Slice and Bake Peanut Butter Cookies were a side step from some vegan and gluten free cookie baking experiments. I liked the sandy texture of the gluten-free and vegan cookies so much that I did a search for a traditional recipe using regular all-purpose flour and butter. So while these aren’t gluten-free or vegan (See note at bottom. They can be!), they are egg-free and they have that sandy texture and flattened appearance of the old school lunch room cookies.
Another bonus is that they are sliced off a log of dough, and the log of dough freezes well. Plus you can make them in one bowl. Putting the candies in the dough makes them hard to slice, so in this recipe I recommend sticking them on after you cut the circles.
Gluten-Free Vegan Slice and Bake Peanut Butter
If you do want to make vegan and gluten-free Slice and Bake Peanut Butter Cookies, it’s pretty easy to do. Just substitute vegan butter for the butter and use a gluten free 1:1 type flour. Here’s a picture of my latest batch. I actually did NOT slice these off a log. Instead, I just pressed the dough into a 1/2 inch thick (ish) slab, chilled it and cut out rounds with cutters. I honestly think I like the gluten-free vegan version better.
Recipe
Slice and Bake Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegan butter such as Trader Joe's softened (72 grams)
- 1/3 cup smooth peanut butter (90 grams)
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar (200 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour or a gluten-free 1:1 bleand (130 grams)
- 1/4 cup peanut butter chips (optional)
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips
- Small handful Reese’s Pieces (optional)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, vanilla, baking soda and salt. Beat until fluffy, scraping sides of bowl often.
- Stir in the flour to make a dough, then stir in the peanut butter chips, and chocolate chips.
- Shape the dough into a compact 6 inch log and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Try to keep the log as round as you can by removing it from the refrigerator every so often and rolling it gently on the counter. Chill the log for at least two hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the log into either 1/4 inch thick or 1/2 inch thick rounds — your choice. If circles crumbly when you slice, just piece them back together as you arrange on the baking sheet. Keep them about 2 inches apart.
- Push a few Reese’s Pieces into each round.
- Bake on center rack, one sheet at a time, for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies appear set and edges are just very slightly browned.
- Yield will vary. If you make the cookies thin you can get as many as 24. For thick cookies, you’ll get about 12.
Sue
These look good. I think my favorite basic peanut butter cookie is from a post of yours that I can’t currently find. I think they were called Criss-Cross Peanut Butter Cookies AKA Anna’s Best Ever Peanut Butter Cookies.
With a few more ingredients and a little more work that CI recipe you mentioned is also very good.
Anna
Thanks for recommending the other recipes! Have you tried King Arthur’s Triple Play Peanut Butter Cookies recipe? I think that one and Cook’s Illustrated Super Nutty Peanut Butter Cookies are tied for number 1. My other favorite is this one, though it’s technically Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk. Using European style butter makes the cookies really fat and round.
https://www.cookiemadness.net/2005/11/gigantic-peanut-butter-chocolate-chunk-cookies/
Sonya
Your adaptations sound great!!! Slice and bake cookies are so convenient! I personally don’t like sandy peanut butter cookies, so instead, my favorite recipes are Cook’s Country’s Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies and another soft, chewy one from The Mixer Bible for Peanut Butter Cookies. Mmmmm, love both of those! For a very different style (nearly hard and crunchy), Cook’s Illustrated’s Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies or Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies with Honey-Cinnamon Filling are truly amazing.