5 from 5 reviews

Is Peanut Butter Whiskey Gluten-Free?

Yes! Peanut butter whiskey is gluten-free. Even if a whiskey is fermented using wheat, rye or barley, the gluten does not survive the distillation process. This is true for all hard liquor.

White plate with stack of peanut butter whiskey cookies with icing. Wood board underneath. Milk bottle, glass and bottle of peanut butter whiskey in background.

Ingredients

Peanut Butter – Natural peanut butter (as opposed to the “no-stir” kind) is best for these cookies. No-stir peanut butter has palm oil which changes the texture of the cookies. They come out airy and more delicate. Natural peanut butter makes them more soft and chewy.

I highly recommend using unsweetened creamy peanut butter. Sweetened PBs will make the cookies too sweet. Laura Scudders Natural Creamy Peanut Butter is an excellent option and is available at many grocery stores. If you keep your natural peanut butter refrigerated, heat it for 10 seconds in the microwave to bring it to room temperature,

Butter – Some yummy buttery flavor is a must in cookies, but with PB in the recipe, there is less than in an average cookie.

Brown Sugar – You can use either light (aka golden) or dark brown sugar. I prefer the stronger molasses flavor in dark brown sugar,

Since the whiskey is pretty sweet, just a small amount of white sugar is needed in these cookies.

Egg – If the egg is cold, place it in a bowl of warm water to bring to room temperature. If you add a cold egg to soft creamed butter, it will cause the butter to harden and turn lumpy.

Gluten-Free Flour – The best gluten-free flour for baking is King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour. It works well in almost all of my baked goods and is the most affordable of the gluten-free flour blends I’ve tested.

Finally, peanut butter whiskey enhances the peanut butter and adds a boozy grown up flavor. The boozy flavor does fade quite a bit during baking, so an icing (see below) will bring it back in. I use Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey – I think it has the best flavor. But there are several other brands that will work too, including Sheepdog, Sqrrl and Skatterbrain PB Whiskeys.

Close up of pan with peanut butter whiskey cookie scoops. Fork scoring cookie dough in upper left.

Peanut Butter Whiskey Cookie Icing

Even with quite a bit of whiskey in the cookie batter, the flavor faded a lot once the cookies were baked. So to bring back a strong pop of peanut butter whiskey, top with this easy cookie icing. Either a fun drizzle or a full on dip into the icing takes these cookies to another level.

Simply mix:

3/4 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons peanut butter whiskey
1 teaspoon corn syrup
a pinch of salt.

The icing dries out quickly, so I recommend making it right before you are ready to ice the cookies. It’ll mix up in just 2 minutes. This will be enough to put a pretty drizzle on the cookies. If you plan to completely coat the top, double the recipe.

Gluten-free peanut butter whiskey cookies on wire rack. Spoon drizzling icing onto one cookie. Glass of milk, milk bottle and bottle of peanut butter whiskey in background.

Can you Freeze Cookies?

Yes these cookies can be frozen. There are 2 options for freezing:

If you love a warm, fresh cookie, freeze the dough. Here’s how: Make the dough, form them with a scoop or 2 spoons and flatten with a fork. Place on a sheet pan and put into the freezer for 6 hours. Then transfer the formed dough to a zip top bag and put back in the freezer. If tightly sealed, the dough will last 3 months.

To bake, thaw the dough for about 1/2 hour at room temp and bake as directed in the recipe.
These cookies can also be frozen once baked. Cool completely. Then place in an air tight container or zip top bag. Thaw at room temperature. They will last about 3 months frozen.