Peanut Butter Cookies are a lot like Chocolate Chip Cookies. We all know exactly how we like them and there are so many different versions. Thanks to Fran Costigan, I now have my perfect go-to peanut butter cookie recipe. It’s from More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts Naturally. Thanks to Book Publishing Company, one lucky reader will win the copy of this book. All you have to do is leave a comment relating to dessert on this blog post. This has to be one of the easiest contests ever! After all, we’re talking dessert!
I Fixed My Favorite Peanut Butter Cookies
from More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts Naturally
Yield 30 (2-inch cookies)
3/4 cup light natural cane sugar
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup soymilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1. Position rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Place a wire mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Add 1/2 cup white sugar, the white flour, pastry flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the strainer. Tap the strainer against the palm of your hand to sift the ingredients into the bowl. Stir with a wire whisk to distribute the ingredients.
3. Combine the peanut butter, canola oil, soymilk, vanilla, and vinegar in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is smooth; it will be very thick. Add the dry mixture to the peanut butter mixture and pulse a few times, only until the dough begins to hold together.
4. Transfer the dough to a bowl and press and squeeze with your hands until the dough is smooth and shiny.
5. Put the remaining 1/4 cup sugar on a plate. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in the sugar and place 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets. Use the back of the tines of a dinner fork to press each cookie horizontally, then vertically, to flatten them into the traditional peanut butter cookie shape.
6. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cookies are lightly browned. The cookies will be soft, but will firm as they cool.
7. Set the baking sheet on a rack and cool for 3 minutes until the cookies are firm enough to move. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool. Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature for two to three days.
Tip: The cookies sometimes puff up during baking, making the crisscross pattern disappear. (This seems to happen sometimes but not always.) If this is the case, remove the cookies from the oven after 8 minutes, and press the design into the cookies again. Bake another minute or two.
Now for my own tip: my mom, the best cookie baker I’ve ever known, always used a potato masher to gently press the crisscross into the cookies. It works like a dream. Thanks, Mom!
Book Publishing Company is also hosting giveaways for these awesome dessert books. Click on the button up top for a chance to win one of these luscious vegan dessert books!
So, let’s talk dessert! Leave a comment and the drawing will be early in the week of October 17th. In the meantime, bake up a batch of these wonderful cookies. You’ll be glad you did. International shipping is ok. Thanks!
43 Comments
Dessert for Thanksgiving is in the fridge! I’ve made a vegan Cranachan which is a scottish cold dessert loaded with oats, and traditionally cream and honey, as well as raspberries! Will be yummy.
I had a peach for dessert?
Haha, okay, lame. Tomorrow I’ll hopefully be making a raw pumpkin pie for dessert and maybe I’ll also bake some oatmeal raisin cookies…omnomnom.
I really wish I were one of those people who say “Oh, I’ll just have some grapes for dessert.” Now, I love me some grapes, but I’d always rather have chocolate cake!
We’ve gone sugar-free for October (which, btw, is the longest month of the year!), so I’m seriously missing dessert. A Pink Lady apple with almond butter just doesn’t cut it. Like aimee, I really wish I could be happy with fruit for dessert, but I can’t wait ’til November.
Hmm, I love dessert. I think my go-to cookies have to be No Bake Oatmeal cookies.
I want to make these cookies! I baked little apple twists yesterday.
I saw someone made a peanut butter & jam cupcake recently on a forum, and since then, all I want is peanut butter based desserts
I’m one of those crazy I’ll have grapes for dessert…haha! Really!
I do love a treat now and then though. Lately it has been peanut butter rice krispie treats with chocolate on top. These pb cookies are gonna get made here soon too!
I just made 3 different types of cookies for an order through the Greenhouse Tavern (my new job) — peanut butter oatmeal, chocolate chip, and pumpkin spice. the pumpkin spice were awesome, and i think i’m going to be making some more tonight! This recipe looks great, though…
I am eating a local organic honey crisp from the farmers market for dessert right now, lol. So good! I do really like brownies, though…
Courtney
Dessert for me has to have chocolate! I love it all!
My favorite two step dessert is filling a pitted date with creamy peanut butter… yum…
but recently i have had an abundance of plums from my csa share and have been making plum crisp which is spectacular especially with some cashew cream or ice cream (i like the coconut milk kind).
My favorite desert has become roasted pears with a light drizzle of caramel…Mmmm!
I hope to win this book. It looks like a treasure!
