Gluten Free Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

Gluten Free Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches are a classic childhood treat that has been enjoyed by generations. But have you ever thought about turning everyone's favorite childhood sandwich into a Gluten Free Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookie? That's right, peanut butter and jam cookies are a delightful twist on the traditional sandwich. Combining the creamy, nutty flavor of peanut butter with the sweet and tangy taste of jelly.

The Gluten Free Peanut Butter Sugar Cookies used in this recipe combine the sweet, delicate flavor of sugar cookies with the rich, nutty taste of peanut butter, creating a heavenly bite that's perfect for any occasion.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Gluten Free Flour: I've put the recipe for GlutenFree Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies to the test with King Arthur Measure for Measure, Bob's Red Mill 1-1, and my own gluten-free flour blend. All three flours worked incredibly well and yielded a peanut butter shortbread cookie that had a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture. While I haven't tried other brands in this recipe, I can't say they wouldn't work. It's important to note that the flour blends used in developing this recipe contain xanthan gum. Please remember – you can NOT substitute a gluten-free flour blend with one single product such as almond flour or coconut flour. You will receive the best results when using blends.

Peanut Butter: Peanut butter is the essential component for creating Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Sugar Cookies. Personally, I favor utilizing "conventional" peanut butter like Jif or Skippy for baking. These brands of peanut butter are fully hydrogenated with vegetable oils that help stabilize the peanut butter and prevent separation. In my experience, conventional peanut butter is more dependable for baking than natural peanut butter, which is better suited for snacking. Both smooth and crunchy peanut butter are viable options for this recipe. However, I haven't experimented with other nut butters, such as Almond Butter, for this recipe.

Dry Milk Powder: Milk powder is an optional ingredient to add to this recipe. It enhances the taste of the baked goods by adding just a hint of sweetness as well as a creamier texture (think of it as an additional emulsifier).

Jam: I use seedless raspberry jam to make Gluten Free Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies. Any jam like strawberry preserves or grape jelly can be used to make this pb&j cookie recipe.

Making Gluten Free Peanut Butter Sugar Cookie Dough

Preparing the dough for gluten-free peanut butter shortbread cookies is a breeze, but it's worth noting that it tends to be soft. Therefore, it's essential to chill the dough for at least an hour before rolling it out.

Step 1: Combine the gluten-free flour, cornstarch, baking powder, kosher salt, and dry milk powder (if using) in a mixing bowl. Stir or whisk the ingredients together and set them aside.

Step 2: In the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with a paddle attachment, place the unsalted butter and light brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugar for 3-4 minutes until it becomes light and fluffy. Ensure that you scrape down the sides halfway through the creaming process.

Step 3: While the mixer is on low, incorporate a large egg into the sugar butter mixture and continue creaming for an additional minute. Mix in the peanut butter and vanilla extract until it's fully combined.

Step 4: Add the dry ingredients and mix until the flour is fully integrated into the butter mixture. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure that no pockets of flour are left at the bottom of the bowl.

Step 5: Place the gluten-free peanut butter shortbread cookie dough on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and use your hands to shape it into a round disk approximately 1 inch in height. This will make rolling it out a lot simpler. Remember that the dough may be sticky, so if necessary, use a little flour (1-2 teaspoons) to make it more workable.

Step 6: Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least an hour. Chilling the dough will make it easier to roll out.

How to cut and bake Peanut Butter Sugar Cookies

As mentioned, this gluten free peanut butter sugar cookie dough used to make Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies is very delicate unless you allow it to rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Step 1: Take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.

Step 2: Place the dough on a surface lightly dusted with flour and roll it to about ¼" thick. I find it easiest to do this on floured parchment paper.

Step 3: Use a cookie cutter to create the desired shapes. I like using a 2 ½" round cookie cutter for both cookies. Use a small cookie cutter (or the back end of a piping tip) to remove the centers in your top cookies. You'll want an even number of tops and bottoms.

Step 4: Combine all the dough scraps and roll the dough out again. If the dough is very soft, I suggest refrigerating it until it firms up again. Cut out additional cookies. You may repeat this process once or twice, but avoid doing it too often as the cookies can become tough and spread. Be sure to utilize all of the dough, and if there is any remaining, consider baking it as is. Don't let any cookie dough go to waste!

