The EASIEST cookie recipe with just 5 ingredients! Vegan and gluten-free with no flour, made with your favorite nut or seed butter, and plenty of room for adding chocolate chips if you wish!
These cookies were an experiment that somehow succeeded against all odds, and I am VERY excited to share them with you. The ingredient list is a skeptically short combination of things that will make you wonder “will it cookie…?” But luckily I can go ahead and spoil the ending for you with a resounding YES it will absolutely cookie and YES you will love them.
I’ve seen similar such flourless cookie things done with 5 ingredients, but there is always an egg on the list. My mission was to figure out if such a simple cookie was still possible without the egg, and I didn’t even have to go to any weird egg replacer lengths to make it work. I also typically see these recipes with brown sugar, but I wanted to see if we could swap to something a little more natural: maple syrup. And again, total win! These cookies were just a happy surprise on so many levels, and I tested out a handful of different variations for you too.
How To Make Vegan Gluten-Free Cookies With 5 Easy Ingredients
One bowl, five ingredients, fifteen minutes in the oven, so many variations. And those 5 ingredients are…
Nut or seed butter. Almond butter, tahini, peanut butter, SunButter…you see what I mean about the “so many variations” part? Whichever nut butter you choose will be the predominant flavor, so pick one you love or even combine 2 (I love almond butter + tahini personally!)
Maple syrup. I know it seems like a liquid sweetener in a flourless cookie might be a mistake, but I promise it works. And is a little more natural too, which I love. Agave will work as well, or honey if you prefer.
Starch or flax. I used tapioca starch, but arrowroot or corn are also fine. This replaces the egg with just enough binding, but still allows for plenty of spread to get that thin crispy cookie. I also tested with ground flax (not a flax egg, just the flax meal), and it worked but created a puffier cookie with a chewier interior (photo comparison below ↓).
Baking soda. Not powder, soda. I tried with powder and they ended up soft and puffy and not good, so don’t try to swap them.
Salt. Obviously we need that sweet to salty balance, and depending on what nut butter you use the cookies have a bit of a salted caramel vibe.
Mix-ins! If you want, delicious with or without. But chocolate chips are never a bad idea.
Flourless Cookie Variations
Like I mentioned, there is lots of room to customize this recipe. But I wanted to give you a visual reference so you can choose your preferred cookie adventure. So here’s the breakdown:
With tapioca starch = thin and crispy with lots of spread
With flax meal = some spread but not as much, softer chewier inside texture
With chocolate chips = a little less spread, a little softer, but CHOCOLATEY
Frequently Asked Flourless Cookie Questions
My batter is too soft to roll into balls?
Mix it longer. The batter will start out soft, but if you beat it on high speed for 2-3 full minutes I promise it will come together and thicken up into a roll-able consistency. Do not stop until you can pinch off a ball and roll it easily.
Can I use a natural nut butter?
Yes! I have tested with both a conventional “no stir” peanut butter and natural almond butter and both worked. It may take a little extra mixing with a runnier/more oily nut or seed butter.
Can I use baking powder instead of baking soda?
No. Baking soda is necessary for the spread and golden color, baking powder will just create doughy balls.
What is the best way to store the cookies?
In an airtight container in the fridge is ideal and will last at least a week, or you can freeze them for longer storage.
How do you get perfectly round cookies?
Immediately when you take the cookies out of the oven, use a cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookies to shape the edges of the cookies into a perfect circle.
The EASIEST cookie recipe with just 5 ingredients! Vegan and gluten-free with no flour, made with your favorite nut or seed butter, and plenty of room for adding chocolate chips if you wish!
1 cup (256g) nut or seed butter of choice (I’ve made them with SunButter, almond butter, tahini, and peanut butter–all delicious!)
1/2 cup (160g) maple syrup (or agave)
1 tbsp tapioca starch or flax meal*
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to beat together on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes. It will slowly thicken into a dough consistency, I promise.
Fold in optional mix-ins.**
Scoop or roll 1-2 tablespoons of dough per cookie. Arrange on the baking sheets with plant of room in between for spreading.
Bake for 14-15 minutes at 325°F until golden around the edges.
Cool 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge, or freeze for longer storage.
Notes
*The starch version will spread the most and be crispy, the flax meal will spread less and be more chewy inside (see photos above). You can substitute arrowroot or corn starch in place of the tapioca.
**Feel free to add chocolate chips, chopped nuts, sprinkles, or any other mix-ins you like!