You will definitely love these new Small Batch Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies! They're incredibly soft with slightly crisp edges and tender, chewy insides that are flavored with peanut butter and chunks of dark chocolate—and maybe a sprinkling of sea salt flakes too, if you fancy! You can enjoy them all at once or freeze them for when you want a delicious chocolate-peanut butter snack!
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love These Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
- They're very soft with slightly crisp edges and tender, chewy insides thanks to a little added cornstarch!
- A simple, no fuss cookie recipe.
- Only 45 minutes of dough chilling needed. The cookie dough can also be kept frozen for when you have a chocolate-peanut butter cookie craving!
- They're gluten free! They can also be made dairy free too or as regular peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies.
- 15 minutes or less to prep.
- Loaded with dark chocolate chunks and peanut butter flavor!
- A small batch recipe that makes either 14 small chocolate chunk cookies or 6 large.
- The best treat to make for the chocolate-peanut butter lover in your life!
What Ingredients To Get
To make these fabulous small batch gluten free peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies, you will need:
- Unsalted Butter. Only ¼ cup is needed and it should be at room temperature.
- Peanut Butter. You will need 2 tablespoons. A creamy, no stir type of peanut butter is best.
- Sugars. You will need ¼ cup of light brown sugar and ¼ cup granulated sugar or pure cane sugar. can be used
- An Egg. Just one is needed for this recipe. Make sure it's at room temperature.
- Vanilla Extract. For the ultimate flavor, we're using 2 teaspoons here!
- 1:1 Gluten Free Flour. 1 cup + 1 tablespoon is needed. I used the Krusteaz brand, but King Arthur Flour or Bob's Red Mill is good too.
- Cornstarch. Helps to give the cookies that perfect soft and tender bite!
- Baking Soda. 1 teaspoon is needed.
- Dark Chocolate. ⅓ cup is needed. Use a good quality bar of chocolate. I like using Lindt's 70% cocoa chocolate bar.
- Sea Salt Flakes. Totally optional, but man do they ever make these cookies taste good!
Substitutions
Plant Based Butter and Dairy Free Chocolate. You can make this peanut butter chocolate chunk cookie recipe dairy free by using a plant based butter and a dairy free chocolate. I like Country Crock's plant based butter and Taza Chocolate.
All-Purpose Flour. You can make these cookies just your regular chocolate chunk cookies by swapping out the gluten free flour for all-purpose flour.
Chocolate Chips. Instead of dark chocolate chunks, you can use semi-sweet chocolate chips (same amount, ⅓ cup).
I did not use any egg substitutes for this recipe.
Here's How to Make Them!
- Whisk the gluten free all-purpose 1:1 flour, cornstarch, and baking soda together. Set to the side.
- Cream the unsalted butter, peanut butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar together using either your hand mixer or stand mixer. Psst...for such a small batch the hand mixer is much easier!
- Add in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Mix in the whisked dry ingredients. Start with a low speed so the mixture doesn't go flying everywhere.
- Fold in the chocolate chunks. I used a spatula for this part and I used a sharp knife and cutting board to chop up my chocolate. Semi-sweet chocolate chips can be used in place of chocolate chunks.
- Chill for 45 minutes then scoop out onto a parchment paper line baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350ºF.
This cookie dough can easily be kept frozen until ready to use too. I recommend making the dough, scoop out the cookie dough and placing them onto either a wax paper or parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Place them in the freezer until solid, then transfer the cookie dough balls into a well sealed freezer bag or storage container. Vacuum sealed containers work really well for recipes like this as well!
Essential Cookie Baking Tools
Small Batch Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies FAQs
For smaller cookies, use a 1 ½ tablespoon-size cookie scoop. For larger cookies, use a 3 tablespoon-size scoop. You might need to add on 1-2 minutes to your baking time for the larger cookies.
Yes. A minimum of 45 minutes is needed. Longer or overnight is okay too.
Yes, they will a bit. This is okay. When using chocolate chips you may find they don't spread as much.
Absolutely, yes. Scoop the cookie dough onto a parchment paper or wax paper lined cookie sheet and freeze until solid. Place each cookie dough ball into a well sealed freezer bag or a vacuum sealed bag or container and keep in the freezer until ready to bake. You do not need to let them come to room temperature. Just add on 1-2 minutes of baking time. The baking temperature remains the same.
Using a cookie scoop will help, but you can also use a round cookie cutter or the top of a drinking glass or coffee mug to round out each cookie immediately after you've taken them out of the oven. See my Salted Brownie Cookies recipe for how to do this!
More Delicious Cookies to Sink Your Teeth Into!
Small Batch Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Author:Ingredients
- ¼ cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoon Creamy Peanut Butter
- ¼ cup Light Brown Sugar
- ¼ cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Large Egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon Gluten Free Flour
- 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ⅓ cup Dark Chocolate, chopped or Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips can be used, plus any extra for topping (if desired)
- Sea Salt Flakes, optional topping
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten free 1:1 all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and baking soda. Set to the side.
- With a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the unsalted butter, peanut butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light in color and fluffy in texture.
- Add in the egg and vanilla extract. Continue to mix until well blended.
- Switching the mixer speed to low, add in the whisked dry mixture, mixing until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks with a spatula.
- Cover the mixing bowl tightly with plastic wrap and chill the cookie dough for a minimum of 45 minutes.
- Adjust your oven rack to the 2nd level mark (just above center) and preheat your oven to 350ºF. Line 1-2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Using a cookie scoop, place a scoop or ball of cookie dough on to the baking sheet spacing them out 1 ½ - 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with a little sea salt flakes, if desired.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes at 350ºF. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Keep the cookies stored in an airtight container for up to a week.
Recipe Notes
- Use a 1 ½ tablespoon size cookie scoop for smaller size cookies. For large cookies, use a 3 tablespoon-size cookie scoop.
- If you like for your cookies to be the same size and roundness, use a round circle cookie cutter to round them out. See my Salted Brownie Cookies recipe on how to do this—it's easy, I promise!
- To freeze the cookie dough, scoop the cookie dough onto a parchment paper or wax paper lined cookie sheet and freeze until solid. Place each cookie dough ball into a well sealed freezer bag or a vacuum sealed bag or container and keep in the freezer until ready to bake. You do not need to let them come to room temperature. Just add on 1-2 minutes of baking time. The baking temperature remains the same.
Akrati Gangwar says
Hi, you did not mention when to add the chocochips in the instructions!! Iguess they need to be folded after adding flour.
Jennifer says
Hi! Thank you for the catch, and yes that is when the chocolate chunks should be added. I've updated the recipe.
Jen C. says
I made these last night. And they were great, though I wish the PB flavor was stronger (I used Skippy creamy and measured by weight). I may try reducing a little of the butter and increasing the PB next time. I used 72% cocoa chocolate chips from TJ's. I think my usual 60% or 63% chips would have made it too sweet.
Very quick to come together and a good "small batch" size. They were still tender/chewy the next day. I really appreciate your recipes always have weight measurements!
Cel says
Hi! I made the cookies but mine came out crumbly and also the cookies spread very little and look like little balls 🙁 I followed the steps exactly - any tips?
Jennifer says
Oh, that's very strange! I'm so sorry that happened. I tested these several times (with gluten-free and all-purpose) and didn't run into this issue. Did you use the correct amounts for each ingredient?