Dairy-Free Peanut Butter Cookies (Soft, Chewy, Addicting)

Prep Time:30

Cook Time:14

Total Time:44

Equipment

electric hand mixer
glass mixing bowls - one of each - a small, medium, and large
measuring cups
measuring spoons
silicone spatula
medium cookie scoop
Baking Sheet
silicone baking sheet - or unbleached parchment paper
Cooling rack
glass storage container

Ingredients

1 cup vegan butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar - firmly packed
2 tbsp ground flax
1 tsp pure vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda

Instructions

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350°F and place the oven rack on the second lowest shelf.
In a small bowl, measure out the ground flax and add 6Tb of filtered water. Whisk until combined and bubbly. Set aside to thicken.
In a medium bowl, measure out the flour and add the baking soda. Set aside.

Instructions

In a large bowl, cream the butter until soft and smooth.
Add the peanut butter and continue to mix until creamy and smooth.
Add the granulated and brown sugar and mix until smooth, light and fluffy.
Add the thickened flax mixture and pure vanilla extract. Blend until smooth, making sure to scrape down the side occassionally.
Add the flour mixture, a small portion at a time, and blend until incorporated and smooth.
Scoop dough and place 1-2 inches apart on the silicone-lined baking sheet. Press down on each cookie with a fork to flatter or make the traditional crisscross pattern.
Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake for approximately 12-14m minutes or until the cookies turn a golden brown.
Once done, take the cookies out of the oven and allow to cool directly on the baking sheet for several minutes.
Once slightly cooled, transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before storing.

Notes

Always try to find the best quality ingredients you can find. This really does make a difference. Not only in taste but in nutrition as well.
Look for a plant-based butter that does not contain a lot of fillers and artificial colors or flavorings. Personally, I try to stay away from vegan butter that is coconut-based due to its high saturated fat content.
Make sure your "flax egg" is thickened before pouring it into the cookie dough batter. This helps to hold all of the ingredients together. Sometimes if you don't wait long enough, and the flax mixture is running, the cookie dough will spread more thin. This is not a huge deal but when the cookies are thicker, you get that soft and slightly chewy texture which is so addicting.
Feel free to use crunchy peanut butter if you prefer.
Look for a quality peanut butter, one that is made solely of peanuts, preferably organic peanuts. Don't forget to read your ingredients label. Many peanut butter on the market contain added oils and sugars which you do not need.
You can also swap out the all-purpose flour for whole-wheat or gluten-free flour. I have used both and these cookies turn out great either way.
The key to getting these peanut butter cookies soft and dense is to whip the butter, sugar, flax, and vanilla well - until they are very light and fluffy. Then, when you go to mix the flour into the dough, do so sparingly. Mix until just incorporated. You do NOT want to mix and "whip" the flour. This creates a tougher cookie.
It is important to allow the cookies to cool on a cooling rack until they are completely cooled down before even thinking about storing them in a container. Again, this keeps the texture of the cookies intact.
Store these dairy-free peanut butter cookies in an airtight glass container for best results. They will last on your kitchen counter for approximately 5-6 days.
These cookies freeze well for longer storage. Just make sure to store them in a freezer-safe container, and they will last in the fridge for up to 5-6 months.
To defrost, just take the cookies out of the freezer and allow them to defrost on a cooling rack for 10-15min.

Nutrition

Servings: cookies

Calories: 264kcal