Peanut Butter Powder Cookies (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
on Aug 24, 2023, Updated Apr 23, 2026
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These peanut butter powder cookies use PB2 or any brand of powdered peanut butter in place of regular peanut butter, giving you a classic peanut butter cookie with less fat and fewer calories. They’re vegan, gluten-free and easy to make in one bowl with just a handful of ingredients in less than 25 minutes.
The flax egg holds everything together without dairy or eggs, and the oat flour keeps them gluten-free. The result is a firm cookie with a strong peanut butter flavour that tastes like the real thing.
🔍 Recipe at a Glance
Prep Time: 10 min
Bake Time: 12 min
Servings: 12 Cookies
Per Cookie: 121 calories, 4g protein, 2g fibre
Diet: Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free.
Difficulty: Easy
5-Star Review
Made these as written and they’re absolutely fantastic! I can’t believe they’re made with peanut powder, they taste like a really good traditional peanut butter cookie. The whole process was incredibly fast and easy. I’ll definitely be making these again!
What is peanut butter powder?
Peanut butter powder (also sold as PB2, PBFit and other brands) is made from roasted peanuts that have been pressed to remove most of the oil, then ground into a fine powder. The result is something that tastes like peanut butter but with significantly less fat and fewer calories, roughly 45 calories per tablespoon compared to around 95 for regular peanut butter.
It’s not a direct replacement for peanut butter in every situation since it lacks the oils that give regular peanut butter its creamy, spreadable texture. But in baking it works extremely well. The peanut flavour comes through strongly and it blends into dough more easily than regular peanut butter.
For cookies specifically, peanut butter powder gives you a clean peanut butter flavour without adding extra fat or moisture to the dough, which makes it easier to get a firm cookie texture. You can also mix it with a small amount of water to make a lower-fat peanut butter spread if you want to use it that way.
The most widely available brands are PB2 and PBFit, both found in most grocery stores near the nut butters. Any brand works in this recipe.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The full list of ingredients with measurements can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post. This list provides any notes on specific ingredients and possible substitutions.
- Butter: You can use any plant-based butter or butter or substitute melted and cooled coconut oil.
- Sugar: You can use granulated sugar or substitute coconut sugar or brown sugar. Monk fruit sweetened would work for a sugar-free version. Coconut sugar has a stronger flavour and darker colour that comes through in the baked cookies.
- Flax: Be sure to use ground flaxseed, not whole flaxseeds.
- Powdered Peanut Butter: Any brand of powdered peanut butter such as PBFit or PB2, or powdered almond butter works.
- Oat Flour: You can use homemade or store-bought oat flour. You can substitute all-purpose flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour.
Variations & Additions
- For peanut butter oatmeal cookies, add 1/2 cup rolled oats.
- Add up to 1/2 cup chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips to make chocolate chip cookies.
- Sprinkle with flaky sea salt after baking.
- Add up to 1/2 cup chopped nuts such as peanuts, walnuts, pecans or almonds.
- Create a well in the center of each cookie and add a teaspoon of jam to make peanut butter thumbprint cookies.
How to Make Peanut Butter Powder Cookies
Step 1: Prepare the flax “egg”. Mix the ground flax and water in a small dish and set aside for 5-10 minutes to thicken.
Step 2: Beat together the softened butter and sugar until well combined, then beat in the flax egg and vanilla extract.
Note that I used coconut sugar which is why it’s so dark. If you use granulated sugar it will be lighter in colour.
Step 3: Add the powdered peanut butter, oat flour, baking powder and salt and mix gently to combine until you have uniform dough.
Step 4: Scoop dough into heaping tbsp-sized balls and place them on the baking sheet. Press each cookie down until they’re about 1-cm thick.
You can press the tops with a fork for the classic peanut butter cookie look.
Step 5: Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until the bottoms turn golden-brown. Let them cool on the baking tray for 5-10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Let them cool completely then freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes or warm briefly in the microwave. They hold up well from frozen.
No. Add it directly to the dough as a dry ingredient. It will absorb moisture from the other ingredients as you mix. Rehydrating it first would add too much liquid to the dough and change the texture of the cookies.
