With sweet peanut butter cookies and a rich peanut butter filling, these Vegan Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies are the ultimate plant-based finger-food dessert. Plant-based, gluten-free, and oil-free.
Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies sandwiching sweet, creamy peanut butter. Do I need to write anything else?
I guess I can tell you the story of how these creations came into the world. When I was on vacation a couple months ago, my family and I went to an amazing vegan restaurant. They had SO MANY plant-based desserts. I'm a peanut butter fan so I went for their version of these sandwiches.
There were two giant cookies with a smothering of peanut butter inside. It was delicious. Ever since then I've been thinking about those decadent cookie sandwiches.
I loved the concept, but I knew I could make a healthier version.
Jump to:
Why I love these Vegan Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
- Dietary needs - these cookie sandwiches are plant-based, oil-free, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free
- Perfect easy dessert - these cookies are so simple to whip up anytime and they're definitely a crowd pleaser
- No equipment - all you need is a bowl! No hand mixer required.
- Simple ingredients - you probably have most, if not all, of the ingredients in your house. Make these cookies whenever you want!
- Whole foods ingredients - no refined sugar here! We use date sugar, maple syrup, and applesauce for sweetness. And no eggs or butter. Just ground flax and nut butter
- Oil-free, but they don't taste it - not only do these cookies not use butter, they have no oil at all! These cookies use peanut butter as a healthier, less processed alternative to oil.
- A lil extra something - regular cookies are fine, but cookie sandwiches.. game changer.
- So much peanut goodness - these vegan cookie sandwiches are loaded with peanut butter. The cookies themselves are peanut flavored and then there's a delicious peanut butter filling.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Peanut Butter Cookies Ingredients
- Natural Peanut Butter: use a peanut butter with only peanuts and salt on the ingredients list.
- Date Sugar: I recommend date sugar because it is high in fiber and won't spike your blood sugar as much as other sugars. If you can't find date sugar or don't want to eat it, I have tested this recipe with coconut sugar and have instructions for subbing in coconut sugar below
- Maple Syrup: maple syrup adds some more sweetness to the cookies. This recipe doesn't have as much syrup as my other cookie recipes because syrup makes the cookies very soft, which we don't want for sandwiches
- Unsweetened Applesauce: to replace some of the moisture loss from using less syrup, some applesauce is necessary to get the right texture. Be sure to use unsweetened applesauce.
- Vanilla Extract
- Ground Flaxseeds: Flax acts a binding agent, instead of using eggs
- Oat Flour: I love using oat flour in cookies because it's naturally gluten-free and can be made easily at home! If you make it at home, be sure to grind the oats into a fine powder - coarse oat flour will create a rougher texture.
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Mini Vegan Chocolate Chips: mini chocolate chips are necessary for this recipe, since the cookies are so small. For a fun twist you could use white chocolate minis.
Peanut Butter Filling Ingredients
- Peanut Butter: same note as above. Use a peanut butter with only peanuts and salt on the ingredients list.
- Date Sugar: date sugar is ideal for the filling because it is more absorbent than other sugars, so it will make the peanut butter less runny and more spreadable. If you want to use coconut sugar or another type of sugar, make sure you use a thicker peanut butter and sub the sugar 1:1.
How to make Vegan Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 2. In a large bowl, whisk the applesauce, cashew butter, date sugar, and vanilla extract.
Step 3. Add the flaxseeds, oat flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until combined.
Step 4. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Step 5. Scoop into 2-teaspoon sized balls (I used a #70 cookie scoop) and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Use your hand to flatten to a 2" diameter - you want them to be as flat as possible for the sandwiches.
Step 6. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the cookies are slightly brown around the edges and solid enough to pick up - a crisp cookie is ideal for sandwiches. Let the cookies cool completely.
Step 7. While the cookies cool, make the peanut butter filling. In a small bowl whisk the peanut butter and date sugar.
Step 8. When the cookies are completely cool, spread 2 teaspoons of the peanut butter filling on the bottom of half of the cookies and create sandwiches.
FAQ & Expert Tips
I use date sugar in my baking because it is made from fruit. Date sugar is dried dates, ground into a sugar consistency. So it is much healthier than any other sugar.
Date sugar is much different in baking than other sugars - it does not dissolve. So if you would like to use a different sugar, you need to use less sugar. I have tested this recipe using ⅓ cup of coconut sugar in place of the date sugar.
I have only tested these cookies using coconut sugar but I expect other sugars would work similarly.
The sugar in the peanut butter filling can be subbed 1:1. To avoid a runny filling, I recommend using the thicker part of the peanut butter for the filling.
I highly recommend buying cookie scoops! They make portioning cookies, muffins, and cupcakes so much easier! I used cookie scoops all the time when I worked at a vegan bakery and I've never gone back.
Cookie scoops make perfectly identical cookies and can help keep your hands clean when baking.
Store these cookies in in an air-tight container at room temperature. The peanut butter filling is stable enough to stay at room temperature and the sandwiches will not fall apart when stacked. So stack away!
You can also freeze these cookies. Place in a zip top bag and freeze for up to six months. (Also, a cold cookie sandwich straight from the freezer is delicious!)
These cookies will last 7-10 days if properly stored in an air-tight container.
Recipe Prayer
Jesus, thank you for delicious and decadent desserts. Let us enjoy them in moderation while celebrating the health benefits of plant-based foods. Amen.
More Vegan Oil-Free Cookies
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Cookies
- ½ Cup Natural Peanut Butter
- ½ Cup Date Sugar *see notes for substitutes
- ¼ Cup Maple Syrup
- ¼ Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tablespoon Ground Flaxseeds
- 1 ½ Cups Oat Flour
- ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Cup Mini Vegan Chocolate Chips
Peanut Butter Filling
- ½ Cup Peanut Butter
- 2 Tablespoons Date Sugar *see notes for substitutes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk the applesauce, cashew butter, date sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Add the flaxseeds, oat flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop into 2-teaspoon sized balls (I used a #70 cookie scoop) and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Use your hand to flatten to a 2" diameter - you want them to be as flat as possible for the sandwiches.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the cookies are slightly brown around the edges and solid enough to pick up - a crisp cookie is ideal for sandwiches. Let the cookies cool completely.
- While the cookies cool, make the peanut butter filling. In a small bowl whisk the peanut butter and sugar.
- When the cookies are completely cool, spread 2 teaspoons of the peanut butter filling on the bottom of half of the cookies and create sandwiches.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate.
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