Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies taste so classic your family won't even notice they're gluten free.

What's better? These cookies are incredibly easy to make, don't require any chilling before baking, and they make large-sized cookies that turn out perfectly browned and chewy every time. This is a great recipe for first time gluten-free bakers because this is a no-fuss dough that isn't sticky and is very easy to roll.

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What Makes Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies so Good?

I like to keep the ingredients in my peanut butter cookies simple. Why? It's cheaper, easier to make, and doesn't distract from the classic flavors that a peanut butter cookie is supposed to have. The only ingredients you'll need are:

Creamy Peanut Butter. I opted for Jif's Natural Creamy Peanut Butter because it's a little healthier than Jif's original. Note: I haven't tested this recipe with any completely natural, oily peanut butters.
High-Quality GF All-Purpose Flour containing xanthan gum. I used Bob's Red Mill 1-1 GF Baking Flour (the blue bag).
Granulated White Sugar.
Light Brown Sugar.
Unsalted Butter.
Pure Vanilla Extract.
Whole Eggs.
Baking Soda.
Salt.

Keep reading to see the three main ways I like to top and enjoy these cookies.

How to Make Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare one or two large baking sheets by rubbing them with butter or using a nonstick spray. You could also use parchment paper.
To a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer; add softened butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and creamy. Add in eggs and mix until just combined.
In a separate, medium-sized mixing bowl; whisk flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet. Using a silicone spatula, fold the mixture until combined -- being careful not to overwork the dough.
Use a cookie scoop (or measure out 2 tbsps. per cookie) and roll into balls. Depending on the size of your cookie scoop, you should get between 18-24 cookies. These cookies do spread out so be sure to space the cookies about 2 inches apart from each other and the sides of the cookie sheet.
To make the classic crisscross pattern on the cookies; gently press them with the back of a fork twice to make an "X". This will flatten out the cookies some, which is what we want.
Bake for 10-13 minutes. Tip: All ovens vary in temperature, so please keep an eye on your cookies so they don't burn. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack.
Enjoy!

Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy within 3-5 days. Tip: You can also freeze these cookies and thaw them once ready to eat.

Toppings for Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies:

The first way to enjoy these peanut butter cookies is, of course, plain. It's classic, it's delicious. You can't go wrong.

However, my second favorite way to enjoy these cookies is rolled in granulated sugar. It adds a touch more sweetness and makes the cookie have a fun, "sandy" feeling when you go to pick it up. All you have to do for a sugar-coated peanut butter cookie is fill a small bowl with a couple of tablespoons of granulated sugar, then roll the cookie dough ball in it before baking. You can use a spoon to sprinkle more on the top to make sure every side is evenly coated.

Finally, the third (and my fiancee's favorite) way to top these peanut butter cookies is with a drizzle of melted peanut butter. This one goes out to you extreme peanut butter lovers.

How to Make a Peanut Butter Drizzle or Glaze:

It's. So. Easy.

All you have to do to get a gorgeous peanut butter drizzle is add a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter to a bowl and melt it for 10-30 seconds in the microwave until thin and smooth. (I recommend microwaving it at 10-second intervals as you would with chocolate, so it doesn't get overly hot.) Then, drizzle the melted peanut butter using a spoon overtop of your baked cookies. You could also dip the top of the cookie into the peanut butter to get an iced or glazed look.

Now, this is a little bit messy. For your peanut butter to stabilize, you will want to stick your cookies in a single layer on a tray in the refrigerator until the peanut butter has hardened. From there, you should be able to store it at room temperature unless you have a particularly hot or humid house.

Tip: Do not use completely natural peanut butter as a drizzle or glaze because the extra oils will cause the peanut butter to not harden or set up properly.

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