Last month, I invited a friend to dinner at a local Indian place, only to cancel on him two hours before the meal. My stomach had contracted an oh-so-lovely 24-hour bug, which left my lying pitifully on the couch all night, the remote dangling from one hand and a glass of Sprite in the other.
As an apology, I wanted to bake him some sort of tasty treat. At our rain-checked dinner three days later, I finally dragged it out of him: he’s a sucker for a good peanut butter cookie. Perfect! Easy as pie cookies, right?
Not so fast… Turns out he’s allergic to both dairy and gluten. I checked around my kitchen: white, whole wheat, and cake flour sat in the pantry, while butter and milk chilled in the fridge. Oops.
Thank goodness the store is only a quarter mile away! I hunted around and found Bob’s Red Mill all-purpose gluten free baking flour, and during my walk home, I crossed my fingers that an oil-for-butter substitution would still taste normal. With those minor modifications, I transformed one of my favorite recipes into a cookie safe for my dairy- and gluten-intolerant friend to enjoy.
Not bad for my first second gluten-free dessert!
modified from The Best Light Recipe
If you don’t have gluten intolerance, feel free to substitute all-purpose flour instead. Serve with a cold glass of milk for dunking!
- Preheat the oven to 350°, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the peanut butter and sugar, smearing any lumps against the side of the bowl. Stir in the flour mixture. (If a little dry, add a teaspoon or two of water.) If the dough is too sticky to handle, chill in the refrigerator for 20-30 min.
- Shape one tablespoon of dough into a ball, place on the prepared sheet, and flatten into a circle using your fingers or the bottom of a glass. Repeat with the remaining dough. Bake at 350° for 11-13 min or until lightly browned. Cool on the pans for 5 min before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
What is the texture like? I’m a big texture person and the texture is make or break with me.
The cookies are generally soft if dropped onto the cookie sheet as a rounded ball, although they’ll firm up flattened more with a fork or glass. Hope that helps!
Those look really delicious. I wish one of my friends would surprise me with some gluten-free cookies!
Thank you! I’ve found that baking really brightens people’s days, and since I enjoy it too, it’s a win-win situation!
…..and why was this filed under the vegan section on FoodGawker?
Because I actually used Ener-G instead of an egg when baking the cookies! I just forgot to mention that in the recipe; I’m so sorry for the confusion!
Thank you so much for posting these, I’ve been trying so hard to avoid wheat and dairy, so this is a recipe that I would definitely try!
My pleasure! I hope you enjoy them. I have another gluten and dairy-free cookie recipe I’ll be posting next week too, so stay tuned! :]
Ohh good, I’m excited to see it!
Hopefully later this week! (They’re my mom’s birthday present, and I don’t want to ruin the surprise. Shh! :])
Your secret is safe with me! 😉
We made these tonight and they were fabulous (used regular AP flour as we don’t have gluten issues). Perfect texture & level of sweetness. Thank you!
You’re welcome Shannon, and I’m so happy you liked the cookies! Peanut butter was always a favorite flavor in my family growing up, so it’s wonderful to replicate those sweet treats in a slightly healthier way. 🙂
Can I use Bob’s red mill one to one baking flour instead? (thats suppose to be a good flour for cookies). I find the all purpose flour to have a strong smell.
That should be fine! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the cookies Fatimah!
Can you substitute Crisco baking sticks for the oil?
If you melt the Crisco baking sticks, that would work as a substitute! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the cookies!
Thank you so much for the prompt reply. I have been diagnosed with IC (interstitial cystitis) and I am gluten and lactose free as well. Food and beverage restrictions with 3 diets is the PITS! I can’t wait to try your peanut butter cookies! They look so good! Please post more gluten and lactose free recipes. They are hard to find.
It’s my pleasure! Many of my recipes are easily adapted to be gluten-free and dairy-free with simple swaps, like gluten-free flour blends and dairy-free alternatives of milk and yogurt. My brother is severely lactose intolerant, but he’s able to take lactase pills and eat as much dairy as he likes as a result! Do those work for you? 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what recipe you try next!
These came out great! Finally, something I can eat and enjoy! Thank you so much for posting this! How about a banana nut bread that is IC friendly, gluten and lactose free? 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies! 🙂 The best way to find a specific recipe is to click on the “Recipes” tab at the top of my blog or use the Search Bar (located on the right side, if you’re viewing on a computer, or the bottom of my blog, if you’re viewing on a mobile device). I can’t wait to hear what you try next!
I’m just curious— you suggest dunking these dairy-free cookies in a glass of cold milk. Doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose of having to eat dairy-free cookies? Not trying to be snarky; just found it odd. Trying the recipe today!
Totally valid point, Ann! I forgot to mention that I always have unsweetened almond milk or cashew milk in my fridge because my dad and brother are lactose intolerant. I’m sure that little detail would’ve made my comment less confusing! 😉 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cookies!
Have you tested this recipe with an egg alternative?
Yes! My brother is actually allergic to eggs, and Ener-G is my favorite substitute. Ener-G is a shelf-stable powder that keeps for ages. It works perfectly as an egg replacer in nearly all of my recipes, including this one! For my recipes, use 1 ½ teaspoons Ener-G + 2 tablespoons warm water for each egg white, and you’ll need an additional ½ tablespoon of butter or coconut oil {or Earth Balance, if you’re vegan!} for each egg yolk. I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cookies Sara!
Did you use a natural peanut butter that requires stirring before each use or some brand that does not naturally separate?
Either one will work for this particular recipe! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try these cookies Wendy!