Peanut butter lovers, rejoice! We’ve cracked the vegan, gluten-free, naturally sweetened code on the perfect little peanut butter cookie: Nutter Butters! Think a crispy, perfectly sweet peanut butter cookie and soft, creamy peanut butter filling. Swoon!
Easy to make with just 8 ingredients, this snack-able dessert will be loved by EVERYONE. Get ready to fill your cookie jar…if they make it that far! Let’s bake!
How to Make Vegan Gluten-Free Nutter Butters
When it comes to Nutter Butters, there are two essentials: peanut butter and peanut butter. Yes, you read that right.
Let’s start with the (peanut butter) cookies! Besides peanut butter, the wet ingredients include maple syrup to sweeten and coconut oil for crispiness.
For the dry ingredients, baking soda gives them a little rise and slight crunchiness, while sea salt adds flavor. A trio of gluten-free flours (almond, oat, and arrowroot) combine for the perfect amount of structure and crumbliness.
To create a classic Nutter Butter cookie shape, we roll balls of dough, place them next to each other, and use a fork to press down and create hatch marks and join them together. Then into the oven they go!
Once they’re out of the oven, it’s (peanut butter) filling time! Thanks to some scientific magic, when you combine peanut butter and maple syrup, the mixture seizes up, creating a thick filling. Add a little sea salt for flavor, and that’s it!
Place it on a cookie, sandwich with another, and it’s bite-sized deliciousness time!
We hope you LOVE these Nutter Butters! They’re:
Crispy
Peanut buttery
Perfectly sweet
Snack-able
Satisfying
& SO delicious!
These nutty delights pack in 4+ grams of protein per cookie, making them perfect for snack time or as a satisfying sweet treat! Pack some in your lunchbox and you’ll soon be reminiscing about the best parts of childhood.
More Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes
- Healthier Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 3-Ingredient No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cup Cookies (Vegan + GF)
- Gluten-Free PB&J Thumbprint Cookies
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Gluten-Free Nutter Butters (Vegan)
Ingredients
COOKIES
- 1/2 cup drippy peanut butter (only 1-2 ingredients: peanuts and salt)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 3/4 cup almond flour (we like Wellbee’s)
- 1/2 cup oat flour (certified gluten-free as needed)
- 1/2 cup arrowroot flour (also called arrowroot starch)
FILLING
- 1/2 cup drippy peanut butter (only 1-2 ingredients: peanuts and salt)
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- COOKIES: To a medium bowl, add peanut butter, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, baking soda, and sea salt. Whisk well to combine. Next, add in the almond flour, oat flour, and arrowroot flour. Stir well with a wooden spoon or spatula until all of the flour is incorporated.
- To make the classic Nutter Butter shape, scoop 1/2 tsp of the dough, roll it into a ball, and place it on the baking sheet. Scoop out another 1/2 tsp, roll it into a ball, and place it so it’s touching the other piece of dough. Use a fork to press into the dough horizontally then vertically to create the classic Nutter Butter hatch marks. Repeat with the remaining dough, placing the individual cookies 1 inch apart. Alternatively, scoop out 1 tsp of dough, roll it into a ball, and press it down with the prongs of the fork horizontally then vertically. They will just be little circle shapes instead of being shaped like peanuts (still equally delicious)!
- Bake the cookies on the center rack for 9-11 minutes — the edges should be golden and feel set but still slightly soft. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely, about 10-15 minutes.
- FILLING: To a small mixing bowl, add the peanut butter, maple syrup, and sea salt. Use a spoon or spatula to mix into a slightly thickened mixture, then set aside.
- Once the cookies are cooled, place a heaping 1/2 tsp of peanut butter filling onto the flat side of one cookie and sandwich it with another (hatch-marked sides out). Repeat with the remaining cookies.
- Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Baiba says
Dear MB team,
I had a bit less starch at home, so used 1/3 cup (part potato starch, part corn starch). The texture is great, nice and fluffy, a bit crumbly. As for the taste – kind of good, but not the best I have ever had (as it usually is with MB recipes ^_^). Perhaps it is because I am not familiar with the original nutter butter :)
Thanks for all your great work, I am your fan for 8 years already! :)
Thank you so much for your kind words and support, Baiba! We think the potato starch + cornstarch likely made them crumbly because they’re more drying than arrowroot starch. Arrowroot starch adds a bit of elasticity to hold them together.
