Melt-in-the-mouth Chinese Peanut Cookies made using rice flour. A favorite during the Chinese New Year and popular throughout the year.
One of the traditions surrounding the Chinese New Year is the practice of matching ingredients that are homonyms of auspicious words. Peanuts fall into this happy category with the Cantonese fah sung rhyming with long life and growing prosperity. Hence, they often appear in all kinds of dishes prepared for the New Year celebrations. I also happen to like peanuts so I have absolutely no objections to this tradition. In fact, these Chinese Peanut Cookies are something I look forward to every Chinese New Year. They are the best!
Melt-in-the-Mouth Texture
Traditionally, ground peanuts are combined with all-purpose flour, sugar, and pork lard to make these delectable cookies. Today, most people would substitute the pork lard with vegetable oil for a less “fatty” version. I have also replaced the sugar with powdered/icing sugar and the all-purpose flour with rice flour to make them gluten free. White rice flour is finer than all-purpose flour and so these cookies have a very smooth, melt-in-the-mouth texture.
Molded Chinese Peanut Cookies
For a festive touch, I borrowed my mother-in-law’s excellent idea of molding half of the cookies using wooden Kuih Bangkit molds. The wooden molds with larger indentations are preferred. However, they are still smaller than the hand formed balls. Baking time for these molded cookies should be adjusted accordingly.
I make these cookies a few times a year, not just Chinese New Year because they are so easy to make. Also, you only need a few ingredients and blanched peanuts is something I always have in my pantry. Many people have affirmed that these cookies have a melt-in-the-mouth texture because of the use of rice flour and powdered/icing sugar. I hope you will it a try.
Similar Tools Used in Making These Chinese Peanut Cookies
This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy here.
KitchenAid 9-Cup Food Processor with Exact Slice System – Contour Silver
Staub Serving Bowl, White, 3.4 qt.
Pyrex Prepware 1-Cup Measuring Cup
Chinese Peanut Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups shelled raw peanuts (300 gm)
- 1¼ cup rice flour (150 gm)
- ¾ cup powdered sugar / icing sugar (90 gm)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil (160 ml)
- White egg wash
Instructions
- Place peanuts in a single layer on a shallow baking pan. Roast at 350°F (180°C) for about 12 to 15 minutes until just lightly brown. Remove and allow peanuts to cool.
- Grind peanuts in a food processor to as fine as possible.
- Pour into a large bowl. Mix in rice flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Pour in oil and mix well. Peanut and flour mixture should come together.
- Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Flatten slightly before placing onto parchment lined baking pan.
- Brush top of cookie with egg wash.
- Bake in 375°F (190°C) oven for approximately 18 minutes.
- Remove and cool in pan for 10 minutes.
- Transfer onto wire rack to cool completely. Store in an air tight jar.
Nutrition
Thank you so much for sharing this gluten free peanut cookies . Have KIV this for a friend who can’teat gluten cookies 🙂
You are welcome, Elin. I think they taste better with rice flour instead of all-purpose flour. Rice flour gives them a melt-in-the-mouth texture. 🙂
What is the Chinese name for rice flour, is it glutinous flour?
Rice flour is just rice flour. Glutinous rice flour is different from rice flour. It is made of glutinous rice, a.k.a sweet rice or sticky rice. Do not use glutinous rice flour for this recipe.
I tried this recipe last week and have some peanuts roasting in the oven as I type, so I can make another batch this afternoon 🙂 I just wanted to say thank you for a deliciously simple recipe! I didn’t have rice flour the last time so used potato flour instead. Come out a treat!
I am glad to hear you enjoyed the peanut cookies. They are so easy to make and use just a few ingredients. 🙂
Hi Linda, thanks for sharing the recipe. Can I replace the vegetable oil with butter or coconut oil? How long can the cookies last in room temp?
Yes, you can. If you use butter, do melt the butter. I think it will be very rich. Not sure how it will taste with coconut oil. Maybe you can let me know once you have tried it. 🙂
What are the differences of using cake flour, all purpose flour (plain flour) and rice flour in making the peanut cookies?
I think using rice flour makes the cookies lighter. I have never tried cake flour.
Hi Linda,
Can we use plain flour instead of rice flour ?
Yes, you can use all-purpose flour but the texture will be different. The cookies will be more dense.
Hello, can I use wheat flour instead of rice flour?
Please use all-purpose flour instead of whole wheat flour.
Great taste and gluten free was a.bonus! Thank you so much for this recipe
You are welcome!
