Introducing the perfect Vegan Healthy Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies – the perfect combination of salty pretzels, creamy peanut butter, and chewy cookies! This recipe uses only wholesome ingredients to craft a treat that not only satisfies your sweet cravings but also nourishes your body. Get ready to indulge in a guilt-free cookie that's easy to make and impossible to resist.
Peanut butter and pretzels are one of my all-time favorite combinations if not my favorite combination. There's something about the salty combo that I just can't say no to. The only thing that could make this delicious combination better is the addition of something sweet to satisfy my sweet tooth. What better way to do that than to turn them into the perfect peanut butter cookies with pretzel pieces?
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Jump to:
- Ingredients For Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies:
- How To Make This Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe:
- Substitutions:
- Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookie Variations:
- What You Need To Make These Homemade Peanut Butter Cookies:
- How To Store These Vegan Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies:
- Top Tip:
- Frequently Asked Questions:
- Related Vegan Cookie Recipes:
- Healthy Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies
- Related Vegan Peanut Butter Recipes:
Ingredients For Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies:
These delicious cookies are great because they are made with simple ingredients that you can pick up at your local grocery store, and they are super healthy!
Dry Ingredients:
- Gluten-Free Flour Or All-Purpose Flour - Either flour will work for this peanut butter pretzel cookie recipe. Gluten-free flour is a great alternative for those with gluten sensitivities.
- Maple Crystals - Maple crystals are my absolute favorite natural sweetener. They are crystallized pure maple syrup. Therefore, they are full of vitamins and minerals and don't have the same effect on your blood sugar as refined sugar. They also have the most amazing and unique maple flavor that compliments any recipe. Maple Crystals are my go-to sugar substitute when baking cookies because they can achieve the perfect chewy texture without compromising the nutritional value of the cookies. I always get mine from Wilderness Poets in bulk because it's the most affordable way to get them; if you're interested in giving them a try, you can use my code: "NATURALVEGAN" for $10 off!
- Baking Soda - Baking soda aids in achieving the perfect cookie texture.
- Cornstarch - Cornstarch is a great addition to these peanut butter pretzel cookies because it enhances the chewy texture.
- Ground Flaxseed - Ground flaxseed, when mixed with water, creates "flax eggs," which serve as an egg substitute in vegan baking. It also contributes omega-3 fatty acids and fiber. It adds moisture to your cookies and helps bind the ingredients together.
- Mini Pretzels - Any pretzel shape is up to your personal preference. I personally love the squares, but any kind of pretzels such as classic pretzels, pretzel sticks, or little pretzel bites will all work. If you are gluten-free, make sure to use gluten-free pretzels.
Wet Ingredients:
- Coconut Butter - Coconut butter works as a replacement for oil or vegan butter. It is a source of healthy fats, specifically medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). These healthy fats can provide quick energy and support overall well-being. Make sure to warm up the coconut butter before use. It should be more of a liquid than a solid.
- Creamy Natural Peanut Butter - Natural peanut butter is packed with plant-based protein and healthy monounsaturated fats. It adds a nutty richness to your cookies and can help satisfy hunger. If you prefer crunchy peanut butter, you can also use that for a little crunch.
- Vanilla Extract - Vanilla extract enhances the flavor of these cookies. I always suggest giving Mexican vanilla a try. It has a much deeper flavor.
- Water - Water is a simple and essential ingredient that helps bring the cookie dough together. It is used twice to ensure the cookie dough achieves the proper consistency, contributes to the cookie's chewy texture, and helps to create the flax egg
See the recipe card for quantities.
How To Make This Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe:
These peanut butter pretzel cookies are the ultimate upgrade to a classic peanut butter cookie because they are so easy to make and are even more delicious.
- Preheat Oven:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare Flax Eggs:
- In a small bowl, mix the ground flaxseed with water and set it aside. This will act as your egg substitute.
- Mix Dry Ingredients:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, maple crystals, baking soda, and cornstarch. This forms the dry mixture.
- Combine Wet Ingredients:
- In a separate bowl, combine the flax eggs, warmed coconut butter, peanut butter, vanilla extract, and water (if needed). Mix until well combined and smooth.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures:
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir until the mixture is well combined and forms a cookie dough consistency.
- Add Pretzels:
- Crush the mini pretzels into small pieces. Fold the crushed pretzels into the cookie dough.
- Chill Dough (Optional):
- For better cookie texture, you can chill the dough in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- Shape Cookies:
- Scoop out portions of the dough and shape them into cookies. Place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between each cookie. You can add some whole or crushed pretzels to the top to ensure they look their best.
- Bake:
- Bake cookies in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Keep an eye on them to prevent over-baking.
- Cool:
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy:
- Once cooled, enjoy your vegan peanut butter pretzel cookies! Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Hint: Let the cookies cool naturally at room temperature. Don't try to rush the process and cool them quickly in the fridge or freezer.
Substitutions:
There are plenty of easy and delicious substitutions that can be made to this recipe if needed. Here are some of the common ones.
