Easy 1-bowl Peanut Butter Cup Cookies that come together in not time, zero chilling required. Just as good as the classic but made with healthier ingredients. You'd never guess they're vegan and gluten-free!
We're on a cookie rolllll! Am I the only one that's BAMBOOZLED over the fact that the holidays are so soon week? I can't. Grab a mug of supremely cozy hot cocoa and get baking!
I'm knee deep in delish ginger cookies, healthier peanut butter blossoms, and knock your socks off monster cookies OH MY. But I can't stop there!
Now listen here. Peanut butter cookies have never been my favorite (unless they have chocolate). I adore peanut butter by itself, but when it comes to burying itself in cookies, I feel...meh.
Today we're adding peanut butter cups to the mix for double pb greatness and the result is fantastic!
How to make peanut butter cup cookies
This recipe come together in no time--it's foolproof! They're my hubby's fave cookie.
- First, whisk the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients (oil sugar, peanut butter, vanilla and milk). Cream with a hand mixer or stand mixer for a couple minutes, until you have a nice moist dough.
- Form mixture into round balls and place spread out on cookie sheet. Top with a peanut butter cup half.
- Bake for about 12 minutes, cool and devour!
Ingredients you'll need
Compared to my ginger cookies that I used as inspiration for this recipe, those are definitely more chewy thanks to the molasses while these peanut butter cookies are more soft. So good!
- Almond and oat flour: The base is my favorite combo of gluten free flours that create an amazing moist, healthier cookie. I get three pound bags of almond flour at Costco for $12---crazy good deal! I love these because they make the most soft baked goods with amazing texture AND they're undetectably gluten-free for all my GF readers!
- Coconut oil: We're using solid coconut oil for the fat here, which is buttery and delish. Don't melt it!
- Natural peanut butter: We've got ⅓ cup of creamy salted peanut butter for stupendous pb flavor. I like the drippy kind with just peanuts and salt.
- Coconut sugar: For unrefined sweetness, structure, and moisture! Ahhh, the power of sugar. Brown sugar or regular sugar also work. I like the caramely flavor and extra moisture that coconut or brown sugar add.
- Mini pb cups: I like the natural dark chocolate ones you can find these at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, or on Amazon. (Feel free to use good old Reese's.) I went the route of slicing them in half because I love how it looks, but you can use them whole, too. I recommend folding some into the dough!
Helpful tools
- Silicone baking mat: reusable and makes for the easiest clean up. I make roasted vegetables, cookies, and more on this!
- Cookie sheet: because everyone needs a few.
- Cookie scoop: for easy cookie portioning. I use the scoop and then roll the dough into balls so they're smooth.
- Hand mixer: less than $20 and my go-to appliance for mixing since I don't have a stand mixer.
- Air tight container: my storage solution for just about everything.
Storage tips
These cookies will stay soft up for up to 4 days at room temperature in an air-tight container.
Can you freeze cookies?
For sure! Freeze in an even layer on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer baggie and freeze for up to 3 months.
You can also freeze unbaked dough and bake from frozen. Just add two extra minutes to the baking time.
Craving more holiday treat goodness? I gotchu!
- Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pomegranate
- Vegan Peppermint Chocolate Skillet Cookie
- Fudgy Avocado Walnut Brownies
I have a feeling you’re going to adore these homemade peanut butter cup cookies. If you make them, please let me know by leaving a comment and star rating. I’m so grateful for your feedback!
Print
One-Bowl Peanut Butter Cup Cookies (Healthier!)
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 11 min
- Total Time: 21 minutes
- Yield: 15 cookies 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Easy one-bowl Peanut Butter Cup Cookies that come together in not time, zero chilling required. Just as good as the classic but made with healthier ingredients. You'd never guess they're vegan and gluten-free!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups almond flour
- ½ cup oat flour (certified GF if needed)
- ⅔ cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ cup solid coconut oil, not melted
- ⅓ cup creamy salted peanut butter
- 3 tbsp almond milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 mini peanut butter cups*, sliced in half (plus more for dough, if desired)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, oat flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Add coconut oil, coconut sugar, peanut butter, vanilla extract, and milk. Cream together using a hand mixer or a stand mixer until dough comes together into large, moist crumbles that easily form a dough. At this point, you can fold in a few chopped pb cups or a handful of chocolate chips.
- Use a cookie scoop to form dough into round balls, using about 2 tbsp of dough each. Place on cookie sheet two inches apart and press a pb cup half into each cookie. Top with flaky salt, if desired.
- Bake for 11-12 minutes. Let cookies cool for 10 minutes before devouring. Store at room temperature for up to 4 days in an air tight container.
Notes
*I used Whole Foods' brand of mini pb cups and they held up well in the oven. To guarantee they don't melt, you can slice and freeze them beforehand.
For more everyday flours (not gluten-free), try my Peanut Butter Blossoms.
Alex says
Love these! Delicious and so easy!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Awesome, thanks so much Alex!
Shelley says
Loved these!!! Anything with choc & pb is my fav 🙂 Had to add a little more milk so that the dough wasn't too dry. I am currently 20 weeks and expecting our first little boy as well! Thanks so much for sharing your journey Alexis!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
So glad you loved these!!!
Ally Nelson says
Super easy and tastes so good! I couldn’t find oat flour at Whole Foods so I just through some instant oats in the blender.
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
So glad you loved these, Ally!
Elissa says
Uhhhhmazing *drools*
I ran out of chocolate chips and PB cups so used Cocomels instead, so good and highly recommended the sea salt sprinkled on top. They held together really well but were super moist.
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Fabulous, thanks so much Elissa!!
Janice says
Made these and the whole family gobbled them up!!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Nice!!
