Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies (3 Ingredients, 15 Minutes)
Three ingredients, one bowl, 15 minutes — these vegan peanut butter cookies are the simplest cookie recipe on this site. Natural peanut butter, maple syrup, and a flax egg produce a soft, chewy cookie with a distinct peanut butter flavour. No flour, no butter, no complexity. The recipe scales up easily; a double batch takes the same 15 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (260 g) natural peanut butter (smooth or chunky — choose your preference)
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 2.5 tablespoons water (flax egg)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional but adds depth)
- ¼ teaspoon salt (if your peanut butter is unsalted)
Optional mix-ins:
- ¼ cup vegan chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons crushed peanuts
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Method
- Preheat oven. Set to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make flax egg. Mix ground flaxseed and water; set aside 5 minutes.
- Combine. In a bowl, mix peanut butter, maple syrup, flax egg, vanilla, and salt until a uniform dough forms. If adding chocolate chips or other mix-ins, fold them in now.
- Scoop. Scoop tablespoon-sized portions and roll into balls. The dough is quite soft — wet hands help.
- Press. Place balls on the baking sheet 2 inches apart. Use a fork to press a crosshatch pattern into each cookie — the classic peanut butter cookie look. The cookies won’t spread much during baking, so the fork press sets the final shape.
- Bake. Bake for 10–12 minutes until the edges are just set. The cookies will look underdone and soft in the center — that’s correct. They firm up considerably as they cool.
- Cool. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving. These cookies are very fragile when warm.
- Store. In an airtight container at room temperature for 4 days, or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Tips for the Best Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
Natural peanut butter is essential. Conventional peanut butter (with hydrogenated oils and added sugar) behaves differently in this recipe and produces a cookie that tastes overly sweet and has an off texture. Use natural peanut butter — the kind where the oil separates at the top.
Do not overbake. These cookies look underdone when they come out of the oven. They will firm up to a soft, chewy texture as they cool. Overbaking produces hard, dry cookies.
Fragile when warm. The flax egg creates a slightly different structure than a conventional egg. Let the cookies cool completely on the pan before moving them.
Variations and Substitutions
Chocolate peanut butter cookies: Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the dough.
Almond butter: Replace peanut butter 1:1 with almond butter for a milder, slightly sweeter cookie.
Sunflower seed butter (nut-free): SunButter substitutes directly. Note that baking soda can cause SunButter cookies to turn green — this is a chemical reaction from the chlorogenic acid in sunflower seeds and is harmless.
Thumbprint cookies: Instead of the fork press, press your thumb into the center of each ball to create a well. Fill with vegan jam or a small piece of dark chocolate after baking.
FAQ
Are these cookies gluten-free? Yes — the base recipe contains no flour and is naturally gluten-free. Check that your peanut butter and maple syrup are certified GF if strict cross-contamination avoidance is needed.
Why are my peanut butter cookies falling apart? Two likely causes: they were moved while still warm (fragile before fully cooled), or the peanut butter used was too dry or thick. Try slightly runnier natural peanut butter.
Can you freeze these cookies? Yes — freeze baked and cooled cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 20 minutes.
For a more elaborate vegan bake, see the vegan chocolate cake. Browse all plant-based desserts at the desserts hub.