Grain-Free Cookies (5 Ingredients)

Healthy, yummy, crunchy grain-free, cookies, made with 5 ingredients! They have 5.5g protein each and can be varied in countless ways. They are also vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, and simple to make in a muffin tin!

If you love cookies that feel a both special and nourishing, these easy grain-free cookies are about to become a staple. These jumbo cookies are wonderfully crispy and crunchy, lightly sweet, and honestly hard to stop eating.

Made with just five simple ingredients, they’re completely flourless, vegan, oil-free, and gluten-free—yet each cookie still packs 5.5 grams of protein. The magic? A simple mix of nuts, seeds, or any combination you love, baked right in a muffin tin so they come out perfectly round every single time.

What makes these cookies especially fun is how endlessly adaptable they are. Swap the nuts, change up the seeds, or go half-and-half to create a new version every time you bake. You can keep them classic or dress them up with chocolate chips, vanilla, and spices.

I love grabbing one with coffee at breakfast, alongside an afternoon tea bread, or as a simple, satisfying dessert—in short, I like to eat them all day. I think you will love them, too.

You can easily transform them into chocolate chip cookies, too :).

Recipe Benefits

• Grain-free (e.g., no oats, no wheat)
• Flourless
• Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
• High in protein (5.5 grams per cookie)
• Gluten-free
• Oil-free (e.g., no vegan butter, coconut oil, or avocado oil)
• Low in sugar
• High in fiber
• Made with only 5 ingredients
• Easy to make in a muffin tin (makes perfect;y round cookies)
• No leavening agents (e.g., no baking powder or baking soda)

Ingredients

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post. Toggle between US Customary (volume) and Metric (weights) for preferred measurement option.

• creamy nut or seed butter (e.g., almond butter, peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, cashew butter, or tahini)
• flaxseed meal
• maple syrup
• raw nuts, seeds, or a combination (see notes for options)
• unsweetened flake coconut, (or another ounce of nuts)

You will also need a small amount of warm warm to blend the cookie dough (I use filtered tap water). I have provided a specific amount of optional salt, but you can adjust it or omit it, as desired.

Step by Step Instructions

Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.

• Preheat oven to 325F (160C). Line 8 cups of a standard size muffin tin with silicone liners or paper liners. If you are ok eating some oil, you can, alternatively, spray the cups with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the warm water, peanut butter, maple syrup and optional salt until blended. Stir in the flax meal. Let stand 5 minutes to thicken.
• Grind the nuts/seeds and coconut in a food processor until finely chopped (not too fine; about the size and consistency of rolled oats).
• Add the chopped nut mixture to the flax mixture. Stir until completely combined and coated
• Divide mixture evenly between prepare cups, tamping down into cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 13 to 17 minutes until browned at edges and centers feel dry to the touch. Transfer tin to a cooling rack and cool for 10 minutes before removing from tin. Cool completely.

Taste & Texture

The sum of these cookies is far greater than the five ingredients! They have crunchy, crispy edges with but slightly chewy centers. The cookies are toasty in flavor, faintly sweet, and perfectly portable (no special handling required; they do not crumble easily).

Storage

Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at cool room temperature for 3 days, the refrigerator for 2 weeks ,or freezer for up to 6 months.

Flavor Variations

• Spices: Add 1/4 to 1.5 teaspoons of your favorite spice, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, ginger, or pumpkin pie spice. Or add a combination of spices (no more than 1.5 teaspoons total).
• Dried Fruit: Add up to 1/4 cup of chopped dried fruit, such as raisins, dried apricots, dried cherries, dried cranberries or 3 cup of chopped dried apples.
• Chocolate: Add up to 1/4 cup chocolate chips (I recommend mini chips) or chunks.
• Extracts or Zests: Add a teaspoon of vanilla or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract, rum extract or coconut extract. Or add one to two teaspoons of finely grated lime, lemon or orange zest.

FAQ

• I do not have a muffin tin. Can I bake these on a baking sheet / cookie sheet? Yes! Portion the cookie “dough” into 8 equal amounts on a parchment paper-line large baking sheet. Flatten and compress each mound into an even round, about 2.5 to 3 inches in diameter.. Bake as directed.
• What kind of nuts or seeds should I use? Use an combination of nuts and seeds you prefer, including pecans, almonds, green pumpkin seeds (pepitas), sunflower seed kernels, walnuts, hemp hearts/ hemp seeds, or hazelnuts.
• Can I use something other than maple syrup? Yes. Use an equal amount of date syrup, agave nectar or brown rice syrup. Or honey, if you are not vegan.
• What can I use in place of flaxseed meal? Use an equal amount of finely ground chia seeds.
• Can I make this cookie recipe into chocolate chip cookies? Yes! Stir in about 1/4 to 1/2 cup chocolate chips before shaping.
• Can I use almond flour or almond meal in place of the ground nuts /seeds? Yes! Use an equal weight of almond flour (6 ounces).

Happy devouring!

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