15-Minute Vegan Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies

This easy peanut butter cookie recipe is so simple my kids now make them by themselves. It’s a one‑bowl recipe that yields delicious cookies in about 15 minutes from start to finish, with very little mess. These treats are vegan and gluten‑free, yet you’d never guess it from their rich peanut butter flavour — they’re irresistibly moreish.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Quick – Fresh homemade cookies on the table within 15 minutes.
• Easy – One bowl, no special equipment, and minimal cleanup.
• Healthy – Peanut butter provides plant protein; the recipe uses less refined sugar and is both vegan and gluten‑free.
• Tasty – Deep, nutty peanut butter flavour that’s hard to stop eating.

Main Ingredients

The ingredients are straightforward and pantry‑friendly:

• Peanut butter – Use a plain, unsweetened natural peanut butter (and check for no palm oil if you prefer to avoid it). Homemade peanut butter works well too.
• Oat flour – For coeliacs, be sure to use certified gluten‑free oat flour. You can make oat flour by blitzing oats in a blender or food processor until fine.
• Dark muscovado sugar – Gives a deep, rich toffee note. Coconut sugar is a good alternative. For a crisper cookie, swap for a more refined sugar such as caster sugar.
• Coconut oil – A neutral flavour oil works fine; vegan butter can also be used.
• Ground flax seeds – Mixed with a little water, they act as an egg substitute to give the cookies a soft, chewy texture and add omega‑3s.
• Oat milk – Any unsweetened plant milk is fine; oat milk complements oat flour nicely.

Please see the printable recipe card at the bottom for the full ingredient list and quantities.

Basic Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix until fully combined — no need to separate wet and dry ingredients.
• Spoon small portions onto a lined baking tray and gently press each ball down with the back of a fork to flatten.
• Bake at 180°C / 350°F for 10–12 minutes.
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool. The cookies will firm up as they cool.

These cookies will be soft when you remove them from the oven but will set as they cool.

This is a summary. See the printable recipe card below for the full method and exact timings.

Chef’s Tips

• Room temperature coconut oil or vegan butter mixes more easily into the dough.
• Peanut butter makes the dough dense, so smaller cookies bake more evenly and quickly. Use a small scoop or dessert spoon for consistent portions. For larger cookies, flatten them more and add a couple of minutes to the baking time.
• Pressing the cookies with a fork gives an even thickness and the classic crisscross pattern; press once horizontally and once vertically.

Variations

• Swap oat flour for another gluten‑free wholegrain flour like rice, millet, or sorghum, or use a plain gluten‑free blend. For a grain‑free option, try almond meal or coconut flour (note: coconut flour absorbs more liquid).
• If you don’t want peanut butter, any other nut or seed butter (almond, hazelnut, or cashew) will work; match the flour type to the butter for best results.
• Add chocolate chips for peanut butter chocolate chip cookies — a favourite with kids.
• Keep the ground flax seeds as the egg replacement to preserve the soft chewy texture; you can substitute other egg alternatives if needed.

Batch Size

This recipe makes a small batch — about nine small cookies. It’s easy to double or triple the quantities when you want more.

Peanut Butter Cookies FAQs

Instruction Video

📖 Recipe 📖

15 Minute Peanut Butter Cookies

These peanut butter cookies are ready in 15 minutes and are both vegan and gluten‑free without sacrificing flavour.

Prep Time
5 mins

Cook Time
10 mins

Total Time
15 mins

Servings:
9 small cookies

Ingredients

• 55 g oat flour (or other gluten‑free wholegrain flour)
• 45 g dark muscovado sugar (or any brown sugar)
• 45 g peanut butter
• 20 g coconut oil (or another neutral oil)
• 1 tablespoon oat milk (or other plant milk)
• ½ tablespoon ground flax seeds
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch Himalayan pink salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F (or 160°C fan) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Measure all ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir until well combined.
3. Roll small portions (about ½ tablespoon each) into balls, place on the tray, and press down with a fork in two directions to form a crisscross pattern. This should make about nine small cookies.
4. Bake for 10 minutes, then check. If needed, bake an additional 2–3 minutes until lightly browned and slightly firm to the touch.
5. Slide the baking paper onto a wire rack to cool the cookies quickly. Allow them to firm up before handling and enjoy once cooled.

Notes

• This recipe makes a small batch. Double or triple the ingredients to make more cookies.
• Use caster sugar instead of muscovado for a crisper cookie.
• If you don’t have oat flour, blitz rolled oats to make your own (use equal weight). Substitute other gluten‑free flours as needed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 96 kcal | Carbohydrates: 10 g | Protein: 2 g | Fat: 5 g | Saturated Fat: 3 g | Sodium: 28 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 6 g

If you like this recipe, please leave a ⭐ star rating ⭐ on the recipe card!

More Recipes

You might also like these other vegan and gluten‑free baking recipes:

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