Hi, when i use rice flour, the dough doesn’t come together and it’s so hard to shape. Is there any tricks to make them come together as it’s always grainy even after 15 mins of kneading. I used olive oil as well, not sure if that makes an difference?
I don’t know where you went wrong. Maybe you have to grind the peanuts a little more.
Hi Linda,
Thanks for this recipe. It looks very straight-forward on your excellent video.
Our daughter was born in China, so we always celebrate Chinese New Year with a dessert party with lots of friends. It has become MORE important as she has gotten older and we have always tried to accurately include as many cultural traditions, as properly as we can, to ensure that she appreciates her Asian identity as much as we do.
Recipes like yours will certainly help me in the kitchen.
I was wondering how far in advance I can make the cookies, stored in an air-tight container, wihout risking any change in flavour or freshness?
Also, I want to double the recipe. Would you recommend that I make two separate batches or do you think the dough will still come together for molding if I just double all the ingredients at one time? I know that doing so can sometimes compromise the recipe.
I look forward to hearing from you at your convenience.
xin nian kuai le!
I am delighted to hear that your family celebrates Chinese New Year with your daughter. Likewise, even though we are far away from our original homeland, I try to celebrate CNY and many of the Chinese festivals so that my two sons will not lose touch with our rich traditions. As they grow older, they do appreciate it even more.
As for the peanut cookies, you can make them two to three weeks in advance. You should have no problems doubling the recipe as I have done that before and it worked out just fine.
Gong Xi Fa Cai and Xin Nian Kuai Le!
Hi Linda,
Thanks for your lovely reply.
I have an additional question:
It is very convenient for me (and I get top quality products) from nuts.com. I’ve placed several orders with them.
I was just about to place my order for rice flour and my fresh peanuts to roast and pulverize when I noticed that they offer roasted and pulverized peanut flour. Essentially what I have been making.
I would like to give their “peanut flour” a chance (especially as nuts are their speciality) but I realized that I don’t know a “cup” amount that home roasting and crushing the peanuts equals. (I hope that this question makes sense. If you think I should just stick with the recipe as is please don’t hesitate to say so).
I’m not looking for a shortcut, only the best version of the cookie I can make which is the reason I’m shifting to your excellent rice flour replacement.
Again, I look forward to your guidance at your convenience.
Sincerely,
Christie
Gong Xi Fa Cai and Xin Nian Kuai Le to you and your lucky family! ?
For this recipe, I think it is best to roast and crush the peanuts because peanut flour may be too fine. The texture will certainly be different. I have used peanut flour once to make these Peanut Butter Stamped Cookies (from my other blog) and they were a bit too much. The peanut flour was quite fine and it felt over powering in my mouth. It is hard to explain but I did not like the texture. Perhaps I should have used half peanut flour and half all-purpose flour to make those stamped cookies instead of using only peanut flour. I will try it again sometime if I get some peanut flour.
Wishing you and your family a most Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year!
Hi Linda
why do you use White egg wash as most recipe using egg yolk wash? there any different?
It is a matter of preference. White egg wash promotes even browning but little shine while egg yolk wash gives the cookies a shiny look.
Hi Linda, love your recipe and the cookies literally melt in my mouth! However all of them cracked and I have checked my oven temperature it is only at 170c. Is my oven too hot that had caused all my cookies to crack?
Glad you enjoy the recipe. 🙂 As for the cracking, perhaps your cookies may be a little too dry.
Hi. Does roasting the peanuts under the stove and in the oven makes a difference in the fragrance of the cookies?
I don’t think so and even if it does, the difference will not be noticeable.
Thank you for the recipe! It’s so simple and came out just like how i remember it when i get to eat them during the festive days of Chinese New Year. I will definitely make these again and this is coming from someone who is not so good at baking!
I am glad to hear the recipe turned out well for you. These peanut cookies are a personal favorite and I make them year round. 🙂
Chinese new year is going to happen next month. I shall use your recipe to make. But i have a few questions. I read that if i use rice flour + icing sugar i will get melt in mouth kind of cookies right? But if i want to get more crusty crispy feel. I should change my rice flour to plain flour? Do I need change to fine caster sugar? Have you try before?
I have not tried it. You will have to do your own experiment to find out.
Hello Linda
Can I use the bulk peanut ( unsalted) sold in the store instead of roasting the raw peanuts!
I know of people who have used my recipe with roasted peanuts from the store.The cookies turned out quite nicely. 🙂
Very accurate recipe. Melts in the mouth. As a vegetarian, I used milk as the replacement for egg white wash. Tq
You are welcome and I am glad you had a chance to try my recipe. 🙂