Healthier Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (GF & 1 Bowl!)

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Plate of gluten-free 1-Bowl Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies next to almond milk and a baking sheet with more cookies

Peanut butter cookies seem so effortless. Just throw peanut butter and some other random ingredients in your kitchen into a bowl, bake, and voila! — peanut butter cookies! Or so I thought.

This recipe was tested and retested and scrapped and tested again. It caused us so much trouble, but we’re happy to report we stuck with it and are so happy with the results.

Oats, brown sugar, gluten-free four, natural peanut butter, egg, and other ingredients for making our Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe

Thanks to a little inspo from the talented Liz Moody, we finally got the perfect base formula right, and it’s butter- and oil-free!

The problem with our previous attempts was adding fat in addition to the peanut butter, or adding too many dry ingredients, or too many wet ingredients. Friends, it was touch and go. But this simple, unfussy, 1-bowl technique is perfection!

Using a wooden spoon to stir gluten-free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie batter

Simply stir dry ingredients: brown sugar, gluten-free flour, rolled oats, salt, and baking powder.

Then add wet ingredients: peanut butter, egg, vanilla. And stir again. Throw in some chocolate chips and you’re good to go! No chilling required!

Chocolate chips in a bowl of gluten-free Peanut Butter Cookie batter

This batter comes together in less than 10 minutes. Baking is just another 10 minutes. That means cookies that are ready in like 20 minutes!

Faster cookies = better cookies. It’s science.

Baking sheet of unbaked Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Peanut butter cookies cooling on a parchment lined baking sheet

We hope you LOVE these cookies! They’re:

Peanut buttery
Salty-sweet
Tender with a slight chew
Studded with chocolate
& Incredibly delicious

These would make the perfect treat to have on hand throughout the week. They also keep well in the freezer for when sweet cravings strike!

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

Full and half eaten Peanut Butter Cookies on a plate

Healthier Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (GF & 1 Bowl!)

Healthier 1-Bowl Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies made without butter or oil. Perfectly chewy, salty-sweet, and studded with chocolate chips!
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Plate with three Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
4.84 from 212 votes
Prep Time 18 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 12 (Cookies)
Course Dessert
Cuisine Baking, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free
Freezer Friendly 1 month
Does it keep? 4-5 Days

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup rolled oats (ensure gluten-free friendly as needed)
  • 1/4 cup gluten-free flour (or sub other flour, such as almond or unbleached all-purpose)
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt (plus more for topping)
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar (or try subbing coconut sugar, but we only tested with brown)
  • 1/2 cup creamy salted peanut butter (we like Wild Friends — ingredients should only be peanuts and salt)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg (organic, pasture-raised when possible)
  • 3 Tbsp dark chocolate chips (dairy-free), chopped (plus more for topping)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • To a medium mixing bowl, add gluten-free oats, gluten-free flour blend, sea salt, baking powder, and brown sugar and whisk to combine.
  • Add peanut butter (ensure it’s natural and pourable — just peanuts and salt), vanilla, and egg and stir until a tacky dough is formed. Depending on the freshness / drippiness of your peanut butter, you may need to add a little more GF flour if it’s too wet. Or, if it’s too dry or crumbly, compensate with a bit more peanut butter (or a splash of dairy-free milk). We found ours didn't need any adjustments.
  • Stir in chocolate chips. Then scoop out dough in 1 ½ Tbsp amounts (I like using this scoop) and place on prepared baking sheet. Top with another sprinkle of chocolate chips and press down slightly to form into a disc shape.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges appear slightly golden brown and they’ve expanded to about twice their original size. Remove from oven and let cool on pan for 10 minutes (top with another small sprinkle of salt at this time – optional). Then enjoy (preferably with dairy-free milk).
  • Store cookies well sealed at room temperature up to 4-5 days, in the refrigerator up to 1 week, or in the freezer up to 1 month (let thaw before enjoying).

Video

Notes

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
*Recipe adapted from Liz Moody.