Allison says
Made these tonight and they are delicious! Opted for chocolate chips and sea salt. My husband is currently on his 2nd cookie asking when we can make them again!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Yayyy thanks, Allison!!
Jeannine Jones says
These cookies are delicious! Had an abundance of Unreal peanut butter cups and decided to search up a cookie recipe to use some. Since they’re larger I cut them into quarters. Didn’t have oat flour so I blended gluten free oats in a food processor. Great recipe!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
What a great idea! Thanks a ton for letting me know you loved them, Jeannine 🙂
Erin says
Loved these! You'd never guess they were "healthier."
★★★★★
Kori says
These cookies are outstanding! I love the texture and flavor plus the chocolate pb cup in the center is the perfect addition. Even though my cookies spread out more, they still taste amazing. I’ll experiment with not using the silicone baking sheet next time. Perhaps mine and/or my oven just cook differently. Kaci, her husband, Matt, and I all loved them. (Re-posting to capture the five star rating. Such a wonderful recipe!)
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Aren't they divine? So glad you liked them friend!
Annie Slayton says
These were so delicious and super easy to make. They do not taste “healthy” at all! Even my picky allergy 5 year old loved them! Thanks so much for this amazing recipe!
Alexis Joseph says
Best news ever! Thanks so much, Annie 🙂
Alexis Joseph says
Hey again Annie! If you'd be so kind as to leave a star-rating, I'd really appreciate it! It's super helpful for other readers. Thanks again!
Maxwell says
I was really amazed at the result! Super easy and tastes like heaven! Thank you so much
Alexis Joseph says
So glad you enjoyed them!
Erika says
These cookies are delicious and mouth watering - I’m having trouble walking by them in the kitchen without eating one / twelve☺️ I am peanut butter’s number one fan - the texture of these cookies are amazing. I used Justin’s mini PB cups at room temperature and they melted in the oven but that didn’t affect the flavor whatsoever. Next time I will try frozen PB cups if I want to photograph them for the gram. 10/10 would recommend these yummy treats!
Alexis Joseph says
Hahahah yessss! I'm realizing some brands melt so hopefully freezing helps. Glad you loved them, Erika!
Alexis Joseph says
Hey again Erika! If you'd be so kind as to leave a star-rating, I'd really appreciate it! It's super helpful for other readers. Thanks again!
Kori says
These cookies are outstanding! I love the texture and flavor plus the chocolate pb cup in the center is the perfect addition. Even though my cookies spread out more, they still taste amazing. I'll experiment with not using the silicone baking sheet next time. Perhaps mine and/or my oven just cook differently. Kaci, her husband, Matt, and I all loved them.
Alexis Joseph says
Yay! Might depend on how solid the coconut oil is, too. Either way, glad they still tasted yummy! Happy holidays, Kori 🙂
Brianna says
Hello! I made this recipe with regular all-purpose flour and found that I had to add extra almond milk and a little extra melted coconut oil to be able to get a consistency that could be shaped into cookie dough balls. My peanut butter cups also completed melted and spilled out over the cookies. I am going to try to re-make them today by pressing the peanut butter cup into the cookie after baking!
These cookies are delicious though- even with melty gooey peanut butter cups. Thanks for the share!
Alexis Joseph says
Hey Brianna! Thanks for the insight here. That makes sense--almond flour is super moist due to the fat content so if you use all purpose flour, you'd need a lot more moisture to form dough.
I'm guessing the spreading depends on what brand of peanut butter cups you use. I just added a note to the recipe saying to freeze them before hand to prevent spreading. I used Whole Foods' brand ones that didn't spread much in the oven, so I didn't foresee this being an issue. Glad to hear they still taste delish, though!
Jenny says
Oh my goodness, these are amazing! I can usually refrain from becoming a cookie monster, but I just couldn't help myself with these cookies. I'm about to make a second batch, they were that good. Thanks for sharing a delicious GF + vegan cookie recipe just in time for the holidays!
Alexis Joseph says
Thank you tons, Jenny! I'm so glad you're already up for batch #2 🙂 Enjoy!
Alexis Joseph says
Hey again Jenny! If you'd be so kind as to leave a star-rating, I'd really appreciate it! It's super helpful for other readers. Thanks again!
Caroline | RD-Licious says
These look SO dang good! Saving to make ASAP 🙂
Alexis Joseph says
Hope you love then, Caroline!
Chelsy says
these look yummy !!
i’m from youngstown - cookie tables are everything ! are you guys going to include that in your celebration?!
Alexis Joseph says
I think so!
krissy says
these look delicious!!! can't wait to make these for the holidays!
Alexis Joseph says
Thanks, Krissy! Let me know if you try them 🙂
Nicole says
Hi!
I love making all your almond flour cookie recipes for friends and family, but I am allergic to almonds and thus have a lot of trouble adapting your cookie recipes to work for me. Is there ANY substitution for almond flour? I can have most other nuts, but not in large quanitities, so I'm not sure if sunflower seed flour would be the best option.
-Nicole
Alexis Joseph says
Hi Nicole! I'm so sorry but I've only tested this with almond flour and haven't worked with any other nut flours. If you can get your hands on cashew flour that may work? Sorry I can't be more help!
Sharon Sopczynski says
When making treats for my grandson class I found a few had allergies to nuts .so what I found was coconut flour and almond butter are not in nut family at all and I made cookies and other treats peanut butter is nut allowed at all in school so for this recipe I use coconut flour thank you for so many great recipes
Alexis Joseph says
Great news!
Kori says
I have everything I need except for the pb cups to make these! I can't wait to give it go! They look and sound amazing.
Alexis Joseph says
Wahoo! Get your hands on some pb cups stat:)