Chewy Gluten-Free Peanut Butter and Oat Cookies

Soft in the middle, slightly chewy at the edges, and built on oats and natural peanut butter instead of wheat flour — no compromise on texture, no gluten required.

Some cookies are crisp, some are cakey, and then there are the ones you actually want. This recipe skips wheat flour entirely and leans on gluten-free oats for structure, with coconut sugar adding a gentle caramel note instead of the usual brown sugar. No mixer required, no chilling overnight, and no compromise on flavour.

Why Oats Do the Heavy Lifting

Oats do more in this recipe than just bulk out the dough. Ground into a rough flour, they bind the mixture together the way wheat flour normally would, while whole jumbo oats left in the mix add a bit of chew that keeps every bite interesting. Because they are naturally gluten-free, this recipe is a straightforward option if you are baking for someone avoiding gluten, without losing any of the indulgence.

Peanut Butter and Coconut Sugar

A natural, smooth peanut butter is doing most of the flavour work, so it is worth using one with a short ingredients list rather than a heavily sweetened version. Coconut sugar brings a deeper, slightly caramelised sweetness compared to white sugar, and a pinch of fine sea salt makes the peanut flavour taste more pronounced, not less.

Ingredients

• 120g gluten-free jumbo oats
• 50g gluten-free oat flour (ground from the oats above)
• 195g natural smooth peanut butter
• 100g coconut sugar
• 1 large egg
• 28g melted coconut oil
• 5g vanilla extract
• 3g baking soda
• 1.5g fine sea salt
• 50g chopped roasted peanuts
• 58g dark chocolate chips (optional)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat and Prep

   Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F) and line two baking trays with parchment paper.

2. 2

   Mix the Wet Ingredients

   Whisk together the peanut butter, coconut sugar, egg, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract until smooth and glossy.

3. 3

   Add the Dry Ingredients

   Stir in the jumbo oats, oat flour, baking soda, and sea salt until fully combined. The dough will be thick and slightly sticky.

4. 4

   Fold In the Extras

   Fold in the chopped peanuts and chocolate chips, if using, distributing them evenly through the dough.

5. 5

   Rest the Dough

   Chill the dough in the fridge for 15 minutes so the cookies hold their shape better while baking.

6. 6

   Shape the Cookies

   Scoop tablespoon-sized portions, roll into balls, and place on the trays about 5cm apart. Flatten each slightly with your palm.

7. 7

   Bake

   Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are golden but the centres still look slightly soft. They will firm up as they cool.

8. 8

   Cool on the Tray

   Let the cookies cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack, so they don't fall apart while still warm.

There is something satisfying about a cookie built from a handful of straightforward ingredients: oats, peanut butter, sugar, salt, and not much else. It bakes up soft, holds its shape, and tastes exactly like what it is. Keep a jar of good peanut butter and a bag of gluten-free oats in the cupboard, and this is the kind of recipe you will find yourself coming back to often.

Baked with pantry staples from Maven Wholefoods.