Nutrition (1 of 12 servings)

Serving: 1 cookies Calories: 129 Carbohydrates: 14.2 g Protein: 3.8 g Fat: 7.4 g Saturated Fat: 1.9 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.12 g Monounsaturated Fat: 2.95 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 15.5 mg Sodium: 111 mg Potassium: 91 mg Fiber: 1.7 g Sugar: 7.7 g Vitamin A: 22.54 IU Vitamin C: 0 mg Calcium: 25.8 mg Iron: 1.08 mg

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    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Sydney, we haven’t tested it that way, but we think it could work. Just know the texture will be different and you may need more of it so the dough isn’t too wet. Other options that might work: shredded coconut or chopped pecans/walnuts. Let us know how it goes!

  1. Katrin radeck says

    Great!! I used 1/2 proteinpowder, 1/2 flour. First batch got no chance to cool :) so good. Thanks for the recipe and greetings from Germany

  2. Shaina says

    These are so good! I love a simple recipe, and they taste fantastic! Perfect cookie to have with coffee. I made them without chocolate chips and would probably reduce the sugar next time (personal preference).

  3. Kasiah says

    THESE ARE NOT VEGAN!!!!
    You need to take the vegan tag off and make sure it’s not set up to come up in vegan recipe searches. Also, nice how you don’t approve any negative comments or low ratings.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hmm, where are you seeing them listed as vegan? We see it’s listed as vegetarian, but not vegan. The recipe key indicating “v” for vegetarian and “vg” for vegan is on the right side of the page. We do approve comments and low ratings, so not sure where that’s coming from either?

    • Rachel says

      Kasiah, I’ve made these vegan a million times. Just replace the egg with egg replacer like a flax egg. They’re delicious. You can use that as a replacement for any recipe that calls for egg.

  4. Connie says

    Fast..Easy and Delicious..
    Thank you for sharing!! 😊
    I shared it with my sister 😊
    I followed the recipe except I used unbleached all purpose organic flour…

  5. Fran says

    I made this recipe for my niece, and she loved the cookies. We just decided that next time we’ll dial back the chocolate chips a bit. This weekend I’m making her a batch to take back to university to share with her roomies.

  6. Christina says

    Just wanted to say how thankful I am to have found your recipe! This will be the third time making it and trust me, it’s hard to find a good natural peanut butter recipe that won’t come out too crumbly. Recommending this to all the struggling moms I know <3

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Aw, we’re so glad you enjoy the recipe, Christina! Thank you for the lovely review! xo

  7. Jennifer says

    How can I make these without the egg? I’m allergic to eggs and wheat and have difficulty learning to bake goodies without these 2 items. I find the egg part esp difficult. Thank you for your time!
    Jennifer

  8. Shani Halfon says

    I love this recipe, use it regularly! I use coconut sugar which changes the texture a bit (less fluffy) but still awesome and my kiddos loves em. I also make smaller cookies (scoop 1/2 tbs) so I get twice the cookies and no one notices ;)

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you and your kiddos enjoy them, Shani. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo

  9. Beth says

    My dad is diabetic and loves peanut butter, so I made these with some substitutions: whole wheat flour, Monk Fruit brown sugar, Lily’s sugar-free chips. They are quite good to eat with a little after taste from the sugar substitute, I’m sure. I entered my version on My Fitness Pal, so I could give Dad the nutrition facts: https://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/view/62540808580733

  10. Tish says

    These were delicious and so easy to make! Cooking with s toddler isn’t easy but this recipe made it simple.

  11. Jenny says

    yum yum yummmmm.. as usual, another hit! thank you so much i was craving cookies and whipped up a double batch and they are delicious. I used almond flour as the gluten free flour and i did half coconut sugar and half brown sugar and they are so good- i think all coconut sugar would probably be great, i’ll try that next time.

  12. Alice says

    I just made these cookies & they were AMAZING. I highly recommend this recipe for anyone who wants to eat a healthy delicious tasting peanut butter cookie. My husband really loved them too!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review, Alice. We are so glad you enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a star rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo

      • Jess says

        Absolutely delicious! My first batch was a little crumbly, so I went back and read the post. I added more PB and a splash of milk and voila-perfect cookies. Thanks for helping me avoid a toddler meltdown when he asked to make cookies for breakfast -these fit the bill! Going to make them for our family vacation for everyone too.

  13. Jessica R Shoup says

    These were very good. I used what I had so almond flour and vanilla almond butter. Just FYI, this recipe only gets you about one dozen small cookies. If you want more you should double your recipe.

  14. Michelle says

    Amazing! I also used flax eggs as I did not have any regular eggs in the fridge, along with almond flour. The salt flakes are a must! I look forward to trying these with tahini, as well.

