Published: Jul 14, 2021 · Modified: May 23, 2022 by kaydimaggio

Ultimate Nut-Free "Peanut Butter" Cookies

Name: Ultimate Nut-Free "Peanut Butter" Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: PT-27551335M
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 cups brown sugar; 1 cup vegan butter (I use Mykonos); 2 flax eggs; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; 16 oz Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Sunflower Seed Butter Cups.; Sea salt for sprinkling

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These Vegan Sunflower Butter Cup Cookies are fun and delicious! A healthier take on the traditional peanut butter cup cookies, these cookies taste just like Reeses. These cookies are vegan, dairy-free, and vegetarian. These vegan cookies are the perfect dessert to share or eat by yourself at home. You can't go wrong with these sunflower butter cup cookies!

I just love a good cookie. Cookies are so versatile and easy to share. I feel that out of all desserts, cookies are the easiest to bring to events or gatherings. This is probably because they are portable and easy to transport and you can eat them without making too much of a mess. I also love the versatility of cookies. Cookies come in almost any form that you can imagine and you can be as creative as you want with them.

These Vegan Sunflower Butter Cup Cookies that I am sharing with you today are a spin on my Vegan Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies. Instead of chocolate chips, these cookies are filled with Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Sunflower Seed Butter Cups. Using the Sunflower Seed Butter Cups makes these cookies taste exactly like a Reeses Peanut Butter Cookie. These cookies are vegan and allergy-friendly. You can enjoy all the flavors of a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup without the Peanut Butter! Let's dive in!

What Is The History Behind the Cookie?

You would be surprised to learn that the first cookies date back to the 7th century A.D. in Persia. Persia was one of the first countries to cultivate sugar. According to historians, sugar originated either in the lowlands of Bengal or elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Sugar spread to Persia and then to the Eastern Mediterranean. With the Muslim invasion of Spain, then the Crusades, and the developing spice trade, the cooking techniques and ingredients of Arabia spread into Northern Europe. By the end of the 14th century, little-filled wafers began to pop up on the streets of Paris, and renaissance cookbooks were filled with cookie recipes. I always find it amazing to think that such a common everyday recipe has such ancient roots.

How to Make These Vegan Sunflower Butter Cup Cookies

These Vegan Sunflower Butter Cup Cookies are easy and simple to make. These cookies have a brown sugar base that gives them a crispy but soft texture. The cookies are chewy and rich, don't let the word vegan fool you. These cookies are decadent.

Total Time:

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Resting Time: 4-6 hours

Baking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup vegan butter (I use Mykonos)
2 flax eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
16 oz Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Sunflower Seed Butter Cups.
Sea salt for sprinkling

How to Make These Vegan Sunflower Butter Cup Cookies

Make your flax eggs and set them aside
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until well combined. Slowly add the flour mixture, flax eggs, vanilla extract, and chopped sunflower seed butter cups. Mix until well combined.
Refrigerate the dough for four hours or preferably overnight
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake cookies for 10-11 minutes. Once out of the oven, I like to sprinkle these with a little sea salt, I find that it enhances the flavor.

Tip's For Success

Chilling and resting the dough is key to maintain the texture of these cookies. Chilling the dough allows the fats to cool prevent them from becoming a cookie puddle in the oven. You are also going to experience a lot more flavor coming from the cookies if you rest the dough a bit. The dry ingredients will soak up the moisture from the wet ingredients, thereby hydrating the dough and leading to a more concentrated flavor. As the hydration is taking place, the gluten in the flour starts to relax and break down into sugar making the dough sweeter.

Storage:

These cookies store well, store them in an airtight container and they will keep well for up to a week.

FAQ's for these Vegan Sunflower Butter Cup Cookies

Are these cookies Allergy Friendly?

Yes, if you are allergic to nuts, these cookies are safe to eat. The Reeses flavor comes from the Sunflower Seed Butter Cups. Sunflower seed butter is a safe alternative for those with allergies to eat. If you have a gluten allergy, I would recommend that you sub out the all-purpose flour for gluten-free flour. You should be able to use a 1:1 ratio.

Do I Have to Refrigerate the Dough in This Recipe?

You don't have to refrigerate the dough, however, it is highly recommended. Chilling the dough allows the fats to cool prevent them from becoming spreading too much in the oven. You are also going to experience a lot more flavor coming from the cookies if you rest the dough a bit. The dry ingredients will soak up the moisture from the wet ingredients, thereby hydrating the dough and leading to a more concentrated flavor. As the hydration is taking place, the gluten in the flour starts to relax and break down into sugar making the dough sweeter.

How Many Cookies Does This Recipe Make?

This recipe will make 24 good-sized cookies. If you want mini cookies, you would be able to get 48 mini cookies out of this recipe.