Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

When my cousin invited me and 80 other people over for Shabbat lunch, I knew I had to chip in. I would make gluten-free cookies! Because what would be the point of bringing something if he couldn’t eat it? You see, my cousin has celiac disease; his body can’t digest gluten.

Years ago, when he, his mother, and some of his siblings were diagnosed with celiac disease, I had never heard of it before. Gluten-free restaurants and cookbooks didn’t exist like they do now. These days, there is a lot more awareness of it, and therefore a lot more gluten-free dessert recipes around the internet.

So I searched around for recipes until I managed to mix and match recipes for peanut butter cookies and came up with these. I wanted to make something gluten-free, but I didn’t want to go to the health food store and buy ingredients that I would stash in the back of my baking pantry until I had to throw them out during Passover cleaning time (or maybe I wouldn’t have to throw them away, since they’re not hametz!). I wanted to use things I already had or knew I would use again. Like peanut butter. And sugar. Maybe that’s selfish, but I think everybody came out ahead here!

I made this recipe in one bowl using a wooden spoon; you could make it in your stand mixer, but everything comes together pretty easily. It makes about 70 cookies, so feel free to half it! It won’t be hard! And if you put pareve chocolate chips, not only is this recipe inherently gluten-free, but pareve, too.

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups chunky peanut butter
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Beat sugar and eggs. Add peanut butter and mix well. Add vanilla and baking powder. Mix in chocolate chips.
  3. Roll into tablespoon-sized balls and flatten on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
  4. Bake for 10 minutes.