Here it is, the third and final cookie recipe for my low FODMAP holiday cookie week! This recipe is perfect for those who are vegan, new to baking or don’t have any low FODMAP flours. Peanut butter cookies may not be the most festive cookie, but they are still a well-loved classic. I love this recipe because it is so simple, and only has 3 essential ingredients. I hope you enjoy these easy low FODMAP Peanut Butter Cookies!
You might be thinking “No way it’s possible to make a cookie with only three ingredients?!” but I assure you my friend, it is possible AND delicious.
There are many variations of this cookie recipe out there. I chose to use 100% natural peanut butter in these cookies. You may not think there is a big difference between natural peanut butter and processed, but there truly is. Processed peanut butters may stay smoother, but it is at the cost of having added sugars, salt, oils and possibly trans fats. I choose natural peanut butter so I know that I am eating pure healthy peanuts. This recipe will likely not use an entire jar (I buy XL jars), so you may have leftover peanut butter for snacks or oatmeal.
If you are wondering if you can use another nut/seed butter in place of peanut butter, the answer is yes! Please note that small amounts of almonds (12 g, or 1 tablespoon of almond butter) are low FODMAP, but larger amounts are high in galacto-ogliosaccharides.
The brown sugar gives these cookies a richer flavour and softer texture. If you are out of brown sugar, you can sub in white sugar.
Ground flax seed can be used in place of an egg to make this recipe vegan. To make a “flax egg” simply combine 1 tbsp of ground flax seed with 3 tbsp of water and let sit for 5 minutes. The mixture will thicken up and become sticky, similar to an egg! I keep my ground flax seed in my freezer to help it stay fresh for longer. If you are not vegan and do not have flax, feel free to use an egg instead. I have made both options and they both taste great!
Just like my other cookies, you can choose what toppings to use. They are great by themselves, but if you want to make them more festive you can add some low FODMAP sprinkles. I also put a few red and green peanut m&ms on some cookies. In Canada (or at least Ontario), peanut m&ms do not contain high fructose corn syrup, but do contain milk chocolate and lactose. Always check the ingredients lists of packaged foods. During the elimination phase, limit peanut m&ms to 2 pieces in one serving to keep the lactose low. If you are very lactose intolerant or vegan, skip the m&ms, and stick with sprinkles or dairy-free chocolate chips. Dark chocolate is low FODMAP at 30 g.
I have also found that these cookies freeze extremely well! If you are worried about having lots of tempting cookies sitting around, an option is to keep them out of sight in the freezer. That way you won’t feel like you have to eat them quickly before they get stale.
Peanut butter is low FODMAP at 2 tablespoons. Three cookies contain 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. Therefore to keep your snack/meal low FODMAP stick to eating maximum three cookies per sitting.
Enjoy! 🙂
3 Ingredient Low FODMAP Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp ground flax seed (or 1 large egg)
- 1 cup natural peanut butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla optional
- 1/4 tsp salt optional
- Optional toppings: sprinkles crushed peanuts, chocolate chips, peanut m&ms
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a small bowl, mix the flax with 3 tbsp water. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
- Mix all ingredients well in a large bowl. Roll approx. 1 tbsp of dough into a ball to make 1 cookie and place on pan. Press down gently with a fork to flatten. Top with optional toppings.
- Bake for 10 minutes, until slightly browned on the edges. Let cool for 5 minutes on the pan. Cookies will be very soft when removed from the oven, but will slightly harden as they cool.
Notes
- Peanut butter is low FODMAP at 2 tbsp. The maximum FODMAP serving size per sitting for this recipe is 3 cookies.
- A large egg can be used in place of the ground flax. Do not mix the egg with water.
- The vanilla and salt add flavour to the cookies, but are not essential for the recipe.
- In Canada, peanut m&ms do not contain high fructose corn syrup, but do contain milk chocolate and lactose. Limit to 2 pieces in one serving to keep the lactose low. Omit peanut m&ms if very lactose intolerant or vegan.
- If you make this with salted peanut butter, you may omit the added salt.
- This recipe can also be made with other nut/seed butters (like sunflower seed butter) in place of peanut butter (good for peanut allergies or for putting in school lunches)
Want more low FODMAP snack ideas? My Quick and Easy Snacks E-Book has 12 delicious recipes that are simple to make. All of the recipes are low FODMAP and gluten-free. Included is a helpful guide to making healthy and filling low FODMAP snacks. As a bonus, there is also a printable list of 54 snack ideas – you can print it off and keep it in your kitchen! The list is divided into four sections: sweet snacks, sweet n’ salty snacks, savoury snacks and crunchy snacks. Click here for more details!
Let me know which cookie is your favourite, these low FODMAP Peanut Butter Cookies, the Double Chocolate Cranberry Pecan, or the Shortbread!
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Lisa says
I don’t think sugar is a low fodmap. I have stevia but it is stronger than regular sugar. Wondering how much to use in place of sugar. Love this recipe! I hate to cook due to cfs/fm and don’t have a lot of ingredients on the low FODMAP diet so this is great. Would love more simple recipes if you have them? Is there a site that has simple recipes like this?
Lauren says
Hi Lisa! Some sugars are low FODMAP, including white and brown sugar. However, large amounts of sugar may be a symptom trigger for some individuals, so I recommend eating cookies in moderation. There are different types of stevia sold in stores. I would look at the package and it should tell you how much is needed for 1 cup of sugar. Also, sometimes stevia blends contain sugar alcohols, so make sure to check the ingredients list. I will be posting more simple recipes soon! You can find more great low FODMAP recipes at http://www.alittlebityummy.com
Carolyn says
How many cookies is one serving in a low FODMAP diet ?
Lauren says
Thanks for the reminder to add a serving size to this recipe! Maximum serving size for these cookies are 3 per sitting (when the recipe makes 24 total cookies).
AngieB says
These are wonderful – and so easy. Thank you!
Lauren says
I’m so happy, thanks for commenting 🙂
Alane says
Hi I’m in the UK are the measurements US cups as I know they are different from the UK cup sizes.
Lauren says
I use Canada/US cup measurements!
Alane says
That’s great thank you 😊 Just put my first batch in the oven, can’t wait to try them 😋
Rebecca Emily Hughes says
How long can you store these for in the freezer and how long in the fridge?
Lauren says
Sorry for the delay in response! I have been away travelling. I would recommend up to about 5-6 days in fridge and a few months in the freezer 🙂
Shea says
These are wonderful! Thank you!
Lauren says
Thanks Shea!
Joanna says
Hi Lauren, do I need to beat the egg before mixing it with the peanut butter and sugar?
Lauren says
Hi Joanna, as long as you mix the batter well it shouldn’t matter too much with this recipe
Debbie says
Hi, can you give me measurements for sugar and peanut butter in grams please
Also, I dont have flaxseed, so im going to use ground chia seed instead
Do you have any other cookie or cake recipes that are dairy, gluten, egg, cocoa free. Thanks
Lauren says
Hi Debbie, 1 cup of sugar is about 200 grams, and 1 cup peanut butter is about 250 grams.
This recipe can be dairy free, gluten free and egg free http://www.laurenrenlund.com/recipe/low-fodmap-healthy-carrot-cookies/