The Ultimate Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies

Christmas traditions in most homes include special Christmas treats: eggnog, peanut brittle, fruitcake, fancy cookies, candy canes, and all sorts of homemade goodies. But for anyone with dietary restrictions, Christmas can be a tough time of year. Many holiday foods contain wheat, and it can be frustrating to watch everyone else enjoy the Christmas cookies while you’re checking ingredient labels.

As I was browsing my cookbooks recently, this recipe jumped out at me. These gluten-free peanut butter cookies don’t require any flour at all, making them an easy Christmas treat to make for friends and family who aren’t eating wheat.

They’re also wonderfully simple. You only need a handful of ingredients, and there’s no need to haul out a mixer or make a complicated cookie dough. If you’re looking for an easy gluten-free Christmas cookie recipe, this one is worth adding to your holiday baking list.

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Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
• 1 egg
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts (optional)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Mix the peanut butter, egg, and sugar together until well combined.
3. Add the chopped peanuts (if using), and mix well.
4. Roll the dough into small balls and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet.
5. Press each ball gently with a fork to flatten it.
6. Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the cookies are golden.
7. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack.
8. Once they’re cool, drizzle melted chocolate over the tops.

The cookies are quite soft when they first come out of the oven, so don’t be tempted to move them immediately. Letting them cool on the pan helps them set up and makes them easier to transfer without breaking.

A Few Tips for Making These Cookies

Don’t use light peanut butter. The recipe specifically calls for regular peanut butter, and the consistency of light peanut butter can affect how the cookies turn out.

You can use either smooth or crunchy peanut butter, depending on your preference. If you use crunchy peanut butter, you may want to skip the additional chopped peanuts—or add them anyway if you really love peanutty cookies!

The chocolate is optional, too. You can drizzle melted chocolate over the cooled cookies, stir chocolate chips directly into the dough, or leave the chocolate out altogether.

I used unsweetened, unsalted peanut butter and substituted extra chocolate chips for the chopped peanuts because I didn’t have any on hand. I also skipped the chocolate drizzle and simply mixed the chocolate chips into the cookie dough. (I was feeling a little lazy that day!)

They were still delicious. In fact, these cookies are so soft and melt-in-your-mouth good that I didn’t manage to give away quite as many as I had originally planned.

Making Gluten-Free Cookies Safely

If you’re making these cookies for someone with celiac disease or a serious gluten intolerance, it’s important to think about more than just whether the ingredients themselves contain gluten. Cross-contamination in your kitchen can also be a concern. This is especially important if you regularly bake with wheat flour.

Before making gluten-free cookies, make sure your mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons, utensils, baking sheets, and other equipment are thoroughly clean. Flour residue can linger in tiny cracks and scratches, particularly on older kitchen utensils.

For example, I wouldn’t use a wooden spoon that has previously been used for mixing regular cookie dough. Flour can remain in the cracks and porous surface of the wood. I have a silicone mixing spoon for gluten-free baking.

It’s also easy to accidentally reuse a measuring cup that has just been sitting in a bag of flour. Wash your measuring cups and spoons before using them for your gluten-free baking.

And, of course, check the labels on your peanut butter, chocolate chips, and other ingredients if you’re baking for someone who needs to avoid gluten. Ingredient formulations can change, so don’t assume that an ingredient you’ve used before is always safe.

If you’re baking for someone with celiac disease, it’s also worth asking about their specific precautions. Different people may have different levels of sensitivity and different concerns about shared kitchen equipment.

Can You Freeze Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies?

Yes! These cookies can be frozen, which makes them handy for Christmas baking.

Once the cookies have cooled completely, place them in an airtight freezer container or freezer bag. Separate layers with parchment or wax paper if you want to prevent them from sticking together.

Freezing a batch ahead of time can also make holiday entertaining easier. You can pull out just as many cookies as you need when unexpected guests arrive—or when you need a quick Christmas treat.

An Easy Christmas Cookie for Gluten-Free Guests

One of the things I like about these peanut butter cookies is that they don’t feel like a “special diet” dessert. They’re simply good cookies.

That’s something I try to remember when I’m cooking for friends or family members with dietary restrictions. Nobody wants to feel like they’re being handed the one sad, healthy-looking cookie while everyone else gets the good stuff!

These flourless peanut butter cookies are naturally simple, rich, and chocolatey, making them a nice addition to a Christmas cookie tray. Just be sure to check your ingredients and prevent cross-contamination if you’re making them for someone who needs a strictly gluten-free diet.

And if you’re looking for an easy Christmas baking project with kids, these are pretty straightforward, too. Kids can help roll the dough into balls and press each cookie with a fork.

Whether you’re baking for a gluten-free friend, putting together a Christmas cookie tray, or simply looking for an easy peanut butter cookie without flour, this recipe is a delicious one to keep in your recipe box.

For Peanut Butter Lovers

If you like this recipe, you may also like:

• No-Bake Peanut Butter Drops (also gluten-free)
• No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups (works great with gluten-free flour too)
• more yummy peanut butter recipes