These Gluten Free "Peanut Butter" Chocolate Chip Cookies are loaded with peanut butter flavor and oozing with chocolate chips! They taste exactly like peanut butter chocolate chip cookies but the best part is they’re completely nut free! Thanks to the magic of wow butter, you can safely enjoy the taste of peanut butter while devouring these cookies! Don't have nut allergies? No problem; simply replace the wow peanut butter with any creamy peanut butter, nut butter or seed butter of your choosing!! These cookies are gluten free, nut free, eggless, seed free and can easily be made vegan!
These Gluten Free "Peanut Butter" Chocolate Chip Cookies are for all of you longing for that peanut butter flavor but are safe to eat! Wow Butter tastes like peanut butter and works beautifully in baking or no-bake recipes like my Gluten Free No Bake Cookies!
For more Wow Butter Recipes, try my Chocolate Wow Butter Cake, No-Bake Chocolate Wow Butter Bars my super simple Nut Free Chocolate Spread and my Wow Butter Chocolate Tart.
Jump to:
- Reasons to Love these Gluten Free "Peanut Butter" Cookies
- Ingredient Notes
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to make Gluten Free "Peanut Butter" Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Expert Baking Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes You'll Love
- 📖 Recipe
- Gluten Free "Peanut Butter" Chocolate Chip Cookies (Peanut Free)
Reasons to Love these Gluten Free "Peanut Butter" Cookies
- Allergy Friendly- These cookies are gluten free, nut free, egg free and can easily be dairy free (vegan)!
- Peanut Butter Flavor- These cookies have that classic peanut butter flavor without any nuts at all like in my Peanut Free "Peanut Butter" Ice Cream!
- Soft & Gooey Inside- The cookies are soft and chewy and oozing with chocolate inside!
- Chocolate Chips- They are loaded and topped with chocolate chips like my No Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten Free Flour- If you also have nut allergies, make sure to use a brand that’s made in a nut free facility. I really love to use this gluten free flour because it’s free of the top 9 allergens. It also contains xanthan gum which really helps give baked goods their bounce and prevents them from falling apart.
- Butter/ Vegan Baking Stick- For this recipe we are actually using melted butter. Make sure to cool it.
- Wow Butter- For those of you that don’t know, Wow Butter is a nut free butter spread that is made in a gluten free, tree nut free, peanut free, egg free and dairy free facility (it's vegan). It also contains no seeds and is made of soy. It is perfect for my household since my kids have issues with all those items aside from dairy (finally) and soy. I am lucky enough to have this product in my local grocery store, but you can also buy Wow Butter on amazon.
- Dark Brown Sugar- I use brown sugar instead of granulated for added moisture like in my Chocolate Blossom Cookies.
- Milk- If there are no dairy allergies or if you’re not vegan, you can use regular whole milk. For non-dairy, use a dairy-free milk of your choosing.
- Vanilla- Make sure to only use pure vanilla extract otherwise the cookies can have a chemical flavor.
- Chocolate Chips- To keep vegan, make sure to use gluten free/vegan chocolate chips. I love these allergy friendly chocolate chips.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
How to Make these into Vegan "Peanut Butter" Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Use a gluten free flour that’s free from dairy.
- Make sure the brand of sugar you use is vegan.
- Use vegan baking sticks instead of butter.
- Only use a non-dairy milk of choice.
- Read the label on your chocolate chips to ensure they’re gluten free, nut free and vegan.
- Only use gluten free/vegan nut free butter spreads.
Make this Recipe with All Purpose Flour
- Use 1 ¾ packed cup of regular flour (294 grams).
- Make sure to only use 2 tablespoons of milk.
With Regular Peanut Butter
- Replace the Wow Butter in the recipe for equal amounts of creamy peanut butter.
This recipe has not been tested with all of these substitutions and/or variations due to celiac disease and food allergies. If you change any of the ingredients, please let us know how the recipe turned out in the comments below!
How to make Gluten Free "Peanut Butter" Chocolate Chip Cookies
Here are the step by step instructions to make these nut free cookies!
