These vegan peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are a peanut butter lovers' dream! They're soft and chewy on the inside with crisp edges on the outside. They're loaded with peanut butter flavor and only take 10 minutes to prep. These cookies are the perfect treat!
These cookies may just be the best vegan cookies I've ever had...and I've had & made a lot. They stay soft and chewy for days and are the perfect combination of peanut butter and chocolate! They're similar to my brown butter chocolate chip cookies except they contain peanut butter and just plain melted butter.
Like most cookie recipes, they're easy to make and can be prepped ahead of time. If you or your friends & family have any allergies, these are the perfect option as ingredients can easily be swapped without sacrificing the deliciousness of these chewy cookies.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- They're so easy to make! It's just like any basic cookie recipe - you only need 10 minutes of prep time.
- You only need 10 basic ingredients. You likely already have the majority, if not all, of the ingredients in your kitchen.
- They're freezer-friendly, making it easy to either prep ahead of time or whip up a few cookies whenever a craving hits!
- These cookies are vegan, dairy-free, eggless and can easily be made gluten-free!
Equipment
The equipment you'll need to make these chewy vegan cookies is very basic:
- Baking sheet / Cookie sheet
- Cookie scoop: for even sized cookies, and ultimately even baking!
- Parchment paper: to ensure the cookies don't get stuck to the baking sheet
- Whisk
- Mixing bowls: one large bowl for the wet ingredients and ultimately the cookie dough, one small bowl for the dry ingredients.
- Spatula: switch over to a spatula when mixing the dry and wet ingredients together to avoid overmixing.
- Kitchen scale: for the most accurate measurements of all ingredients
- Measuring cups & spoons: if you don't want to use/don't have a scale. Be sure to use the spoon & level method for the flour.
No electric mixer needed!
Ingredients
These vegan peanut butter cookies are made with only 10 simple ingredients, most of which are pantry staples. They're completely dairy free and eggless.
- Flour: all-purpose flour is best here but 1:1 gluten-free baking flour works as a substitute if needed.
- Baking Soda
- Salt: just a pinch!
- Peanut Butter: creamy peanut butter works best! Feel free to use crunchy peanut butter for added texture. It's better to use Jif or Skippy over natural. If you only have natural peanut butter, it'll work but the texture of the cookies will be affected.
- Vegan Butter: I recommend using sticks as opposed to the tubs of butter. I like to use Earth Balance, Melt or Country Crock sticks for all of my dessert recipes.
- Sugars: we'll be using a mixture of both light brown and white, cane sugar. The light brown sugar will help make the cookies soft and chewy while the cane sugar will help the cookies spread.
- Flaxseed Meal: as our egg replacer!
- Vanilla Extract
- Chocolate Chips: I used mini vegan chocolate chips for these cookies but feel free to use regular morsels, chocolate chunks or a chopped chocolate bar. I recommend using semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips in order to balance out the sweetness level.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Variations & Substitutions
There's a few changes you could make to these cookies, if needed, that wouldn't change how delicious they are:
- Make them gluten-free by swapping the all-purpose flour with 1:1 gluten-free baking flour. I haven't tested this recipe with almond flour or oat flour, as it would not be a simple 1:1 swap!
- Feel free to use almond butter instead. If you're allergic to nuts, swap the peanut butter with sunflower seed butter!
- Use coconut oil instead of vegan butter.
- Change up the add-ins by using chopped walnuts, pecans, mini chocolate chips, or different spices. They're also delicious as is without any add ins.
- Applesauce works as a fantastic egg replacer instead of flaxseed meal.
- For a thinner, crispy cookie either add 1 tablespoon of plant-based milk (soy milk is best) to the cookie dough or press down the dough ball before baking with the back of a fork. For an ever chewier cookie, underbake by 1-2 minutes.
- Swap the sugars out for coconut sugar. The cookies won't be as sweet, but it'll work!
This recipe has not been tested with any other substitutions or variations than the ones listed above. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together peanut butter, melted butter, light brown sugar and cane sugar until smooth and combined.
- Add in the flax egg and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, fold the ingredients together until just combined.
- Add in the mini chocolate chips and mix once more until the chocolate chips are distributed throughout.
- Chill for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, for best results. Scoop the dough into a total of 18-20 balls. Working in batches, space ~8 cookie dough balls 2" inches apart on your prepared baking tray. Bake for 11-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the middle is still slightly soft. Repeat until all the dough has been baked or store the remaining dough for later.
