5-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Hello September 🍂

The leaves are just beginning to turn golden here, and I’m so ready for soft jumpers, steamy cups of tea, and a little sweet something to go with them. These peanut butter cookies are exactly that — golden, chewy, not-too-sweet, and they come together in no time. Plus, they’re naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and made with just a few simple ingredients I nearly always have in my cupboard. The kind of cookie that makes the house smell like home.

Here’s how I make them:

✨ You’ll need:

• 100g peanut butter (If yours is a bit stiff or cold, just warm it in the microwave in 30-second bursts until soft and stirrable)

• 30 g coconut sugar

• A pinch of sea salt

• 3 tbsp ground almonds

• 1 tbsp chia seeds or a ground seed mix

🥣 Method

1. Make your chia egg: If using Chia seeds, grind them into a powder (I use my little hand-held blender for this) or take your pre-made ground seed mix and mix with 3 tbsp of water. Set aside while it thickens – it should turn gloopy, like an egg replacer.

2. Preheat your oven to 160°C fan. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and a little coconut oil.

3. Mix everything in a big bowl — peanut butter, coconut sugar, salt, ground almonds, and the chia egg. I use my stand mixer for this, but a wooden spoon will do just fine, too!

4. Shape your cookies: Roll the dough into small balls and place them on your tray. Gently flatten them with your hands (tip: if the dough sticks, flatten with the back of a wet spoon or spatula).

5. Bake for 10 minutes until golden around the edges. Let them cool slightly (they’ll firm up a bit) and enjoy warm with a cup of tea. Or coffee. Or straight off the tray — no judgement.

   
   

❄️ Make-Ahead & Freezing Tips

One of my favourite things about this recipe is that the dough freezes beautifully. Just roll it into balls, pop them onto a tray or plate, and freeze until firm. Then transfer to a bag or container and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

That way, whenever you fancy just one fresh cookie (or two), you can pull a dough ball from the freezer, pop it straight in the oven, and have a warm treat ready in minutes. Perfect for those solo tea breaks or when a friend drops by unexpectedly.

🍪 Freezing Baked Cookies

Not only does the dough freeze beautifully, but the baked cookies do too! Just let them cool completely, then pop them in an airtight container or freezer bag. When you’re ready for one, you can let it defrost at room temperature or warm it gently in the oven or microwave for that fresh-from-the-oven feel.

Perfect for stashing a little treat away for future-you 💛

🌱 Allergy-Friendly Swaps

This recipe is already free from gluten, dairy, and eggs, but here are a few easy swaps if you need to make it work for other allergies:

• Nut-free? Use a seed butter in place of peanut butter and oat or coconut flour instead of ground almonds.

• Coconut-free? Use white or brown sugar instead of coconut sugar, and a neutral oil like avocado oil to grease your tray.

🥄 Nut Butter Swaps & Fun Add-Ins

Once you’ve got the base recipe down, it’s so easy to make these your own. The peanut butter gives them a classic, rich flavour, but you can swap in different nut or seed butters depending on what you have or love.

Here are some of my favourite variations:

• Almond butter – slightly more mellow than peanut, and gives the cookies a slightly softer texture.

• Cashew butter – super creamy and subtle, great if you want a more neutral cookie.

• Sunflower seed butter – a fab nut-free option!

  
  

If you’re feeling adventurous, here are some yummy extras you can stir into the dough before baking:

• Dried fruit – chopped dates, raisins, or dried cranberries add natural sweetness and a bit of chew.

• Toasted coconut flakes – add a lovely crunch and a golden, toasty flavour.

• Dark chocolate chips – because who doesn’t want chocolate in a cookie?

• Chopped nuts or seeds – like pecans, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds for extra texture.

• A sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top – optional, but takes them to the next level

  
  

As always, feel free to play around and make it your own. That’s the joy of home baking 💛

Let me know if you try them — I'd love to see your kitchen creations. You can always tag me or check out more over on Instagram @rubysgfkitchen 💫

Happy Baking,

Ruby x

Gluten-free flapjack granola recipe

I’ve always loved the comforting flavour of flapjacks — that golden syrup sweetness, the chewiness, the toasted oats — but sometimes you want something you can grab by the handful, scatter over yoghurt, or munch on straight from the jar. This flapjack-inspired granola gives you all the best bits of a traditional bake, but in crunchy, toasty, snackable form. It’s gluten-free, naturally sweetened, and ridiculously easy to throw together.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Naturally gluten-free (just make sure your oats are certified GF)

• Sweetened with date syrup + agave — no refined sugar

• Packed with texture from nuts, seeds, and raisins

• Easy to batch bake and store for the week

• Crispy, golden, and a bit addictive

Allergy-Friendly Swaps

This granola is super flexible, so it's easy to tweak depending on what you (or someone you're baking for) need:

• Nut-free? Skip the mixed nuts and add extra seeds like pumpkin, flax, or more sunflower seeds.

• Coconut-free? Use a neutral oil like sunflower or light olive oil instead of coconut oil.

