The Brighter Side of Gluten Free: Peanuts

Peanut Butter Cookies 3.0 (flourless)

I cannot take credit for this recipe. I found it online when I was searching for GF peanut butter cookie ideas. I also don't know who to credit for the recipe because it is so common. If you google gluten free peanut butter cookies, you will find many recipes similar to this. The only difference is that most contain baking powder and mine doesn't.

This cookie is very sweet and a bit crumbly. The recipe doesn't contain any flour and can be made with only 3 ingredients (sugar, PB, and an egg). My husband declared this cookie his favorite, saying it wasn't the same as mom's, but it was still pretty good. I found it almost too sweet and a little gritty from all the sugar, plus I'm sure the calorie count is through the roof. Just try not to eat more than two in a sitting (and make them small).

This recipe is a great one to make if you don't have any special gluten free ingredients on hand (or if you're looking for a dessert to make for a gluten free friend). It's quick and easy, and it's a guaranteed hit with anyone who likes peanut butter.

Ingredients

1 cup Sugar
1 cup Peanut Butter (regular or just peanuts/all natural kind - and make sure there's no crumbs!)
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla (optional)

Directions

Cream together sugar and peanut butter.
Beat in the egg and vanilla.
Roll into 1-1 1/2 inch balls with hands and press down a bit with a fork.
Bake at 325 for around 12 minutes.

before baking

cooling

Peanut Butter Cookies 1.0

Peanut Butter Cookies 2.0

Peanut Butte Cookies 2.0

This is my second attempt to create gluten free peanut butter cookies. This is also my favorite of the 3 recipes. The cookies are soft and chewy in texture and not too sweet. I'm planning to try these again using 3/4 cup peanut butter instead of 1/2 cup PB and 1/4 cup margarine, but I know this recipe works as is. The baking powder makes for a fluffier cookie compared to the other two recipes. If you try this recipe, let me know what you think!

Ingredients

1/2 cup Peanut Butter (look out for crumbs!)
1/4 cup Margarine
1/4 cup White Sugar
1/4 cup Packed Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1-2 Tbsp Milk
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/8 tsp Salt
6 Tbsp Rice Flour
2 Tbsp Potato Starch
1 Tbsp Tapioca Starch

Directions

Cream together PB, margarine, and sugars.
Beat in egg, vanilla and milk.
Add baking powder, salt, flour and starches and mix well.
Roll dough into balls with hands (will be sticky).
Mark cookies with traditional fork imprints (if the dough is sticking to the fork, try wetting it before pressing)
Bake at 325 for around 12 minutes.

I forgot to take a picture before baking the cookies, so you'll have to use your imagination.

PB cookies 2.0 after baking

Cooling

Peanut Butte Cookies 1.0

Peanut Butter Cookies 3.0 (flourless)

Peanut Butter Cookies 1.0

My gluten-eating husband loves his peanut butter cookies. Well, he loves the ones his mom makes... which, of course, have flour. He had been requesting peanut butter cookies for awhile, and I didn't have a good gluten free recipe, so I decided to try to make one up on my own. So I have been experimenting, trying to create something reminiscent of mom's famous PB cookies.

Peanut Butter Cookies 1.0

Peanut Butter Cookies 2.0

Peanut Butter Cookies 3.0

I have created 3 (well, one I found online) completely different PB cookie recipes. Hubby has a favorite, which unfortunately is different than mine, but I think they are all worth posting on this blog. I will try to describe each cookie in detail so that you can make an educated decision regarding which recipe you want to use.

The first recipe I will share has a chewy and crunchy texture... almost taffy like. They were quite thin and pretty sweet. My husband informed me that they were nothing like mom's cookies, but I thought they were decent. They spread out a ton while cooking and, sadly, lost the signature fork marks applied before baking. I think I used low fat peanut butter in this recipe, so it might turn out a bit differently if you use the regular stuff. This recipe wasn't our favorite, but if you like crispy/chewy cookies, try this one out. And don't forget to let me know what you think! If you try more than one recipe, please tell me which was your favorite :)

Ingredients

1 cup Peanut Butter (watch out for crumbs!)
1 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1/4 cup Rice Flour
2 T Tapioca Starch
1 T Corn Starch

Directions

Cream together sugar and peanut butter.
Beat in eggs.
Add in flour/starches and mix thoroughly.
Make small balls with your hands and place them on ungreased cookie sheet. (will be sticky)
Bake at 325 for 10-14 minutes.