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Cashew Butter Cookies are one of the best cookies you’ll ever taste. And you don’t even need flour to make them! They are naturally gluten-free, and you can make them with or without eggs, if you need a vegan recipe.
These cookies have been a fan favorite for years! Using cashew butter as the base gives these cookies a lightly sweet and nutty flavor, without using flour or additional oil. (The cashew butter already has oil in it, so no need for extra!)
I almost always use Trader Joe’s cashew butter for this recipe, because it has a consistently runny texture and delicious flavor. You can also make your own homemade cashew butter, if you prefer.
Ingredients You’ll Need
What’s in cashew butter cookies?
- Cashew butter
- Coconut sugar
- Eggs (or flax eggs!)
- Baking soda
- Vanilla
- Salt
They’re so simple, yet so delicious. When you use flax eggs for a vegan version, they turn out a little extra gooey on the inside… which I personally love!
If you love Almond Butter Blondies or Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies, I know you’ll love these, too.
How to Make Cashew Butter Cookies
1. Mix. 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 more wet and sticky than a traditional cookie dough.
2. Scoop. Use a tablespoon or cookie scoop to drop the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet. You can make these with or without chocolate chips! For a cookie that looks like a classic peanut butter cookie, use a wet fork to flatten the top, into a criss-cross shape.
For a chocolate chip cookie, you can fold the chocolate chips into the batter, and then flatten the dough with wet hands to make sure the cookies will spread and bake evenly.
I like to add a few extra chocolate chips on top, to make sure they look nicely studded.
3. Bake. The cookies need to bake 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 in that case, because they tend to soften when sealed at room temperature.
They remain sturdier when you leave them 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.
Expert Tips & Common Questions
Can I use another nut butter? Of course! You can use almond butter or peanut butter for this recipe, or try sunflower seed butter for a nut-free option.
Will honey work? I’ve tested this recipe with honey, and the cookies do hold together if you use a 1/2 cup of honey instead of the coconut sugar. However, my taste testers didn’t prefer the honey version, so make the substitution at your own risk!
Are these vegan? If you use 2 flax eggs (which is 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds mixed with 6 tablespoons of water) then this recipe is vegan. The vegan version is actually my preferred method, because I love gooey, slightly under-baked textured cookies. If you like cookies like that, too, the vegan version is for you.
Are these cookies Paleo? These cookies are grain-free and naturally sweetened when you omit the chocolate chips. For a totally refined-sugar-free cookie, try adding crunchy cacao nibs instead of the chocolate chips, or use a naturally sweetened chocolate, like Hu brand.
Will any other sugar work? If you keep another granulated sugar on hand, like brown sugar or white sugar, that should work in this recipe texture-wise, too. Just keep in mind that these sweeteners are slightly sweeter than coconut sugar, so the final cookies will be, too!
I can’t wait to hear how you like these cashew butter cookies. Be sure to tag @detoxinista on Instagram or Facebook if you try them!
Ingredients
- 1 (16 oz.) jar creamy cashew butter
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar
- 2 large eggs (or flax eggs; see notes)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)
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
If you try these Cashew Butter Cookies, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like them!
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Reader Feedback: Do you have a favorite type of cookie? I feel like I’ve covered a lot of cookie recipes over the years, but let me know if I’m missing any. I’m always willing to experiment with cookies for you!
I made these last night with a couple of modifications, based on what I had on hand. I didn’t have enough cashew butter, so I made it with half cashew butter and half almond butter. And since I didn’t have chocolate chips, I added cacao nibs instead. They came out so fantastic. Thank you for another wonderful recipe and for helping us get through a challenging year. I hope you and your family have a wonderful 2021.
I love these cookies, I’ve made them several times with a couple different nut butters and they always turn out awesome! I’m just wondering where I’m going wrong in calculating the calories. Your nutrition facts say they contain 62 calories per cookie at 24 cookies in a batch. The cashew butter alone accounts for 115 calories per cookie according to my calculations. Please let me know how I’m so miscalculated!!
Are you meaning 1 cup of cashew butter? Because 16oz would be two cups?
I did one cup and halved the rest of ingredients and loved them 🙂
I substituted monk fruit sweetener for the coconut sugar (just because I can’t have coconut) and used regular eggs instead or chia eggs. The only is issue I have with this recipe is that it’s so good that I can’t stop eating them. Fantastic!!!
These turned out wonderfully! Loved them!
Made these today and they were great! (I made my own cashew butter, weighed the cashews and then the butter, to which I added a little avocado oil because I thought it might be dryer than the TJ’s version — which I wanted to avoid because it also has almonds.). Great recipe – thanks!
My husband’s favorite cookie, healthy or otherwise!
These cookies are delicious.The recipe was a life saver since I made way too much cashew butter. My cookies DID spread however and kind of grew into one another.
Of course it was easy to separate them with a spatula.
Thank you so much
These were amazing❤️🙏🏻
These are soooo good, at least the ones I accidentally made. I used cashew butter that I made with soaked cashews and freshly squeezed orange juice but it made the batter too runny so I added whole wheat flour and my cookies came out so moist and delicious! So here’s what I did in case anyone wants to try it: soak 1 cup raw cashews in purified water for 2 hours, drain and rinse, then blend with juice from 2 medium oranges until smooth. Then make the recipe above but cut everything in half. Add about 1/2 cup whole wheat flour or enough to make the dough sticky. I also used 1 regular egg so I’m not sure how a chia egg would turn out. I should try it sometime. Anyway, you may need to bake the cookies a minute or two longer – I used a toothpick to determine doneness. This is definitely my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe now and I will make them again and again!