Chewy & Soft Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
These Chewy & Soft Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies are easy to make and perfect for anyone craving a classic cookie that’s both vegan and deliciously soft. Made with vegan butter, natural peanut butter, and applesauce for moisture, these cookies have a perfect balance of sweetness and a delightful chewy texture, coated with a decorative sugar crust and finished with the classic peanut butter fork marks.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 21 minutes
- Yield: 20 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 155 grams all purpose flour, or gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp sea salt (omit if your peanut butter or vegan butter contains salt)
Wet Ingredients
- 113 grams vegan butter, room temperature
- 100 grams granulated sugar
- 50 grams coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 175 grams all-natural creamy smooth peanut butter
- 60 grams unsweetened applesauce, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Topping
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar, for coating the cookie dough
Instructions
- Prep: Measure out all ingredients and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone cookie mats; set aside.
- Make the dough: In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to cream vegan butter with granulated and coconut sugars until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add peanut butter, applesauce, and vanilla extract; mix until combined. Fold in flour, baking soda, and salt gently with a rubber spatula just until incorporated. Chill the dough for at least 1 hour or overnight covered in the fridge.
- Preheat oven: When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Scoop the dough: Place remaining granulated sugar into a small bowl. Using a cookie scoop or your hands, form about 1.5 tablespoon dough balls. Roll each ball in the granulated sugar to coat thoroughly and place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
- Shape cookies: Using the back of a fork, gently press down on each dough ball to create the classic peanut butter cookie crisscross pattern.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 10-11 minutes, until edges are set and the center is still slightly puffy.
- Cool: Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes to solidify before handling.
- Store: Serve and enjoy immediately, or store any leftover cookies in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is essential to prevent spreading and achieve the ideal chewy texture.
- Using unsweetened applesauce adds moisture without extra fat, helping with softness.
- If using salted peanut butter or vegan butter, omit salt for best flavor balance.
- For gluten-free options, substitute all-purpose flour with a 1-to-1 gluten free baking flour blend.
- Cookies will be very soft when fresh from the oven; allow adequate cooling time before picking up.
- Leftover dough can be refrigerated if you decide to bake in batches.
Keywords: vegan peanut butter cookies, soft peanut butter cookies, chewy vegan cookies, dairy free cookies, easy vegan cookie recipe