  15. Danielle says

    These cookies are sooo good. I flatten the dough balls a bit before putting them in the oven based on other comments. To make vegan, I’ve used flax egg instead of real egg and added an extra tablespoon or two of peanut butter to get the dough to stick together. I also usually add shredded coconut.

  16. Krista Legere says

    OMG These are the best peanut butter cookies ever! Finally a recipe that is quick and easy AND lower in fat and sugar than most pb cookie recipes. I used large grain kosher salt, which adds a little hint of saltiness in each bite, and just used regular whole wheat flour. I baked them on stoneware and had to double cooking time to about 20 minutes. soft in the middle and crispy on the edges. Definitely going to be my go-to cookie recipe from here on!

  17. Jaida says

    These were amazing!!! I make 4x the batch for my entire family to enjoy 😊 I use almond meal instead of flour and it tastes the same and makes you less bloated. I 100% recommended 🍪🍪🍪

  18. Candace says

    Made these tonight using almond flour and regular Aldi-brand peanut butter, and they were delicious! Our family loved them. Will definitely make again!

  19. Nicole says

    These are yummy! My only complaint is that I didn’t double it as I found the recipe made a relatively small amount of dough and I wish I had more! I did find the dough a bit too wet at first so I added about 1/4 cup more rolled oats rather than more flour (I used almond flour) and they turned out well. I might add some coconut instead to bulk it up next time as I think it’d pair very well and add some more chewiness.

  20. Robyn says

    I’ve made this a million times at this point! I use half the sugar and use monk fruit/stevia mixture instead and it’s still delicious. I usually get half the amount it says you will, so maybe I just make them extra big. Very easy, delicious, and pretty healthy! Thanks!

  21. Clara says

    I’ve made this recipe multiple times, with and without modifications. I’d like to share the modifications I made this time around. I swapped 1/2 tsp baking powder for 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp baking powder (which yielded disc-shaped cookies); runny, smooth peanut butter for the crunchy variety; brown sugar for coconut sugar; GF flour for almond meal. It was hands down the best cookies I’ve ever made; they even looked like regular cookies made with wheat flour and butter. It was a huge hit!

  22. Sandra says

    Oh wow. Super simple and super delicious. I doubled the recipe as I had a suspicion they wouldn’t last long (and I no was right). I did add a few grains of salt to each cookie when I took them from the oven and I think it enhanced the flavours. Recipe is a keeper. Thanks!!

  23. Haidee says

    Love this recipe, crisp on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. Used a chia seed egg (1TBSP chia seed + 2.5 TBSPwater) instead of a chicken egg and almond flour. Added a dusting of cinnamon to the batter too. Made it twice now – that shows I really like it!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Yum! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Haidee. So glad you enjoy this recipe!

  24. Laren says

    I’ve made these twice now and they were gone too fast. Really yummy! I have two questions: I’ve doubled the recipe both times and it’s only given me 18 cookies, even though they are the size you have said to make them. Are they just itty bitty cookies? Secondly, mine have not doubled in size. They have stayed exactly the same size as I smooshed them down to be. They brown up and taste great, but don’t spread or puff or in any way double. Am I doing something wrong? Yes I have put in the correct amount of baking powder.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Laren, this is so interesting! You’re using a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop for the dough? And are you making any modifications to the ingredients? The cookies are on the smaller side, about 2-3 inches in diameter… but we’d love to help trouble-shoot if you tell us more about your experience!

  25. Jess says

    I made this with almond butter instead of pb and I used a mix of some regular flour and some oat flour. They are delicious!!!

  26. Jenn says

    These cookies are deliciously chewy! I used almond flour instead of GF flour and almond butter in place of peanut butter as I didn’t haven’t any on hand. They were a 10/10 and I would do the same substitutions again, though I am dying to try it with peanut butter as I know they will be amazing! I highly recommend trying this recipe :)

  27. Jayme says

    I subbed in coconut sugar and a flax egg and these turned out great! Little bit of crisp on the outside, chewy loveliness on the inside. My new go to cookie. Thank you minimalist baker for this gem 😊

  28. candace pruitt says

    I made these peanut butter cookies today. There were a hit with me family. You are one of my go to websites, as I can always find recipes with 1 bowl, gluten free, or vegan and easy to make. I love the one bowl concept. I have tried many recipes of yours and my family and I have liked them all. Thank you for all you do, please keep creating.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Aw, thank you so much for your kind words and lovely review, Candace! We are so glad you enjoy our recipes and greatly appreciate you taking the time to share this with us! xoxo

  29. Darcy says

    These are my go-to cookies! Such easy ingredients. I also swap out the egg with a flax egg and it works just fine.

