did you add baking soda?
Sue
October 24, 2015 at 1:11 pmThe baking soda just makes them puff every so slightly and I think improves the texture, Renee.
Tarin
August 18, 2015 at 12:52 pmYour tips at the bottom of this recipe are awesome and super helpful! Half the batch is in my oven now!! Thanks for an easy recipe, with no flour on hand! You noted they are good to freeze as well, I was wondering do you mean to freeze the baked cookies or the cookie dough?
Sue
August 18, 2015 at 1:41 pmYou can do it either way, Tarin, and thanks for the great feedback!
Maryl
August 4, 2015 at 8:24 pmI’ve been making these cookies for a year now and double the recipe every time because they don’t last long at my house. I use Aldi brand natural peanut butter.
They are the easiest cookies ever!
Sue
August 5, 2015 at 6:48 amThat’s good to know that they work with natural pb, mary, because I always use regular — so happy you’re enjoying them :)
Hannah
May 30, 2015 at 11:15 pmI love this recipe. I have been adding a cup of oats to my cookies and they taste great like that too. Thanks for sharing!
Sue
May 31, 2015 at 7:17 amthanks Hannah, I’m going to try the oats in my next batch, that’s a great idea!
sue griffore
May 5, 2015 at 5:19 pmAnxious to make these. To follow your directions and tips — do you use a dry measure cup for the brown sugar? Like the one you would measure flour and sugar in? How do your recommend storing these? thank you
Sue
May 5, 2015 at 5:20 pmI do use a dry measure, Sue. As for storing, that’s a good question. I cover loosely with foil, because they can get soggy under plastic.
Aviva
April 8, 2015 at 5:03 pmMade these for Passover, and they were delicious. I found them a little sweet (I just prefer my desserts less sweet, I’m sure they are perfect sweetness for “normal” tastebuds). I was wondering if I could cut the sugar a little or if that would affect the consistency. I see others have used maple syrup and coconut sugar, so maybe I’ll try that next time.
Lisa
April 4, 2015 at 1:54 pmCan you use Peanut Butter Chips instead of chocolate? And can you add nuts?
Sue
April 4, 2015 at 2:33 pmYes absolutely, Lisa, this formula is made to be experimented with!
Mei
March 22, 2015 at 11:35 amOK these were amazing and so easy! They came out just as described – firm but soft inside (didn’t fall apart like some others mentioned). I used 100% natural peanut butter, and I substituted the brown sugar for maple syrup. Perfect!
Sue
March 22, 2015 at 1:36 pmThanks Mei :)
Lindsey
March 27, 2015 at 1:41 pmYay! Iwas wondering if you could sub honey or MS for the sugar!!!
Lindsey
March 27, 2015 at 1:42 pmDid you use the same amount of Maple Syrup or less?
Erica
March 12, 2015 at 6:15 pmI made these exactly as the recipe stated and they tasted wonderful but they fell apart :/ Any suggestions?
Sue
March 12, 2015 at 10:02 pmWhen did they fall apart, Erica? After they came off the tray? All I can think of is that maybe you made them larger than I did? If you try again, make them smaller and see if that helps.
missy
March 9, 2015 at 9:24 pmI loved these cookies! I did add a few dashes of vanilla extract…shared them with clients…they couldn’t believe there was so few ingredients..thumbs up! Thanks!
Sue
March 10, 2015 at 6:11 amThanks Missy, I love them too. I have a macadamia and white chocolate chip variation of them coming out later this week, keep your eye out!
Louise
March 6, 2015 at 9:10 pmSue – have you tried flourless Nutella chic chip cookies?
Ashley
March 6, 2015 at 12:12 pmcould you use PB2 powdered peanut butter?
Sue
March 6, 2015 at 12:42 pmI don’t think so, Ashley, I would stick with the real thing for this recipe :)
Louise
March 5, 2015 at 8:15 pmDelicious and incredibly easy. Start to done in 20 minutes with one bowl.
jessica
February 13, 2015 at 6:50 amCan I make these without parchment paper?
Sue
February 13, 2015 at 7:12 amSure Jessica, I use it out of habit, and it does help the bottoms of the cookies cook evenly, etc, but you can do without it.
Tammy
February 6, 2015 at 6:46 pmOh. My. Goodness. These are so wonderfully wonderful! I am doing a trial gluten free run and with cookies like these, I may just be able to make this work. Thank you!
Sue
February 6, 2015 at 7:18 pmI honestly prefer them to regular cookies Tammy — good luck with the gluten free eating!
Megan
February 5, 2015 at 4:14 pmdo you know how many calories per cookie??
Sue
February 5, 2015 at 4:57 pmSorry Megan I don’t know, you could probably calculate it pretty easily if you want to take the time to get the stats on the ingredients. I will say this, though, as cookies go, they’re relatively healthy calories!
Courtney
February 9, 2015 at 6:00 pmMegan… while these cookies may be delicious, they are actually worse for you than a regular PB chocolate chip cookie! Flourless doesn’t necessarily mean carb-less, fat-less or calorie-less. Here are the nutrition facts per cookie: 210 calories; 13 grams fat; 22 grams carbs & 19.5 grams sugar!!
