Perfect Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe – Soft, Chewy, and Irresistible

Vegan peanut butter cookies have become my absolute favorite way to satisfy cookie cravings while keeping things completely plant-based. Today, I’m sharing my tried-and-true vegan peanut butter cookies recipe that creates the most incredible soft, chewy cookies with that classic peanut butter flavor we all love.

These vegan peanut butter cookies prove that you don’t need eggs or butter to create cookie perfection. The secret lies in the perfect balance of ingredients that work together to create cookies that are tender on the inside with just the right amount of chew, and those beautiful golden edges that tell you they’re done to perfection. The rich, nutty aroma that fills your kitchen while these bake will have everyone gathering around, wondering when they’ll be ready to enjoy.

Whether you’re following a vegan lifestyle, have dietary restrictions, or simply want to try something new, these vegan peanut butter cookies deliver all the comfort and satisfaction of traditional cookies without compromising on taste or texture. They’re perfect for sharing, gift-giving, or simply treating yourself to something special.

Ingredients

For the Cookie Base:

• 1¼ cups smooth or crunchy peanut butter
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar, plus ⅓ cup for rolling
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

For Structure and Rise:

• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour

For Moisture and Binding:

• ⅓ cup almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, or other plant-based milk

Instructions

1. Prepare Your Baking Environment Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and position a rack in the center for even baking. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, ensuring it lies flat and covers the entire surface. This preparation step is crucial for vegan peanut butter cookies because the parchment prevents sticking and promotes even browning. The center rack position ensures your cookies bake evenly without the tops browning too quickly or the bottoms staying underdone.

2. Create the Creamy Peanut Butter Base In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the peanut butter, brown sugar, ½ cup of granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed until the mixture is completely smooth and well-combined, about 2-3 minutes. The mixture should look creamy and uniform. Here’s a little trick for the best vegan peanut butter cookies – make sure your peanut butter is at room temperature for easier mixing and better incorporation with the other ingredients.

3. Prepare the Dry Ingredient Blend In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and flour until everything is evenly distributed. This step ensures that the leavening agents are properly dispersed throughout the flour, which is essential for vegan peanut butter cookies to rise evenly and have the perfect texture. The combination of baking powder and baking soda provides the lift that eggs would typically contribute in traditional cookies.

4. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients With your mixer running on medium speed, gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the peanut butter mixture. Add it slowly to prevent flour from flying everywhere and to ensure even incorporation. The dough will start to come together and look more like traditional cookie dough as the flour gets incorporated.

5. Add Plant-Based Milk for Perfect Texture Gradually pour in your chosen plant-based milk while the mixer continues running, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. The dough will seem quite stiff at first, but don’t worry – this is exactly what we want for vegan peanut butter cookies that hold their shape during baking. Continue mixing until the milk is fully incorporated and the dough has a consistent texture throughout.

6. Shape Your Cookie Dough Transfer the remaining ⅓ cup of granulated sugar to a shallow bowl – this will be your rolling sugar for that beautiful sparkly exterior. Divide your dough into 16 equal portions, using about 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie. Roll each portion between your palms to form smooth balls. The warmth of your hands will help make the dough more pliable and easier to shape.

7. Create the Classic Coating and Shape Roll each dough ball in the granulated sugar, ensuring it’s completely coated. This sugar coating not only adds sweetness but also creates that lovely crystalline exterior that makes vegan peanut butter cookies so visually appealing. Place each sugar-coated ball on your prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading during baking.

8. Add the Signature Crosshatch Pattern Using the tines of a fork, gently press down on the top of each cookie to flatten it to about ½-inch thick. Turn the fork 90 degrees and press again to create the classic crosshatch pattern that’s synonymous with peanut butter cookies. This step isn’t just decorative – it also helps the vegan peanut butter cookies bake more evenly by creating a uniform thickness.

9. Bake to Golden Perfection Bake your vegan peanut butter cookies for 10-12 minutes, until they’re just barely golden brown around the edges. The centers will still look quite soft and may even seem slightly underdone – this is perfect! The cookies will continue cooking from residual heat as they cool, resulting in that ideal soft and chewy texture we’re after.

10. Cool for Optimal Texture Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for exactly 7 minutes. This cooling time is crucial for vegan peanut butter cookies because it allows them to firm up just enough to transfer without breaking, while maintaining that perfect tender texture. After 7 minutes, carefully transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

this Recipe

Tips & Variations

Peanut Butter Selection: Natural peanut butter works beautifully, but make sure to stir it well before measuring. If using salted peanut butter, reduce the added salt by half.

Texture Preferences: For extra texture, use crunchy peanut butter or fold in ¼ cup of chopped peanuts just before shaping the dough.

Plant Milk Options: Oat milk creates the richest flavor, while almond milk keeps them lighter. Soy milk provides the most protein and works excellently for binding.

Storage Success: Store these vegan peanut butter cookies in an airtight container for up to a week. They also freeze beautifully for up to 3 months.

Make-Ahead Magic: The dough can be shaped into balls and frozen. Bake directly from frozen, adding 1-2 extra minutes to the baking time.

Gluten-Free Option: Substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend for celiac-friendly vegan peanut butter cookies.

Sweet Variations: Try adding mini chocolate chips, dried cranberries, or a drizzle of melted dark chocolate once cooled.

The Science Behind Perfect Vegan Cookies

Creating exceptional vegan peanut butter cookies requires understanding how plant-based ingredients work together to replicate the functions of eggs and butter. The peanut butter provides both fat and protein, acting as a binding agent while contributing rich flavor. The combination of brown and granulated sugars creates the perfect texture – brown sugar adds moisture and chewiness, while granulated sugar provides structure and that lovely crispy exterior.

The plant-based milk serves multiple purposes in these vegan peanut butter cookies. It adds necessary moisture, helps bind the ingredients, and contributes to the tender crumb. The dual leavening agents – baking powder and baking soda – work together to create lift and the perfect amount of spread during baking.

Why These Vegan Cookies Are Special

What makes these vegan peanut butter cookies truly exceptional is how they maintain all the qualities we love about traditional peanut butter cookies while being completely plant-based. They have that perfect balance of soft centers and slightly crispy edges, intense peanut butter flavor, and that satisfying chew that makes you reach for just one more.

The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity and reliability. You don’t need any special vegan egg replacers or hard-to-find ingredients – just pantry staples that come together to create something magical. These cookies are proof that plant-based baking can be just as delicious and satisfying as traditional baking.

Perfect for Every Occasion

These vegan peanut butter cookies are incredibly versatile and perfect for so many occasions. Pack them in lunch boxes, bring them to potlucks, gift them to neighbors, or simply enjoy them with a glass of your favorite plant-based milk. They’re also wonderful for holidays and special occasions when you want to include everyone, regardless of dietary preferences.

The classic appearance and familiar flavor make them appealing to vegans and non-vegans alike. Many people are surprised to learn they’re plant-based because they taste just like the peanut butter cookies they remember from childhood.

Final Thoughts

These vegan peanut butter cookies have become one of my most requested recipes, and I completely understand why. There’s something so comforting about the process of making cookies – from mixing the dough to watching them transform in the oven to enjoying that first warm bite.

The fact that these vegan peanut butter cookies are completely plant-based makes them even more special because they’re inclusive and can be enjoyed by everyone. Don’t worry if your first batch isn’t perfect – cookie baking is as much about the joy of the process as it is about the final result.

I hope these cookies bring as much happiness to your kitchen as they have to mine. The smell alone will create such wonderful memories, and the taste will have everyone asking for the recipe.

From my kitchen to yours – happy baking!