Easy Eggless Peanut Butter Cookies
These Easy Eggless Peanut Butter Cookies are thick and soft with a melt-in-your-mouth center. Not only are they easy to make with simple ingredients, but they're also packed with that irresistible peanut flavor we all love.
Servings 16 cookies
Calories 224kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup (175 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (2 g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (2 g) salt
- ¾ cup (188 g) creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter softened
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar + more for rolling
- 3/4 cup (150 g) light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons (45 g) cream cheese
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer, cream the peanut butter and butter, for 2 minutes. Then add sugars, cream cheese, and vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 - 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Reduce the speed to low and gradually beat in the flour mixture; mix until combined.
- Shape tablespoonfuls of the dough into balls, about 2 tablespoons of dough each. Place the about 1/4 cup of granulated sugar into a bowl. Roll the cookie dough balls into the sugar and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Use a fork to make a crisscross indent on top of each cookie.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until very lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look very soft. Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
Store: Keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.
Freeze Baked Cookies: If you want to freeze them, place the cooled cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until firm. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container and store them for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
Freeze Unbaked Cookie Balls: Cookie dough balls that haven't been coated in sugar can be frozen successfully for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, allow the frozen dough balls to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Roll them in sugar, create a crisscross pattern with a fork, and bake for another minute. There's no need to thaw them completely beforehand.
Make Ahead: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Food Allergy Swaps:
- Dairy-Free: To make this recipe dairy-free, you can easily swap out the dairy ingredients for non-dairy alternatives. Instead of butter and cream cheese, use vegan butter and vegan cream cheese. There are many brands available in stores. I usually use Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks and Violife Just Like Cream Cheese Original. Check out my favorite dairy-free substitutes here.
- Gluten-Free: Use a gluten-free, all-purpose flour blend. Look for a gluten-free flour blend specifically formulated for baking, as it will have the right combination of flours and starches to mimic the texture of wheat flour. My favorite is Better Batter Original Blend.
- Peanut-Free: To make peanut-free peanut butter cookies, you only need to use a peanut-free peanut butter spread. My favorite is WOWBUTTER; it has the closest taste and texture to real peanut butter. However, if using Wowbutter, the cookies will be slightly dryer. You can also use other peanut-free butter, such as almond butter or sunflower butter, but the texture will change. The cookies spread a bit more and are somewhat sandier/crumblier.
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprints: Make an indentation in the center of each cookie and fill it with your favorite jam or jelly before baking.
- Peanut Butter Blossoms: Press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie immediately after removing them from the oven. Check out my Eggless Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies recipe.
- Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies: Fold in a cup of chocolate chips into the dough for an irresistible chocolatey twist. You can also add peanut butter chips.
- Measure accurately: Baking is a science, so be sure to measure your ingredients accurately for the best results.
- Room temperature ingredients: Make sure your butter and cream cheese are at room temperature for easier mixing and better incorporation into the dough.
- Don’t overmix: Mix the dough until just combined. Overmixing can lead to tough cookies.
- Uniform size: Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to ensure your cookies are the same size for even baking.
- Reshape the cookies: After flattening the balls with a fork, use your fingers to reshape the edges into thicker/taller discs, because the thicker the disc, the thicker the baked cookie.
- Cooling: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. This helps them set properly.
Nutrition
Calories: 224kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 187mg | Potassium: 100mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 217IU | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg