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14 Cookie Recipes Without Flour, In Case You're Missing That Pantry Staple

by Jessica Booth
Updated: 
Originally Published: 

Many of us have made a baking hobby during the COVID-19 pandemic, which isn't really surprising. It's a fun way to use up your spare time, it can be a fairly simple skill to master when you start with beginner recipes, and it yields delicious results. But baking can become significantly more difficult when you can't use a key ingredient, like flour. Fortunately, there are still things you can make, like cookie recipes without flour, even if you're missing the pantry staple.

Maybe you stick a gluten-free diet because of an allergy and you're searching for some flourless recipes that are still delicious. Or maybe you ran out of flour and just can't make it to the grocery store to grab some. Whatever the case, there are plenty of flourless cookies out there. Many recipes rely on nut butter to deliver a solid base. The advantage of using nut butter over flour is that it's obviously creamier, which means your cookies are going to be a bit more chewy. This may also be the healthier option, since nut butters have more protein and nutrients, so if that's important to you, then that's definitely an advantage. But you'll obviously want to be careful with any nut allergies.

But if you just have a cookie craving and are missing flour, here are some recipes to get you started.

1Flourless Chocolate Cookies

These cookies on Hummingbird High are described as "a cross between a chewy brownie edge piece and a soft chocolate meringue," which sounds heavenly. Made with minimal ingredients (most of which you probably already have in your kitchen), they are crispy on the outside when they first come out of the oven, and delightfully chewy and light on the inside.

23-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

You know when you want to eat a cookie that is fresh out of the oven, baked with love and still warm, but you don't want to actually do all of the work that comes with baking? Try making these peanut butter cookies from Hummingbird High. Made with only three ingredients, these are easy to make and easy to clean up after, and they have a delicious chewy center.

3Flourless Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

These flourless peanut butter cookies featured on Foodie Crush are definitely not your average peanut butter cookies. The dough is rolled in a perfect mix of cinnamon sugar before baking, which gives them a lovely crunchy, sweet outside concealing a gooey, creamy center.

4Flourless Chocolate Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

Just a warning: you may never go back to cookies made with flour after trying these flourless chocolate peanut butter cookies from Averie Cooks. The peanut butter and chocolate make these irresistibly chewy and rich, and the added melted chocolate chips are a perfect touch.

5Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These flourless peanut butter chocolate chip cookies from Ari's Menu are sweet and delicious and also packed with fiber and protein from the peanut butter and oatmeal. Apple butter makes these extra chewy, and they're also made with almond milk and zero eggs, so they're vegan to boot.

6Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Cookies

If peanut butter isn't your thing, no worries: try making some of these flourless chocolate chip almond butter cookies from Wholefully. Made with only six ingredients and both gluten- and dairy-free, these are relatively healthy. The almond butter gives them a nice crunch, while the chocolate chips make them rich and sweet.

7No-Bake Snowball Cookies

Sure, it's the beginning of summer, but that doesn't mean you can't make cookies that look like snowballs. This recipe from Brown Eyed Baker isn't just flourless, it's also a no-bake recipe — one of the best kinds for something simple and quick. These are made with lots of pecans and coconut, sweetened with dates, and paleo-friendly.

8Chocolate & Coffee No-Bake Cookies

Simple and sweet, these no-bake chocolate and coffee cookies from Cookie and Kate are fun to make with your kids (the coffee is optional and can easily be left out if you want). The mix of oats and peanut butter is a classic, and they have a chocolately flavor you'll love. If you do add the coffee, it's a nice kick!

9Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Looking for a straightforward gluten-free chocolate chip cookie recipe? This recipe from Cookie and Kate is it. These are made with almond and coconut flours in place of all-purpose flour, so they do have a type of flour in them, but it's gluten-free. They have a wonderful taste and a chewy texture.

10Flourless Peanut Butter S'mores Cookies

I'm sorry, but... look at these cookies. Just look at them! If they don't make you want to bake, then I don't know what will. This recipe from Cook Nourish Bliss combines s'mores (perfect enough on their own) with peanut butter for a delicious combination. Made without flour, these are soft, chewy, and wonderfully sweet.

11Healthy Carrot Cake Cookies

If your goal is to find a cookie recipe that's on the healthier side, then check out these carrot cake cookies from Cook Nourish Bliss. They're made with almond flour or almond meal in place of all-purpose flour, and are packed with oatmeal and flaxseed for fiber, and sweetened with apple sauce, maple syrup, and honey instead of white sugar.

12Flourless Peanut Butter Trail Mix Cookies

How can you go wrong combining peanut butter cookies with trail mix? You can't. This recipe from Cook Nourish Bliss is a scrumptious combination of creamy peanut butter, salty peanuts and almonds, sweet raisins and chocolate chips, and chewy oats.

13Flourless Salted Dark Chocolate Cookie

Chocolate lovers, these flourless salted dark chocolate cookies from London Bakes were made for you. Lots of dark chocolate, butter, and eggs form an amazingly chewy cookie, and a dash of espresso powder gives these a rich flavor. The sea salt is the perfect touch.

145-Ingredient Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies

My mouth is watering just looking at these chocolate-dipped peanut butter cookies from Half-Baked Harvest. The cookies, made of peanut butter or almond butter, have only four ingredients, so they're easy to put together. Then you dip them in dark chocolate and let the chocolate cool, and you've got heaven in cookie form.

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