Vegan Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies
My weekend schedule this past week was the chillest one I’ve had in a while, post-holidays. I did the household groceries on Friday along with the exhausted parents and their cart-fuls of babies, and we went to see a much-loved local blues singer Saturday night, had brunch with a friend’s friend who is new in town, and in between I baked and baked, and sauteed and kneaded to a soundtrack of half-minded sitcoms playing on my laptop.
These healthy vegan chocolate peanut butter cookies are one of the products of this weekend’s puttering around the kitchen in thermal leggings. The smell of these puppies baking is at once a childhood staple for me, but with a definite grown-up twist.
I used an IPA because it’s what was hanging out in the fridge, but if you can find a vegan stout and you’d like a more pronounced beer flavour then I’d recommend you go for it. I also used spelt flour and coconut sugar, but if you don’t have these on hand you can use unbleached all purpose flour and 50/50 organic cane and brown sugar.
You’re familiar with Barnivore? It’s a catalog of wine, beer, and liquor and it’s an incredible resource if you’re wondering what ingredients are in your favourite drinks, either because you’re vegan or just curious/concerned. If you’re looking for vegan beer to make these cookies (or to drink or whatever), I can’t recommend a better resource.
Easy Vegan Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp ground flax
- 3 tbsp warm water
- 3/4 cup smooth natural peanut butter (check JIF peanut butter vegan status)
- 1/3 cup grapeseed oil or melted coconut oil
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/3 cup beer
- 1 1/4 cup spelt flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate (check vegan status)
- 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
- Turbinado sugar or coarse salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together flax and water and set aside to coagulate into a 'flax egg,' about 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk peanut butter, liquid oil, flax mixture, vanilla, and sugar until fully incorporated (there should be no visible sugar crystals). Stir in beer.
- In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients. Add to wet and stir until no dry flour remains. Refrigerate dough until well-chilled, at least 30 minutes in the freezer or an hour in the fridge, or overnight. Do not skip this step or the cookies will spread.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Roll the dough into balls with about 2 tbsp of dough in each. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the edges just start to brown.
- Let the cookies cool before dripping them. To make the chocolate coating, melt chocolate and coconut oil in a bain marie or in the microwave for 30 second intervals. Dip each cookie in the chocolate, coating half.
- While still wet, sprinkle with turbinado sugar or coarse salt.
Notes
- To replace coconut sugar, use 50/50 organic cane and brown sugars.
- If you don't have spelt flour you can sub in all purpose.
- The coconut oil in the chocolate coating isn't totally necessary, but it makes it easier to work with.
