3-Ingredient Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies

There is no better snack than these vegan almond flour peanut butter cookies for afternoon tea or coffee break. They are made using only 3 ingredients, fully gluten-free and plant-based, high-in-protein and loaded with nutty flavors. We also love their soft and crumbly texture. Can be frozen if you love to meal-prep!

As you can see by the number of almond flour sweet recipes on my blog, I got a passion for baking using almond flour. One of our favorite is this almond flour thumbprint cookie recipe. I have made them countless times, we just cannot get enough of their amazingly soft & gooey texture combined with the colorful sweet fruit center.

And these almond flour peanut butter cookies are another favorite cookie recipe. My children and husband devour them every time I make them, they are so delicious!

Plus, they are ridiculously easy to make. You can whip up a batch from pantry to out of the oven within 20 minutes. They are so simple that I love to include my kids when making them. Plus, the dough is safe to eat raw, which allows them to sample the batter as they stir.

But what I love so much from baking with almond flour is the slightly crumbly, but still soft and moist texture it gives to baked goods. Almond flour also is more flavorful than regular wheat flour, with backgrounds of nuttiness and sweetness, which enhances the overall sweet flavor of whatever you are baking.

These cookies makes for a healthy vegan dessert but also, they are not overly sweet, which makes them perfect for breakfast, especially with a cup of tea or coffee.

What's to love about these cookies

• Only requires 3 simple pantry ingredients
• Fully plant-based
• High-in-protein and filling
• Dairy-free, gluten-free and free of refined granulated sugar
• Ultra simple to prepare
• Healthy enough for breakfast
• Made without eggs, processed oil or butter
• Amazingly soft with a chewy texture

Ingredients you'll need

• Almond flour: aim for a finely ground blanched flour. I use this almond flour from Bob's Red Mill.
• Maple syrup: can be swapped for agave nectar (it's cheaper), although the maple adds amazing flavor. Don't use granulated sugar though, which would make the dough too dense.
• Peanut butter: I used this chunky peanut butter from Teddie.

What kind of peanut butter to use

You will need a NATURAL kind of peanut butter for this recipe. You want it to be quite runny and sort of pourable too. DO NOT use a no-stir peanut butter with added oil and preservatives. They are more solid and will change a lot the texture of the cookies (would also make the batter harder to handle).

Also, you can use either smooth or chunky peanut butter. I do love the addition of pieces of nuts within the cookies, it adds extra crunchiness!

The peanut butter I used has a little salt in it, so if yours don't have any, then you can add a sprinkle of salt to the batter for added flavor.

Almond meal vs almond flour

I made them using a finely ground blanched almond flour. This means that the almonds were first quickly boiled and their skins were peeled off before grinding them into a powdery texture.

These cookies are simple and pretty forgiving, so I believe that they could be made using almond meal instead. Almond meal simply is a flour made out of almonds still with their skins on. The flour tends to be more coarse with a darker brown color too.

You can also make your own almond flour using a high-speed blender. You will save money, plus the flavor will noticeably be more fresh. Aim for an ultra fine texture for best baking results. Here is a guide on how to make your own almond flour.

Health benefits of almond flour

Other than creating delicious cookies that have great texture, almond flour also carries a load of health benefits:

• Rich in vitamin E: act as antioxidants to fight multiple diseases.
• High in magnesium: known to help control your blood sugar.
• Low glycemic index: compared to regular all-purpose wheat flour, almond flour is lower in carbohydrates, higher in fiber and contains more protein. All this together can help control your glycemia by preventing a spike in sugar.
• Gluten-free: almond flour provides an alternative to wheat flour for people following a gluten-free diet.
• Lowering cholesterol: many studies shows that almonds and almond flour can increase the "good" cholesterol and lower the "bad" ones.

You can read more about almond flour's health benefits in this Healthline article: Why Almond Flour Is Better Than Most Other Flours.

How to make them

Make the batter

In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, peanut butter and maple syrup. It should be a thick batter that might even look dry. Use a spatula to stir and make sure no clumps of almond flour are visible.

Shape the cookies

Then, use about 2 tablespoons of batter at the time and roll it in between your hands to a smooth ball. Transfer on a parchment paper covered baking sheet and keep going with the rest of the batter. It should give you about 12-13 balls.

Then, using a fork, gently press on the balls twice perpendicularly to create an X shape over the cookies. Keep the cookies about ¾-1 inch thick.

Bake and rest

Once the cookies are shaped, then bake in the oven for 10 minutes. They should get slightly golden brown on the edges.

Then, let them rest for another 10 minutes at room temperature. They will still be very soft when just out of the oven, but will quickly firm up as they cool down.

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Watch how to make it

Baking tips

• Be sure to stir your jar of natural peanut butter before adding to the batter. You are looking for a runny and smooth kind of texture, not grainy or dryish peanut butter.
• These cookies are not overly sweet, so feel free to press in a few chocolate chips over the cookies before baking them.
• When pressing on the cookies, the fork tends to stick to the batter. Use your finger to help the pressing process (see the video) or wet your fork a little so it does not stick to the batter.
• These cookies won't spread much while cooking, so you have to shape them before baking (don't leave them in balls).
• Don't overbake them! 10 minutes is plenty enough. Again, they will be really soft at first, but firm up as they cool down.

Fun add-in ideas

These quick and easy peanut butter cookies are so delicious on their own, but you could also add a few extra favorite ingredients such as:

• Chocolate chips or raisins.
• Nuts like walnuts and peanuts (chop them first).
• A sprinkle of coconut sugar.
• Include cinnamon or vanilla extract into the batter.
• Swap the peanut butter for almond butter.

Try not to add too much add-ins as the cookies might not hold as well with too much stuffing. I recommend to simply press the garnishes over the cookies after they are shaped just like I did with my pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

Storage tips

Keep these cookies at room temperature for a few days. After they cool down, transfer in an air-tight container so they don't dry out.

You can also make double batch and freeze them. They thaw quickly within minutes at room temperature, perfect meal-prep sweet recipe!

Other almond flour recipes

• Vegan thumbprint cookies
• Almond vanilla granola
• Almond flour banana muffins
• Matcha energy balls
• Gluten-free pie crust
• Coffee bean cookies

I hope you like these almond flour peanut butter cookies as much as we do! If you try them, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how they were. Your feedback is so helpful!

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