Vegan Low FODMAP Peanut Butter Cookies

Name: Vegan Low FODMAP Peanut Butter Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon ground flax; 1 cup creamy natural peanut butter; ¼ cup pure cane sugar; ¼ cup brown cane sugar; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; ¼ cup almond meal (or flour (terms used interchangably)); ½ teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon salt

By Desiree Nielsen, RD

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There’s nothing like a freshly-baked peanut butter cookie! These cookies are low FODMAP, vegan, and packed with peanut butter-y flavor. Plus, this recipe is super simple — it’s made in just one bowl with just 8 ingredients.

Peanut butter cookies are one of my favourites! So these might just be the ultimate vegan peanut butter cookies. These low FODMAP cookies are also gluten free, grain free, and not too sweet. Soft and decadently delicious, prepare to fall in love!

I’ve said this before, but I’m not a huge sweets person. It’s not because I’m a dietitian either, because dietitians are kinda famous for their love of chocolate (LOL). I mean, I like the idea of cookies and cakes, but find most way too sweet for my tastes. So finding sweets I love often means making my own—like these vegan peanut butter hemp cookies—and is why both my Eat More Plants Cookbook and my Good For Your Gut book have pretty substantial dessert chapters.

That said, I fell in love with these vegan peanut butter cookies! I should admit that it took me a couple attempts to get them right: the first batches were too sweet. I set out to make a ‘full sugar’ cookie but it was honestly just too sweet for me and I didn’t feel right sharing a recipe I wouldn’t want to eat much of myself. The closest to those I’ve come up with, are these delicious vegan shortbread cookies!

One of the other reasons I like cookies is that they come together quickly without too much fuss. I am NOT a fussy baker; I leave the croissants and the macarons to the professionals! Give me cookies, muffins, and quick breads and I’m a happy camper.

Now for these Low FODMAP cookies! Let’s answer some common questions about FODMAP foods and the ingredients I used in this vegan peanut butter cookie recipe:

Are peanuts Low FODMAP?

They are! However, you don’t want to exceed 28 grams of peanuts in a serving (around 30 peanuts) as that may take you up to a higher FODMAP standing. As with many Low FODMAP-friendly foods, moderation is often key.

Is peanut butter Low FODMAP?

Yes! Most natural peanut butter is made from simply grinding peanuts until they’re viscous, then adding salt and potentially some oil. Since peanuts are considered Low FODMAP, that means these butters fall into the same category. However you’ll want to keep an eye out for the more processed or “no stir” peanut butter spreads that add fructose, molasses, or corn syrups. This could knock them into a higher FODMAP category.

Cane sugar vs. Granulated sugar

In this recipe, I use pure cane sugar and brown cane sugar. Both are less processed than your traditional white granulated sugars (table sugar) and are made only from the sugarcane plant. (Granulated sugar is made from sugarcane and sugar beets and tends to be more processed.)

Is almond flour Low FODMAP?

Yes, almond flour and almond meal are considered Low FODMAP if you’re using around 1/4 cup. Once you consume half a cup (1/2 cup) of almond flour, it is considered high FODMAP. So again, moderation is key here.

What makes these cookies healthy-ish?

I’ve got to say this straight out: if you want a full sugar, full gluten cookie: do that. Eat it, enjoy every minute of it, and don’t look back. Your cookies don’t have to be ‘healthy’. But let’s say you have special dietary needs like an allergy or low FODMAP requirements. Or maybe you like to eat a LOT of cookies—so you want to enjoy those make with some nutrient-dense ingredients to help you stay energized. Well, then these are the cookies for you. And me.

Let’s be cookie friends.

What’s most important about these cookies is that they’re really simple to make and taste absolutely delicious. But in case you’re curious, these cookies are also:

totally gluten free and grain free
low FODMAP so they are great for those on a low FODMAP diet for IBS
lower in added sugars (but not sugar free!). About 1 1/2 teaspoons (7 mL) of sugar per cookie. Plus plenty of healthy fats and fibre from the peanut butter and almond meal to help you avoid the crash.

And in case you like to shorten the window between craving and eating as much as possible, these cookies take less than 30 minutes to make, require just one bowl and 8 ingredients to prepare. I mean, what more can you ask for?

Can you stay vegan on a low FODMAP diet?

I’ve had way too many people tell me that their healthcare practitioners told them they’d need to give up their vegan or plant-based diet while they were low FODMAP, so let me give it to you straight: they’re wrong.

Yes, it’s true that many healthy plant foods are high FODMAP. But there are plenty of low FODMAP options in the plant world. And yes, it’s true that it’s hard to find low FODMAP vegan recipes on the internet…but that’s why I’m creating them. Need lunch ideas? Breakfasts? Desserts? I’ve got you! George Eats is another great vegan-friendly low FODMAP blog.

The most important thing to remember: low FODMAP is NOT for life. Ideally, you should only be low FODMAP for a maximum of 8-12 weeks. Not sure how to do that? It’s worth working with a registered dietitian who understands low FODMAP, plant-based living so you get individualized care.

A birds eye view of the ingredients needed to make Low FODMAP vegan peanut butter cookies, laid out on a white tray on a light pink table top.

How to make vegan low FODMAP peanut butter cookies

To make these easy, one-bowl vegan peanut butter cookies, first gather up your ingredients.

Well-stirred natural peanut butter: Go for a brand that is just peanuts + salt. Do not skip the salt!
Almond flour/meal: Helps add even more protein and creates a soft + fluffy texture. Almond meal can be a high FODMAP food but we only use a little here, so it’s well below the low FODMAP threshold.
Sugar: I like going with a classic combo of brown sugar + white sugar but the cookies should work if you only have one
Ground flax: Rich in omega 3 fatty acids, the soluble fibre in flax helps bind the cookies sans eggs
Baking powder, vanilla and salt: the usual suspects

Next, get mixing! Mix up the ground flax and water, and let it sit for five minutes to thicken. Then, mix the peanut butter, vanilla and sugar together well before adding the almond flour, baking powder and salt. The dough will begin to thicken, but you should still be able work it well with a fork. If not, get your hands in there!

Finally, you’ll scoop 1 tablespoon (15 mL) pucks, flattened with a fork on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Then you’ll bake them for 8-10 minutes—until the bottoms are golden and the cookies look cracked on top.

Let them cool for at least 10 minutes—preferably 20—because these gluten free cookies will firm up as they cool. Now try not to eat the whole batch at once!

Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies Tips + Substitutions

Make sure your peanut butter is well stirred, so you get the right blend of fat and protein for the cookies. If the fat isn’t blended in well, the cookies could be a bit dry! If you’re down to the bottom of your PB jar and it’s looking firm as opposed to fluid, try adding a tablespoon of avocado oil in there for some extra moisture.
Other nut + seed butters have very different textures than peanut butter and may not create the same style of dough. If you try it, please drop a comment to let me know how it goes! I’d be curious about how cashew butter performs as it is thicker like peanut butter.
I have not tested the variation yet, however, pecan flour is often a very good dupe for almond flour in case you are allergic…so give it a try (and let me know what you think!)

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE LOW FODMAP STARTER KIT HERE!

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