Vegan peanut butter chocolate chip cookies – chewy in the middle and crispy around the edges, these peanut butter cookies are easy to make and very, very moreish!
Vegan peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Do I really need to say any more?
These cookies are an adaptation of my popular vegan chocolate chip cookies recipe, which I re-worked to make into a peanut butter version; because what is better than peanut butter, chocolate and cookie together?
They have a perfect texture – chewy in the middle and crisp around the edges; with a wonderful peanut butter flavour and lots and lots of chocolate.
They are also really quick and easy to make – always a bonus when a cookie craving strikes! The recipe just makes eight cookies (I try not to bake huge batches when there are just the two of us to eat them!), but it can easily be doubled to make sixteen cookies if you have more people to feed.
How To Make Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies:
(For ingredients and full instructions see the recipe card below)
*For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.*
As with most cookie recipes we start by creaming together (vegan) butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Except that in this recipe we also add creamy peanut butter. You can do this with an electric mixer or with a wooden spoon and a bit of elbow grease!
The best cookie texture is achieved by using a mixture of brown and white sugars – I go 50/50.
Next we whisk in vanilla extract (essential in a cookie!), and a little plant milk to replace the moisture from the egg. Soy milk is best for baking but any unsweetened variety will work.
Then mix in plain flour, baking powder, salt and cornflour (cornstarch). The cornflour replaces the binding properties of the egg.
Finally, stir through your chopped chocolate; but make sure that you reserve a handful to top the cookies with. The prettiest cookies are achieved by pressing a few chunks of chocolate into the dough after you have formed your cookie dough balls.
Divide the cookie dough into eight equal portions and roll each one into a ball. Place them well spaced apart on a couple of baking sheets lined with baking parchment and flatten them very slightly. Press a few chunks of the reserved chocolate on top of each one then pop the trays in the fridge for half an hour while you preheat the oven.
*(You can bake the cookies straight away if you are in a hurry, but they have the best texture if they are allowed to chill first. You can also store the dough (covered so it doesn’t dry out) in the fridge for several days before baking.).
Once the dough is chilled, bake the cookies for about fifteen minutes. The exact baking time will vary depending on your oven and how you like your cookies.
Bake until very pale golden for a soft cookie, and until a darker golden colour for a cookie that has a bit more crunch. They will still be quite soft but will firm up as they cool.
You might want to bake one on its own first to determine exactly how long they will take in your oven.
Once the cookies are baked, remove the tray from the oven and drop it from a height of about 20-30cm onto the counter top. This helps to flatten the cookies out; it is totally optional if you prefer a thicker cookie, but I enjoy making a racket.
Leave the cookies to cool on the tray for ten minutes as they are delicate at first; then transfer them to a wire rack once they have cooled and firmed up a bit.
The cookies are best eaten fresh but will keep in an airtight container for a couple of days.
The Best Ingredients To Use For These Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies:
Butter:
You must make sure that you use the kind of vegan butter/margarine that comes in a solid stick, NOT the spreadable kind in a tub which has too high a water content for baking. Using the wrong sort could result in cookies with an inferior texture, and nobody wants that.
I use either Naturli Vegan Block or Stork block, though I think that Violife now also make a block margarine as well (I haven’t tried it yet though). In the US I think that Earth Balance buttery sticks would be the correct product to use.
Peanut Butter:
I use Whole Earth smooth peanut butter which has a creamy texture. Any creamy variety should work fine; I haven’t tested these vegan peanut butter chocolate chip cookies with the crunchy kind though I suspect that you would need to use a bit more of it to achieve the right texture.
I also haven’t tested them with natural peanut butter (the kind that separates). Again, I think that it would work fine but the cookies may spread more.
Chopped Chocolate or Chocolate Chips?:
I vastly prefer using chopped chocolate rather than chocolate chips in cookies. I think that it gives them a nicer texture and a more evenly distributed chocolate flavour. You can use chocolate chips if you prefer however.
Can I Freeze Them?:
Yes, the unbaked cookies can be frozen. Once you have made the dough, divide it up and shape into balls. Place them spaced apart on a tray in the freezer then transfer to a ziplock bag once frozen. They can be baked straight from frozen but may need a minute or two longer in the oven.
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Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Vegan peanut butter chocolate chip cookies - chewy in the middle and crispy around the edges, these peanut butter cookies are easy to make and very, very moreish!
Ingredients
- 60 g (1/4 cup) vegan block butter/margarine (NOT the spreadable kind) softened
- 60 g (1/4 cup) creamy peanut butter
- 50 g (1/4 cup) caster (superfine) sugar
- 50 g (packed 1/4 cup) light brown soft sugar
- 1 Tbsp unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 80 g (2/3 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 10 g (1 Tbsp) cornflour (cornstarch)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 85 g (3 oz) dark chocolate chopped
Instructions
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Place the vegan butter, peanut butter, caster and light brown soft sugars in a bowl and whisk with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. (You can also use a wooden spoon and elbow grease!).
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Add the milk and vanilla extract and whisk until well combined then add the flour, cornflour, baking powder and salt and whisk again until smooth.
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Stir in most of the chopped chocolate, reserving a handful to top the cookies with.
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Line a couple of baking sheets with baking parchment. Divide the dough into eight equal portions and roll each one into a ball.
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Place the balls well spaced apart on the baking trays and flatten each one very slightly with your hand. Press a few chunks of the reserved chocolate into the top of each one.
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Place the trays in the fridge for at least half an hour if possible (though the cookies can be baked right away if needed). The dough will keep in the fridge for a couple of days (covered); or the cookie dough balls can be frozen and baked straight from frozen as needed.
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Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes, until golden around the edges. They will still be soft in the middle but will firm up as they cool.
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Once the cookies are baked, remove the trays from the oven and drop them from a height of about 20-30cm onto the counter top. This helps to flatten the cookies out but it is totally optional if you prefer a thicker cookie.
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Leave the cookies to cool on the tray for ten minutes as they are delicate at first; then transfer them to a wire rack once they have cooled and firmed up a bit. Once cool store in an airtight container.
