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These Gluten Free Peanut Butter Jelly Cookies are so much fun to make – and perfect with a cuppa! Easy peanut butter cookies with jelly in the middle (or jam, for us Brits) are so easy to make and a great baking activity for kids too. No-one will know they’re gluten free!

A plate of peanut butter and jelly cookies.
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What you need to know at-a-glance:

  • Why choose this recipe? This easy Thumbprint Cookies recipe is both fun and delicious to make! Peanut butter thumbprint cookies with jelly in the middle – it’s the classic combination we all love, in cookie form!
  • Great For Kids: If you need a gluten free bake that kids can help with, these peanut butter jelly cookies are the one. They’ll love making the little indents and filling them with their favourite jam.
  • Flour of choice: I always use the FREEE Plain Gluten Free Flour for this but any plain gluten free flour blend will work, such as Asda or M&S flour.
  • Mix It Up! I love using raspberry jam in the centre but why not swap for your favourite flavour? Strawberry, apricot or even cherry jam all work really well.
A hand holding a peanut butter and jelly cookie with a bite taken out of it.

Ingredients

There’s a printable recipe card for these peanut butter thumbprint cookies with jam below. But here are the main ingredients and any swaps you can make:

  • Butter: I use unsalted butter – swap for a margarine like Stork for dairy free cookies.
  • Crunchy Peanut Butter: You can use smooth peanut butter if you want less texture.
  • Brown Sugar: Essential for both sweetness and texture.
  • Egg: In the US you’ll need an XL egg – I use a UK Large.
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Plain Gluten Free Flour: I use the FREEE Gluten Free Flour blend, but any supermarket plain gluten free flour blend will work. You can also use a 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour.
  • Chopped Peanuts
  • Raspberry Jam: Or should I say jelly! Feel free to use your favourite flavour, like strawberry jam, instead of raspberry.
Ingredients for the peanut butter jelly cookies with text labels.

How to Make Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

There’s a printable recipe card below with the method. But here are some step-by-step photos to show you how easy these peanut butter thumbprint cookies are to make.

Preheat the oven to 180C / Fan 160C / Gas Mark 4. Line two baking trays with baking paper and set to one side.

Mixing together the dough for the peanut butter jelly cookies in a glass bowl.

Add the butter, sugar and peanut butter to a large mixing bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. 

Add the egg and beat together until combined. Add the gluten free flour and chopped nuts and mix together with a wooden spoon.

You might need to use your hands as the dough firms to bring the dough together.

The peanut butter cookie dough balls on a tray and (right) being filled with jam.

Divide the dough into 10 balls (approx 50g each) and place 5 balls on each tray, with space for them to spread a little during cooking (they won’t spread much!).

Using your thumb or the back of a measuring spoon, make a well in the middle of each ball of dough and fill each one with 1 tsp jam.

Bake the cookies in the oven for around 10-12 minutes until starting to go firm and golden. Remove from the oven and cool, sprinkling with some extra nuts if you like.

The finished peanut butter jelly cookies on a tray.

Storing and Freezing Instructions

TO STORE: These cookies will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container once baked and cooled.

TO FREEZE: Freeze these cookies on a tray before decanting into a tub to stop them sticking together. You can also freeze the cookie dough to bake at a later date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some FAQs about this peanut butter jelly cookies recipe. If you can’t find the answer to your question here or in the post above, please comment and I’ll try answer!

Is peanut butter gluten free?

Yes, peanut butter is usually gluten free. If it’s not, I’d be worried about what’s in it! I always try to use a peanut butter that is as natural as possible, containing only peanuts. This should then be gluten free, but always double check.

What is the difference between jam and jelly?

The UK version of Jam is what the US calls Jelly. Not to be confused with the UK version of Jelly – which is what the US calls Jell-O. This recipe uses UK jam/US jelly. The other way round could be disastrous!

Close up of a PB&J cookie.

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A plate of peanut butter jelly cookies with a cup of tea behind.
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Peanut Butter Jelly Cookes Recipe

These gluten free peanut butter and jelly cookies and are super tasty and look beautiful. The perfect pairing of crunchy peanut butter and raspberry jam.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 10 cookies
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Ingredients 

  • 75 g unsalted butter
  • 55 g crunchy peanut butter
  • 75 g soft brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 200 g plain gluten free flour
  • 30 g chopped peanuts
  • 10 tsp raspberry jam

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C / Fan 160C / Gas Mark 4. Line two baking trays with baking paper and set to one side.
  • Add the butter, sugar and peanut butter to a large mixing bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. 
  • Add the egg and beat together until combined. Add the gluten free flour and chopped nuts and mix together with a wooden spoon. You might need to use your hands as the dough firms to bring it all together.
  • Divide the dough into 10 balls (approx 50g each) and place 5 balls on each tray, with space for them to spread a little during cooking (they won’t spread much!).
  • Using your thumb, make a well in the middle of each ball of dough and fill each one with 1 teaspoon of jam.
  • Bake the cookies in the oven for around 10-12 minutes until starting to go firm and golden. Remove from the oven and cool before eating. If you like, sprinkle the jam with a little extra chopped nuts before it cools.

Notes

  • Storing and Freezing: These cookies will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container once baked and cooled. You can also freeze the cookie dough and any uneaten cookies.
  • Weighing Scales vs Cups: You can toggle this recipe card to convert the ingredients into cups. However, I always recommend using weighing scales – these are cheap to buy and much more accurate. And in gluten free baking, a tiny variation can make a huge difference!
  • Step-by-Step Photos: Check out the blog post above for step-by-step photos to show how to make these thumbprint cookies if you prefer a visual guide.
  • Like this Recipe? It would mean SO much to me if you could leave a 5* review and a little comment telling people how much you enjoyed this Peanut Butter Jelly Cookies! It makes a huge difference in supporting my website, thank you xx

Nutrition

Serving: 10cookies | Calories: 201kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g
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About Sarah Howells

Hi, I'm Sarah! Diagnosed with coeliac disease 20 years ago, I'm on a mission to create the best gluten free recipes since sliced bread. No fruit salads or dry brownies here.

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