Here’s how to make the best vegan peanut butter cookies, soft and perfectly crumbly, with just the right salty sweetness (and optional chocolate drizzle).
2 1/2 tablespoons almond milk, plus additional as necessary
Instructions
In a small saucepan over low heat, stir together the coconut oil, milk and vanilla extract until warm and combined. Pour into a large mixing bowl and add the peanut butter and sugar. Stir until well combined (small peanut butter lumps are ok). Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and kosher salt and stir with spatula until combined into a cohesive dough.
Transfer the dough to a covered container and refrigerate for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Remove the bowl with the dough from the refrigerator. Make 24 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized balls (using a size 40 cookie scoop, if you have it) and place them onto the baking sheet. Roll the balls between your hands to make them as spherical as possible. Place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
Use a fork to flatten the balls and make a criss-cross pattern (it’s helpful to dip the fork into a small bowl of water before each one to prevent sticking). Sprinkle the tops with a little sugar.
Bake each tray separately, about 13 to 14 minutes total, (rotating halfway through at about 6 minutes) until edges are just firm. Cool for 5 minutes on the tray, then remove to a cooling rack. (Baking the tray separately gets the most even bake.) Serve once cooled to room temperature, or add the optional chocolate icing. Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or freeze before icing for 3 months.
For the chocolate icing (optional): In a medium bowl, use a fork to stir together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder and almond milk until a smooth sauce forms and all lumps are dissolved. Add almond milk a teaspoon at a time if necessary until a thick but drizzle-able consistency is reached (be careful not to add too much liquid). Dip a fork into the glaze and drizzle in a zigzag pattern. Let sit at room temperature until the glaze is dry, about 20 to 30 minutes.