I’ve been a vegetarian for over 10 years. In that time, I’ve also dabbled in vegan eating—which means no meat, dairy, eggs or any other animal products. (A fellow writer went vegan for a week. Here’s what happened). And while the vegan lifestyle never really stuck—what can I say, I’m a Wisconsin girl who loves her cheese—I’ve always been curious to give vegan baking a try. Can you really make a tasty treat without any eggs or butter? Turns out yes, you can.
Say hello to my vegan peanut butter cookies. These babies are rich, soft and a touch chewy. They look just like traditional cookies, and they taste like ‘em too. The true test came when I shared a few cookies with my dad—who loves his dairy. Even he couldn’t taste the difference!
Plus, they’re made with typical pantry staples—so you won’t need to hunt down any special vegan ingredients at the store. Ready to give them a try?
Even meat eaters will love these vegan recipes.
How to Make Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
Yields 2 dozen
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup almond milk
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- Extra sugar, for garnish
Editor’s Tip: Many processed cane sugars contain bone char—an ingredient that helps give sugar its color but that’s made from, well, charred animal bones. Thus, many sugar brands are not vegan. Since you won’t find bone char on the label, stick with beet sugar or check out this list of vegan sugar brands.
Psst! Find out what other foods you should never serve a vegan.
Step 1: Cream Peanut Butter and Sugars
First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then, in a large bowl, stir together the peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add the vanilla extract and almond milk, then whisk until smooth.
Editor’s Tip: If you want a little extra texture, feel free to use chunky peanut butter or add ¼ cup crushed peanuts to the dough. Dairy-free chocolate chips would be tasty, too.
Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Make the best cookies ever with these expert tips.
Step 3: Bring It All Together
Gradually add your dry ingredients to the peanut butter mixture. Stir until well-combined. The dough should be smooth and sticky.
Step 4: Scoop and Bake
Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop tablespoonfuls of dough onto the sheet, two inches apart. Then, use a fork dipped in sugar to flatten and create a criss-cross imprint on each cookie. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Got leftover parchment? Use it up with one of these nifty hacks.
Step 5: Let Sit, Then Serve
When your cookies are done, remove them from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 3-4 minutes. Once set, place the cookies on a wire rack to cool completely.
Editor’s Tip: Letting the cookies rest once they’re out of the oven is very important. Since there’s no butter or eggs in the cookies, they need a little time to firm up. If you remove them from the pan too early, they’ll crumble.
For more sweet treats, check out our top vegan desserts.
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Katie Bandurski