Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies
By America's Test KitchenPublished on March 29, 2018
Time
45 minutes, plus 30 minutes resting
Yield
Makes about 24 cookies
Ingredients
Before You Begin
The cookies will look underdone after 12 to 14 minutes, but they will set up as they cool. The baking time is very important; 2 minutes can be the difference between a soft, chewy cookie and a dry, crisp cookie. Do not shortchange the dough's 30-minute rest or the cookies will spread too much and taste gritty. This recipe uses our America's Test Kitchen All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Blend. Do not omit the xanthan gum; it is crucial to the structure of the cookies. Do not shortchange the 30-minute rest for the dough; if you do, the cookies will spread too much.
Instructions
- Whisk flour blend, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum together in medium bowl; set aside. Combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, and peanut butter in large bowl. Pour warm butter over sugar mixture and whisk to combine. Whisk in eggs and vanilla and continue to whisk until smooth. Stir in flour mixture with rubber spatula and mix until soft, homogeneous dough forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rest for 30 minutes. (Dough will be slightly shiny and soft.)
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 2 generous tablespoons dough at a time, roll into balls and space 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Using bottom of greased dry measuring cup, press each ball to ¾-inch thickness. Sprinkle tops evenly with peanuts.
- Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until puffed and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look underdone), 12 to 14 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Time
45 minutes, plus 30 minutes restingYield
Makes about 24 cookiesIngredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We found we could pack a full cup of peanut butter into our cookies as long as we kept the butter in check to avoid greasiness. To prevent our cookies from being cakey, we used just enough flour to provide structure and volume. Even with less flour, we found we still needed to rest the dough for 30 minutes, as with our other gluten-free cookie recipes. Granulated sugar was necessary for crisp edges and structure, while brown sugar contributed chew and a molasses flavor that complemented the peanut butter.
Before You Begin
The cookies will look underdone after 12 to 14 minutes, but they will set up as they cool. The baking time is very important; 2 minutes can be the difference between a soft, chewy cookie and a dry, crisp cookie. Do not shortchange the dough's 30-minute rest or the cookies will spread too much and taste gritty. This recipe uses our America's Test Kitchen All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Blend. Do not omit the xanthan gum; it is crucial to the structure of the cookies. Do not shortchange the 30-minute rest for the dough; if you do, the cookies will spread too much.
Instructions
- Whisk flour blend, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum together in medium bowl; set aside. Combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, and peanut butter in large bowl. Pour warm butter over sugar mixture and whisk to combine. Whisk in eggs and vanilla and continue to whisk until smooth. Stir in flour mixture with rubber spatula and mix until soft, homogeneous dough forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rest for 30 minutes. (Dough will be slightly shiny and soft.)
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 2 generous tablespoons dough at a time, roll into balls and space 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Using bottom of greased dry measuring cup, press each ball to ¾-inch thickness. Sprinkle tops evenly with peanuts.
- Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until puffed and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look underdone), 12 to 14 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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