First new recipe of 2020 woohoo! And I have to say, surprisingly, it might be my favorite one yet. I will be the first to tell you that I am a better cook than I am a baker. As Zach sometimes reminds me, “you bake like you cook” meaning I’m not the most precise and often make eyeball measurements with a “that looks about right” kind of zeal.

But, that’s what I love about these cookies, they aren’t so much a science as they are a “one-bowl wonder”. In under 30 minutes, these fluffy and cakey peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are heavenly. And fresh out of the oven, they will just about make you swoon!

Typically, if I were to rank my favorite type of cookie, peanut butter would be towards the bottom of the list. Nothing is more disappointing than biting into a dry peanut butter cookie – except maybe a dry peanut butter cookie with chunks of peanut. I am firmly a “no nuts in my cookie” kind of gal. These cookies, however, break the mold. They are rich without being dense and devoid of the dreaded peanut chunks. What could possibly make these soft and chewy cookies any better? Chocolate chips and sea salt! Yes, these cookies are nothing short of magical, and no, I am not exaggerating.

I also love that these cookies use oat flour and coconut sugar. When it comes to choosing a gluten-free flour, oat flour is great because it doesn’t affect the texture of baked goods the way coconut flour will, and doesn’t affect the flavor the way almond flour will. Not to say that these aren’t great alternatives though! Coconut sugar is also wonderful in this recipe because it is basically indistinguishable from traditional granulated sugar and unlike honey or maple syrup, it won’t throw off the balance of wet to dry ingredients if you substitute it for sugar in another recipe. These cookies can easily be made vegan too by mixing 1 tbsp. flaxseed meal and 3 tbsp. warm water and letting it sit for five minutes to make a flax egg. And, if you use unsweetened and/or dairy-free chocolate chips, these cookies become refined sugar and dairy-free.

I hope you enjoy these guilt-free cookies as much as I do and would love to hear if you make this recipe! As always, thank you so much for reading!

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

Yield: 9 cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup oat flour
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 egg (at room temperature)
1 tbsp melted and cooled coconut oil
1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Then, in a large bowl, combine the peanut butter, cooled coconut oil, egg, coconut sugar, and vanilla into a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, mix the ingredients together on medium-low speed until you fully incorporated.
In a separate bowl, add the oat flour, baking soda, and salt and whisk to combine.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture by hand or with your electric mixer on low speed until just combined.
Add the chocolate chips to the dough, then place in the fridge to chill for 10-15 minutes.
Using a cookie scoop or large spoon, take about 2 tablespoons of dough at a time and roll into balls. Space the cookies 1-2 inches apart from each other on the baking sheet and gently press down the top of the cookies with your palm.
Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes until the edges start to turn a light golden brown and enjoy!