Vegan chocolate peanut butter cookies are fluffy brownie-like cookies with a gooey peanut butter center. They're like chocolate peanut butter cups in cookie form!
It's cookie season! If you like chocolate and peanut butter, you have to give these vegan chocolate peanut butter cookies a try. They are absolutely heavenly, so simple to make, and a fun twist on classic chocolate cookies.
These cookies are a lot like my double chocolate chip cookies, but vegan! They are also a good option if you want to make a dairy-free recipe similar to my chocolate crinkle cookies, as that's what I adapted this recipe from.
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Recipe highlights
- Dairy-free, egg-free, and vegan!
- Soft, chewy, and brownie-like
- Filled with a peanut butter center
- Requires just 10 minutes of active time to make
- Uses cocoa powder instead of baking chocolate
Ingredients and substitutions
- Cocoa powder gives the cookies their chocolate flavor. Dutch process cocoa powder can be used for a dark chocolate cookie.
- All purpose flour and baking soda make up the base of the cookie.
- Melted coconut oil is the main fat in these cookies. An equal amount of canola oil or other neutral oil can be used (I've tested it!) but will result in a slightly oilier cookie.
- Flax eggs are made using ground flaxseed and water.
- White and brown sugar for sweetness and chewy texture.
- Peanut butter: Any kind of peanut butter (or nut butter in general) works but regular peanut butter is easiest to work with. If using natural peanut butter, I recommend refrigerating the peanut butter jar first because it is hard to work with when room temp (see below for more tips).
Step by step instructions
One of the reasons that I love these chocolate peanut butter cookies is that you don't need a hand mixer or stand mixer to make them! They can easily be mixed up with just a large spoon or even a fork.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the melted coconut oil, white sugar, and brown sugar
- Add the flax eggs, vanilla, and cocoa powder Stir until well combined.
- Slowly mix in the all-purpose flour and baking soda, adding the flour ½ cup at a time. The dough should be firm enough that it can be rolled into a ball but still a little wet.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes. This makes the cookie dough less likely to spread and makes it easier to work with.
5. Roll cookie dough into walnut-sized balls, about 2 tablespoons. Use your thumb to hollow out the center.
6. Put ½ teaspoon peanut butter in the center hollow.
7. Pinch the cookie dough edges together like a dumpling or use a small piece of cookie dough to close the gap. Roll into a ball.
8. Place cookie dough balls at least two inches apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350F for 9-11 minutes, until the edges are set. The center should still look a little under baked. Let rest 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool.
Cassidy's tips
- Pro tip: Add flaked sea salt to the top of the cookies. The saltiness contrasts the bittersweet cocoa. If you don't have flaked sea salt, I recommend adding ⅛ teaspoon table salt to the cookie dough before baking.
- For an extra chocolate-y peanut butter cookie, add in 6 ounces of your favorite dairy-free chocolate chips. If you're feeling extra wild, try adding dark chocolate peanut butter cups from Trader Joe's (however, this would make them not vegan).
- If you're finding your peanut butter hard to work with, you can place ½ teaspoon scoops of peanut butter on a wax-paper lined dish and freeze them for just 15 minutes. This will make it a lot easier to place the peanut butter in the center of the cookie dough.
FAQ
I haven't tested these cookies with chia eggs but it should work. The chia seeds will be a little more noticeable than the flax seed.
Because baking chocolate is a wet ingredient, it will not work in place of cocoa powder.
Storage notes
- These cookies are best stored at room temperature in an airtight container. For best quality, enjoy within 4-5 days.
- To freeze: I recommend letting them cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. They thaw quickly at room temperature or can be popped in the microwave for just 15 seconds.
Looking for more vegan desserts?
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Recipe
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Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
- 6 tablespoons water
- ½ cup melted coconut oil see note #1
- 1 cup white sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed in cup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled into the measuring cup
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup peanut butter see note #2
- flaked salt see note #3
Instructions
- Make flax eggs by whisking together 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed and 6 tablespoons water in a small bowl. Let rest 5 minutes before using.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the melted coconut oil, white sugar, and brown sugar.
