Egg-Free Peanut Butter Cookies

These egg-free peanut butter cookies taste just like classic peanut butter cookies, except egg and dairy-free! To be completely honest, I am not opposed to eggs. However, there’s a few reasons why I might choose not to bake with eggs, which I will discuss below.

Peanut butter cookies are nostalgic for me. In fact, I remember going to one of my favorite coffee shops and eating them when I was a kid. They are delicious year-round, but I especially love to have them in the fall. I think that they are the perfect, cozy cookie.

Looking for another egg-free cookie recipe? Check out my egg-free chocolate chip cookie recipe! These cookies include oatmeal, chia seeds, coconut oil, and more. I can assure you that you won’t feel guilty eating these homemade cookies. Lastly, you can’t even tell that these cookies aren’t made with eggs.

Why egg-free cookies?

Sometimes we want to make a last minute treat, but realize that we are all out of that one ingredient. This has happened to me before! So this egg-free cookie recipe would certainly save the day.

Another reason one might want an egg-free recipe is because they may have certain dietary restrictions. Eggs are fantastic if you can have them, but I recognize that not everyone can.

Lastly, the cost of eggs has been outrageous lately! So it could be more cost effective in certain circumstances to use less egg when you can.

What do egg-free peanut butter cookies taste like?

Honestly, I think that these cookies taste like normal peanut butter cookies. I personally can’t even tell that there’s no eggs in them.

They are chewy, cozy, and have a deep peanut butter flavor, of course! These cookies are good whether you’re a huge peanut butter fan or are looking for a filling, sweet treat.

How can peanut butter cookies be egg-free?

You can make peanut butter cookies egg-free by using ground flax seed. The ground flax seed acts as an ingredient that binds all of the other ingredients together like an egg traditionally would.

I have used chia seeds as an egg replacement before as well, but I like ground flax seeds more because they are more discrete.

To find out more about flax eggs and how they work, click here.

Ingredient variations

Nut butter: Replace peanut butter with almond butter, cashew butter, or even sunflower butter.

Sugar: Using just brown sugar will give you chewier, softer cookies. All white sugar will give you crispier cookies.

Equipment needed

Medium or large mixing bowl

Small bowl (for the flax egg)

Measuring cups and spoons

Baking sheet

Parchment paper or silicone baking mat

Fork (for the crisscross pattern)

Cooling rack (optional)

Ingredients for egg-free peanut butter cookies

1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water (for flax egg)

1 cup of peanut butter (I use creamy)

2 tbsp melted coconut oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

2-3 tbsp white sugar (optional- helps with crispy edges, but you can skip)

1/2 tsp of vanilla extract

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup flour (add a tablespoon more if dough is too sticky)

1/4 tsp salt (skip if peanut butter is already salted)

How to make egg-free peanut butter cookies

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Then, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Next, stir the flax and the water together and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes so that a gel forms.

In a mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, coconut oil, sugars, flax egg, and vanilla until smooth.

Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir until the dough starts to form. The dough should be soft, easy to roll, and a little crumbly.

Roll the dough into 1-1 1/2 tbsp balls. Place the balls on the baking sheet and press with a fork to make a crisscross pattern.

Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes, until the centers of the cookies look set but are still soft. The cookies may also appear a little darker as well.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to a cooling rack, and enjoy! 🙂

How to store

Room temp: Store the cookies in an air-tight container for 4-5 days.

Freezer: These cookies can be frozen either already baked or in the form of dough balls. For baked cookies, freeze them on a baking sheet in a single layer. Then, transfer the cookies to a freezer bag or air-tight container. Thaw at room temperature.

Alternatively, roll the dough balls and freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Next, transfer to a freezer bag or air-tight container. You can bake from frozen, just add 1-2 additional minutes to the bake time.

Helpful tips and tricks

Keep your peanut butter cookies soft by adding a small piece of bread in the zip-top bag or the air-tight container the cookies are in.

You can easily adjust the texture of the cookies! If the dough feels too sticky, add 1-2 tablespoons of flour. If the dough is too crumbly, add 1-2 teaspoons of water or even dairy-free milk.

I like creamy peanut for this recipe because this particular peanut butter gives the cookies the best texture, in my opinion. Creamy peanut butter makes the cookies smoother, while chunky add more to the overall texture. Natural peanut butter may make the dough softer, so you may need to add just a little more flour.

The cookies tend to be very crumbly when right out of the oven. Even though they might be temping to eat right away, let them sit for a bit to cool down. The cookies will harden over time and be easier to eat.

Bring these cookies to pot-lucks, gatherings, on road trips, on picnics, and more! Just make sure you always check that no one is allergic to peanut butter.

Did you make these cookies? If so, let me know in the comment section how they turned out! 🙂