COOLING THE COOKIES: After removing from the oven, allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before eating or transferring to a cooling rack, plate or container. This will allow the cookies to finish baking and the center to firm up, resulting in a super chewy cookie!
Serving Suggestions
I'm sure we all know how to eat cookies, but here's some suggestions to enhance the experience:
- Sprinkle with flaky sea salt
- Drizzle with melted peanut butter or melted chocolate
- Allow the cookies to cool completely then build ice cream sandwiches by pressing a scoop or vegan ice cream between two cookies
- Crumble into a milkshake
- Dip into a glass of plant-based milk, vegan whipped cream or vanilla yogurt
- Serve on a dessert 'charcuterie' board
Expert Tips
- Use Jif or Skippy! Using natural peanut won't give you the same texture. If it's all you have, just be sure to give the natural peanut butter a really good stir so it's as thick as possible. If there is a better brand than Jif or Skippy that you like but that is no-stir, opt for that!
- Press chocolate chips on top of the cookie dough balls prior to baking to get those dreamy pools of chocolate on top.
- Do not skip chilling the dough. I know it's so annoying but trust me, it'll give you the most soft and chewy cookie.
- Weigh your ingredients for the most accurate result. If you don't have a kitchen scale, be sure to use the spoon and level method when measuring the flour especially.
- Do not overmix! Stop mixing once the moment there are no more flour streaks running through the cookie dough. Overmixing will lead to a tough, dense cookie.
- Don't overbake. I promise the cookies will continue baking outside the oven and the middle will set.
- Bake cookies on the middle rack. For the softest, chewiest and evenly baked cookies, only use the middle rack of your oven.
- Make perfectly round cookies by placing a large, round cookie cutter (or a wide-mouthed glass) over a cookie. While the cookies are still hot, spin the cookie cutter in a circular motion to scoot the cookie edges into a perfect circle.
Storage Tips
Room temperature: These cookies will stay soft and keep well for a few days. Stored baked peanut butter chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Do not store the raw cookie dough at room temperature, ever!
Refrigerator: Store unbaked cookie dough in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Then, roll into balls and bake as directed! Baked cookies can be stored in the fridge for up to 5-7 days.
Freezer: These cookies are freezer friendly! Allow the baked cookies to cool completely first then transfer to freezer safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw at room temperature before enjoying. You can also freeze unbaked cookie dough for quick and easy cookie baking in the future. Follow recipe direction steps 1-6 as is. Once chilled, form the balls of cookie dough then place each cookie dough ball on a lined baking sheet. Flash freeze for 2-4 hours, or until the cookie dough balls are frozen solid. Transfer the dough balls to a freezer friendly ziploc bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, remove from the freezer and pick back up with recipe step 7. Bake for 1-2 minutes longer than directed, or until golden on the edges.
FAQ
This is likely the result of too much flour! Be sure to either weigh your flour or use the spoon and level method.
Aside from adding flavor, white sugar helps the cookies spread while brown sugar will make the sugars soft and chewy.
Yes!! That's a huge benefit of vegan cookie dough, no raw eggs to worry about.
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Kitchen Scale optional
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (130 g) creamy peanut butter Jif or Skippy
- ½ cup (113 g) vegan butter melted (use stick not a tub!)
- ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup (50 g) cane sugar
- 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax seed + 3 tablespoons water)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (195 g) mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
- flaky sea salt optional, for topping
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together ground flaxseed meal and water. Set aside for at least 5 minutes.1 flax egg
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter, light brown sugar, cane sugar and peanut butter until smooth and combined. Add in the set flax egg and vanilla extract and whisk until combined.½ cup creamy peanut butter, ½ cup vegan butter, ¾ cup light brown sugar, ¼ cup cane sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, fold the ingredients together until just combined. Add in the mini chocolate chips and mix once more.1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Cover the cookie dough with tin foil or plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a 1 oz cookie scoop, scoop the dough into a total of 18-20 balls.
- Working in batches, space ~8 cookie dough balls 2" inches apart on your prepared baking sheet. Bake for 11-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the middle is still slightly soft. Repeat until all the dough has been baked or store the remaining dough for later.
- Sprinkle the cookies with flaky sea salt and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Enjoy!flaky sea salt
Nicole says
These cookies are sooo good! The peanut butter wasn’t overpowering at all. Will definitely be making again
Pinch of Parsley says
YAY!! Thanks so much Nicole, so glad you love them.