Toffee & Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies (Gluten Free)
So, Here’s the (Honest) Story Behind These Cookies
You know how some recipes practically demand to be made when you’ve had one of those sideways days? That’s where these Toffee & Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies (yep, gluten free!) come in. I actually whipped up my first batchages ago, right in the middle of a midweek mood dip, and suddenly the house smelled like a hug (or what I wish hugs smelled like, anyway). Oh—my younger cousin once called these “magically melty crunch bombs.” No idea what she meant, but I loved the compliment! You’ll see why.
Why I (and Honestly, Everyone I Know) Want These Weekly
I make these whenever I need a no-fuss, crowd-pleasing cookie. For real: my family demolishes them before they’re even cool. The combo of peanut butter with chunks of toffee and milk chocolate is just… ugh. Decadent. But not so fancy you feel bad eating three in a row (I may, hypothetically, have done this). And for friends who can’t do gluten—no problem! The recipe skips the flour and still turns out chewy-gooey.
I used to think gluten free cookies always tasted a bit off (like, why so sandy?), but after some experimenting—plus a few mild disasters—these totally changed my mind. Careful: if you bring these to a potluck, expect zero leftovers.
What You’ll Need (And What Happens If You Don’t Have Something)
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter (natural stuff gets oily but will work; jarred is more consistent—Skippy, Jif, whatever was on sale)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (light or dark, sometimes I sneak in coconut sugar when I’m feeling fancy or just out of regular stuff)
- 1 large egg (room temp, but honestly, I’ve forgotten this and the world didn’t end)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (can you skip? Sure. Should you? Up to you; I never do, but I won’t judge!)
- 1/3 cup toffee bits (Heath bar bits if you want store-bought; I’ve even smashed up hard caramel candies in a zip bag—messy but kinda fun)
- 1/3 cup milk chocolate chips (Dark works too. Once I used chopped up chocolate bars because I ran out. Yum.)
- Big pinch of salt (I swear this wakes up all the flavors, but you can leave it out if you’re watching sodium)
- Optional: 1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts for crunch (not necessary, but lovely for texture)
How You Actually Make Them (I Swear, It’s Simple)
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment, if you’ve got it. If not, just use a decent nonstick tray; I have a dented old pan that works fine.
- In a medium bowl, stir together peanut butter and sugar. Your arm might get tired. If it does, take a break. Add in the egg, baking soda, vanilla, and salt—mix until it’s all kind of thick and sticky (it may look a bit weird at this point, almost like playdough with a degree. Don’t panic, totally normal).
- Fold in toffee bits, chocolate chips, and peanuts if using. This is usually when I sneak a taste and then hope nobody noticed.
- Scoop out about 1.5 tablespoon sized blobs (I use an old ice cream scoop—it has a life beyond just ice cream). Plop onto your sheet pan, leaving a little space as they will spread (not as much as floury cookies, but still).
- Bake for 8 to 11 minutes. Edges should look set, but centers might still look soft (key for chewy cookies, don’t overdo it).
- Let them cool for 2 or so minutes on the pan (they’ll fall apart if you try to rush them), then move them carefully to a wire rack or, er, a spare cutting board. Or just eat straight off the tray, honestly.
Notes From My Many, Many Test Batches
- Underbake ’em slightly/cool ’em—as in, if you think they need another minute, they probably don’t.
- If your peanut butter’s super oily, you might need to add another tablespoon of sugar or a tiny bit of GF flour blend so the dough isn’t too loose. Actually, I’ve found chilled dough gives chunkier cookies, but I keep forgetting to chill it myself.
- I’ve made these with almond butter when that’s all I had—delish but more fragile (and a teensy but pricier, yikes).
Things I’ve Tried (Good and, Eh, Not So Good)
- Swapped in white chocolate chunks—everyone licked the plate, so that’s a win.
- Tried crunchy peanut butter once. The cookies didn’t hold together so well, but the flavor? Kinda moreish.
- Attempted a batch with sunflower seed butter for a nut free version, but honestly, it tasted a bit muddy? Maybe you’ll have better luck—let me know.
Tools You Definitely Need…Or Maybe Not
- Baking sheet and parchment (but tbh, I’ve used the bottom of a roasting dish lined with foil in a pinch, no biggie)
- Mixing bowl + wooden spoon (electric hand mixer speeds things up, but it’s hardly essential)
- Cookie scoop or two spoons (I’m old school; sometimes just scoop with my hands and hope for the best!)
How to Keep Cookies (Assuming You Don’t Eat ‘Em All)
Store in an airtight tin or zip bag once totally cool. They’ll last 3 days at room temp—or up to 1 week in the fridge, but honestly, in my house it never lasts more than a day!
King Arthur Baking’s guide has nifty tips on keeping cookies fresh, if you want to get official about it.
How We Eat Them (And Maybe You Should, Too)
Warm is absolute best, with a glass of cold milk or oatmilk (or tea, if you’re feeling posh). In our place, someone always steals the first cookie and hides it for midnight snacking. You could serve them crumbled over ice cream—my brother does and swears it’s the best thing ever.
Heads Up: Stuff I Learned the Silly Way
- Once I tried using a warm pan for the second batch—big mistake, cookies spread toffee lava everywhere, oops.
- Let all the ingredients come to room temp. Cold eggs made my dough kind of weird once.
- Tried to stack the cookies before they cooled. Not recommended unless you enjoy a big pile of cookie rubble (not always bad…just chaotic).
Questions I Get All. The. Time (Or at Least, Occasionally)
Can I make these vegan?
No egg, no problem—swap in a flax egg (one tablespoon ground flax + 2.5 tbsp water, wait a bit). The cookies are a bit softer, but still tasty.
Isn’t this recipe super sweet?
Kinda. That’s the toffee for you! You can cut the sugar by about a quarter, or try using darker chocolate chips to balance it out, maybe.
What if I only have crunchy peanut butter?
It works, but the cookies will be a tad more crumbly; just press the dough blobs together a bit more before baking. And if they fall apart, call them deconstructed cookies and act like you meant it.
Are these really gluten free?
Yep. Potential pitfall is hidden gluten in your add-ins, so double check those. Here’s a handy celiac.com gluten free ingredients list just in case.
Can I freeze them?
Sure can! Freeze raw cookie balls and bake from frozen (add a minute or two to baking time) or freeze baked cookies for snack emergencies. Not that I, uh, ever have “cookie emergencies” but theoretically, you could.
Quick Digression (Because I Sometimes Wander Off-Topic)
While we’re here, let me just say: baking with kids? It’s exactly as messy (and kind of hilarious) as you’d think. My nephew once stuck a lego guy in the dough, so always check your mix before baking. That’s all I’m saying!
There we go—Toffee and Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies, gluten free and totally habit-forming. Now, can you pass the milk?
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter (gluten free)
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup toffee bits
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
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1Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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2In a large bowl, mix together peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth.
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3Add the egg, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt. Mix until fully combined.
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4Fold in milk chocolate chips and toffee bits until evenly distributed.
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5Scoop tablespoon-sized portions onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
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6Bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges are golden. Let cookies cool on the sheet before transferring to a wire rack.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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