Step 1: Melt the Butter
Microwave the butter in 11 second increments until almost fully melted. Whisk until fully melted; the residual heat will melt the rest. Set aside to cool. Do not microwave until it bubbles or browns.
Step 2: Whisk Together the Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, baking soda and kosher salt. Set aside.
Step 3: Make the Cornstarch Water
In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix together the cornstarch and water until thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first.
Step 4: Mix in the Sugar, Wow Butter, Cornstarch Water and Vanilla
Into the cooled melted butter, whisk in the dark brown sugar, wow butter, cornstarch water and the pure vanilla extract until fully blended.
Step 5: Add in the Flour Mixture, Milk and Chocolate Chips
Starting and ending with the flour mixture, whisk half the flour into the melted butter mixture. Add the milk and whisk until combined.
Using a spatula, gently fold in the rest of the flour until combined. Do not over mix or the dough will become shiny and too sticky.
Fold in the chocolate chips and freeze for 30 min.
Step 6: Form into Balls and Add More Chocolate Chips
After 30 min, using a large cookie scoop, make 18 scoops with the dough.
Pour the additional chocolate chips into a small bowl. Press the tops of the dough balls into the chocolate chips. With your hand, gently press down on the chips so they stick to the dough, but keep the ball shape.
Step 7: Bake the Cookies and Cool
Bake the cookies at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 16 minutes.
Immediately reshape the cookies when they come out of the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 min before transferring to a cooling rack.
Expert Baking Tips
- Use Packed Cups of Flour- Normally in baking we do not use packed cups however, when working with gluten free, I've found using packed cups works best to help the baked goods keep their shape. Or read the gram measurement.
- Use Cooled Melted Butter- Make sure the butter is not bubbling or browned. Do not microwave it too much. I prefer to microwave it until there is just a little bit of butter left unmelted and then I whisk it and the residual heat melts the rest of the butter. Then set it aside to cool as you prep the rest of the recipe. When it is time to use the butter it should be cool and thick/creamy. You can see in my video.
- Freezing the Dough- If you don’t freeze the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes, the dough will be too sticky to form into scoops.
- Wash the Cookie Scoop- If you notice the dough getting stuck in the cookie scoop, wash and dry your cookie scoop halfway through making the dough balls.
- Add the Flour then Milk then More Flour- Do not add the milk with the wet ingredients. The batter will be too wet and shiny and the cookies will be very buttery and flakey. You must add half the flour, then the milk and then the rest of the flour.
- Reshape the Cookies- If you want your cookies nice and round, reshape them as soon as they come out of the oven. Use a spatula to push them back into a circle shape.
Recipe FAQs
You can make the dough the night before. Keep it in a bowl and cover the top with plastic wrap in the fridge.
Freezing Raw Dough: Form the dough into balls. Place dough balls (not stacked) on a parchment lined baking sheet and pop in the freezer uncovered. Freeze for 10-15 minutes or until completely frozen. Once frozen, store the dough balls in a zip top bag for 1 month. When ready to use, bake at the same temperature for 20 minutes instead of 16.
Most gluten free baked goods are best made the same day, but you can make these cookies a day before!
Unlike most eggless cookies, these actually get softer the next day thanks to the moisture from the wow butter. The first day they will be crispy on the edges with chewy middles. After storing them in an airtight container overnight, the cookies will have softer edges.
I don’t recommend using a different sugar.
Eggless cookies can be very dry and the dark brown sugar adds lots of moisture. In addition, this is a cookie recipe without butter, so we need the added moisture.
Yes! If you don’t have any nut allergies, you can use creamy peanut butter in place of the wow butter.
Simply replace the wow butter in the recipe for equal amounts of creamy peanut butter!
You can also you sunbutter, etc!
Storing: Once the cookies have cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
If you want the cookies warm and gooey, heat the cookie in the microwave for a few seconds prior to serving. Be careful not to burn your mouth.
