These easy gluten-free peanut butter cookies with chocolate really pack a punch! They're filled with peanut butter, brown sugar, and other classic baking ingredients, and topped with silky smooth dark chocolate.
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section down the page. You can also stay in touch with me through social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok or by subscribing to my newsletter.
A lot of recipes call for chocolate chips in peanut butter cookies, but I think chocolate on top of peanut butter cookies is so much better! Chocolate peanut butter is just such a good combination. The silky smooth dark chocolate pairs perfectly with the salty peanut butter, and you get a perfect bit of chocolate in every bite! This is the best peanut butter cookies recipe because they have such a chewy texture, too. Perfect for any peanut butter lover!
If you're looking for more gluten-free recipes, check out my chewy white chocolate macadamia nut cookies and my gluten-free pumpkin bread with chocolate chips.
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Why You'll Love These Cookies
You will love these chewy cookies because they're the perfect balance of peanut butter and chocolate. The dark chocolate pools on top of the chewy peanut butter cookies and makes the BEST cookie! I think the chocolate really brings out the peanut butter flavor. It's easy to make and the final step (the chocolate step) takes less than 5 minutes. The chocolate also hardens nicely so you can stack the cookies, too.
Is Peanut Butter Gluten Free?
Typically, peanut butter is gluten-free. Peanuts are gluten-free, so it's easy to assume that peanut butter is, too. However, a lot of processed peanut butter is made in facilities that also process gluten. If you are sensitive to gluten, be careful to choose a peanut butter that is clearly marked as gluten-free.
No Stir Peanut Butter Versus Natural Peanut Butter
Natural peanut butter is the one that has the oil at the top. When you get home from the store, you need to manually mix the peanut butter to combine the natural oils. No stir peanut butter is typically made with hydrogenated oils or trans fats that make these kinds of peanut butter so convenient.
Ingredients
- Gluten-free flour: I use King Arthur's gluten-free flour in this recipe. This gluten-free flour blend is what makes these cookies gluten-free.
- Peanut butter: I use smooth creamy peanut butter. I don't recommend using crunchy peanut butter for this recipe because it's harder to stir into the cookie dough.
- Dark chocolate: I use Lindt 70% dark chocolate for this recipe.
- Baking soda
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar: I use packed light brown sugar.
- Eggs
- Butter: melted and unsalted.
- Salt: Redmond Real Salt is the only salt I use at the moment.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the melted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs together with an electric mixer.
Add the peanut butter.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and baking soda. These are your dry ingredients.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix until combined.
Scoop the cookie into large cookie dough balls and roll them in the additional sugar (½ cup sugar).
Place the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet. Use a fork to press the dough balls down in a crosshatch pattern.
Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes.
After 12-15 minutes, remove the cookies from the oven and cool on a wire rack. The center should be light and the edges should be golden brown and crispy.
Roughly chop the dark chocolate bar and put it into a medium glass bowl. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, stirring every 30-second interval.
Spoon the melted dark chocolate on top of each cookie and spread evenly around the center. This doesn't have to be perfect.
Let the chocolate set and enjoy!
Hint: Make sure to let the peanut butter cookies cool on a wire rack completely so the cookies can solidify their crisp edges.
Substitutions
- Dark chocolate - instead of a dark chocolate bar, use dark chocolate chips.
- Bun - use gluten-free buns instead of white bread buns to make this gluten-free
- Butter - replace the butter with vegan butter to make this peanut butter cookie recipe dairy-free. My favorite vegan butter is Miyoko's.
Variations
- Vanilla Extract - add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the cookie dough for vanilla peanut butter cookies with chocolate.
- Chocolate chip - add ½ cup dark chocolate chips to the cookie dough for gluten-free chocolate chip peanut butter cookies. They'll be like chocolate chip cookies, except with peanut butter!
See my copycat gluten-free Levain chocolate chip cookies on my website!
Equipment
Storage
Store these cookies in a cool, dry place in an airtight container for up to three days.
You can also store the cookies in a freezer-safe bag and store them in the freezer for up to six months.
Top tip
Use a cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough. This is my favorite set!
Chocolate-Topped Peanut Butter Cookies (Gluten-Free)
Equipment
- Cookie sheets
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten-free flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar plus ½ cup for rolling
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 sticks 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 12 ounces dark chocolate roughly chopped
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the melted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and egg until well combined. Mix in the peanut butter until smooth.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Combine: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined.
- Shape cookies: Scoop the dough into large balls (about 2 tablespoons each) and roll them in the remaining ½ cup granulated sugar. Place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart.
- Press: Use a fork to gently press each dough ball down in a crosshatch pattern.
- Bake: Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the centers are set but still soft.
- Cool: Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Melt chocolate: Place the chopped dark chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until fully melted and smooth (about 2 minutes total).
- Top cookies: Spoon the melted chocolate onto the center of each cooled cookie, spreading it evenly. Allow the chocolate to set before serving.
Notes
FAQ
Gluten-free baked goods can be dry, so it's important to add enough liquid. Most gluten-free recipes already account for this.
The reason some gluten-free cookies don't stick together could be because they're lacking xanthan gum. King Arthur's Flour (and most gluten-free flours) already contain xanthan gum. You can also buy it seperatly and add it yourself.
Do not refrigerate peanut butter cookie dough before baking it in this recipe. The cookies really need to spread! This is a no-chill cookie recipe.
This recipe is not for flourless peanut butter cookies, but the recipe is on my list!
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with me through social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok or by subscribing to my newsletter.
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