Irina says
Can I use honey instead of maple syrup?
Hi Irina, we haven’t tested with honey, but it might work! Just keep in mind the mixture may be thicker.
Christa says
I didn’t expect these to be so good given how simple the ingredients are, but wow! Even my non-vegan friends and family loved them. Thank you!!
Whoop! We’re so glad they were a hit. Thank you for sharing, Christa! xo
LJ says
Any ideas on what I could use instead of coconut oil? Also any substitutes for arrowroot starch?
Thanks!
Hi LJ, you could use vegan butter (or dairy butter if not vegan). We think cornstarch or tapioca starch should work in place of arrowroot starch, but we haven’t tested it. Let us know if you try it!
Julie says
Wonderful recipe!! This is a gem!! I will made these often!! They are special & delicious!! Your recipes turn out and I love that!! Thank you!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Julie! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
remco roemer says
The recipe was easy to follow and the gluten-free flour blend worked perfectly. I also appreciate that the recipe is vegan and uses simple, whole food ingredients. Thank you for sharing
We’re so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Jen says
Made it with Almond butter instead because of peanut allergies – – next time I’ll add more coconut oil or Zantham gum, a bit dry and crumbly. I can see why it askes for gooey peanut butter. great taste though. easy to make.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Jen!
Angela says
This was so easy to make, and very good. Made for my husband who has celiac, he gave this 5 stars for flavor and texture. Thank you for a keeper recipe.
We’re so glad you and your husband enjoyed them, Angela. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Christa says
Oh yum! Going to make these as almond butter cookies. One of my kids has a peanut allergy. Thanks for the recipe!
We hope you enjoy, Christa!
Teresa says
Is there a substitute for the almond flour? Can’t use due to allergies
Hi Teresa, the next best substitution would be cashew flour or tigernut flour if you can have them. Otherwise you could try a bit more oat flour and some brown rice flour. Although we haven’t tried these modifications and can’t guarantee results!
KAREN W says
Hi I have read all the comments and they answered some of my questions the only other one is can I use tahini instead of peanut butter as I cant have peanuts thanks for the help
Karen W
Hi Karen! You can probably use tahini instead of peanut butter! They will just taste like tahini. Hope this helps!
Jordyn says
Hi,
Would tapioca starch work in place of arrowroot?
Hi Jordyn, we haven’t tried it, but it should work!
B says
Wonderful! So happy to try this recipe! Any idea of how they freeze?
Thanks
They freeze well! We hope you enjoy!
Chris m Geiger says
I was wondering if it would work with olive oil or avocado oil. I can’t consume coconut oil for dietary reasons. Thanks!
Hi Chris, we haven’t tried other oils, but they should work!
Ashley says
These look great! I do not do oats/oat flour. Could I use buckwheat flour as a substitution?
Hi Ashley! For flavor we would suggest sorghum flour. It’s the closest to oat flour!
Lisa says
Can you substitute coconut oil for any other oil?
Hi Lisa! We haven’t tried them with other oils, but any neutral oil should work!
Jasmine C says
Hi Dana! To not make this not GF, would you recommend just subbing regular flour for both the oat and almond?
Thank you!
Hi Jasmine! We haven’t tried these with all-purpose flour and can’t guarantee results, but we would think you probably need less than whats written for all three flours!
Lori says
I would love to make these cookies as I am gluten and dairy free, but I can’t eat oats (not even GF oats). Any substitute for the oat flour?
Hi Lori, we haven’t tried it, but you could probably use sorghum flour!
Erin H says
These look great! I’m not sure where to find drippy peanut butter-ours is very thick and stiff out of the refrigerator. Do I just need to warm it?
Hi Erin, do you store the peanut butter in the refrigerator? Here’s our peanut butter review if you’re looking to try a new one!
Nicole says
You guys always smashed in the recipes!! I will try this one for sure. Just a quick question: I’m not finding arrowroot flour where I live, is any substitute?
Aw, thank you, Nicole! We haven’t tried them with other starches and can’t guarantee results. However, we think cornstarch or tapioca starch should work here!