-Emily
I just came across an essay my grandmother wrote about how they got by during the Depression. They raised bees, so she used honey to sweeten everything. Her honey taffy, made annually at Christmas, was decadently wonderful. Since I haven’t felt like burning my hands, I haven’t made it since she died. Her other specialties were apple pan dowdy and peach cobbler–oh, yeah, and the best and only good tapioca pudding. She always burned her cookies.
Funny, I was just thinking I could go for some pb cookies. I’m glad they’re margarine free, too–saves me the trouble of having to do it. My favorite desserts these days are crumbles and crisps. Mmmm.
Personally, my fav dessert is a little fresh fruit salad. Nother is nicer.
~Midnite
harrypotter(at)msn.com
Dessert is fantastic.
I have some pumpkin-chocolate brownie bite-type things cooling on the stove right now. Those cookies look amazing…!
My greatest regret in life will probably be that I didn’t leave more room for dessert.
peanut butter cookies are my all-time favorite…thanks so much for the recipe.
cheers!
Yum! I haven’t made vegan cookies yet, though I’ve been a vegan for long time. Cane sugar is always better than white.
Yum those look awesome! I adore peanut butter, so I’ll definitely be making a batch of these soon. I’ve always thought that peanut butter cookies would make an excellent ice-cream sandwich, so I suppose that justifies making a batch of cookies just for me. It’s in the name of science, right?
I just ate leftover apple crisp for breakfast!
There’s nothing like a chocolate chip cookie for dessert (or any time of the day, really). Simple and classic. But in the name of my favorite season, I’m busting out the pumpkin. Pumpkin cupcakes and pie- can you say delicious? And I’ll even sneak pumpkin dessert in for breakfast disguised in muffin form with walnuts and carob chips.
Funny that I read this now, because just a few minutes ago, I decided to bake chocolate chip cookies tonight!
Hi Tami! Thanks so much for positive PB cookie post and going with the book contest! I’m thrilled you like these cookies. I had to figure out perfect vegan PB cookies or I’d have been just too sad. Really, I never did get why so much fat was in traditional ones anyway. Nut butters are pretty fatty. But fact is–these are great. Hoping you’ll make my chocolate cake, slump, pudding and more. No favs among children!
Love your blog!
Fran
Sometimes after dessert, I eat another bite of something salty, so that I HAVE to have one more bite of…dessert. >:D
Oh my, PB, my favorite… can’t wait to try these!
I just made almond butter cookies last weekend and they were delicious. Might have to try it out with this recipe.
Those cookies look amazing! I love making vegan peanut butter sandwich cookies with chocolate “buttercream” frosting in the middle! Yum
Love cookies. Every year for Christmas my family makes “Everything but the kitchen sink cookies” this year I want to veganize them. Oats, raisins, chocolate chips, peanut butter. Yum.
Sounds good.As soon as I finish the cappucino cupcakes with espresso creme that I made I will definately be making these cookies!
Great giveaway! I have been eyeing that book. The cookies look delicious.
Because I can’t pick one, I would say my top 3 favorite deserts would be a sweet cheese blintz or crepe stuffed with fruit (sour cherry!) with a light chocolate drizzle, almond chocolate chip cookies, or thai sticky rice with mango and coconut cream!
We just made some wonderful vegan tahini cookies. Recipe made 24. Unfortunately, between the oven and the cooling rack, the parchment paper slid and slid again over the flat sides of the brand new cookie sheet, jettisoning all but 8 of the cookies.
Our guests pronounced the survivors delicious. Next time I’ll grasp the parchment via the sides, not the lip at the back of the sheet.
Tonight I probably won’t have dessert because I have to make 2 dozen cupcakes for my children’s birthdays this weekend. Some will look like penguins and some will be dolphins. The ideas came from the book Hello Cupcake, which is all about ways to decorate cupcakes.
Peanut butter cookies are so good. Cookies are my favorite dessert, and my favorite breakfast too!
I love anything for dessert that combines chocolate and peanut butter. And I’d like seconds, please!
It is never to early to start planning for Christmas cookies!
i’ve been feeling the need to channel my inner vegan baking goddess. i’m so terrible with desserts. hopefully a cookbook will lead my down the right path!
I’m comfortable cooking almost anything, but I’ve always had a block when it comes to baking. I’ve been doing more of it for six months, and I’m loving it. I especially love baking cookies and pies for dessert.
Love peanut butter desserts! We’ve been munching on chocolate and peanut butter cups lately, but I’m definitely going to give these a try.
wow! what a great contest. I have Fran’s first book & I love it. this book has been on my wish list for a long time. Hoorah for dessert!!!
Dessert is my weakness. I can’t say no!
My mom just made raw vegan pumpkin pie! It’s awesome, and has to be one of my new favs!