Vegan peanut butter cookies are soft, chewy, and full of rich peanut butter flavor. They’re one of those classic cookies that people always love.
This easy, small-batch, one-bowl recipe is made with 8 ingredients (plus optional salt). You’ll have delicious cookies on the table in just 20 minutes!
Since my Easy Bake Oven days back in the 70’s, I’ve been a longtime connoisseur of peanut butter cookies. They were the first cookies I ever made, and I was immediately hooked on their chewy texture and deep nutty flavor.
As an adult, my love has maintained, and I’ve continued making peanut butter cookies. Although, of course, not by the heat of a lightbulb anymore. (Yep, I’ve graduated to a full-sized oven.)
My peanut butter cookies have changed in other ways too. Most notably, now I make a fully vegan version.
It’s a breeze to make vegan peanut butter cookies with some basic pantry staples, vegan butter, and non-dairy milk.
These vegan peanut butter cookies are made in just one bowl and ready from start to finish in 20 minutes!
Since I live in a two-person household, I prefer small batches of cookies like this one, which makes 14 cookies. But if you’d like a larger batch, this recipe can easily be doubled.
If you love peanut butter desserts, you may also enjoy vegan peanut butter oatmeal cookies and peanut butter & chocolate popcorn.
In this post:
Why you’ll love these cookies
- One bowl, no mixer required
- Delicious, nostalgic flavor
- Ready in just 20 minutes
- Small batch (Makes 14 cookies)
- Dairy-free, egg-free, and vegan
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.
Pantry staples: All-purpose flour, baking soda, sugar, molasses, and optional salt.
Vanilla: Use either vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract.
Peanut butter: Crunchy or creamy will work, salted or unsalted. I like to use crunchy natural peanut butter with just two ingredients: peanuts and salt.
Vegan butter: Any type of vegan butter you enjoy will work here. I use organic Earth Balance in a tub.
Non-dairy milk: I use Silk plain and unsweetened cashew milk. However, any type of non-dairy milk will work, including sweetened vanilla. The cookies will just be slightly sweeter.
Step by step instructions
This section shows how to make this recipe at a glance with process photos of the steps. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.
1. Put peanut butter, vegan butter, and sugar into a mixing bowl. Use a fork to fully incorporate them.
2. Add liquid ingredients and combine:
- Non-dairy milk
- Vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- Molasses
3. Add dry ingredients and form into a dough:
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt (optional)
If you’re using salted peanut butter and salted vegan butter, omit the salt. However, if you’re using unsalted varieties of either, add a pinch of salt (⅛ to ¼ teaspoon).
4. Use a heaping Tablespoon to measure the dough. Then roll the dough into balls with your hands.
5. Put the dough balls onto two baking sheets about 2 ½ inches apart. (For easy clean-up, you can cover the baking sheets in parchment paper first.)
6. Use a fork to press lines into each cookie horizontally and vertically to make hashmarks.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 11 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and let sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes to cool slightly. Then move them to a cooling rack to firm.
You can enjoy them while they’re still slightly warm, or allow them to cool completely, if you prefer.
Storage instructions
Store vegan peanut butter cookies in an airtight container on the counter. For the best texture, enjoy them within 2 or 3 days.
They also freeze beautifully in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to eat them, allow them to thaw at room temperature.
Want a snack of warm cookies? They’re amazing reheated from frozen in the air fryer.
Simply put one or several cookies into the air fryer basket in a single layer. Then air fry at 385 degrees for 2 to 3 minutes. You’ll be treated with warm cookies that taste freshly baked.
FAQ
No. While many peanut butter cookie recipes call for chilling the dough to prevent spreading, this recipe doesn’t need it. The cookies are still perfectly thick, soft, and chewy without it.
However, if your kitchen is excessively warm, you may want to chill the dough in the fridge for about a half an hour before baking.
Absolutely! I usually make a small batch, but if you’d prefer a larger batch, simply double all of the ingredients.
After the first batch of cookies is done, let them cool for a couple minutes to set up. Then transfer them to a cooling rack, put the second batch onto the baking sheets, and bake.
If you try this recipe and love it, let me know! Leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It truly makes my day and is such a help!
📖 Recipe
Vegan peanut butter cookies (Easy one bowl recipe)
Ingredients
- ½ cup peanut butter crunchy or creamy
- 2 Tablespoons vegan butter
- 6 Tablespoons sugar
- 3 Tablespoons non-dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon molasses
- ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon salt optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If you like, cover two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. (Otherwise, the cookies can be baked on ungreased baking sheets.)
- In a large mixing bowl, combine peanut butter, vegan butter, and sugar with a fork until combined.
- Then stir in the wet ingredients: non-dairy milk, vanilla bean paste or extract, and molasses.
- Once the wet ingredients are fully incorporated, add the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour and baking soda. If you're using unsalted peanut butter and/or unsalted vegan butter, add a pinch of salt (about ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon, depending on your preference for salt). Mix with a spoon to combine the dry ingredients with the wet, and then use your hands until it becomes a dough and there's no dry flour left behind. (Be careful not to overwork it.)
- Using a Tablespoon, scoop the dough into heaping Tablespoons, and roll your hands with each one to form balls.
- Place the dough balls onto the baking sheets, about 2 ½ inches apart. Use the back of a fork to flatten each one in a crisscross pattern.
- Put the baking sheets into the oven, and bake for 11 minutes. Then remove them from the oven, and allow them to cool on the baking sheets for a couple minutes before transferring to a cooling rack or plate to cool.
Shell
Simple, delicious, perfect.
Cadry Nelson
So glad you enjoyed the cookies!
Jill Russell
Is the nutrition content for one cookie?
Cadry Nelson
Yes, the nutrition info is per cookie.