- Sugar - you can use any type of sugar in place of the maple crystals in case you can't get your hands on them in time. I recommend using a natural sweetener such as coconut sugar. However, white sugar or light brown sugar will also work.
- Nut-Butter - Any nut Butter of choice will work. Almond butter, cashew butter, and hazelnut butter are all great options. if you have a nut butter allergy, you can use a butter like sunflower seed butter to make these cookies nut-free.
- Crunch - if you don't love the addition of pretzels, you can use peanuts in place of the pretzels for the added crunch.
If you have any questions about a particular substitution not listed, make sure to leave a comment, and I'll get back to you as quickly as possible!
Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookie Variations:
There are plenty of delicious and fun ways to mix up these peanut butter pretzel cookies. If this isn't your first batch, I encourage you to try out some of these fun combinations and see what you like.
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies - A fun way to mix up this cookie recipe is to add vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips into the cookie dough or melted and drizzled on top of these cookies. The melty chocolate chips pair great with the salty pretzels and creamy peanut butter.
- Extra Salty - if you love the salty combination of salty pretzels and salted peanut butter, you can sprinkle a little sea salt into these cookies for the perfect extra salty goodness.
- Nutty - if you're all about the extra crunch, you can add any kind of nuts to the cookie dough for added crunch. I personally love the way pecans taste in this recipe.
Make sure to check out my Healthy Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Cookies for another pretzel cookie variation.
What You Need To Make These Homemade Peanut Butter Cookies:
Peanut butter pretzel cookies are great because they require minimal equipment and are easy to throw together. Here's what I recommend having on hand when making these cookies.
- Mixing Bowls - You will need a couple of mixing bowls to combine the wet ingredients and dry ingredients and a small bowl to make the flax egg with.
- Whisk - A whisk is handy for mixing dry ingredients thoroughly.
- Rubber Spatula - A rubber spatula is the best tool you can use to mix the cookie dough together.
- Baking Sheet - Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the cookies from sticking and for easy cleanup.
- Cookie Scoop or Spoon - Use a small or medium cookie scoop or a spoon to portion out the cookie dough and create uniform-sized cookies.
- Wire Rack - After baking, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. This helps them cool evenly and prevents them from becoming too soft on the bottom.
As always you can find all my go-to equipment on my Amazon storefront or my affiliate page.
How To Store These Vegan Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies:
How you store these cookies is essential for how long they will keep. I recommend storing them in an airtight container for best results. I also recommend storing them in the fridge rather than at room temperature because this will help keep the ingredients fresh for longer.
Top Tip:
If you want a stronger peanut butter flavor, you can add more once the cookie dough has formed. To do this I recommend drizzling it around the dough and then freezing the dough for about 5 minutes. This will give your cookies a little peanut butter swirl that is absolutely delicious.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes, you can use other egg substitutes like chia seeds or commercial egg replacers following the package instructions.
Scooping about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie should yield a good size.
Yes, you can freeze the cookie dough. Scoop portions onto a tray, freeze, then transfer to a freezer bag. When ready to bake, place them on a baking sheet and bake as usual, adding a few extra minutes.
Related Vegan Cookie Recipes:
Looking for other delicious cookie recipes like this? Try these:
If you try this Healthy Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookie Recipe, I’d really love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. I’d also really appreciate a recipe card rating! Make sure to share it on social media and tag @theallnaturalvegan to be featured! Thank you for supporting The All Natural Vegan!
Healthy Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies
Equipment
- 1 spatula
- 1 whisk
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 cup flour gluten-free, all-purpose, or whole wheat
- 1 ¼ cup maple crystals
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- ⅔ cup pretzels
Wet Ingredients:
- ¾ cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup coconut butter
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoon water
Instructions
Preheat Oven:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Prepare Flax Eggs:
- In a small bowl, mix the ground flaxseed with water and set it aside. This will act as your egg substitute.
Mix Dry Ingredients:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, maple crystals, baking soda, and cornstarch. This forms the dry mixture.
Combine Wet Ingredients:
- In a separate bowl, combine the flax eggs, warmed coconut butter, peanut butter, vanilla extract, and water (if needed). Mix until well combined and smooth.
Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures:
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir until the mixture is well combined and forms a cookie dough consistency.
Add Pretzels:
- Crush the mini pretzels into small pieces. Fold the crushed pretzels into the cookie dough.
Chill Dough (Optional):
- For better cookie texture, you can chill the dough in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
Shape Cookies:
- Scoop out portions of the dough and shape them into cookies. Place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between each cookie. You can add some whole or crushed pretzels to the top to ensure they look their best.
Bake:
- Bake cookies in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Keep an eye on them to prevent over-baking.
Cool:
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy:
- Once cooled, enjoy your vegan peanut butter pretzel cookies! Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Related Vegan Peanut Butter Recipes:
If you're a fellow peanut butter lover, make sure to check out some of the other peanut butter recipes on my website!
Cindy
What a great twist on traditional pb cookies! I love them!