Easy Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies (Soft & Chewy)

These gluten free peanut butter cookies use a 1:1 flour blend for a classic peanut-butter cookie with a fork-pressed top. The goal is a lightly crisp edge and chewy center without the gritty or crumbly texture that can happen when gluten-free dough is too dry or under-rested.

This page covers two routes: the main recipe uses a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend, while a short flourless option points to our existing three-ingredient variation. If you need gluten free peanut butter cookies for someone with celiac disease, check ingredient labels and prevent cross-contact with shared bowls, pans, and utensils.

Why these gluten free peanut butter cookies use a flour blend

A 1:1 gluten-free flour blend makes these gluten free peanut butter cookies closer to a traditional bakery-style cookie than a flourless version. It gives the dough enough structure for a thicker cookie, while peanut butter supplies the familiar rich flavor.

Gluten-free blends vary in starches and binders, so this gluten free peanut butter cookie recipe needs a short rest before baking. That gives the flour time to absorb moisture and helps reduce a gritty bite. Different brands can feel softer or firmer, so let the dough rest before judging its texture or adding extra flour.

Ingredients that matter

• 1:1 gluten-free flour blend: Use a baking blend intended to replace wheat flour cup-for-cup. This formula is designed for a blend that already contains xanthan gum; don’t add extra if it is listed among the ingredients.
• Creamy peanut butter: A conventional no-stir style is the starting point. Natural peanut butter can separate, changing the dough’s fat balance and making gluten free peanut butter cookies spread or crumble.
• Butter and sugars: Butter brings richness; brown sugar helps the centers stay chewy, while granulated sugar supports the edges and fork pattern.
• Egg and vanilla: The egg helps bind the dough. Vanilla rounds out the peanut flavor.
• Baking soda, baking powder, and salt: The leaveners help the cookies rise slightly; salt balances the sweetness.

For consistent gluten free peanut butter cookies, weigh the flour if you can. If you use cups, spoon the blend into the measuring cup and level it rather than packing it down. The key to dependable gluten free peanut butter cookies is controlling flour absorption, not adding extra flour before the dough rests.

How to make gluten free peanut butter cookies

1. Prepare the pan. Heat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment. Use a light-colored pan for more even browning.
2. Mix the wet ingredients. Stir the peanut butter, cooled melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Don’t whip in excess air.
3. Add the dry ingredients. In a second bowl, whisk the gluten-free blend, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Fold the dry mixture into the peanut-butter mixture just until no dry streaks remain.
4. Rest the dough. Cover and chill the dough for about 30 minutes. This pause helps the gluten-free flour absorb moisture and makes the dough easier to portion.
5. Shape and mark. Scoop equal portions, roll them into balls, and set them apart on the sheet. Press each ball gently with a fork in a crosshatch pattern; don’t flatten it too thin.
6. Bake and cool. Bake until the edges look set and the centers still look a little soft. Let the cookies rest on the pan before moving them; gluten free peanut butter cookies firm up as they cool.

If you want another peanut-butter bake, try our peanut butter jelly cookies. For a different gluten-free cookie, see our gluten-free shortbread cookies.

Want a flourless version?

For flourless gluten free peanut butter cookies, use the three-ingredient peanut-butter, sugar, and egg variation in our peanut butter chocolate chip cookie recipe. That page has the full flourless method; this article’s main recipe stays focused on the 1:1 flour-blend version so the two pages don’t duplicate the same full recipe.

Troubleshooting gluten free peanut butter cookies

• The dough feels dry or cracks: The flour may be packed into the cup, or the blend may absorb more liquid. Weigh it when possible and avoid adding extra flour before the dough has rested.
• The cookies taste gritty: Give the dough its full rest before baking. Some blends need more time to hydrate; don’t change the liquid or flour amount until you have tested the exact blend.
• The cookies spread too much: Check that the peanut butter isn’t oily or separated, and chill the dough before baking. Let the baking sheet cool before adding the next batch.
• The cookies turn crumbly: They may be overbaked or the dough may have too much flour. Pull them while the centers still look slightly soft and let them set on the hot pan.
• The fork sticks: Dip the fork in granulated sugar or lightly grease it before pressing the crosshatch.