  30. Kim says

    These were super quick and easy to make, and so addictive! I used sweetened crunchy peanut butter (because that’s what I had in my cupboard) and a few more semi-sweet chocolate chips than the recipe called for, and they were delicious! Great recipe, and I will definitely be making these again.

  31. Connie says

    Great recipe!! I used a 1/4 cup of coconut sugar and unsweetened chocolate chips, they turned out to be the right sweetness for me. I used unsalted chunky PB as that is what was in the fridge.
    I will definitely make this recipe again, thank you :)

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      So glad to hear you enjoyed them, Connie! Thank you so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo

  32. Ash says

    I substituted the egg for a flax egg and used peanut butter that wasn’t in the recipe (as in it had more ingredients than the recipe called for for just peanuts and salt) and they turned out great! They had to cook for about double the time :)

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Michelle! We haven’t tried it this way and the texture will be slightly different, but you could try substituting almond flour (if you’re not nut free) or finely chopped walnuts or pecans. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!

    • Claudia says

      How about trying it with barley/quinoa/rye/rice/buckwheat flakes instead of oats? :) Depending on where, you live, they could be a bit harder products to find.

  33. Sarah says

    These are simply perfect! I subbed coconut sugar for brown sugar, and used unsalted peanut butter so added 1/4 tsp more salt. Don’t skip the sea salt sprinkle on the top. Rich yet guilt-free.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Sarah! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo

      • lexi says

        Hey there! These COOKIES ARE SUPER GOOD!! I reduced the sugar to 1/4 cup and swapped the flour to dark rye flour instead because I’m only left with that flour at home haha.

        I changed the amount of cookies to 15 cookies because I have a family of 5. And of course, the cookies were smaller.

        Anyways, thank you so much for the wonderful, amazing and healthy cookie recipe!! I felt full after eating 1 cookie and it satisfied me as well.

        I only put a few pieces of chocolate chips into the cookies.
        I’ve estimated the calories per cookie (What I did): 85 calories/cookie.

        Lastly I have a question:
        Why didn’t my cookies expand?
        (Baking powder was added in as well.)

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Lexi! Thank you for sharing! It could be that the rye flour is more absorbent, causing them not to expand as much. Next time, we’d suggest starting with less of it to see if that helps!

      • Tracy says

        Thx for the recipe! I made for my 4 yo for a treat. So simple! I did measurements by eye, hardly used any sugar (not sure why original recipe has so much?) and instead of choc chips I put a dab of nutino (pretty much Nutella) in the middle. I prob made them too big, but super tasty and no guilt!

      • Nikki says

        Love how delicious and simple this recipe is! I used regular flour rather than GF, used half of the sugar, and added 1/4 c sweetened shredded coconut. It turned out great!

  34. Elly says

    These cookies were so good! My family demolished them, I used oat flour and they turned out amazing, I will definitely make these again <3

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Yay! We’re so glad to hear it, Elly. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review! xo

  35. Jane says

    I would like to double the recipe and bake as a bar cookie. Would that work, and what size pan should I use?

  36. Angelina says

    This recipe is AMAZING!!! it is super easy and delicious!!! I forgot to put in the egg and it turned out fine.

  37. Gabby says

    These are really nice. I needed a bit of almond milk to mix them to a better dough and next time I’d use half the sugar, were a tad too sweet for me but delicious nonetheless.

  38. Maxine says

    Super easy cookies with a not so guilty feel. Very satisfying! There are only 2 of us in our household and these will not even last 4 days before the need to refrigerate or freeze. Looks like I’m baking these in a larger quantity and I can take to work for morning tea, I’m always taking home baked goodies into work for sharing and I have no doubt your recipe will be a smash hit!

  39. Tyler says

    Addictive!!! I used a flax egg so used ap flour so there was some gluten to go with the flax egg. I also put in some plant milk b/c that dough was thick and hard to mix. Maybe it was supposed to be hard to mix though b/c texture of my cookies did not quite look like the photos. Tasted delicious and took no time to make. Will definitely be making these again!

