Soft Gluten-Free White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

These homemade flourless white chocolate chip peanut butter cookies are made with simple pantry ingredients, plenty of peanut butter, and no dairy. This quick, one-bowl recipe yields a soft, chewy gluten-free treat you can make from scratch without a mixer.

The best thing about these cookies is how the peanut butter dominates the flavor. Instead of being diluted by lots of flour or butter, the peanut butter is front and center—salty and nutty in every bite. Sweet, creamy white chocolate chips balance the savory notes beautifully for a classic and irresistible combination.

The dough comes together in about five minutes in a single bowl, and I mix it entirely by hand. No special equipment needed—just simple stirring and a little patience while the dough chills.

Why no butter?

There’s no added butter because the peanut butter acts as the fat source. Using 1 1/2 cups of creamy peanut butter provides enough fat to keep the cookies soft and moist without introducing extra butter or shortening.

The role of the sugars

Both granulated and brown sugar are used to create the ideal texture. Granulated sugar helps the edges become slightly crisp and chewy, while brown sugar keeps the centers soft and tender. Using both sugars gives the cookies structure and a pleasing contrast between crisp edges and melting centers.

The role of the eggs

Eggs add moisture and act as the binding agent. Before adding the eggs, the mixture is loose and batter-like; after the eggs are mixed in, the texture firms up into a workable cookie dough.

Why there’s no leavening

This recipe omits baking soda and baking powder because the sugar and the fat content allow the cookies to spread appropriately. Sugar influences how much a cookie spreads during baking, so no chemical leaveners are needed here.

Why the dough must be refrigerated

This is not a typical wheat-based cookie dough. Because it’s mostly peanut butter, it’s oily and sticky. Without flour to absorb the fat, baking room-temperature dough causes the oil to separate and escape during baking, producing dry, crunchy cookies. Refrigerating the dough solidifies the peanut butter fats, which helps hold moisture in the cookie and keeps the texture soft and chewy.

Shaping the cookies

The cookies will keep roughly the shape you put in the oven, so shape them into rounds if you want a classic cookie appearance. Thicker cookies remain softer; thinner cookies become chewier. I prefer flattening them slightly for a chewy bite, but avoid making them too thin or they’ll turn crisp.

How to tell when the cookies are done

Bake until the edges are set and lightly browned while the centers still look soft and slightly underbaked. They continue to firm as they cool, so remove them when the edges are just set.

Cooling

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 20 minutes before transferring. Because there’s no flour to give dry structure, these cookies need the residual heat from the baking sheet to finish setting. They usually cool completely on the sheet, so a wire rack is optional. If your baking sheet becomes oily after a batch, replace the parchment or clean the mat before baking the next sheet.

Storage & Freezing

How to store: Keep the cookies in an airtight container or resealable bag at room temperature.

Shelf life: Stored properly, these cookies stay soft and chewy for 5–7 days.

Freezing: Freeze fully cooled cookies in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag and squeeze out excess air. Freezing in a single layer first prevents them from sticking together.

Nutrition notes

These cookies are naturally higher in fat due to the peanut butter, but they also deliver protein and a moderate amount of nutrients such as iron. Treat portions mindfully, as the calorie count per cookie is higher than in standard flour-based cookies.

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