Frequently asked questions

Are peanut butter cookies naturally gluten-free?

Peanut butter itself is generally made from peanuts, but cookie recipes may add wheat flour, and packaged products can have other ingredients or cross-contact risks. For gluten free peanut butter cookies, check labels and use clean equipment, especially when baking for someone with celiac disease.

Which gluten-free flour blend should I use?

Use a 1:1 baking blend designed to replace wheat flour; this formula assumes the blend already contains xanthan gum. Blends absorb liquid differently, so avoid switching brands mid-recipe and let the dough rest before deciding it needs extra flour.

Do gluten free peanut butter cookies need xanthan gum?

This formula is designed for a 1:1 blend that already contains xanthan gum. Too much binder can make gluten free peanut butter cookies gummy, so check the package and don’t add extra when the flour mix already includes it.

Can I use natural peanut butter?

The main recipe is being developed with conventional creamy peanut butter because separated oil can make the dough unpredictable. Natural peanut butter may work, but it needs its own test before it can be recommended as a direct swap.

How should I store these cookies?

Let the cookies cool completely, then store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Separate layers with parchment if needed. Freeze cooled cookies in a sealed container and thaw them at room temperature before serving.

Easy Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

Soft-centered peanut butter cookies made with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend. Provisional test recipe; bake time and flour blend are not yet verified.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 24 minutes mins

30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 9 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 391

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Dry ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend 185 g, containing xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

Wet ingredients

• 3/4 cup creamy no-stir peanut butter 192 g
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 85 g, melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 100 g
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar 67 g
• 1 large egg at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Equipment

• 1 Large mixing bowl For the wet ingredients and finished dough
• 1 Medium mixing bowl, For whisking the dry ingredients
• 1 Whisk, Combine the flour blend and leaveners evenly
• 1 Rubber spatula Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture
• 1 Digital Kitchen Scale Weigh the flour and equal dough portions
• 1 set Measuring cups and spoons For ingredients not weighed
• 1 2-tablespoon cookie scoop Aim for portions around 38 g
• 2 Light-colored baking sheets Bake in sequence if needed; let pans cool between batches
• 1 roll Parchment paper Line the baking sheets
• 1 Cooling Rack Transfer cookies after they set on the pan

Method

 

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line light-colored baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour blend, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the peanut butter, melted and cooled butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until no dry streaks remain. Cover the bowl and chill the dough for 30 minutes.
5. Scoop the dough into portions of about 2 tablespoons (about 38 g each), aiming for roughly 18 cookies. Roll each portion into a ball and place the balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets.
6. Press each dough ball gently with a fork in a crosshatch pattern. Bake for a provisional 10–12 minutes, until the edges look set and the centers still look slightly soft. Bake in two batches if the cookies do not fit with enough room to spread.
7. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a rack. Let them cool completely before judging the final texture.

Notes

TEST DRAFT ONLY: This formula has not been kitchen-tested. It is designed for a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend that already contains xanthan gum; do not add extra xanthan gum. Record the exact flour brand used because different blends can absorb moisture differently.

Texture test: Bake matched cookies for 10, 11, and 12 minutes. Record the dough portion weight, spread, edge color, center texture after cooling, final cookie yield, and next-day texture. The centers should be judged only after the cookies cool because they continue to set on the pan.

Peanut butter: The formula uses creamy no-stir peanut butter. Natural peanut butter may separate and change the dough’s fat balance; do not list it as a direct substitute unless tested separately.

Gluten-free handling: Check ingredient labels and prevent cross-contact from shared bowls, utensils, pans, and work surfaces when baking for someone who must avoid gluten.

Flourless option: The site’s peanut-butter chocolate-chip cookie post already contains a flourless three-ingredient peanut-butter, sugar, and egg variation. Keep that full method on the existing page and link to it from this article; this WPRM card covers only the 1:1 flour-blend recipe.

Nutrition and timing: The time and nutrition values are estimates only. Confirm the tested flour blend, actual yield, bake time, and serving size, then recalculate nutrition per 1/8 batch before publication.