  40. Jananda says

    Delicious! I subbed maple syrup for the sugar, adding almond flour to make up for the extra liquid. The result was DYNAMITE!!! My husband says, “the best cookies he’s ever had”.

  41. Kathleen says

    My 19 year old son said “these are the best GF ones you’ve made, they don’t taste weird” and my spouse also said they are the best ones. I used flax meal “eggs” and did use 2 splashes of soy milk (made 24, there are only 8 left – so heads up, bingeable). Very easy to make. I did press them a bit after rolling in a ball. They hold their shape well and are especially good a couple hours after cooled. The sea salt on top is perfect!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review, Kathleen. We are so glad you and your family enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

  42. Pam says

    So good, so easy, and so delicious! I’ll have to play with dif types of chocolate chips. I used bittersweet this time.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review, Pam. We are so glad you enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

  43. Becky says

    This is my go to, quick, easy, fantastically delicious cookie recipe. I use 1/2 cup coconut sugar and no one can tell they’re healthier than the average cookie. These are phenomenal.

  44. Angela Kelly says

    Tried this healthier recipe for the first time today and my family and I loved it! I used organic crunchy peanut butter, almond flour and reduced the amount of brown sugar. I also skipped the chocolate chips and the cookies were still delicious! We’ll be making these cookies again!

  45. Heidi says

    For a healthy-ish cookie, these taste great and are fool-proof.. They were a hit with everyone at home.

    Definitely will be a go-to when craving something sweet.

  46. Alice says

    Just made these! And they are delicious! Measurements worked perfectly. I couldn’t find dairy free choc chips, but found sugar free ones and they work great. Can’t wait to snack on these.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Alice! Thanks so much for sharing! Enjoy life is our favorite brand for dairy-free chocolate chips.

  47. Sherry says

    I made these 100% as is and they were 100% perfect. Don’t skip the salt on top! Divine! Thanks again for a wonderful recipe!

  48. Lexy says

    I doubled the recipe, and I made a lot of subs:
    – ½ coconut sugar, ½ monk fruit sugar and a splash of molasses to mimic brown sugar
    – ½ crunchy peanut butter, ½ almond butter
    – extra GF flour (almond butter is runny and molasses is liquid)
    – added cinnamon
    – my oven sucks so I did 13 mins at “360” and they still came out quite soft

  49. Shenika Govender says

    This recipe is by far my favorite peanut butter cookie recipe! They were so easy to make and tasted so good! Definitely recommend this recipe!

  50. Nat says

    I made these with 1/4 cup of coconut sugar only, and used coconut flower. I also used Stevia chocolate chips. Slightly underbaked them at 10 minutes to keep them chewy, and they turned out awesome for gluten free, refined sugar free cookies!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks for sharing, Nat! Coconut flour is more absorbent, so if you make them again, you might want to try starting with slightly less. Hope that helps!

  51. Ilhan says

    These cookies are SO SO good! I used JIFS pb and heated it over a skillet on low heat to get a thinner pb texture. I allowed it too cool before adding in the egg and it turned out so soft and perfect. The sea salt on top is a must!!!

  52. Marzie says

    I use raw (not roasted) peanuts to make peanut butter. Do you think I can make good cookies out of this raw peanu butter?

  53. Michelle says

    This is our new go-to cookie recipe!! As I have one child who loves peanut butter and one with an egg and specific nut allergies who doesn’t, I sub the peanut butter with almond butter and add a wee bit of cacao powder. I use almond flour, coconut sugar and a flax egg, and these are perfection!! Slightly chewy when cooked just right, and delicious! Finally, a cookie that pleases them both! Very quick and easy too. Thank you 🙏

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed them, Michelle! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo

  54. Nadia Rehman says

    These were delicious! Used a flax egg and they held together just fine. Since my peanut butter was honey roasted, I used 1/3 cup sugar and that worked well. This was so easy to make, with ingredients that are usually at hand. Great for prepping on a Sunday night when you need snacks for the coming week!

  55. chloe says

    These were so good! I used Wild Friends Peanut+Cashew butter and only 1/4 cup of coconut sugar – they were sweet, salty and so satisfying! My batch made 9 cookies.