Step 5: Using an offset knife, transfer the gluten free peanut butter cookies to a parchment-lined sheet tray. Freeze the cookies for 15-20 minutes to allow the dough to firm up. This will help the cookies bake more evenly. In the meantime preheat the oven to 350F.

Step 6: When ready to bake, avoid crowding the sheet tray and only bake one tray at a time. Also, ensure not to place the raw cookie dough on a hot sheet tray, or the cookies will spread. Bake the cookies until the edges start to turn golden brown, usually around 8-10 minutes at 350°F.

Step 7: Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. In the meantime, bake the remaining cookie dough (or freeze it for future use).

How to fill Gluten Free Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

Make sure that the Gluten Free Peanut Butter Sugar Cookies have cooled completely before filling them with the peanut butter and jelly. Dust the top cookies (the ones with the center cut-out) with powdered sugar. Spread some peanut butter onto the bottom cookies (without the cut-out centers). Top them with some jam, like strawberry jam, then sandwich the two chewy peanut butter cookies together.

Storage & Freezing

Gluten Free Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Personally I think they actually taste better the next day which gives the flavors time to mingle.

To freeze the cookie dough, I recommend cutting them in whatever shape you like and then freezing them. It is very hard to roll out this dough once it has been frozen. To bake the frozen cookies, bake them straight from the freezer. Maybe add 1-2 minutes to the baking time but since they are fairly thin, I did not increase the baking time a lot.

FAQ - Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

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📖 Recipe

Yield: 18-24 Cookies (depending on size)

Gluten Free Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies

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Enjoy a nostalgic treat with our Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies. Made with creamy peanut butter and sweet jelly, these soft and chewy cookies are easy to make and bursting with flavor.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Sugar Cookies

• 113 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
• 115 grams light brown sugar
• 185 grams peanut butter, smooth
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 270 grams gluten free multipurpose flour
• 10 grams cornstarch
• 10 grams dry milk powder (optional)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon baking powder

For rolling out

• Additional gluten free flour

For Filling

• additional peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
• Jam - like strawberry, raspberry, grape...

Instructions

How to make Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cut Out Dough

1. Combine your gluten free flour, cornstarch, milk powder, salt and baking powder and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the sugar and room-temperature butter for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides.
3. Add the large egg and mix for an additional minute
4. Mix in your smooth peanut butter and vanilla extract.
5. Scrape down the sides of your bowl with a spatula.
6. Add the dry ingredients and mix together just until the flour disappears into the butter mixture.
7. Transfer the gluten free peanut butter shortbread cookie dough to a parchment-lined sheet tray and with your hands, gently push it together. I like to shape it in a round disk, about 1" tall which will make rolling out a lot easier. As mentioned, the dough might be sticky. You can use a little flour (1-2 teaspoons) to make it more workable.
8. Cover the dough with some plastic and refrigerated it for at least one hour minutes. Chilling it will make it easier to roll out.

Baking of Peanut Butter Sugar Cookies

1. To roll out the gluten-free peanut butter cookie dough, I like to split it in half. Roll it out on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper around ¼ inch thick.
2. Once your dough is rolled out around ¼ inch, refrigerate it for at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days. If you skip the chilling, these cookies won’t hold their shape.
3. When ready to bake, line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Use a cookie cutter to create the desired shapes. I like using a 2 ½" round cookie cutter for both cookies. Use a small cookie cutter (or the back end of a piping tip) to remove the centers in your top cookies. You'll want an even number of tops and bottoms.
5. Freeze the cookies for 15-20 minutes to allow the dough to firm up. This will help the cookies bake more evenly. In the meantime preheat the oven to 350F.
6. Arrange the cookies on a baking sheet (up to 12 cookies per sheet). Depending on the size of your peanut butter shortbread cookies, bake them for 8-10 minutes, until they are no longer shiny and look set. Remember, not all ovens are created equally.
7. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.

How to Sandwich Cookies

1. Make sure that the Gluten Free Peanut Butter Sugar Cookies have cooled completely before filling them with the peanut butter and jelly.
2. Dust the top cookies (the ones with the center cut-out) with powdered sugar. Spread some peanut butter onto the bottom cookies (without the cut-out centers).
3. Top them with a dollop of jam, like strawberry jam, then sandwich the two chewy peanut butter cookies together.

Notes

Storage: Fully baked and sandwiched gluten free peanut butter & jelly cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 177

Calories are a guestimate and randomly generated.

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