Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (Small Batch)

Small Batch Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies that are soft, chewy, and insanely delicious? Yes, please. This peanut butter chocolate chip cookie recipe in my eyes is the perfect cookie. Packed with creamy peanut butter and an abundance of chocolate which gives them gooey centers and crispy edges. And the best part? The dough is made with simple ingredients, does not have to chill, and can be baked right away. Perfect for when you want just a handful of freshly baked chocolate peanut butter cookies.

If you love peanut butter, make sure to check out my Gluten Free Peanut Butter Blondies or my Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cheesecake.

For more small batch recipes makes sure to check out my Small Batch Gluten Free Oatmeal M&M Cookies and my small batch Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Gluten Free Flour: I have tested this small batch recipe for gluten-free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies with my own gluten-free flour blend, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 and Cup4Cup. Since peanut butter cookies overall tend to spread less (due to the addition of the peanut butter), the cookies made with my own gluten-free flour blend and Bob's Red Mill were more compact (and need a slight "press down" before baking) while the cookies made with Cup4Cup did spread on their own. This is because Cup4Cup has a lesser amount of "structure" flours like brown rice flour. The gluten-free peanut butter cookies baked with Cup4Cup were crispier than the ones baked with Bob's Red Mill. It's important to mention that the cookie dough made with Cup4Cup had a slightly greasy look to it. (All flour blends mentioned do contain xanthan gum)

Peanut Butter: The key ingredient to make Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies is definitely peanut butter. I prefer baking with "conventional" peanut butter such as Jif or Skippy. Conventional peanut butter is made with fully hydrogenated vegetable oils, which help stabilize the peanut butter and prevent it from separating. In my opinion, it's more reliable in baking than natural peanut butter (which is perfect for snacking!). Creamy or chunky peanut butter will work in this recipe.

Chocolate: I used a mix of dark chocolate chunks, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and a chopped-up milk chocolate bar in this small-batch chocolate chip cookie recipe. The chopped-up chocolate bar creates those beautiful chocolate puddles we all love so much.

Tools needed to make Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

The beauty of this small batch recipe is the fact that you don't even need a stand mixer or electric mixer to make it. You will need the following kitchen tools

• a small saucepan or microwave safe bowl to melt the butter
• digital kitchen scale to measure out the ingredients
• large bowl to make the gluten free peanut butter cookie dough
• whisk, flexible spatula or wooden spoon
• cookie Scoop (medium or large size), you can also portion the cookies by weight with a kitchen scale
• baking sheet and parchment paper
  

Step by Step Instructions

The dough for this small batch gluten free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies recipe does come together in no time. I recommend starting with melting the butter and while it is cooling, gather all your other ingredients and pre-heat the oven. I have tested this recipe with a room temperature egg and an egg straight from the fridge and didn't see any major difference in the results.

Step 1: In a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. We are not browning the butter for this recipe - just melting it. Once the butter is melted, remove it from the heat and transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Allow the butter to cool for at least 5 minutes

Step 2: While the butter is cooling, weigh out all your other ingredients needed. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. Preheat your oven to 350F.

Step 3: Once the butter has cooled down (it should still be liquid but not hot), add the peanut butter and whisk to combine. The melted butter will help to liquefy the peanut butter.

Step 4: Add the brown sugar to the bowl and with a whisk (or fork) together. Add the egg yolk and make sure it’s fully incorporated.

Step 5: Add the dry ingredients and chocolate chips and with a flexible spatula or a wooden spoon, fold everything together. It is possible the peanut butter chocolate chip dough will look fairly dry and crumbly at this stage. This is when I recommend switching to your hands and just bringing the dough together with your clean hands instead.

Step 6: Divide the dough into 6 equal-sized cookies (or 3 larger-sized cookies) You can either do this by weight or with a cookie scoop. Place additional dark chocolate chips or chocolate chunks on top of each cookie and gently press them down a bit. Peanut Butter cookies sometimes don't spread like regular cookies so a gentle press down will help them get a head start.

Step 7: Place the Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookie dough on the parchment-lined cookie sheet, evenly space them out and bake cookies at 350F for 9-12 minutes. If you split the dough into 3 large cookies, the bake time will be around 11-13 minutes. If you split the dough into 6 smaller cookies, the bake time will be around 9 minutes. The cookies will be puffy and golden around the edges when they are ready to be removed from the oven. I recommend slightly underbaking those gluten-free cookies so they will be soft and chewy.

Step 9: Remove the cookies from the oven and if you like, use a round cutter or bowl that’s slightly larger than the cookies and “scoot them” into a perfectly round shape. This is not a must but people sure are impressed with perfect round cookies. Sprinkle the cookies with some flaky sea salt if you like - Peanut Butter and Salt go together SO well. Allow for the cookies to cool on the sheet tray for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely (Or just eat them while they are still warm)

Store any leftovers you may have in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Those cookies are the best enjoyed right from the oven.

Variations of Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's always fun to mix things up. Here are a few ideas on how to take this delectable gluten-free peanut butter chocolate chip cookie recipe to the next level

Add Roasted Peanuts: add a handful of chopped-up salted, roasted peanuts to the dough along with some chocolate chips. The addition of peanuts not only gives the cookies a little bit of crunch but also brings out the peanut butter flavor.

Add a Candy Bar: Add some chopped-up peanut butter cups, snickers, butterfingers along with some chopped-up chocolate chunks. (Yes, Butterfingers are gluten-free!)

Mix up the Chocolate: use half milk chocolate chips and half peanut butter chips.

FAQ about Small Batch Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Can I use different nut butter?
If you are allergic to peanuts or don't like them, I recommend making my Small Batch Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe instead.

Can I leave out the peanut butter?
If you are allergic to peanuts or don't like them, I recommend making my Small Batch Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe instead.

Can I make this recipe dairy-free?
To make this recipe dairy-free, please substitute the butter with your favorite dairy-free butter (I recommend the stick variation and not a spread. I also do NOT recommend coconut oil). Make sure to use dairy-free chocolate chips.

Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
This recipe was developed to be made and baked right away. If you are looking for a make-ahead cookie dough recipe, please check out my gluten-free peanut butter cookies.

My peanut butter cookies did not spread
Peanut Butter Cookies need a little head start when it comes to spreading. I recommend after you topped the cookie dough with additional chocolate, gently press them down a bit. IF they should spread too much, you can always use a round bowl or cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookies and scoot them back into a round shape.

How should I store any leftover cookies I may have?
If you happen to have cookies left, I recommend storing them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Can I use “regular all-purpose flour” in this recipe?
To make this recipe with All Purpose Flour (as in WHEAT containing flour) please use 58 grams All Purpose Flour. I DO NOT recommend replacing the gluten-free flour used in this recipe with coconut flour or almond flour.