Sugar-Free Peanut Butter Cookies (Flourless)

Sugar-Free Peanut Butter Cookies

These flourless cookies use crunchy peanut butter, an egg, and a granulated sugar substitute. Flattening the dough and pressing in a fork crosshatch gives each cookie its round shape; the dough may not spread much in the oven. Expect a pale golden-tan cookie with visible peanut pieces and slightly irregular edges. Start checking at 8 minutes, and leave the cookies on the pan after baking—they are fragile while hot but firm as they cool.

Ingredients for Sugar-Free Peanut Butter Cookies

Makes 12 cookies.

• 1 cup thick, unsweetened crunchy peanut butter (250g)
• 1/2 cup granulated cup-for-cup sugar substitute (about 100g), following the package’s sugar-replacement guidance
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon fine salt, or omit if the peanut butter is quite salty

How to Bake Sugar-Free Peanut Butter Cookies

1. Prepare the oven and pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix the dough: Stir the peanut butter, sweetener, egg, vanilla, and salt until cohesive, with no streaks of egg. If the dough is too soft to scoop, chill it briefly until easier to handle.
3. Shape the cookies: Divide the dough into 12 even portions on the baking sheet, leaving a little space between them. Flatten each into a round about 2½ to 3 inches across. Press a fork into each top in one direction, then crosswise, to make clear grooves. Dampen the fork if it sticks.
4. Bake: Bake uncovered, starting to check at 8 minutes. Continue in short increments if needed, for about 8 to 12 minutes total. The edges should look set and the centers dry rather than wet. The cookies should be pale golden tan, not deeply browned; they may still feel soft when hot.
5. Cool: Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes, until firm enough to lift without crumbling. Carefully transfer them to a rack to cool completely.

Choosing the Peanut Butter and Sweetener

Use thick, unsweetened crunchy peanut butter for visible peanut pieces and a coarse surface. Stir natural peanut butter thoroughly before measuring it. If it remains oily or runny, the dough may be difficult to shape. Thick creamy peanut butter can be used instead, but the cookies will have a smoother texture.

Choose a granulated sweetener formulated to replace sugar cup for cup, and check its package guidance. Sweeteners differ in sweetness and in the texture they produce, so powdered and liquid products are not equal-volume substitutes.

Serving and Storing

Serve the cooled cookies with coffee, tea, or cold milk. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They may keep for up to 2 weeks, though freshness will vary.

To freeze, place cooled cookies on a parchment-lined tray until firm, then transfer them to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator; freezer quality may vary.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition per cookie, based on 12 cookies: 130 calories, 6g protein, 11g fat, and 4g carbohydrates. Approximate nutrition per 100g: 385 calories, 17g protein, 32g fat, and 13g carbohydrates. Estimates assume a zero-calorie granulated sweetener; check your peanut butter and sweetener labels for a closer estimate.