- Add the flax eggs, vanilla, and cocoa powder. Stir until well combined.
- Slowly mix in the all-purpose flour and baking soda, adding the flour ½ cup at a time. The dough should be firm enough that it can be rolled into a ball but still a little wet.
- Cover and chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll cookie dough into walnut-sized balls, about 2 tablespoons each. Use your finger to hollow out the center.
- Put a heaping ½ teaspoon peanut butter in the center hollow of each dough ball.
- Pinch the cookie dough edges together like a dumpling, or use a small piece of cookie dough to close the gap. Roll into a ball.
- Place cookie dough at least two inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Bake at 350F for 9-11 minutes, until the edges are set. The center should still look a little underbaked. Sprinkle with flaked sea salt. Let rest 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool.
Video
Notes
- Coconut oil: Measure out the oil after melting. An equal amount of liquid at room temp oil can be used, such as canola or olive oil.
- Peanut butter: Any kind works. If you're finding the peanut butter hard to work with, you can place ½ teaspoon scoops of peanut butter on a wax-paper lined dish and freeze them for just 15 minutes. This will make it a lot easier to place the peanut butter in the center of the cookie dough.
- Flaked salt: If you don't have flaked sea salt, I recommend adding ⅛ teaspoon table salt to the cookie dough before baking.
- Freezing: I recommend letting them cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. They thaw quickly at room temperature or can be popped in the microwave for just 15 seconds.
- Storage: These cookies are best stored at room temperature in an airtight container. For best quality, enjoy within 4-5 days.
Lynn says
Glad I made these with the corrected amount of oil (1/2 cup). It didn't specify but I used Dutch Cocoa powder. I sifted the flour and baking powder into the sugar/oil mixture. They came out chewy and delicious (not fluffy and cake-y). I would not want anything to be different. The batter was easy to work with after it was refrigerated. I used a small scoop and made the hollow with my thumbs. Easy to put cold peanut butter in and pinch like a dumpling. It made 24 cookies, not 18, and I cooked for just about 9 minutes - no more. I'll definitely make again.
Cassidy Reeser says
Awesome! Just like they are supposed to be! And Dutch cocoa powder is the best, so good call using that one. Thanks for the review!
Amanda says
These just turned out okay. I had to leave it in the oven for way longer than 11 minutes though, it was still too oily. I think this could be better with less oil in it, but still got my chocolate and peanut butter fix!
Rotem says
They look so yummy!!!
Can't wait to make them.
If I want them dairy free but not vegan, how many eggs do I need to use?
Cassidy Reeser says
I would use just one egg. Enjoy! 🙂
Jennifer Pletcher says
Is the amount of coconut oil really 3/4 cup? It looks like much less in your picture. When I used that amount, the cookies oozed out all over the tray in a puddle of oil.
Cassidy Reeser says
I double-checked my old notes and it is 3/4 cup of oil. Did you chill the dough? If the cookie dough is firm when it went in the oven, it should spread a little but not melt entirely.
Izzy says
I used the 3/4 cup oil and the cookies were oozing oil. Not sure what went wrong. I bake quite often and don’t have issues often…. Something definitely seems off.
Cassidy Reeser says
Thanks for confirming, I'll try to remake these soon and update the post to see what went wrong. Usually I would use start with 1/2 cup oil in a batch this size, so now I'm wondering if I transcribed something wrong when I updated the post last year.
Heather says
Terrible recipe. Flat as a paper towel and super oily. Update your recipe once you figure this out.
Erwyna says
I followed the recipe exactly, but the cookies havnt risen, would using virgin coconut oil been the cause?
Cassidy Reeser says
Did they spread a lot? If so, you may need to add extra flour. The dough should be easy to handle and not stick to your hands. They aren't fluffy cookies but they shouldn't spread a ton.