Not as a direct substitute. Regular peanut butter has a much higher fat and moisture content which would significantly change the dough consistency. If you want to make cookies with regular peanut butter, try a recipe written specifically for it.
Yes. All-purpose flour or a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour both work as direct substitutes in the same quantity. If using all-purpose flour the cookies will no longer be gluten-free.
Yes. Stir up to half a cup of vegan chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips into the dough before scooping. This is one of the most popular variations.
Compared to a standard peanut butter cookie, peanut butter powder has significantly less fat and fewer calories than regular peanut butter, which reduces the overall calorie count per cookie. At 121 calories per cookie with 4g protein and 2g fibre they’re a reasonable treat. They’re also vegan and gluten-free which makes them suitable for more dietary needs than a standard cookie.
Expert Tips
- Use a digital kitchen scale to accurately measure ingredients.
- Avoid over baking the cookies or they’ll be dry. The cookies may seem under done when they come out of the oven but will quickly firm up as they cool.
- The cookies don’t spread in the oven so be sure to press them down before baking.
How to Store PB2 Cookies
- Let cool completely before storing.
- Store in a sealed container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the the fridge for up to 1 week.
- For longer storage, freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Peanut Butter Powder Cookies
Ingredients
- ¼ cup plant-based butter, softened, 56g
- ½ cup granulated sugar, 96g
- 1 tbsp flaxseed + 3 tbsp water, 11g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup powdered peanut butter, 72g
- ¾ cup oat flour, 90g
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F (175˚C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. While the oven is preheating, make your flax egg by mixing together the flaxseed and water in a small bowl. Let sit for at least 5-10 minutes while you gather the rest of the ingredients.
- In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter and sugar until well combined. Beat in the flax egg and vanilla extract.
- Add the powdered peanut butter, oat flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl and mix gently to combine.
- Once dough is evenly combined, scoop dough into heaping tbsp-sized balls and place on the baking sheet. Press down on each ball with your hand or the back of a spoon so the cookies are about 1-cm thick. Feel free to use a fork to make the classic peanut butter cookie look.
- Bake at 350˚F (175˚C) for 10-12 minutes, until the bottoms of the cookies are just turning golden brown. Let sit on the baking tray for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Made these as written and they’re absolutely fantastic! I can’t believe they’re made with peanut powder… they taste like a really good traditional peanut butter cookie. The whole process was incredibly fast and easy. I’ll definitely be making these again!
Thanks Kevin! So glad they were a hit!
Your recipe is first rate, except for where you show fork prints in only one direction. In the states, we do a cross hatch # type pattern on our peanut butter cookies, to let everyone know what flavor to expect. I’ve noticed that Europeans aren’t aware of this cultural norm, as I’ve pointed at a cross hatched cookie and asked, “what flavor is it?” and they truly do not know.
If using regular peanut butter, what other changes would be needed?
I would use the recipe for my peanut butter oat cookies. Thanks!
I’d like to bake these like you would for bars or brownies, meaning just pour the batter in a parchment paper lined pan, bake, then cut into squares after cooling. Would I need to make any modifications to the recipe, or in how long they cook? Thank you!
I don’t think you’d need to make any modifications. I’d say somewhere from 20-30 minutes at 350 F until firm, then let cool in pan.
added 2 tablespoons of chickpea flour and it really helped the cookies with structure and more of a traditional oatmeal cookie texture! also added a tablespoon of coconut sugar for extrs sweetness. great recipe
Good to know, thanks!
I used 130 grams banana and 120 grams overripe strawberries, because that is what I had. They are delicious!
That sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing!
I used the vanilla, 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips and 1 Tbsp Coconut nectar. The were plenty decadent to me Thank you for healthy recipe. Now I can share cookies with vegan and not vegan friends tomorrow at our whole food, plants and no oil cookie exchange.
Wonderful cookies! I am on my second batch now! I just LOVE them!! So most, tasty & satisfying! 😀 I give them a 2 thumbs up!!👍👍
Thanks, Audra! So happy you enjoyed them. I appreciate the comment and review!!