Freezing Baked Cookies: To freeze already baked cookies, place cookies (not stacked) on a parchment lined baking sheet and pop in the freezer uncovered. Freeze for 10-15 minutes or until the cookies are completely frozen. Once frozen, you can store them stacked in a freezer safe airtight container or zip top bag in the freezer for up to 1 month. To defrost, take the container out and leave at room temperature until soft. 1-2 hours.
Freezing Raw Dough: Form the dough into balls. Place dough balls (not stacked) on a parchment lined baking sheet and pop in the freezer uncovered. Freeze for 10-15 minutes or until completely frozen. Once frozen, store the dough balls in a zip top bag for 1 month. When ready to use, bake at the same temperature for 20 minutes instead of 16.
More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes You'll Love
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📖 Recipe
Gluten Free "Peanut Butter" Chocolate Chip Cookies (Peanut Free)
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups multipurpose gluten free flour (I use a gluten free multipurpose flour with xanthan gum already in it)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 rounded tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons of water
- ½ cup unsalted butter or vegan baking stick, melted and cooled
- 1 ¼ cups dark brown sugar , packed
- ½ cup wow butter , room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 ¾ cups semi sweet chocolate chips (reserve ½ cup for the tops)
Instructions
- Place the ½ cup unsalted butter or vegan baking stick in a heat safe bowl. Place a paper towel on top of the bowl so the butter doesn't splatter. Microwave in 11 second increments until just melted. Do not let it bubble or brown. Set aside to cool.Do not microwave it too much. I prefer to microwave it until there is just a little bit of butter left unmelted and then I whisk it and the residual heat melts the rest of the butter.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1 ¾ cups gluten free flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix together the 2 rounded tablespoons of cornstarch and the 3 tablespoons of water until thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first.
- Into the cooled melted butter, combine the 1 ¼ cups dark brown sugar, the ½ cup wow butter, the cornstarch water and the 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Whisk until it is all fully blended. It may appear slightly chunky; that's normal.
- Whisk half the flour into the melted butter mixture. Then add the ¼ cup milk and whisk to combine.Add in the second half of the flour gently with a spatula. Do not over mix or the dough will become shiny and too sticky.
- Still using the spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and fold in 1 ¼ cups of chocolate chips. Gently fold until everything is just combined and you don't see any more flour. Again, make sure not to over mix.
- The dough will be very sticky. Add it to a freezer safe bowl, cover the top with plastic wrap and pop the entire bowl of dough in the freezer for 30 min. When the dough is almost done chilling, preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Do not grease.
- Take the dough out of the freezer. Using a large cookie scoop (I use a 2 ounce cookie scoop), scoop the dough out into 18 scoops.If the dough is sticking to the cookie scoop, wash the scoop half way through to get off any stuck on dough.
- Pour the additional ½ cup chocolate chips into a small bowl. Press the tops of the dough balls into the chocolate chips. With your hand, gently press down on the chips so they stick to the dough, but keep the ball shape.
- Place the dough balls about 3-4 inches apart on the parchment lined baking sheet. Bake the cookies at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 16 minutes.I only bake 8 at a time. Pop the rest of the dough balls in the fridge while the first batch is baking.
- Immediately reshape the cookies when they come out of the oven. Use a spatula to push them into a circle and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 min before transferring to a cooling rack. If you don't let them cool a little on the pan, the cookies will break apart into a giant mess when you try to lift them up.
- Repeat this with the remaining dough balls.
Mia says
Can I use tapioca flour in place of cornstarch?
Lee says
I have not tested this but I read you can but you'd need to use 2 tablespoons of tapioca flour for every tablespoon of cornstarch. Other people have also used arrowroot starch. That would be the same amount as the cornstarch.
Mia says
Thank you!! The dough is chilling now. Watching the minutes pass til I can throw ‘em in the oven! 🤗
Giselle says
Delicious! Taste like real peanut butter cookies. We have been using/eating wow butter at home but to incorporate it in the cookies with your recipe is really amazing.
Lee says
I'm so glad! Thank you!!!!
Lee says
Oh my gosh so so kind!!! SO glad everyone loved them and thank you for the kind words!!!! xox
John says
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies are great! Can’t wait to make this variation!
Lee says
Hope you love them!