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I don’t know why I didn’t start making cashew butter cookies earlier. If you love peanut butter cookies, these are similar, only they’re made with cashew butter instead. Since cashew butter has a milder flavor, they almost remind me of a classic chocolate chip cookie. Hence, the added chocolate chips.
What you’ll really love about this recipe is how it’s made healthier. There’s no flour, butter, or oil required, so it’s naturally gluten-free and Paleo-friendly.
Something you should know about me is that I test recipes a lot before they make it to this website. So, I’ve also tested an egg-free version of these, if you need it. Just check the recipe notes below!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review
“I found this recipe to “get rid of” the cashew butter my family didn’t like. Although the recipe has great ratings, I expected it to be a bust, and at least a fun experiment with the kids.
When we tried the cookies, we fell in love! These might be my favorite cookies now, and my family put cashew butter back on the grocery list just to make this recipe again!” – Tiffany
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cashew Butter. I’ve made these with homemade cashew butter and store-bought from Trader Joe’s (which is salted). If you’re using homemade cashew butter without salt, add an extra 1/4 teaspoon of salt to this recipe.
- Coconut Sugar. This is my favorite natural sugar for baking recipes that need to spread. If you cut back on the sugar, your cookies won’t spread out as much as they bake, FYI.
- Eggs (or flax eggs!). These add structure to grain-free baking, as well as protein. But, you can use flax eggs if you prefer. See the recipe notes for details.
- Baking Soda. This also helps the cookies rise and spread as they bake.
- Vanilla Extract. Since these taste more like chocolate chip cookies than peanut butter cookies, I like to add vanilla, too.
- Salt. This is a crucial ingredient in desserts. Be sure to read my recipe notes if you’re using unsalted cashew butter.
How to Make Cashew Butter Cookies
Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. This recipe yields a little over 24 cookies, so you can bake them on two pans if you want to bake them all at once. (I usually just bake them in two batches.)
In a large bowl, stir together the cashew butter, coconut sugar, eggs (or flax eggs), baking soda, vanilla, and salt.
The batter will look a little wetter and stickier than a traditional cookie dough.
Step 2:
Fold in the chocolate chips if you plan to use them. (You can omit these, too.) Then, use a slightly heaped tablespoon or cookie scoop to drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet.
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This cookie dough won’t spread fully on its own, so I like to flatten the dough with my hands. Get your hands wet to help prevent sticking, if needed.
If you prefer to omit the chocolate chips, you can use a fork to make a crisscross pattern on these cookies, as you would with traditional peanut butter cookies.
Step 3:
Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes at 350ºF, or until they are lightly golden around the edges.
If you prefer under-baked cookies (which I sometimes do), you can experiment with pulling these out of the oven at the 8-minute mark. Be sure to let them cool completely on the pan, as they are very fragile when they are warm.
Storage Tips
Cashew butter cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days, but I don’t recommend storing them in an airtight container, as they tend to soften when sealed at room temperature.
They remain sturdier when left out on the counter, but they will start to dry out over time.
For the best shelf life, I recommend storing these in an airtight container in the freezer. We actually prefer eating these straight from frozen! They become quite crunchy that way. You can also store these in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Cashew Butter Cookies (No Flour!)
Ingredients
- 16 ounces creamy cashew butter (about 1 ⅔ cups)
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- 2 large eggs (or flax eggs; see notes)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt (see notes)
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips , plus a few more to press on top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the cashew butter, coconut sugar, eggs (or flax eggs), vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Stir well, until a sticky dough is formed.
- Fold in the chocolate chips, if using them, and then drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Use your fingers (getting them wet helps prevent sticking) to gently press the dough down into a cookie-shape, as these cookies only spread slightly. If you omit the chocolate chips, use a wet fork to flatten the dough, into a criss-cross pattern. (Similar to a peanut butter cookie.)
- Bake at 350ºF for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are lightly golden around the edges. Cool on the pan completely, as these cookies are very fragile when they are warm. Serve at room temperature, or chilled. I like to store these cookies in an airtight container from the fridge or freezer for the best shelf life. They last in the fridge up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. They are crispy if you serve them frozen!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes to Try
- Almond Butter Blondies
- Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
- Almond Flour Sugar Cookies
- Gingerbread Cookies with Almond Flour
If you try these Cashew Butter Cookies, please leave a comment and star rating below, letting me know how you like them!
Thanks for sharing! Do you think I could substitute applesauce for the Chia eggs? I’ve done it for baking muffins but not sure if it would work in cookies.
hi – i love your recipes and wondered what if i can substitute the almond butter with sunbutter? my son is allergic to all nuts….
thanks!
Hi Megan,
I hope this message finds you well.
Could I bake these cookies at 325 and increase the time?. I found the bottom burned on my first attempt. I am not an avid baker.
I also found the chocolate I used burned. The chocolate is raw cocoa, honey and cocoa butter. Perhaps it should be hidden inside the cookies?
Thank You for taking the time to share your life experiences and recipes.
Hi Kelly, I have been making my own chocolate pieces for a while using the same ingredients. I think I finally found a ratio that makes them not melt all over the place (I don’t think they will burn either… they didn’t when in for 20 minutes with another recipe.) I used 1/3 c. melted cocoa butter, 2/3 c. cocoa, and 1/4 c. honey.
Loved these! So good! I did add some unsweetened shredded coconut. Even both of my picky kids liked them! Thank you!
It was a pleasant surprise how delicious these were. I did make a few modifications based on what I had. I was trying to use up some homemade unroasted cashew butter (only ingredient was cashews) which is how I found this recipe. The cashew butter was somewhat dry and unspreadable so I added coconut oil to it.. I also added a scoop of canned pumpkin (something else needing to be used up) and some pumpkin spice. Didn’t use choc chips. Love the recipe,,, toddler liked it too.
I just made these, and they taste delicious!! I can’t believe that they are flourless and are better for you than traditional cookies. I used Maranatha’s Roasted Cashew Butter, which was very oily. But, the batter came out normally despite that, and the cookies almost look like yours in the picture. Keep up the great recipes 🙂
I finally got around to making these and loved them. I made them with half of the amount of coconut sugar and they still were sweet enough. My cashew butter is an organic store brand (Roundy’s) and they turned out perfectly at 12 minutes. Will definitely make these again!
Hi,
I’m wondering if you have had different results using different brands of Cashew butter, or different nut butters.
I made the cookies using Cashew butter and they were very dry, but oh so tasty. Next I made them using half Pecan butter and half Almond butter and they were very oily, but still so tasty. I have now bought a different brand of Cashew butter and will give that a try. In your experience are some nut butters more oily than others?
I absolutely love your website and I appreciate all your time and effort in making all of the recipes! My family enjoys all your recipes that I have made! Thanks!
I use Trader Joe’s cashew butter most often, because it’s the most convenient brand for me to get, but I’ve also made it with the cashew butter from Whole Foods, which has a very similar consistency. (I don’t use raw cashew butter in this recipe, because it seems like a waste to bake the raw cashew butter at 350 degrees in the oven.) If it helps, the cashew butter I find usually has oil on the top that I have to stir back into the butter before using it in this recipe.
I have a vegan family member and wanted to make some cookies for him. These are absolutely amazing! Thank you for creating another great cookie…your lactation cookies are much loved in our home as well. Thank you, thank you!
I just made these Saturday night and they are quite possibly the greatest cookie I have ever tried. That goes for ALL cookies. Not just under the grain free category.
I’m so glad you think so! They are my favorite cookie EVER, as well. 🙂