Gluten-Free Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

Recipe by PJ Hamel
11 Reviews 4.5 out of 5 stars

These old-fashioned peanut butter cookies, with their classic criss-cross imprint on top, are great for packing in lunchboxes or backpacks.

We know you’ll love this gluten-free version of our Classic Peanut Butter Cookies recipe, a long-time favorite here on our site. Substituting Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour for the flour in that original yields delicious, perfectly crunchy-chewy cookies that are sure to be a hit with friends and family following a gluten-free diet. Enjoy!

Prep
15 mins
Bake
12 to 16 mins
Total
27 mins
Yield
about 2 dozen cookies
Gluten-Free Classic Peanut Butter Cookies - select to zoom
Gluten-Free Classic Peanut Butter Cookies - select to zoom
Gluten-Free Classic Peanut Butter Cookies - select to zoom

Instructions

Prevent your screen from going dark as you follow along.

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.

  2. Beat together the shortening, sugars, egg, vanilla, and peanut butter until smooth.

  3. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt to the peanut butter mixture, beating gently until everything is well combined. It may take a while for this rather dry dough to come together; and when it does, it'll be quite stiff. Only if necessary, drizzle in enough water to make the dough cohesive.

  4. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets (a tablespoon cookie scoop works well here), leaving 2" between them.

  5. Use a fork to flatten each cookie to about 1/2" thick, making a crosshatch design.

  6. Bake the cookies for 12 to 16 minutes, until they're barely beginning to brown around the edges; the tops won't have browned. Remove them from the oven, and cool right on the pan.

  7. Store any leftover cookies, well wrapped, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.

Tips from our Bakers

  • This recipe was developed to use traditional supermarket-style peanut butter. If you use all-natural peanut butter, grind your own, or use low-fat or low-salt peanut butter, the cookies won't turn out as described.

  • Substitute 8 tablespoons (113g) butter for the 1/3 cup (57g) vegetable shortening, if desired. The cookies will be softer.

  • For a pretty circular design on top of your cookies, flatten with the end of a food processor's plastic "pusher" (if it has a circular design on the end). For other imaginative ways to flatten your cookies, see our blog post, Drop cookies: beyond the fork.

  • Be aware: Some of your baking ingredients can be a hidden source of gluten. Learn more at our blog post: For gluten-free baking, think beyond just flour. For additional information on King Arthur-produced products, read the complete details of our allergen program, including our contact-prevention practices.

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