Love vegan desserts? Try my vegan cheesecake, vegan brownies, vegan chocolate chip cookies, and vegan chocolate cake. Also known as peanut butter patties, my vegan tagalong cookies have an addictive shortbread base layered with drippy peanut butter and covered in melted chocolate. For how decadent they taste, no one will guess they’re vegan.
Why I love this recipe
They’re easy to make. Once you make the shortbread cookies, the rest is a breeze. Easily made gluten-free. As much as I love supporting my local Girl Scout troop, I love that I can make these at home and know they’re suitable to share with my vegan and gluten-free friends. You can make them year-round. No more waiting for Girl Scout cookie season. You can make these cookies whenever the cravings strike!
Ingredients needed
You’ll love the simple and short ingredient list for this recipe. If you’ve made any of my healthy desserts before, you probably have everything on hand! Here is what you’ll need:
Vegan shortbread cookies– These make up the base of the cookies. They are firm, dense, and buttery, perfect to hold the filling (click the link to the left for the recipe). Peanut butter– Smooth and creamy peanut butter. If you aren’t a fan of the sweet and salty combination, you can use honey peanut butter. Chocolate chips– To coat the cookies with. Either vegan chocolate chips or a chopped-up vegan chocolate bar can be used.
How to make vegan girl scout cookies
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Step 1- Make the cookies. Prepare the shortbread cookie dough as directed, then form the dough into 12 balls and flatten them into a large cookie shape. Form a small well in the center of each. Step 2- Bake. Bake the cookies for 17-19 minutes or until the edges become golden. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely. Step 3- Add peanut butter. Place a teaspoon of peanut butter into the wells of each cookie and refrigerate for 30 minutes for the peanut butter to firm up. Step 4- Coat in chocolate. In a microwave or small saucepan, melt the chocolate chips. Once melted, use two spoons to dip each cookie in the chocolate until covered. Place the chocolate-covered cookies onto a lined plate and refrigerate until the chocolate has firmed up.
Recipe tips and variations
Make them gluten-free. Use gluten-free flour for the shortbread cookies. Swap the peanut butter. I’ve tested this recipe with almond butter and cashew butter, and while it changes the flavor, they were still really tasty! Avoid overbaking the cookies. They’ll continue to firm up as they cool down, so pull them from the oven as soon as the edges turn golden brown. Enhance the flavor. While optional, I like to top the cookies with a hint of sea salt for a little salty-sweet flavor.
Storage instructions
To store: Cookies will keep at room temperature in a sealed container for up to 4 weeks. To freeze: Place cookies in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
More vegan cookie recipes to try
Brown butter chocolate chip cookies Vegan double chocolate cookies Vegan peanut butter cookies Vegan Christmas cookies Vegan macaroons