• Low sugar? Reduce the syrup slightly or swap the agave for maple syrup — it’s naturally sweeter, so you can use less.

• No raisins? Go for any dried fruit you like — chopped apricots, cranberries, or dates.

• Vegan? You’re good to go! This recipe is already dairy- and egg-free, just make sure your syrup and add-ins are too.

• Oat-free? Use quinoa or buckwheat flakes (certified gluten-free if needed)

• No Agave + date syrup? Use maple syrup or a trusted allergen-free sweetener

  
  

This is one of those recipes that works with you, not against you, so don’t be afraid to switch things up based on what’s in your cupboard or what your body needs.

Ingredients:

6 cups of gluten-free oats

1 cup of coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup of date syrup

1/2 cup of agave syrup

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup of raisins

1 cup of mixed nuts, chopped

A pinch of salt

1 cup of sunflower seeds

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 150 °C fan and line 2 large baking trays with baking parchment and coconut oil.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted coconut oil, date syrup, agave syrup, salt and cinnamon.

3. To this mixture, mix in your oats, nuts and seeds.

4. Spread the mixture out evenly on your baking trays and place in the oven for 10 minutes. Take them out, stir the granola, and respread and bake for another 10 minutes until the granola is golden on top.

5. Leave the granola to cool on the trays for 10 minutes. Once firm, break up the granola.

6. Pour into a sealable container and mix in your raisins. Enjoy as a delicious breakfast or an easy snack.

   
   

Tips & Variations

• Swap the raisins for dried cranberries, chopped dates, or chocolate chips (add chocolate after it’s cooled!)

• Don’t skip the salt — it brings out the flavour.

• Want more spice? Add ground ginger or nutmeg.

• You can use maple syrup in place of agave or date syrup if that’s what you have.

This granola is perfect with yoghurt and fruit, sprinkled over porridge for extra crunch, or eaten by the handful straight out of the jar.

For more gluten-free recipes and behind-the-scenes kitchen trials, check out my Instagram @rubysgfkitchen — there's always something baking.

Let me know if you give it a go!

Happy Baking,

Ruby x

Chocolate and date caramels

I love dates, and use them a lot, but one of my favourite characteristics of them is the caramel-like flavour and consistency they can create. This creates the perfect opportunity for the creation of several different sweet treats using this quality. I love this as a chance to get experimental with the recipes I try that highlight this versatile ingredient.

Specifically, these caramels are a great option for an easy snack that can readily be available in the freezer, giving that caramel-like quality with far less time than traditional caramels. This recipe is also gluten-free and vegan, so it is a great one to make when catering for multiple allergies, and could make a great addition to a birthday or Christmas present.

Being so easy, this would be a fun one to make with kids or friends, getting creative with flavours and shapes. There are many different ways this recipe could be altered to suit your preferences, the preferences of the individuals you're making them for or what you have available to you.

In this recipe, I give the option for making a homemade chocolate coating, or you could melt your favourite chocolate, experimenting with flavoured chocolates, dark, milk or white chocolate. There is also the addition of nut butter to the base of the caramels; this could be any type, from pistachio to cashew or almond, etc, but if there are concerns, such as allergies, alternatives of seed butters could be used.

The caramels can also be topped with a variety of optional toppings, which change the texture and flavour. Some ideas include:

• Chopped nuts, ie pistachios, almonds or peanuts

• Flaky salt

• Drizzled nut butter

• Cocoa nibs

• Chopped chocolate

• Chocolate chips

• Dried fruit

Here is the standard recipe:

Ingredients (Makes 12)

Caramels

190g Dates

3 tbsp Melted coconut oil

115g Nut butter (I used peanut butter)

80ml Liquid sweetener (I used date syrup)

1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

A pinch of salt

Chocolate coating

3 tsp Melted coconut oil

3-4 tbsp Liquid sweetener (Depending on how sweet you want the chocolate)

2 tbsp Cocoa powder

Alternatively, your favourite chocolate could be used

Optional toppings:

Examples include cocoa nibs, dried fruit, chopped nuts, flaky salt, etc

Method

1. Soak the dates in boiling water for 10 minutes. Line a tray with greaseproof paper.

2. Add the dates, coconut oil, nut butter, sweetener, vanilla and salt to a blender and blend until smooth or add all the ingredients to a bowl and blend with a stick blender.

3. On the prepared tray, use a spoon to put balls of the mix onto the tray, and shape them into the desired shape (I did small rectangles).

4. Place the tray in the freezer whilst you make the chocolate coating.

5. Put the cocoa powder, sweetener and coconut oil into a bowl and mix. Keep adding water until it is a pourable consistency, similar to a ganache texture. Or if coating with chocolate, melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments.

6. Spoon the chocolate coating over the caramels and smooth the chocolate around the caramels with the back of a spoon.

7. Add the toppings of your choice and freeze until the chocolate sets to enjoy.

I hope you enjoyed reading and gained some inspiration from this recipe for some experimentation in the kitchen. If you want to keep up with what I have been making recently, head over to my Instagram @rubysgfkitchen.

Happy Baking,

Ruby X