Hope this helps :)
Tia
February 2, 2015 at 12:05 pmHi I was wondering because I have a son who is allergic to peanuts. … can I use soy nut butter…. Lol I have never even tried making peanut (soy)butter cookies for him. But I know I could enjoy these if he does!. Soy nut butter taste pretty good!! So what’s your thoughts?
Sue
February 2, 2015 at 12:24 pmWell Tia I’ve made these cookies with almond butter, and with cashew butter, so I think they would work with other nut butters as well. I have never had soy butter, if it has a similar consistency, then I don’t see why not! Please let us know how it turns out for you, I’m so curious.
Kristi
September 11, 2016 at 3:26 pmI wouldn’t use soy anything, especially with boys. Really terrible for the reproductive system of children!
victoria
January 30, 2015 at 3:36 amCan you use splenda brown sugar?
Sue
January 30, 2015 at 7:32 amI don’t bake with sugar substitutes Victoria so I don’t know for sure. I guess you could follow whatever the package says. Please let me know how they turn out if you try it, I think a lot of readers would be interested!
Kayte
January 17, 2015 at 6:34 pmIf following your directions to a T, do you have an estimated calorie count or carb count for these cookies?
Guilt-Free Goodies | Life in Color
December 16, 2014 at 9:33 pm[…] 3) Flourless Peanut Butter Chip Cookies via The View from Great Island […]
Marian
December 16, 2014 at 2:13 pmHi! I love these cookies and was wondering if I can double these ingredients to make a double batch. I tried to on a different peanut butter Gf cookie but the cookies became to chewy.
Sue
December 16, 2014 at 3:04 pmGood question, I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. This dough is so easy to put together, though, that you could just do 2 batches almost as easily as one bigger one.
Nicki
October 3, 2014 at 3:45 pmMade these for a second time except I subbed the brown sugar with coconut sugar. DELICIOUS and way too easy to make !
Sue
October 3, 2014 at 5:22 pmSounds good!
Missy
August 31, 2014 at 7:09 pmI made these tonight, they are super easy and delicious! My friend (who has celiac) loved them and said they were the best homemade GF cookies he’s had yet. I love how your recipes are so accessible and you always write such clear instructions. Thank you for sharing this great recipe!
Sue
September 1, 2014 at 7:05 amWhat a great thing to say, Missy, thanks so much. I love these cookies, too, and I’m always trying to find new nut butters to make them with. I don’t need to eat gluten free, but I really think I prefer them to regular cookies! Thanks for taking the time to give me this nice feedback!
zelia
August 10, 2014 at 8:31 pmJust made these today, absolutely delish. I did double the recipe, May try to reduce the quantity of sugar next time. Hubby and son loved them.
Sue
August 10, 2014 at 9:55 pmGlad to hear it, Zelia. Let me know how the reduced sugar batch turns out!
grace
November 6, 2013 at 1:33 ami love a recipe that uses only pantry staples like this, plus, as a bonus, the results are amazing.
Ashley
November 5, 2013 at 10:53 pmCan’t say that I personally enjoy baking, but these were incredibly fast, easy, and possibly added to our Christmas cookie “must have” list. Delicious!
Abbe@This is How I Cook
November 5, 2013 at 9:15 amI’ve been making these since my kids were young. They are always devoured because they are so good. I’m not even a fan of peanut butter and I love these!
hungry dog
November 5, 2013 at 6:35 amThese look great. Why is it that I always feel I could use one more chocolate chip cookie recipe?!
Dina
November 5, 2013 at 5:32 amI like not using flour. these sound like amazing cookies!
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
November 4, 2013 at 10:24 pmMy favorite PB cookies are flourless, yours look wonderful!
The Café Sucre Farine
November 4, 2013 at 5:56 pmVery yummy Sue! I know what you mean about these cookies. The first time I made them I couldn’t even believe it when I peeked in the oven. And the first bite ……….. crazy good! Your pictures totally capture the deliciousness of these cookies!
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert
November 4, 2013 at 5:36 pmOh these sound wonderful! I adore peanut butter and chocolate and can’t believe only 5 ingredients make these wonderful cookies. I don’t make enough cookies – you always have a beautiful morsel popping up!
Eileen
November 4, 2013 at 4:46 pmWell, it looks like I need to go get some chocolate chips, because these are definitely calling my name! Maybe with a big mug of strong coffee…
Kate
November 4, 2013 at 2:12 pmI’ve made a similar recipe before and I used Skippy pb. I used the regular stuff I grew up eating that had “filler”. Did you use regular or the natural Jif for your cookies? I know natural, crunchy Smuckers makes a greasy cookie – :\ experienced…. not yummy :(
Karen
November 4, 2013 at 10:43 amOMG you are my hero. I am gluten free and this looks fabulously easy and delish.
Averie @ Averie Cooks
November 4, 2013 at 10:19 amBecause these are so simple, it’s the details that are going to be the key to success, so I list a series of tips at the end of the post. = AWESOME!
My most popular recipe or in the top 2 or 3 every year is one of the couple recipes for flourless pb choc chip cookies I have. It’s amazing how badly people can mess up 5 ingredients, but they manage to :) For those that nail them, they’re amazing as you know. But I don’t know why some people struggle. So I LOVE the tips! Your cookies are beautiful, Sue!