This Disney copycat recipe, filled with chunks of peanut butter, are the BEST gluten free peanut butter cookies you'll ever have!
Best Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies were originally posted on May 15, 2019 and have been updated with an entirely new recipe, new pictures, plenty of tips and tricks, and a detailed video.
These cookies are inspired by trips to Disney years before THE diagnosis (celiac). We would hit up the old Main Street Bakery and fill our bags with treats to take back home with our leftover snack credits from the dining plan. Most memorable for me were Minnie’s Bakeshop peanut butter cookies. They were the best peanut butter cookie I’ve ever had!
The reason I loved those cookies so much is the peanut butter chunks. They weren't your average classic peanut butter cookie. There were “chunks” of what I describe as a peanut butter fudge, kind of like when you get ice cream with peanut butter swirls. It’s soft, but not too soft. It holds its shape enough that it doesn’t melt into the cookie. They’re like chocolate chunks, but with peanut butter!
Ingredients For Peanut Butter Cookies:
- Kim's gluten free all purpose flour blend - a store bought blend may be substituted, but hasn't been tested.
- Peanut butter - make sure your peanut butter is smooth and not the natural variety.
- Granulated and brown sugar - use both for the right texture and chewiness.
- Baking soda and powder - use both for proper leavening.
- Peanut butter "fudge" chunks - part of what makes these cookies so irresistible.
- Peanut butter - no natural peanut butter here folks. Skippy or Jif are the top choices.
- Coconut oil - I prefer to use refined coconut oil as it won't impart a coconut flavor to the fudge chunks.
- Powdered sugar - adds just a little sweetness to the fudge chunks without overdoing it.
here's how to make these cookies
To make peanut butter chunks, melt peanut butter and coconut oil in a medium bowl in the microwave for 30-60 seconds. Add powdered sugar and whisk until smooth; pour onto a parchment-lined small sheet pan (I use an ⅛ sheet pan (6 by 9 inch). Freeze for 15 minutes.
Beat the butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and continue beating until smooth. Add peanut butter and vanilla to butter and sugar mixture and beat to combine. Add flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and blend briefly just until thoroughly mixed through.
Remove the peanut butter "fudge" from the freezer and break into irregular-sized chunks. Dump them into the peanut butter dough and fold through just until combined. Some will break up and/or smear slightly, but that's okay.
Using a large cookie scoop (affiliate link), scoop dough out onto parchment-lined baking sheet. You should be able to get 5 large cookies per baking sheet. Flatten to about ½ inch in thickness with a fork (no thinner), using a crisscross pattern. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes; remove from oven and let the pan cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Place cookies (still on the baking sheet) in the refrigerator to chill completely before serving.
Peanut Butter Cookies FAQs
Good news! No refrigeration of this dough is required! Aside from making the peanut butter fudge chunks and freezing them for 15 minutes, there is no need for refrigeration of anything prior to baking.
Yes! You can skip the peanut butter fudge chunks (although I'd highly recommend trying it at least once) and instead add peanut butter, chocolate, or white chocolate chips or chunks, chopped peanuts, Reese's Pieces, M&M's, you name it!
There are different kinds of peanut butter cookies. Some are crunchy, some are soft. These are all about the soft, almost fudge-like texture that is unlike any cookie you've ever had!
More Recipes for Peanut Butter Lovers
- Gluten Free Peanut Butter Blossoms
- The Best Peanut Butter Fudge
- Gluten Free Peanut Butter Brownies
- No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
- Gluten Free Peanut Butter Pie
- Gluten Free Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter and Candied Bacon
- Flourless Fluffernutter Cookies
- Gluten Free Tagalongs (A Girl Scout Copycat Recipe)
I guarantee once you bite into the Best Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies, you will never want any other peanut butter cookie again. There's more peanut butter flavor in just ONE of these cookies than there is in any of the other peanut butter cookie recipes you'll find out there. 😋
Best Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
Peanut Butter "Fudge" Chunks
- 1 cup (240g) smooth peanut butter (don't use natural peanut butter)
- ½ cup (63g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (100g) refined coconut oil (if you use unrefined, it will impart a slight coconut taste)
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (226g) butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (200g) brown sugar, packed loosely
- 2¼ cups (540g) smooth peanut butter (don't use natural peanut butter)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2⅓ cups (327g) Kim's all purpose gluten free flour blend (a store bought blend may be used, but hasn't been tested)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Make Peanut Butter "Fudge" Chunks
- Place peanut butter and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30-60 seconds to melt; add in powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. If there are still lumps, microwave for another 30 seconds and whisk again. Pour into a parchment-lined small baking sheet (I use a very small 6 by 9-inch, or ⅛ sheet pan size). Freeze until firm, 15 minutes.
Make Cookie Dough
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Cream together butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl) until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add eggs, followed by peanut butter and mix until smooth.
- Add flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; pulse mixer on low while adding and beat until fully combined.
- Remove peanut butter fudge from freezer and break into irregular-sized pieces. Toss into cookie dough and fold throughout.
- Use a large cookie scoop to scoop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets. Only put 5 cookies onto one baking sheet as they will spread. Use a fork to make a criss-cross pattern onto the top of each cookie, being careful not to flatten them too much. They should be at least ½-inch thick.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool to at least 10 minutes on the baking sheets before placing entire baking sheet in the refrigerator to cool completely.
- Cookies are best kept in the refrigerator for up to a week (they won't last that long if your family is anything like mine)! They are simply divine straight from the fridge, but can be brought to room temperature, but they will be gooey and may cause peanut buttery fingers (which is A-okay as well). 😊
Notes
Inspired by Disney World's Minnie's Bakeshop cookies and adapted from the Food Charlatan's The Best Peanut Butter Cookies
Amanda says
Why do you suggest not using a all natural peanut butter?
Kim says
It will change the consistency of the cookies.
irmar says
We don't have those peanut butter chips in my country. Couldn't I just use peanut butter and butter? (As the chips are to be melted anyway, what's the point? Unless they have another necessary ingredient in them,. I searched, and they contain:
Ingredients. Partially Defatted Peanuts; Sugar; Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil [Palm Kernel Oil; Soybean Oil]; Corn Syrup Solids; Dextrose; Reduced Protein; Whey (Milk); Contains 2% or Less of: Palm Kernel Oil; Salt; Vanillin; Artificial Flavor; Lecithin (Soy).
So they de-fat the peanuts and then add Palm oil which is harmful, corn syrup and dextrose so a sweetener (we already have a sweetener in the recipe, so no need for that), plus artificial flavor. Vanillin. This could be added if needed, and preferably real vanilla extract. A bit of whey, okay, we could add that too if it's essential to the recipe (but I guess it must be a minuscule amount).
Mary Ocamb says
Theses are soooo good people & I don’t even need to eat gluten free!
Kim says
Thank you!!!