These peanut butter and jelly cookies transform a favorite childhood sandwich into a cookie, as it combines salty and creamy peanut butter with sweet raspberry jam. These cookies are easy to make, vegan and egg-free.
Ingredients you'll need
The full list of ingredient quantities and instructions are in the gray recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Notes about the ingredients
Smooth creamy peanut butter, either natural or processed (such as Skippy, with added oil and sugar). Cookies made with natural peanut butter are slightly more crumbly. You can see the visual difference in my vegan peanut butter cookies post.
Vegan block butter. You can use spreadable vegan butter with a couple of changes (see the notes in the recipe card at the bottom of this post). If you want to make peanut butter jelly cookies without butter, use my 3-ingredient peanut butter cookie recipe and add a thumbprint of jam.
Raspberry jam, preserves or jelly (or strawberry jam). I love these cookies with raspberry preserves as I enjoy the little bits of fruit. If you don't like seeds or chunks in your jam, use raspberry jelly.
How to make peanut butter and jelly cookies
The peanut butter cookies are made just like any conventional cookies!
First, in a large bowl, make sure you adequately cream the butter with the sugar and wet ingredients. This helps dissolve the sugar which helps bind the ingredients (and so, replaces some of the function of eggs). Peanut butter cookies tend to be more crumbly than regular cookies, but undermixed cookies are even more crumbly.
Finally, mix in the dry ingredients (flour and baking soda). Your final cookie dough should be soft and slightly tacky. Initially, it'll have a similar texture to peanut butter frosting but will firm up by the minute.
Assembling the peanut butter jelly cookies
Roll your balls of dough in crushed peanuts. For extra texture, add some granulated sugar to the crushed peanuts!
Then, use your thumb, the back of a wooden spoon or a ½ teaspoon measure to indent the center of each cookie. If your cookies crack, you can simply pinch them back together (though, I think the cracks are beautiful and add character).
Finally, use a small spoon to dollop the jelly, jam or preserves into each cookie.
Baking tips
These cookies spread a little in the oven, so I recommend spacing them about 1-inch (2.5 cm) apart.
For soft cookies, bake them for 12-13 minutes. Let them cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack.
For crunchier cookies, bake them for 15-16 minutes and let them cool completely on the baking sheet.
Customizing these cookies
I could reduce the light brown sugar to ¼ cup (48g) without hugely impacting the cookies (the cookies were just slightly more crumbly than the original). Alternatively, check out my 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies that are made with maple syrup.
Yes, I have tested these cookies with a gluten-free all-purpose flour and it worked well. I used a gluten-free blend made of maize, tapioca, rice flour and vegetable gums.
Unlike regular flour, different brands of gluten-free flour weigh differently. For example, one brand might be 125g for 1 cup whereas another brand can weigh 160g for 1 cup. If you're using gluten-free flour, I recommend using the grams measurements. You may also need to add an extra dash of flour or milk to your dough.
More easy vegan cookies
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Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies (vegan)
Ingredients
Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
- ½ cup (115g) vegan butter, room temperature (note 1)
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar, or more brown sugar
- ½ cup (95g) packed brown sugar, or more granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15g) dairy-free milk, plus more if needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (190g) smooth peanut butter, processed or natural (note 2)
- 1 ⅓ cups (165g) all-purpose plain flour, or gluten-free all-purpose flour, spoon and leveled (note 3)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- Pinch of salt, if using unsalted peanut butter
To decorate
- ⅔ cup (100g) roasted peanuts, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup (105g) raspberry jam, preserves or jelly (or flavor of choice)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
Make the peanut butter cookies:
- Add the vegan butter, sugars, dairy-free milk and vanilla to a large mixing bowl (if using a hand mixer) or the bowl of a stand mixer (with the paddle attachment). Beat the ingredients until light and fluffy. Add the peanut butter and beat until very well combined.
- Add the all-purpose flour and baking soda and mix until just combined. The cookie dough should be very soft and tacky (the texture will depend on your ingredients and how you measured them). If your dough is crumbly, add ½ tablespoon (8g) of milk at a time and mix again. If your dough is very sticky, add 1 tablespoon (8g) of flour and mix again (or chill your dough).
Assembling the peanut butter jelly cookies:
- Place the chopped peanuts in a medium bowl.
- Use a small cookie scoop to divide the dough into 24 equal pieces (they should be around 28g each) and roll them into balls.
- Add the peanuts to a small bowl. Gently toss the cookie dough balls in the peanuts.
- Arrange the cookie dough balls on your lined baking trays, spaced about 1 inch (3cm) apart. Use your thumb or the back of a large spoon to indent each cookie.
- Use a small spoon or a piping bag to dollop the jam into each cookie.
Baking and storing the cookies:
- Bake the cookies for around 12-15 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden brown (around 12 minutes for soft cookies or around 15 minutes for crunchier cookies).
- Let the cookies to cool on the baking trays for at least 15 minutes. Initially, the cookies will be very delicate but will firm up. For soft cookies, transfer them to a wire rack when they are no longer delicate. For crunchier cookies, let the cookies cool on the baking trays.
- Store the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Notes
- These cookies will work with chilled spreadable vegan butter. If using spreadable butter, I recommend omitting the milk and adding more flour if necessary. Your dough may be a little softer and will spread more. You can also use softened coconut oil (and include the milk). Your cookies will be more crisp as coconut oil is higher in fat than vegan butter.
- Skip the milk if using spreadable vegan butter.
- Natural peanut butter results in slightly more delicate peanut butter cookies, than those with processed peanut butter.
- If you're using measuring cups, use the spoon and level method where you use a spoon to add flour to a cup and level it off with a knife. Scooping flour into the cup compresses the flour and adds too much flour to the cookie dough. For the best results, use an electric scale. If using gluten-free flour, make sure it has a binder or gum in it. Different brands have different volume measurements so I recommend using grams.
I originally published this post in 2017 and updated it in 2023 with an improved recipe.
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I just tried it. İn the morning to surprise my daughter for breakfast. Oh my god, I can say that it is the best cookie you have ever eaten. Moreover, I made the jam myself without sugar. It was legendary. Tomorrow I will share it on instagram and thank you for the recipe dear Anthea
Hi Elif, aw that's wonderful feedback!!! I'm soo happy that you loved these and that you were able to customize the jam to your tastes. Thanks soo much for letting me know x
They taste absolutely delicious! Everyone loved them. Highly recommended <3
I'm so happy that you and everyone enjoyed these cookies!! Thanks so much for your feedback Jenny x
Loved this simple recipe! Thank you
Aw that's great, thanks for letting me know!
These sound really delicious.
Thanks Margaret!